The American Rescue Plan stipulates that 20% of an LEA’s total ESSER III award must be reserved to address learning loss through the implementation of evidence-based interventions, such as summer learning or summer enrichment, extended day, comprehensive afterschool programs, or extended school year programs.
All activities and interventions funded through this required set aside must be evidence-based (see below), respond to students' academic, social, and emotional needs and address the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable student populations, including each major racial and ethnic group, children from low-income families, children with disabilities, English learners, gender, and migrant status, students experiencing homelessness, and children and youth in foster care.
“Evidence-based” has the same definition as used in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) for programs such as Title I-A.
Our Evidence-Based Practices, Strategies, Programs and Intervention webpage for more information, training materials and resources – to include tools and external websites that may be used to identify evidence-based resources, programs, practices and interventions
Search an LEA below to review their plan for addressing disrupted learning. Only LEAs whose ESSER III applications have been "approved" (not submitted) are featured here.
| LEA | Use of Set-Aside Funds | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Fountain Hills Unified District | Wholistically address academic and SEL impact, especially for students disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 |
Fortunately, we were able to use funds from ESSER I and ESSER II to pay for things like masks, gloves, water bottle filling stations, and cleaning supplies. We have also been able to adjust our daily operations of school sites to implement and meet the CDC guidelines as demonstrated by our recently revised and uploaded 2021-2022 Safe Return to School Plan. Of note, other than a three-day period in January of 2022 of required remote learning due to COVID cases at McDowell Mountain Elementary School, we have maintained in-person learning at all of our sites throughout the 2021-2022 school year. A major component of our use of the ESSER III funds is to maintain the necessary high level of counseling support we observe needed by our students in order to be successful at school. By funding these services through ESSER III for FY22 and FY23, we are able to alleviate pressure on our regular M&O budget in order to retain high quality teachers and maintain relatively low class sizes, two key aspects required to continuously and safely operate schools for in-person learning. By using ESSER III funding for Backbone Communication's SchoolsPLP learning management system, we are able to provide an effective platform for students taking part in in-person instruction, hybrid, and virtual learning. It has been an effective tool for providing students who are sick and unable to attend school to keep pace with their in-person peers and consequently, it has allowed us to keep the doors open for in-person learning despite spikes in student absenteeism due to COVID or other illnesses. Similarly, using ESSER III funds to pay for the Panorama Student Success platform provides us with an effective tool for ensuring consistency of support for each and every student. |
| Fredonia-Moccasin Unified District | Wholistically address academic and SEL impact, especially for students disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 |
The Fredonia-Moccasin Unified School District is excited for the opportunities this grant will provide. The COVID-19 pandemic created some unprecedented challenges for our small community including the Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians whose people and communities we also serve. The strategies we have identified will address learning loss for those who may have missed some educational opportunities or effectiveness consequent to the pandemic while supporting all students' social and emotional learning. Implementing strategies and employing staff focused on assessment and intervention, we will improve our ability and timeliness in identifying areas and students with greatest need and taking corrective action. We will improve our ability to deliver instruction in a variety of ways to help recover from and be prepared for future pandemics or other disruptions. The district will also take measures to help improve overall health and help make our campuses safer and more healthy facilities. Greater than the required 20% to address learning loss using evidence-based practices, strategies, programs, or interventions is built into this application. The following are all dedicated to this goal: |
| Friendly House, Inc. | Wholistically address academic and SEL impact, especially for students disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 |
