Texas

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed into law in 2015. The Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) program falls under ESSA, subpart 1 of Title IV, Part A. The SSAE program is intended to improve students’ academic achievement by increasing the capacity of State educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), and local communities to provide all students with access to a well-rounded education; improve school conditions for student learning; and improve the use of technology to improve the academic achievement and digital literacy of all students. States receive funds in the form of block grants and then fund local education agencies. To learn more, visit the T4PA Center website.

In 2023, Kansas City Independent School District received a Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration grant. This university is using this 5-year grant to support and demonstrate innovative partnerships to train school-based mental health services providers for employment in schools and local educational agencies (LEAs). The goal of this program is to expand the pipeline of high-quality, trained providers to address the shortages of mental health service professionals in schools served by high-need LEAs. To find out more about this program, visit: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/11/28/2022-25824/applications-for-new-awards-mental-health-service-professional-demonstration-grant-program.

In 2022, San Antonio Independent School District and the Region One Education SRV Center received a Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration grant. This university is using this 5-year grant to support and demonstrate innovative partnerships to train school-based mental health services providers for employment in schools and local educational agencies (LEAs). The goal of this program is to expand the pipeline of high-quality, trained providers to address the shortages of mental health service professionals in schools served by high-need LEAs. To find out more about this program, visit: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/11/28/2022-25824/applications-for-new-awards-mental-health-service-professional-demonstration-grant-program.

In 2014, Karnes City, Northside, Pasadena, San Antonio, South San Antonio, and Southside Independent School Districts received a School Climate Transformation grant. With this 5-year grant, these school districts developed support systems and provided technical assistance to schools on implementing evidence-based multi-tiered behavioral frameworks. The primary goal was to improve behavioral outcomes and learning conditions for all students. To find out more about this grant go to: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/schoolclimatelea/index.html..

Crockett Independent School District, East Austin College Prep Academy, Elgin Independent School District, Fort Worth Independent School District, and Sharyland Independent School Districts received funding through the U.S. Department of Education Elementary and Secondary School Counseling grant program. This 3-year grant helped schools expand the capacity of their school mental health services by 1) hiring qualified mental health professionals and 2) supporting parental involvement and school staff professional development to increase their capacities for collaborating with mental health community-based service providers. For more information about this grant, go to: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/elseccounseling/index.html.

In 2022, Humble Independent School District, Education Service Center Region XV, Uplift Education, Pasadena Independent School District, and Waxahachie Faith Family Academy received a School-Based Mental Health Services grant. This district is using this 5-year grant to increase the number of qualified (i.e., licensed, certified, well-trained, or credentialed, as defined in the notice inviting applications) mental health service providers that provide school-based mental health services to students in local educational agencies (LEAs) with demonstrated need. To find out more about this grant, visit: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/10/04/2022-21631/applications-for-new-awards-school-based-mental-health-services-grant-program.

In 2023, The University of Houston System, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Midwestern State University, University of the Incarnate Word, Baylor University, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Sam Houston State University, the University of North Texas, and the University of North Texas received a Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration grant. This university is using this 5-year grant to support and demonstrate innovative partnerships to train school-based mental health services providers for employment in schools and local educational agencies (LEAs). The goal of this program is to expand the pipeline of high-quality, trained providers to address the shortages of mental health service professionals in schools served by high-need LEAs. To find out more about this program, visit: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/11/28/2022-25824/applications-for-new-awards-mental-health-service-professional-demonstration-grant-program.

In 2022, The University of Houston System, the University of Texas at Tyler, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Texas Woman's University, the University of Texas at San Antonio, and the University of Texas at Austin received a Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration grant. This university is using this 5-year grant to support and demonstrate innovative partnerships to train school-based mental health services providers for employment in schools and local educational agencies (LEAs). The goal of this program is to expand the pipeline of high-quality, trained providers to address the shortages of mental health service professionals in schools served by high-need LEAs. To find out more about this program, visit: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/11/28/2022-25824/applications-for-new-awards-mental-health-service-professional-demonstration-grant-program.