ALABAMA State Plan for the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund

Summary

Alabama's ARP ESSER State Plan, on the Department template issued April 21, 2021, lists award number $425U210001 and gives Eric G. MacKey, Ed.D. as the authorized representative, with the date June 25, 2021. Its progress section describes Alabama's Roadmap to Reopening Schools, LEA reopening plans reviewed against a rubric and posted with quarterly updates, school-bus meal distribution, a virtual teaching platform and GEER-funded Wi-Fi for school buses, all serving about 740,000 children. The plan says the SEA will diagnose needs with state assessment data shown through the Alabama Education Report Card, and the text ends with the SEA's response on GEPA section 427 and a paperwork notice for GEPA requirements.

Summary drafted by a model from the document's text below and checked by script against that text before publication. It is a navigation aid, not a reading of what the document proves. Where AI is used

Full text

ALABAMA
State Plan for the
American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief
Fund

U.S. Department of Education

Issued: April 21, 2021
OMB Number: 1810-0754
Expiration Date: October 31, 2021

Paperwork Burden Statement According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to
respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB
control number for this information collection is 1810-0754. Public reporting burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average 100 hours per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching
existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of
information. The obligation to respond to this collection is required to obtain or retain benefit under Section 2001 of
the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP Act). If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time
estimate, suggestions for improving this individual collection, or if you have comments or concerns regarding the
status of your individual form, application or survey, please contact Britt Jung, Office of State and Grantee
Relations, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue,
SW, Washington, DC 20202-6450, email: SGR@ed.gov directly.
Cover Page

Grantee and Contact Information

ARP ESSER PR Award Number (e.g., S425U2100XX): $425U210001

SEA Contact: Shanthia Washington
Telephone: (334) 694-4710

Email address: shanthia.washington@alsde.edu

By signing this document, I agree to each of the assurances listed in Appendix C and

further assure that:

To the best of my knowledge and belief, all information and data included in this plan are

true and correct.

Chief State School Officer or Authorized Representative
(Printed Name)

Eric G. MacKey, Ed.D.

Signature of Authorized SEA Representative

Date:

June 25, 2021

Ne
Table of Contents

Grantee and Contact Information.......ccscsssssssessssssssssssccesssssssssvessssssesscessusecsssssuecesessecsessseeesanineseveees 2
A. Describing the State’s Current Status and Needs........c.cccccccsesssscssssesscessssesssssssesssscesssvacesacerseenes 4
B. Safely Reopening Schools and Sustaining their Safe OperationS...........ccccesssssssssesescsestssecsens 10
C. Planning for the Use and Coordination of ARP ESSER Funnds.......cccsccssssssssescsssseceseserseres 13
D. Maximizing State-Level Funds to Support Students...........ccccsesessesssseesserseescesseessssscevssvsvesves 20
E. Supporting LEAs in Planning for and Meeting Students’ Needs..........c:cccesesessessssssssssesessceens 25
F. Supporting the Educator Workforce .0....ccccscsssssssscscssesssssseseseeccsesseessseesesesecsesscsarsesessssssesesscass 30
G. Monitoring and Measuring Progress.........c.csssssssssesssesecceesseecsessrscescssevscsecsesevsvessesssecvavssseaenensess 33
APPCndix....csceccesccctssesretssssccsstscsenssesseseassesscsssesscseseeseassesesecsusasavsssssesasssscsssusseessssavsesavsensssveccenees 36
A. Describing the State’s Current Status and Needs

The Department recognizes the extraordinary efforts made by States, LEAs, and educators to
support students during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this section, SEAs will describe the
progress they have made, the priorities and student needs guiding their ARP ESSER funding
decisions, and their current and projected operating status.

1.

Progress and Promising Practices: Provide your assessment of the top 2-3
strategies that have been most effective in supporting the needs of students in
your State during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for students most impacted
by the COVID-19 pandemic. Please include, if applicable, how your State will
submit and encourage its LEAs to submit lessons learned and best practices to the
Department’s Safer Schools and Campuses Best Practices Clearinghouse so that
they can be shared with other States and LEAs.

Every Child, Every Chance, Every Day is not only the Alabama State
Department of Education’s motto, but a guiding philosophy about the work that
we undertake on behalf of the 740,000 children who enter our public schools
every day. Our guiding philosophy is that every child should be afforded every
chance to succeed in school and become a productive citizen after high school.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought many challenges to the department and the
state in carrying out this goal. However, the SEA worked collaboratively with
other governmental agencies, Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and the
community-at-large to set priorities, implement strategies, and align resources to
focus on the top priority of maintaining safety for all students and continuing
educational services.

