CARES: The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a law that was passed by Congress in 2020, the first of three federal stimulus packages to provide economic assistance and relief in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.​

CRRSA: The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act is a law that was passed by Congress in 2021, the second of three federal stimulus packages in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.​

ARP: The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act is a law that was passed by Congress in 2021, the third and largest of the federal stimulus packages in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.​

ESSER: The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) fund is a program managed by the Department of Education that was included in each of the three stimulus packages and is referred to, respectively, as ESSER I-CARES, ESSER II-CRRSA, ESSER III-ARP. 90% of these funds flow directly to local education agencies (i.e., public school systems), while the remaining 10% is considered a “state set-aside,” for which the state education agency (i.e., OSSE) has broad discretion over how to invest the funds. In both cases, the funds can be used for a wide range of activities to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19 and must be reported annually to the Department of Education.​

Passthrough Funds: This category includes federal stimulus funds that are directed by the federal or state government to flow directly through OSSE to local education agencies, early childhood providers, or other organization types and are considered passthrough funds that typically follow established formulas. This includes the 90% of ESSER funds that OSSE grants to LEAs using the Title I funding formula. For the funds dedicated specifically to support the needs of nonpublic schools through the Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools (EANS) program, this category includes funds used for purchases that benefit non-public schools.

State-Led Investments: This category includes federal stimulus funds for which OSSE has discretion over how to invest them in order to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19. It also includes federal stimulus funds that have been committed to OSSE through the Mayor’s budget in order to accomplish specific objectives that are part of the District’s Roadmap to Recovery.