Title IV, Part A Technical Assistance Center (T4PA Center)

Overview

On behalf of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Supportive Schools, Synergy developed and maintains a training and technical assistance (TTA) center that supports state education agency representatives in their administration and implementation of a federally authorized program that aims to improve academic achievement.  

The Title IV, Part A Technical Assistance Center (T4PA Center) facilitates the Student Support and Academic Enrichment program. This program enhances the state and local capacity to provide all students with a well-rounded education, improves school conditions for learning, and increases the use of technology to boost academic achievement and digital literacy. The T4PA Center uses robust needs assessments to offer customized TTA that supports Title IV, Part A (Title IV-A) administration and implementation—including providing resources, trainings, and other materials; hosting interactive meetings, webinars, and annual conferences; and developing a national network of subject matter experts.

Under the auspices of the T4PA Center, Synergy also analyzed 200 “Use of Funds” plans detailing how local education agencies (LEAs) would use American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds to mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on students’ learning loss. The 200 LEAs were a subset of more than 10,000 LEAs selected from EdFacts and sorted by poverty level (i.e., free or reduced-price lunch eligibility), locale (urban, suburban, town, or rural), and the number of students in the LEA. The resulting report in January 2022 examined how the LEAs planned to spend the funds for mitigating learning loss and in other areas, such as facilities upgrades and staffing.