In response to the pandemic, there are strategies/practices that have proven
successful in supporting students throughout the state, particularly those most
impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Below are just a few of the
strategies/practices:

e Alabama’s Roadmap to Reopening Schools

This guidance document assisted LEAs with developing their plan for
reopening schools safely, and included the following sections:
o Governance
Community Spread and School Operating Status
Wellness
Return to Campus — Wellness & Operations & Facilities
Roadmap Resources
Alabama Teaching and Learning Framework
Health Services
Child Nutrition

0000000

e LEA re-opening plans- LEAs submitted a comprehensive plan that
addressed their response to the pandemic to include continuing teaching
and learning and mitigating the impact of the pandemic. The SEA used
a rubric to review each LEA plan, posted the completed plans on the
SEA website, and required quarterly updates from LEAs regarding
mode(s) of learning based on the pandemic’s impact, risk factors, and
the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Alabama Department of
Public Health (ADPH) guidance.

e Food distribution- In an attempt to ensure all students, particularly
students most severely impacted by the pandemic received meals, the
SEA and LEAs ensured they were provided meals via school buses and
at specified pickup locations throughout the communities.

e Virtual Teaching Platform- COVID-19 Relief Funds were targeted to
address needed supports for LEAs to continue serving students by
providing a virtual teaching platform and identification of critical
teaching standards,

e SEA Support- The SEA team worked collaboratively to support LEAs
through the process of continuing educational support to students
during the public health order and COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19
Relief Funds were targeted to address needed supports for LEAs to
continue serving students by providing a virtual teaching platform and
identification of critical teaching standards. The Governor’s GEER
allocation allowed LEAs to use funds for Wi-Fi for school buses,
bridging learning gaps, and before and after school tutoring. This
allowed students to continue their learning, although school buildings
were closed due to the pandemic. LEAs were supported in developing a
plan for reopening schools. The SEA established Office Hours, serving
as work sessions, to provide specific targeted support for LEAs. The
SEA also developed and shared Roadmap to Recovery Resources with
LEAs.

e The SEA will encourage LEAs to submit lessons learned and best
practices to the Safer Schools and Campuses Best Practices
Clearinghouse on webinars conducted with Alabama schools and post
the link on the SEA’s website.

2. Overall Priorities: Provide your assessment of the top 2-3 issues currently facing
students and schools across your State as a result of or in response to the COVID-
19 pandemic including, to the extent possible, data illustrating why these are the
most critical and/or most widespread issues facing schools and students.

Based on information collected over the past year, the most recent survey of
school and community needs, discussions with stakeholders, and all data currently
available to the SEA, the following priorities have been identified as an overall
focus for the state:
e Accelerating Learning: When comparing student progress to that of
academic progress in a typical school year, preliminary data indicate that
3.

more students are not making adequate progress. Sample formative data
indicate an overall study decline in student achievement data in the areas
of reading and mathematics for school years 2018-2019 and 2019-2020.
Although a decline in reading and math scores are evident, the decrease in
achievement scores is greater in reading than in math. To this end, it
important for the state to focus on the mastery of both critical grade level
math and reading standards but with a high emphasis placed on early
literacy. Particular concern is around students in grades K-3 due to the
disruption in learning and its impact on student retention due to not
passing the upcoming 2022 3" grade literacy assessment. Further
identification of trends in the data will be analyzed once 2020-21 data
results become available.

Increase Learning Opportunities: In an effort to support and accelerate
all students impacted by the pandemic, LEAs will be encouraged to
identify students who have been disengaged (those who have missed the
most instruction and/or who did not participate in remote instruction),
missing (students who have not returned to class or engaged in remote
instructional opportunities since March 2020), and retained students and
provide them multiple opportunities to increase instructional time.
Mental Health and Social Emotional Needs: To date, data from the
CDC indicates the number of deaths in Alabama from COVID-19 is
11,220 which equates to 230 deaths per 100,000 people. This is the 8
highest death per capita in the nation. This data suggest that students and
educators in Alabama are more likely to have experienced the loss of a
loved one from COVID-19. In addition, the CDC data indicate the second
leading cause of death in the U.S. for students age 10-24 is suicide. In
Alabama, the third leading cause of death for students ages 15-24 is
suicide. The stress of the pandemic has only exacerbated existing concerns
for students and educators in Alabama. To support improved mental
health and social emotional needs, the SEA will further prioritize
comprehensive wraparound services within a Multi-Tiered Student
Support (MTSS) system.

Identifying Needs of Underserved Students: Describe your State’s 2-3 highest

priority academic, social, emotional, and/or mental health needs for the remainder
of the 2020-2021 school year (if applicable) and for the 2021-2022 school year
related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on each of the following student

groups:
i.
ii,
iii,

iv.

Students from low-income families,

Students from each racial or ethnic group (e.g., identifying
disparities and focusing on underserved student groups by race or
ethnicity),

Gender (e.g., identifying disparities and focusing on underserved
student groups by gender),

English learners,
v. Children with disabilities (including infants, toddlers, children, and
youth with disabilities eligible under the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (“IDEA”)),

vi. Students experiencing homelessness,
vii. Children and youth in foster care,
viii. Migratory students, and
ix. Other groups disproportionately impacted by the pandemic that have

been identified by the SEA (e.g., youth involved in the criminal
justice system, students who have missed the most in-person
instruction during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years,
students who did not consistently participate in remote instruction
when offered during school building closures, and LGBTQ+
students).