ESSER funds will support our ability to address both the academic impact of lost instructional time as well as respond appropriately to our students' social, emotional and mental health needs. We are basically 100% racial ethnic minority, many students at risk for homelessness, in poverty, and language learners. We needed a comprehensive system that would be able to tackle some of our challenges, and so we relied on stakeholder feedback and on a report from the National Center on Intensive Intervention to better understand how to structure our student interventions. Because of their demographics, our students and families were disproportionally impacted by COVID-19, mainly through job loss or work hours reduction. The MTSS approach is key because it provides interventions that are evidence-based and differentiated to best meet the needs of the individual student, regardless of which demographic is meaningful or impacting their learning (e.g., homelessness, EL, at-risk reader). Interventions are provided in both summer school, after school, and during school. Funds also support stabilization classroom teachers which allows for smaller classroom sizes allowing for optimal learning environments to address learning loss due to the pandemic. It also allows for an improved classroom safety environment, allowing for maximum social distancing, small group desk arrangements in a safe manner and improved airflow in the classroom. In addition, funds are requested for classroom furnishings to support these efforts at the middle school level. The new classroom furniture will enhance learning for MS students by providing, safe, flexible, and ergonomic seating, in order to promote a collaborative learning environment. In a collaborative learning classroom, students frequently interact with others located all around them. This type of seating will offer them more freedom and comfort to be more productive and efficient with their time while also allowing for social distancing. Passenger Transit vans for the safe transport of students to and from after school sporting activities, cultural field trips, Saturday school, intersession classes and special summer programming are requested, In partnership with surrounding charter schools, Academia del Pueblo offers the following sporting and enrichment activities that will require transport: 5th - 8th grade seasonal sports programs; Fall sports - Flag Football and Volleyball, Winter Sports - Boys and Girs Basketball, Spring Sports - Coed Soccer. In partnership with Eagle College Prep and Imagine Schools, the following sport offerings for grades K-5; Saturday Kickball League, youth basketball and youth soccer league. Academia del Pueblo will also offer a performing arts program (Ballet Folklorico), Cheerleading Program and STEM / Robotics program which will require transport to local competitions, clinics and showcase events. Additionally, an Outdoor Education Hiking Club Program will require transport to local hiking trails and camping expenditures and culturally centered field trips and weekend programming will require the safe transport of students to and from events. Academia del Pueblo will also be implementing a new program called Girls Who Code and the program will include weekend community service learning programs which will require safe transport of students. These are some of the interventions implemented to address student academic and EL needs. The school principal and leadership team are charged with overseeing implementation and monitoring/evaluation. |
| Ganado Unified School District | Wholistically address academic and SEL impact, especially for students disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 |
Services provided by the school district under ESSER III are proportionately divided to ensure that all students (including students from low-income families, ELs, children with disabilities, students experiencing homelessness, children in foster care, and migratory students) have access to grant funded services. All intervention program planning will be monitored at every school to ensure that students obtain the additional support to address areas of lost instructional time, including support in areas such as social, emotional, and mental health needs as our communities and students continue to experience loss of family and at home support systems due to the pandemic. Summer school will be conducted in 2 sessions over the summer for two years to help students recover learning loss. Afterschool tutoring will be conducted throughout the school year in two programs 'at risk' and 'credit recovery', and enrichment program. Both programs will help students to gain additional learning time and address areas of support for struggling students. Our district will also conduct an afterschool SEL program for students needing support over family loss due to covid and suicide. Schools within the district are focusing on intervention areas for students, the district plans to purchase library books to support the reading intervention program. At the middle school chromebooks need to be purchased for students to access edgenuity intervention program. |
| Gem Charter School, Inc. | Wholistically address academic and SEL impact, especially for students disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 |
The school will use the funding to pay for partial salary of paraprofessional who will work with students to address the academic impact of lost instructional time, addressing the academic, social, emotional, and mental needs of all students and particularly those students disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including students from children with disabilities, in foster care, and from major racial/ethnic groups. |
| Genesis Program, Inc. | Wholistically address academic and SEL impact, especially for students disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 |
