From the brief: "The need is obvious: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted schools across the country, negatively impacting student learning, especially for students of color and students experiencing poverty. While there is some debate about the appropriateness of the term “learning loss,” what is clear from recently released reports about achievement on standardized tests is that students are behind their pre-pandemic peers in math and reading... the American Rescue Plan (ARP), provides $122 billion to states, $110 billion of which must go to districts. Of that $110 billion, 20 percent (or $22 billion) is specifically designated for addressing “learning loss” due to pandemic-related schooling impacts, using “evidence-based interventions”In this brief, we review aspects of the ARP and argue that the Act strongly implies or even requires that districts invest smartly. And further, that smart investments require some data collection, not only so we know how ARP funds were spent, but also so we can learn about their efficacy."