To the extent possible, this description should include data on indicators such as

estimates of the academic impact of lost instructional time,! chronic

absenteeism, student engagement, and social-emotional well-being.

Based on information collected over the past year, the most recent survey of
school and community needs, discussions with stakeholders, and all data currently
available to the SEA, the primary priorities of accelerating learning, increasing
learning opportunities, and mental health support (see question 2) affect all of
Alabama student groups, even though the pandemic may have had a
disproportionate effect on some of Aiabama’s most vulnerable populations, the
issues identified in question 2 may apply with differing intensity for groups of
students.

Alabama’s largest most persistent achievement gaps prior to the pandemic were
for students with disabilities, black students, and students who are English
learners. At this time, more up-to-date estimates of the academic impact of lost
instructional time on each group of students are not possible due to a recent
change in state assessments (first administration of the assessment was given
spring of 2021) and the waiver approved by the USDOE to forgo spring 2020
testing. The SEA will interpret and analyze the spring assessment data when it
becomes available and target resources and efforts to students that need the most
assistance. There is formative data that LEAs administered and is available to the
LEA but not at the state level. As part of the ESSER II and the LEA ARP ESSER
plan development process, a needs assessment is required. LEAs are asked to
include subpopulation data to identify student needs.

As a resource to support LEAs as they determine needs, the SEA developed a
Road to Recovery Resource Guide that encompasses strategies for assessing
learning loss, evaluating high-quality instructional material, unfinished learning
supports and design strategies for subpopulations.

' For the purposes of the plan, “academic impact of lost instructional time” refers to “learning loss” experienced by
students as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, as referenced in the ARP Act and the CRRSA Act.
The SEA is committed to increasing academic outcomes and removing the non-
academic barriers to learning for all students in Alabama. Academic and
accountability data are available at the subgroup level. Reports can be generated
by the state, district, or schools, however the information currently in the Report
Card system is not updated information due to the receipt of waivers for testing
last spring. LEAs and schools administer a variety of formative assessments and
screeners to provide real-time information to address the academic needs of all
students. Improvement plans are developed and processed in an electronic
platform to create plans designed to identify and close gaps. Student health and
perception surveys will be used to provide districts with a way to identify non-
academic barriers to learning.

It is a concern of the state that for the student groups listed above existing gaps in
both reading and math will become larger. This is due to mitigating factors
negatively impacting attendance and loss of instructional time due to the impact
of COVID. In addition to increased academic outcomes, the SEA has focused on
increasing opportunities for all but particularly for the most vulnerable subgroups
by expanding CTE programs, dual enrollment, gifted, AP, IB, health and physical
education, STEM, computer science industry credentials/certified programs,
expanding Wi-Fi access and infrastructure, expansion of early post-secondary
expansion programs, expanding Science of Reading training for educators, and
transition services across state.

. Understanding the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Describe how the SEA

will support its LEAs in identifying the extent of the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic on student learning and student well-being, including identifying the
groups of students most impacted by the pandemic. Where possible, please
identify the data sources the SEA will suggest its LEAs use in thoughtfully
diagnosing areas of need, including data on the academic, social, emotional, and
mental health impacts of lost instructional time.

The SEA will analyze the most recent academic data from state standardized
assessments against previous year’s results to diagnose the areas of need for
academic achievement and academic growth, as well as progress in English
language acquisition of our English Learners (EL) population. The SEA currently
can display up to four (4) years of comparative data through the Alabama
Education Report Card. The SEA also has, for LEA use, secure data portals that
contain both raw assessment and accountability data for previous years. These
portals offer the option of on-demand filtering or the ability to export for further
analysis within the local LEA environment.

The academic data used will include the following: K-8 Literacy and Math
Assessments, ACT w/Writing, WorkKeys, College & Career Readiness
Indicators, CTE course progression data, and failure rates. Beginning with the
2021-22 school year, the SEA will begin collecting Alabama Comprehensive
Assessment Program (ACAP) and Pre- and post- assessment data for summer
learning programs.

Non-academic data will include attendance, graduation rate, participation rate,
student discipline, student surveys, and referrals for health and counseling
services. These data points will be used to identify the groups of students most
impacted by the pandemic in need of mental health support. In an effort to
provide support to staff concerning mental health needs of students, the legislature
recently passed a law requiring annual mental health training for employees of
each public K-12 school. The training will assist school personnel in supporting
students with social, emotional, and mental needs.