ESSER III funds are requested to help address student learning loss and lost instructional time. Genesis will use ESSER III funds to provide students with summer school and mentoring support staff as well as providing a Life Coach for students in support of the post-secondary and SEL needs. Other requested items within ESSER III designed to support the academic impact of lost instructional time include the following: Instructional Coach to support teachers with data and instructional strategies, Contracted IT support, teacher laptops, furniture to support social distancing, janitorial services, and roof repairs. Students will have access to college and career-related field trips along with transportation. Instructional supplies such as software and classroom/lab supplies are requested. The site principal is responsible for monitoring the academic, SEL, and general programs funded via ESSER in order to measure the extent to which the interventions meet the academic and SEL needs of students. |
| Glendale Elementary District | Wholistically address academic and SEL impact, especially for students disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 |
GESD is committed to closing achievement gaps by providing all students with equal access to high-quality education. While navigating the challenges of the pandemic, GESD focuses on measurable strategies to make up lost instructional time and support the social-emotional needs of students. In order to develop learning experiences that are relevant and engaging to a diverse student population, GESD will increase opportunities for evidence-based instruction through the implementation of afterschool and summer enrichment programs, the adoption of inclusive and research-based math, science and social studies textbooks for all schools and grade levels, and the continued integration of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL). Summer learning and enrichment programs will be offered to students to address learning loss. The District will specifically focus on English learners, low-income students, students with disabilities, foster care youth, refugees and students experiencing homelessness as these groups of students faced the most challenges due to language, economic, and other general barriers. There will also be opportunities for students who are at risk in reading and in need of enhanced focus on phonics, high frequency words, and vocabulary. GESD will conduct ongoing assessments to evaluate student learning and progress. Benchmark assessments, progress monitoring and summative assessments will be used to measure student learning. As a model Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) district, GESD will continue to support teams of teachers, administrators and staff in analyzing data to effectively meet the needs of all students. GESD prioritizes the full scope of a child's development by creating educational experiences that integrate SEL programming to further strengthen the whole child approach to learning. SEL is a key ingredient to addressing various forms of inequity and empowering people to create safe and healthy communities. To cultivate school and work environments that support learning and social-emotional growth, GESD will allocate funds to develop and expand a structure for the teaching of SEL lessons to ensure meaningful curriculum and instruction. Infrastructure and operations including staffing, SEL curricula and technology to support the implementation of evidence-based SEL programs will be implemented. This student support will help students and families deal with the trauma and loss experienced over the course of the pandemic. |
| Hirsch Academy A Challenge Foundation | Wholistically address academic and SEL impact, especially for students disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 |
All set-aside funds are designed to address the academic impact of lost instructional time due to COVID-19 by primarily providing staffing (teachers, reading interventionist, and paraprofessionals) to provide targeted student supports. Other positions such as the school counselor is being hired in order to respond to the social, emotional, and mental health needs of all students, and particularly those students who were disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. ESSER III funds will provide extra teachers to help support students learning in addition to other staff who will provide targeted, direct student support to address learning loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic in small group and individual sessions. Software for online supplemental curriculum will be renewed, including Compass Learning, IXL and RazzKids. Contracted SPED services will be provided to help students recover from learning loss as well provide student testing and evaluation. The majority of our students are Hispanic and we have a high ELL student population. The major risk factors of our students include poverty, food insecurity, domestic violence, unstable living conditions, and a lack of educational support or encouragement at home. The majority of our students' parents do not speak English, nor do they read and write in their native Spanish language. Our school's most at risk students are those with compounding factors of being dual identified as having a learning disability (with an IEP) and as an ELL student. |
| Holbrook Unified District | Wholistically address academic and SEL impact, especially for students disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 |