. School Operating Status: It is essential to have data on how students are learning
in order to support the goals of access and equity, especially for student groups
that have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Describe
the current status of data collection on operational status and mode of instruction
of all schools in your State, This description must include:
i. A description of to what extent, and how frequently, the State
collects now and will! collect in the future data for all schools in your

State on:

a. Mode of instruction: The number of schools in your State that are
offering fully remote or online-only instruction; both
remote/online and in-person instruction (hybrid model); and/or
full-time in-person instruction.

b. Enrollment: Student enrollment for all students and
disaggregated for each of the student groups described in A.3.i-
viii for each mode of instruction; and

c. Attendance: Student attendance for all students and
disaggregated for each of the student groups described in A.3.i-
vili for each mode of instruction.

ii. The data described in A.5.i.a. and b. using the template in Appendix
A (and to the extent available, the data described in A.5.i.c.) for the
most recent time period available. Please note that this data can be
submitted separately within 14 calendar days after a State submits
this plan. The SEA must also make this data publicly available on its
website as soon as possible but no later than June 21, 2021, and
regularly provide updated available information on its website. The
Department will periodically review data listed in A.5.i on SEA
websites.

iii. To the extent available, a description of the planned operational
status and mode of instruction for the State and its LEAs for Summer
2021 and for the 2021-2022 school year.
The SEA currently collects mode of instruction data for each LEA. The State is
currently working to revise its collection process by collecting student-level
instructional mode data to generate subpopulation data. Current instructional
mode data may be found on the state website at the Instructional Delivery Mode
link. The subpopulation data for mode of instruction will be available this fall.
The generated reports will be updated on a regular basis and made available on
the SEAs public website.

LEAs collect enrollment and attendance data for all students through the Student
Information System (SIS) daily. This collection of data is available to the SEA
nightly through an upload from the SIS to the SEA’s servers. This process will
continue, however the planned enhancement to the system will afford the SEA the
capacity to collect enrollment and attendance data by subpopulation for each
instructional mode offered and generate reports that can help support the goals of
access and equity especially for student subgroups.

Because the state of emergency and Governor’s Health Order both expired in
May, along with the decreasing coronavirus numbers and availability of vaccines,
the expectation is for summer learning programs and the 2021-22 school year to
be 100% in person for all schools in the state of Alabama.

B. Safely Reopening Schools and Sustaining their Safe Operations

The Department recognizes that safely reopening schools and sustaining their safe operations
to maximize in-person instruction is essential for student learning and student well-being,
and especially for being able to address the educational inequities that have been worsened
by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this section, SEAs will describe how they will support their
LEAs in this vital area.

1. Support for LEAs: Describe how the SEA will support its LEAs in safely
returning to in-person instruction and sustaining the safe operation of schools.
This description must include:

i. How the SEA will support its LEAs implementing, to the greatest
extent practicable, prevention and mitigation policies in line with the
most up-to-date guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (“CDC’’) for the reopening and operation of school
facilities to effectively maintain the health and safety of students,
educators, and other staff;

ii. Any Statewide plans, policies, estimated timelines, and specific
milestones related to reopening and operation of school facilities,
including any mechanisms the SEA will use to track, monitor, or
enforce their implementation;

iii. To what extent the SEA and its LEAs consult with Federal, State,
and local health officials. This description should include, if
available, whether the SEA and its LEAs have received support for
screening testing from their State or local health department based
on funding awarded by the CDC; and

iv. Any guidance, professional learning, and technical assistance
opportunities the SEA will make available to its LEAs.

Beginning Spring 2021, all LEAs in the state offered in-person instruction. The
expectation is that 100% of schools will return to in-person learning in the fall of
2021. The SEA is supporting LEAs in their development of Return to In-Person
Instruction Plans through technical assistance, webinars, Office Hours, and work
sessions. LEAs are also provided a plethora of resources to support their plan
including the Roadmap to Recovery Resources. These resources were made available
to LEAs at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the SEA provided and
will continue to provide support to LEAs through resources to address prevention
and mitigation strategies recommended by the CDC for reopening and operating
of school facilities. This information is provided quarterly, or as CDC guidelines
are revised,

The SEA superintendent will continue Midweek Matters newsletter as a method to
communicate up-to-date guidance from the Alabama Department of Public Health
(ADPH) and CDC, for the safe reopening and operating of school facilities. To
ensure schools are able to safely remain open, the ADPH and the SEA have
partnered to provide updated COVID-19 case information for each county and
school district in the state, through the use of the Alabama K-12 COVID-19
Dashboard. With real time data, school and health officials are able to react and
respond to situations quickly in an effort to decrease the likelihood of an outbreak.
In addition, the ADPH has continued to support the department and LEAs by
producing a Back to Schoo! Toolkit that is updated as new information is obtained.
In an effort to mitigate the spread of coronavirus in school facilities and on buses,
the SEA delivered facemasks, hand sanitizer, and gloves to LEAs. In addition, a
portion of GEER funds were reserved for equipping buses with WI-FI so that
communities across the state will continue to have access to the internet.

The ADPH and the SEA’s health staff have partnered to provide trainings to the
appropriate LEA staff on facts about COVID-19, mitigation strategies, facts about
vaccinations, and safety protocols. In addition, partnerships with the LEAs and
county health department officials have coordinated efforts to provide screenings
and vaccinations to eligible community members. The SEA used the Coronavirus
Relief Fund (CRF) to fund salary or wages for healthcare professionals or aides to
provide COVID-19 response and mitigation services at the schools.

The SEA has been collecting data, on a quarterly basis, on the Mode of
Instruction (in-person, hybrid, or remote) offered by every district. The data are
published on the department’s website and is regularly updated. New methods for
collecting mode of instruction data at the student-level will be implemented
beginning this fall.

2. Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plans: Describe
how the SEA will ensure that its LEAs that receive ARP ESSER funds meet the
requirements in section 2001 (i) of the ARP Act and the requirements relating to
the ARP ESSER funds published in the Federal Register and available at
https://oese.ed. gov/offices/american-rescue-plan/american-rescue-plan-
elementary-and-secondary-school-emergency-relief/ (ARP ESSER requirements)
to either: (a) within 30 days of receipt of the funds, develop and make publicly
available on the LEA’s website a plan for the safe return to in-person instruction
and continuity of services, or (b) have developed and made publicly available on
the LEA’s website such a plan that meets statutory requirements before the
enactment of the ARP Act, including:

i. How the SEA will ensure that each LEA plan includes, or will be
modified to include, the extent to which it has adopted policies and a
description of any such policies on each of the strategies listed in
table B1;

il. How the SEA will ensure that each LEA plan describes how it will
ensure continuity of services including but not limited to services to
address the students’ academic needs, and students’ and staff social,
emotional, mental health, and other needs, which may include
student health and food services;

iii. How the SEA will ensure that the LEA periodically reviews, no less
frequently than every six months for the duration of the ARP ESSER
grant period (i.e., through September 30, 2023),” and revises as
appropriate, its plan, and how the SEA will ensure that the LEA
seeks public input, and takes such input into account on (1) whether
revisions are necessary and, if so, (2) the revisions to the plan; and

iv. Describe, to the extent the SEA collects it, information about LEA
implementation, to the greatest extent practicable, of each element of
the most up-to-date CDC guidance listed in table B1 and its LEAs’
needs for support and technical assistance to implement strategies
consistent, to the greatest extent practicable, with relevant CDC
guidance.

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the SEA’s superintendent
assembled a Superintendent’s Extending Access to Learning (SEAL) Taskforce
comprised of educators and other state partners from across the state to assist
LEAs with operations, both functionally and instructionally. Sub-committees
were developed to include a reopening committee. The group developed the
Roadmap to Reopening Schools Resource Guide to assist districts with
reopening schools and providing continuity of serves.

? ARP ESSER funds are subject to the Tydings amendment in section 421(b) of the General Education Provisions
Act, 20 U.S.C. 1225(b), and are therefore available to SEAs and LEAs for obligation through September 30, 2024.
Review and revisions of these plans, if necessary, are not required during the Tydings period.
Prior to ARP ESSER, LEAs completed and submitted reopening plans to the
SEA. Reopening plans are publicly available on the SEA’s website (District
Reopening Plans). In addition, LEAs are required to modify the previously
submitted plan to address the recommended mitigation strategies, as outlined in
the assurances in the ARP ESSER plan. LEAs are also required to publicly post
plans on their district’s website. This will allow the SEA quick access to monitor
and ensure the plans have the requirement elements and are updated as required.

In the plan, LEAs must describe how they will ensure continuity of services
addressing the student’s academic, social, and emotional needs. The SEA
created a rubric to ensure all areas are addressed. LEAs must assess students to
determine existing gaps and have a plan to address the needs of the students.
The SEA required that LEAs certify assurances that included reviewing their
plan every 6 months and engaging public input. The SEA will review LEA plans
periodically to ensure they are revised every 6 months, with public input, for the
duration of the grant period. LEAs must address each of the elements of the
CDC guidelines, and the extent to which they are implemented in its Return to
In-Person Instruction Plan.

The SEA will monitor plans as part of desk audits and the compliance
monitoring process. In addition, LEAs will submit a 6-month implementation
check-up form to the department on implementation status. ARP ESSER
funding will be used to secure additional support needed to monitor ARP
ESSER activities and impact data.

C. Planning for the Use and Coordination of ARP ESSER Funds

The Department recognizes that seeking input from diverse stakeholders is essential to
developing plans for the use of ARP ESSER funds that are responsive to the needs of
students, families, and educators. In this section, SEAs will describe their plans for
consultation and for coordinating the use of ARP ESSER funds with other resources to meet
the needs of students.

L.