HUSD #3 has set-aside 20% of ESSER III funds to address learning loss which include after school tutorial, summer school/programs, mentoring programs, credit recovery programs, zero hour/8th hour academic programs, in-school social and emotional support programs (counseling/mental health specialists), college and career readiness activities, after school clubs, and distance learning platforms for 24/7/365 learning opportunities. All of these programs will target our vast population of students that were impacted by COVID-19 over the past two years including Native American & Hispanic populations, low income families, students with disabilities, English language learners, children with disabilities, students identified as homeless or in foster care and any students not current achieving at their academic grade level. Communication strategies with parents are addressed through success coaches, the Apptegy communication system, Google platforms and tech support as needed. Each student's academic progress is being analyzed and interventions will be implemented to mitigate learning loss and address any social and emotional needs for each child. |
| Imagine Avondale Middle, Inc. | Wholistically address academic and SEL impact, especially for students disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 |
- Amplify CKLA ELA Curriculum to be used summer school for to assist to increase learning loss due to COVID19. HQ Teachers will be teaching the curriculum during summer school sessions in a 1:15 teacher to student ration for six weeks, four times a week for four hours a day. All students that are falling behind in academics due to COVID are invited to attend summer school. Each major racial and ethnic group, poor students, children with disabilities, English learners, gender and migrant status; students experiencing homelessness; and children and youth in foster care will be part of the program. This program is on "green" on all levels according to EdReports. - Reading Interventionist will provide one on one and or small group instruction for students that lost learning gains during COVID-19 remote learning times. Students will be using AMPLIFY CKLA ELA curriculum to provide RTI instruction for struggling readers in Tier II and Tier III. Each major racial and ethnic group, poor students, children with disabilities, English learners, gender and migrant status; students experiencing homelessness; and children and youth in foster care will be part of the program. - iReady Reading/Math to be used during the school day to increase learning loss due to COIVID19 for each major racial and ethnic group, poor students, children with disabilities, English learners, gender and migrant status; students experiencing homelessness; and children and youth in foster care will be part of the program. - Caring School Community SEL Program Caring School Community is a comprehensive, research-based social and emotional learning (SEL) program that builds school-wide community, develops students' social skills and SEL competencies, and enables a transformative stance on discipline. |
| Imagine Charter Elementary at Desert West, Inc. | Wholistically address academic and SEL impact, especially for students disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 |
- Summer and Saturday School for students who are in the approaches and below category as defined by the STAR and Galileo assessment. The targeted summer school will expand the existing summer school offered to the student. The Imagine Desert West Intern Cadre participants will be paired with a current classroom teacher for the purpose of developing them into an effective teacher, with a classroom of their own, for the upcoming school year. The selected interns are either currently in a teaching program or are new to the teaching profession (with two or less years of experience). Participants of the Imagine Desert West Intern Cadre be part of a team teaching classroom that will allow them to receive experience and support: |
| Imagine Desert West Middle, Inc. | Wholistically address academic and SEL impact, especially for students disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 |
- Summer School - - Additional summer learning opportunities for most vulnerable student groups (including major racial and ethnic groups, economically disadvantage students and children with disabilities) focusing on math and ELA. Taught by highly qualified teachers. Teacher ratio to be 1 teacher: 10 students. Data benchmarks and universal screener assessment platform in addition to tracking student progress/grades will be used to monitor success/effectiveness |
| Imagine Middle at East Mesa, Inc. | Wholistically address academic and SEL impact, especially for students disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 |
- Additional instructional aide to support small group interventions to address learning loss due to COVID19 using Fundations curriculum for phonics and reading and Eureka math curriculum. - 36 Dell Laptops needed to support the Edgenuity software for 7th and 8th grade students. -Off set lease rate for school building. -Classroom supplies/materials-8th grade - ELA - multiple books/novels ordered -Classroom supplies/materials -$865.00-Aqua Phoenix(Science-Chemical Reactions/Contact Forces) - Science materials for in class -Charging cart to easily store, maintain and charge Chromebook needed for increase student learning loss due to COVID-19. -Teachers to attend The Ron Clark Academy House Con Professional Development focused on engagement and teaching |
| Imagine Middle at Surprise, Inc. | Wholistically address academic and SEL impact, especially for students disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 |
- Teachers, para professionals and an intervention teacher to teach students reading and or math during summer school, Saturday school and or intervention times throughout the school day. |