SEA Consultation: Consistent with the ARP ESSER requirements, describe how
the SEA engaged in meaningful consultation with stakeholders, and incorporated
input into its plan, including, but not limited to:

1; students;
il. families;
lil. Tribes (if applicable);
iv. civil rights organizations (including disability rights organizations);
V. school and district administrators (including special education
administrators);
vi. superintendents;

Vil. charter school leaders (if applicable);
viii. teachers, principals, school leaders, other educators, school staff, and
their unions; and
ix. stakeholders representing the interests of children with disabilities,
English learners, children experiencing homelessness, children and
youth in foster care, migratory students, children who are
incarcerated, and other underserved students.
The description must include how the SEA provided the public the opportunity to
provide input in the development of the plan, a summary of the input (including
any letters of support), and how the SEA took such input into account.

The SEA engaged in the public distribution of a survey to students, educators,
parents, community members, and the general public at large, including advocacy
groups representing vulnerable populations. The survey was sent to stakeholder
groups through email and was available on social media platforms. Over 2,700
responses were submitted.

A questionnaire was conducted with the following stakeholders regarding topics
aligned to Alabama’s ARP ESSER state plan (e.g., the current and promising
practices, highest priorities, state needs and teacher shortages, extent of support
needed for various areas): students; families; tribes; civil rights organizations
(including disability rights organizations); school and district administrators
(including special education administrators); superintendents; charter school
leaders; teachers, principals, school leaders, other educators, school staff, their
unions; stakeholders representing the interests of children with disabilities,
English learners, children experiencing homelessness, children and youth in foster
care, migratory students, children who are incarcerated, other underserved
students; and members of the general public.

After gathering initial data from stakeholders, virtual opportunities were held to
further engage participants in the development of the plan. In developing the state
plan, the SEA reviewed survey responses, stakeholder questionnaires, and
stakeholder responses and wrote the plan to incorporate the supports and priorities
indicated by respondents to best address the needs identified. A draft was created
and posted to the SEA’s website and a virtual meeting held for questions and
public comment. After receiving comments, the plan was finalized.

. Coordinating Funds: Describe to what extent the SEA has and will coordinate
Federal COVID-19 pandemic funding and other Federal funding. This description
must include:

i, How the SEA and its LEAs 1) are using or have used prior to the
submission of this plan and 2) plan to use following submission of
this plan, Federal COVID-19 funding under the Coronavirus Aid,
Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act and the CRRSA Act
to support a safe return to and safely maximize in-person instruction,
sustain these operations safely, and address the disproportionate
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on individual student groups

14
(including students from low-income families, children with
disabilities, English learners, racial or ethnic minorities, students
experiencing homelessness, children and youth in foster care, and

migratory students);
Table C1.

Funding source | Prior/current SEA and Planned SEA and
LEA uses (including LEA uses (including
funding amounts, if funding amounts, if
applicable) applicable)

ESSER I SEA Uses: Total award amount:

(CARES Act) Grants to LEAs $183,135,558
-Virtual Instructional Awar aa ee
Platform vets
-Electronic Textbooks Reserves . ven
Enhancement of the SEA 7
Data Reporting system
LEA Uses:

-Sanitation Supplies

-PPE

-Salaries/benefits for staff
-Technology
-Professional
Development

-Mental Health Services
-Summer Learning &
Enrichment programs
-After School programs

GEER I (CARES | LEA Uses: Total award amount:

Act) Grants to LEAs $48,851,495
-Equip school buses with | Awarded to LEAs:
Wi-Fi $48,581,495
-Bridge learning and
achievement gaps of
students
-Before and after school
tutoring
-Family engagement
resources

ESSER II (CRRSA | SEA Uses: Total award amount:

Act) Grants to LEAs $899,464,932
-Summer Reading Camps | Awarded to LEAs:
for Grades K-3 $809,518,439
-Professional Reserved by SEA:
Development for $89,946,493
Language Arts and Math

Course of Study

15

il.

iii.

Funding source | Prior/current SEA and Planned SEA and

LEA uses (including LEA uses (including
funding amounts, if funding amounts, if
applicable) applicable)

-reading and math
formative assessments in
grades 4-8

LEA Uses:
-Instructional Materials
-Professional
Development
-Assessments
~Remediation &
Enrichment Programs
-Family Support
Resources
-Salary/benefits for staff
-Facility Improvements &
Repairs

GEER II Kindergarten readiness $5,363,270
(CRRSA Act) assessments, screeners,
and kits for reading

To what extent ESSER I and ESSER I funds have been awarded to
LEAs and, if funds have not yet been made available to LEAs, when
they will be. In addition, please provide any available information on
the total dollar amounts of ESSER I and ESSER II funds that have
been obligated but not expended by the SEA and its LEAs, including
whether the SEA is able to track LEA obligations.

In supporting LEAs as they plan for the safe return to and continuity
of in-person instruction and for meeting the academic, social,
emotional, and mental health needs of students resulting from the
COVID-19 pandemic, the extent to which the SEA is also using
other Federal funding sources including but not limited to under the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (“ESEA”), IDEA,
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (““WIOA”), funding for
child nutrition services, and McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance
Act, and the funds to support the needs of students experiencing
homelessness provided by section 2001(b)(1) of the ARP Act.

3 Please note that the needs of students experiencing homelessness must be addressed (along with the other groups
disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic) through the use of the ARP ESSER SEA reservations and
the required LEA reservation for the academic impact of lost instructional time; the funding provided to support the
needs of students experiencing homelessness by section 2001(b)(1) of the ARP Act is in addition to the supports and
services provided with ARP ESSER funds.

16
The SEA has been intentional from the initial release of funding to ensure
strategies were meeting immediate and evolving needs identified in the field and
leveraging the state’s capacity to support LEAs. Stakeholder engagement sessions
emphasized what was already identified in Alabama’s strategic plan, Alabama
Achieves, which was completed March of 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19
pandemic. Within the plan, five strategic priorities were identified- Academic
Growth and Achievement, College, Career, and Workforce Ready, Safe and
Supportive Learning Environments, Highly Effective Educators, Customer-
Friendly Services. Given Alabama Achieves was developed through a similarly
robust engagement strategy, the identified needs in the strategic plan, the survey,
and district feedback were all aligned, often highlighting more severe needs on
the same subjects as the pandemic exacerbated needs for additional academic
supports, especially in early grades, the educator supports and preparedness, and
student readiness and supports. Based on these results, the state prioritized initial
funding supports from the CARES Act, including leveraging the CRF to
immediate widespread issues of technology device and connectivity access. With
the release of the CRRSA funds with an emphasis on learning loss and school
facilities, the SEA encouraged districts to continue to build out their funding plans
strategically to meet both immediate and long-term needs. The SEA
complemented these strategies by developing plans for summer and tutoring
programming. With the release of ARP ESSER funding, the SEA supported
alignment to existing strategies with an emphasis on deepening their scope and
reach. As a result, the state’s intent with the latest round of funding is to further
support strategies previously identified, allowing for more strategic use of funds
across sources and across rounds.

The SEA has awarded all LEAs the available funds for the CARES Act, CRSSA,
and ARP. There have been multiple grants provided that supported LEA and state
activities through the CARES Act. The breakdown below provides a brief
natrative regarding the intent of each grant allocated from the CARES Act. Each
grant had an explicit purpose to support LEAs with the impact of COVID-19,

The SEA has supported LEAs to offset expenditures related to the impact of the
COVID-19 pandemic and support with maintaining safety procedures for students
who selected options to participate in full-time instruction. At the beginning of the
COVID-19 pandemic, the SEA used ESSER I funds to provide a virtual platform
for schools to carryout virtual instruction and to provide access to digital
textbooks. Formula grants were provided to LEAs to use for COVID-19 impact
activities. The funds were used to safely return to in-person instruction, maximize
in-person instruction, sustain operations, and to address disproportionate impact
of COVID-19 on individual student groups including responding to students’
academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs.

17
GEER I Funds

GEER I funds were provided as grants to LEAs to equip buses with Wi-Fi to
students access to virtual learning, bridge learning and achievement gaps of
students, and provide before and after school tutoring.

ESSER IJ Funds
ESSER II funds were provided as grants to LEAs for the following:

Course of Study ELA PD: This allocation was granted to each LEA to be
used for course of study PD directly aligned to 2021 Course of Study:
English Language Arts. To be considered high quality, the PD must
include training on the specific-grade and course-level standards, as well
as provide pedagogical connections for instruction. Base allocations were
provided for:

o A) Elementary Teachers (K-5) - $400 for registration, materials,
substitutes for follow-up trainings or PLCs.

© B) Secondary Teachers (6-12) - $1,050 for registration, materials,
substitutes for follow-up trainings or PLCs.

Course of Study Math PD: This allocation was granted to each LEA to be
used for course of study PD directly aligned to 2019 Course of Study:
Mathematics. To be considered high-quality, the PD must include training
on the specific-grade and-course level standards, learning progressions, as
well as provide pedagogical connections for instruction.

o A) Elementary Teachers (K-5) - $400 for registration, materials,
substitutes for follow-up trainings or Professional Learning
Committees (PLCs).

o B) Secondary Teachers (6-12) - $1,050 for registration, materials,
substitutes for follow-up trainings or PLCs

Assessment Award for Grades 4-8: This allocation was granted to
extend each school's early reading and math assessment system through
Grade 8. The allocation will be $12 per student based on each school's
2020-2021 ADM.

Upon receiving funds, LEAs were required to conduct a needs assessment and prioritize
the needs of the LEA in efforts to return to in-person instruction, to maximize
instructional time, and have the necessary supports in place to sustain safe operations.
Additionally, LEAs used ESSER I funds for resources and instructional supports. The
funds were used for instructional materials, professional development, assessments,
accelerating learning, enrichment programs, salaries and benefits for staff, family
supports for instruction, and facilities and improvements for students and staff in efforts
to address CDC recommendations.