| Imagine Prep Surprise, Inc. | Wholistically address academic and SEL impact, especially for students disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 |
Teacher's Aide to provide support for students in math and or reading work to support students in 1:3 ration of small groups using the evidence based curriculum, Houghton Mifflin Reading and Harcourt Math Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2. Each major racial and ethnic group, poor students, children with disabilities, English learners, gender and migrant status; students experiencing homelessness; and children and youth in foster care will be part of the program. Teacher's Aide to provide support for students 1:3 ratio in math and or reading during the school day. Aide will us the evidence based curriculum, Houghton Mifflin Reading and Harcourt Math Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2. Each major racial and ethnic group, poor students, children with disabilities, English learners, gender and migrant status; students experiencing homelessness; and children and youth in foster care will be part of the program. Saturday School teachers to tutor 1:1 student with homework, classwork or preparing for exams. Teachers will use the evidence-based curriculum, Houghton Mifflin Reading and Harcourt Math Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2. Each major racial and ethnic group, poor students, children with disabilities, English learners, gender and migrant status; students experiencing homelessness; and children and youth in foster care will be part of the program. Ten appropriately certified teachers to teach summer school with at 1:10 ratio of students. Teachers will use the evidence-based curriculum, Houghton Mifflin Reading and Harcourt Math Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2. Each major racial and ethnic group, poor students, children with disabilities, English learners, gender and migrant status; students experiencing homelessness; and children and youth in foster care will be part of the program. Odyssey software for students to use for math intervention throughout the school year. Each major racial and ethnic group, poor students, children with disabilities, English learners, gender and migrant status; students experiencing homelessness; and children and youth in foster care will be part of the program. Two Teacher's Aides to provide support for students in math and or reading work to support students in 1:3 ration of small groups using the evidence based curriculum, Houghton Mifflin Reading and Harcourt Math Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2. Each major racial and ethnic group, poor students, children with disabilities, English learners, gender and migrant status; students experiencing homelessness; and children and youth in foster care will be part of the program. Caring School Community SEL Program Caring School Community is a comprehensive, research-based social and emotional learning (SEL) program that builds school-wide community, develops students' social skills and SEL competencies, and enables a transformative stance on discipline. |
| Incito Schools | Wholistically address academic and SEL impact, especially for students disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 |
For Afterschool Programming, 12 staff members will be doing the following activities, in addition to the social component afterschool art, dance, and choir. Incito Schools is committed to providing any needed support to learners who have social, emotional, and mental health needs. Additional staff has been added to support with Special Education as well as one-on-one coaching and meetings for learners who demonstrate a need. These funds will focus on afterschool math and reading interventions for learners. Learners will participate in tutoring groups, STEM, engineering, and innovation sessions that combine math and reading intervention. Learners are assessed according to Fountas and Pinnell leveled reading assessments and placed in assigned guided reading groups. Learners received additional, targeted support through Lexia reading. Learners track and chart their reading level progress as well as set goals for their Lexia reading levels. Learners are celebrated when reaching their goals. Learners are assessed according to Singapore Math and Do the Math (supported by ESSA research) and placed appropriately in math tutoring, innovation, engineering, and STEM sessions. Educators provide targeted intervention with Do the Math small group instructional materials and learners utilize Zearn math as specific independent practice. Learners set math goals and track their progress according to Zearn math levels. |
| Integrity Education Incorporated | Wholistically address academic and SEL impact, especially for students disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 |
Integrity Education Centre will use the ESSER III funds to support mental health services for students and staff by contracting with E-Therapy to address mental health needs resulting from the pandemic. The E-Therapy counselor will work directly with identified subgroups of low-income families, students with 504/IEP accommodations, and students with chronic absenteeism. The counselor will meet virtually with students to identify and support interventions for barriers to academic success. The director will work with the teachers to ensure that students who have been disproportionally impacted by the pandemic will have their academic needs met through assessment and differentiating instruction. All staff will be provided development to support the social-emotional well-being of the staff members themselves as well as the students. Integrity Education Centre will implement Summer School during the 2022 summer break with emphasis on meeting the needs of our subgroups. Two teachers will be hired to work with the students and director to plan and implement the summer program. Our current evidence-based Edmentum programs will be applied in the summer school program for individual learning to support the different needs not just for students in our subgroups but for all students. Counseling, a .25 FTE HQT virtual math instructor, summer school, and updated copy machine will be monitored through per/post assessments, evidence-based curriculum/programs/intervention through SY23. The evidence-based practices, strategies, and curriculum/programs/intervention being used include the following Edmentum online programs: Courseware, Exact Path, and Study Island. |
| Kaizen Education Foundation dba Colegio Petite Phoenix | Wholistically address academic and SEL impact, especially for students disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 |
Our Safe Return to In-Person Instruction Plan includes multiple mitigation strategies, following CDC guidelines, in order to allow for students to safely attend in-person classes. This plan includes modifying facilities to allow for physical distancing, handwashing and respiratory etiquette, cleaning and maintaining healthy facilities (including improving ventilation), contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine, coordination with state and local health officials and appropriate accommodations for children with disabilities, English Language Learners, students experiencing homelessness, and all other vulnerable populations. The plan also addresses academic needs, social, emotional and Mental health needs, and any other need that may arise for both students and staff that could keep students and staff from attending to In-Person classes. All student success rates will be monitored by school staff and if progress is not seen, adjustments will be made to instruction and interventions as needed per individual student in order to increase academic achievement All student behavior referral rates will be monitored by school staff, and if needs arise, new Social Emotional supports will be given to reduce behavior incidents and increase academic achievement in classes. Set-aside funds will be used to provide a comprehensive system of academic interventions with two paraprofessionals (one general education and one SPED), and a summer enrichment program. Social-emotional supports with the social worker and school counselor (funded with other funds) will be enhanced with Thrively software. Highest priority will be given to students who have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 such as low-income families, students of all races and genders, children with disabilities, English learners, migratory students, students experiencing homelessness, and children and youth in foster care but all students may benefit from these expenses. Remaining funds will be used to reenroll students and staff after COVID closure (marketing plan including specialist, website design, social media ads), free extended day kindergarten, outdoor equipment to provide social distancing, and technology for teachers to allow for social distancing |
| Kaleidoscope School | Wholistically address academic and SEL impact, especially for students disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 |
Kaleidoscope School are using the interventions it implements to address the academic impact of lost instructional time. This was done through academic, social, emotional, and mental health. Academic Social, Emotional, and Mental Health |
| Legacy Education Group | Wholistically address academic and SEL impact, especially for students disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 |
Legacy Education Group will monitor the effectiveness of interventions implemented through the analysis of data from student attendance and absences, course completion numbers, grades, graduation rate and teacher input. Data gathered will be evaluated to make decisions about the effectiveness of the interventions and the impact they have on lost instructional time, the academic, social, emotional and mental health needs of all students, and particularly those students disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including students from low-income families, students of color, English learners, children with disabilities, students experiencing homelessness, children in foster care and migratory students. Legacy will be implementing summer school and a credit recovery lab using Kahn Academy. ESSER funds will cover salaries and benefits for the teachers instructing these programs. Additionally, Legacy will contract a behavior specialist to support S/E needs. Jester Z PD is being purchased to increase student engagement. Capital expenses include an updated air conditioning system, network updates, new refrigerator, overhead PA system and salad bar to improve the school environment and support the health and safety of students. Lastly, funds will be used for new keyboards, monitors adapters and mice; drama equipment to include speakers, mixing board, audio snake, choir mic, LED light package, projector, intelligent light, and lighting console; tables for classrooms, new textbooks, cleaning supplies, PowerSchool subscription and indirect costs. |