GEER I Funds
GEER II funds were used to provide LEAs with kindergarten readiness, screeners,
assessments, and aligned reading kits.

18
Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF)
The SEA used CRF to fund salary or wages for healthcare professionals or aides
to provide COVID-19 response and mitigation services at the schools.

ARP ESSER Funds

Funds from ARP ESSER will be used to continue efforts in funding activities for
safely returning to in-person instruction, maximizing in-person instruction,
sustaining operations, and to address disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on
individual student groups including responding to students’ academic, social,
emotional, and mental health needs. As requested by stakeholders, the majority of
the 10% SEA state reserve will be granted to LEAs to support these efforts. The
SEA state reserve specifically identified for instructional loss, summer
enrichment, and afterschool programs will be granted to the LEAs through
formula grants. The remaining ARP ESSER Funds will be coordinated with other
federal funds to address the identified priorities. To date, the following
activities/programs will be targeted: SRCs for the upcoming three summers for
grades K-3, professional development in the areas of reading and math, increase
English Learner supports across the state, provide math support across the state
with Teachers in Residence, provide state-wide training and supports on
implementing extended services to ensure equitable access to integrated learning
loss programs by providing necessary supports and accommodations for all
students, and extend the current ACCESS distance learning program to grades 6-
8.

The SEA will keep track of ESSER ARP LEA allocations through the
Electronic Grant Application Program (eGAP) and the state’s financial
management system.

The SEA will continue to provide guidance on how federal funds, including
funds under ESEA, IDEA, McKinney-Vento, and Perkins, can be used during
the COVID-19 pandemic on specific student and educator needs related to
reopening schools and sustaining safe operations. One example of how these
funds are coordinated at the state level is by purchasing a online training module
with McKinney-Vento funds to assist LEAs in identifying and assisting
homeless students. In addition, through a collaboration with 2-1-1 Connect
Alabama, a phone service will be provided to LEAs to get help for homeless
students and support for families (clothes, housing, etc.) by connecting families
with homeless liaisons within the community.

19
D. Maximizing State-Level Funds to Support Students

The Department recognizes that States have an extraordinary opportunity to address the
disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on underserved students through the
ARP Act’s required State set-asides to address the academic impact of lost instructional time,
provide summer learning and enrichment programs, and provide comprehensive afterschool
programs. In this section, SEAs will describe their evidence-based strategies for these
resources.

1. Academic Impact of Lost Instructional Time: Describe how the SEA will use the
funds it reserves under section 2001(f)(1) of the ARP Act (totaling not less than 5
percent of the State’s total allocation of ARP ESSER funds) on evidence-based
interventions to address the academic impact of lost instructional time by
supporting the implementation of evidence-based interventions, such as summer
learning or summer enrichment, extended day, comprehensive afterschool
programs, or extended school year programs, and ensure that such interventions
respond to students’ academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs. The
description must include:

i. A description of the evidence-based interventions (e.g., providing
intensive or high-dosage tutoring, accelerating learning) the SEA has
selected, and the extent to which the SEA will evaluate the impact of
those interventions on an ongoing basis to understand if they are
working;

ii. How the evidence-based interventions will specifically address the
disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on certain groups of students,
including each of the student groups listed in question A.3.i.-viii.
When possible, please indicate which data sources the SEA will use
to determine the impact of lost instructional time; and

iil. The extent to which the SEA will use funds it reserves to identify
and engage 1) students who have missed the most in-person
instruction during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years; and 2)
students who did not consistently participate in remote instruction
when offered during school building closures.

The SEA will use its 5% set aside under section 2001(f)(1) to provide
opportunities for students to accelerate learning by supporting LEAs to address
the needs of students most impacted by COVID-19, particularly those students
who have missed the most in-person instruction during the 2019-2020 and 2020-
2021 school years, students who did not consistently participate in remote
instruction when offered during school building closures, and students retained in
the area of reading.

The academic impact for lost instructional time allocation will be used to address
the early literacy priority in the state. The funds will be used to support the

20
Summer Reading Camps (SRCs) for grades K-3. SRC programs are designed to
provide students with additional opportunities for learning and growing during the
summer months. LEAs should strive to create opportunities for all students to
have access to the camp, however, according to the Alabama Literacy Act, “Each
local education agency shall provide summer reading camps to all K-3 students
identified with a reading deficiency...The Alabama Summer Achievement
Program is established and shall be available to all K—3 students in public
elementary schools that are among the lowest performing five percent of
elementary schools (full support schools).” (Alabama Literacy Act pages 16-17)
LEAs are not limited to this number of students and can always exceed the
minimum expectation outlined in the Alabama Literacy Act.

The SRCs will be staffed by highly effective teachers of reading. The program
shall provide direct, explicit, and systematic reading intervention services and
supports to improve any identified area of reading deficiency including-
phonological awareness, The Alphabetic Principle: decoding & accuracy,
encoding & accuracy, vocabulary, comprehension, writing, and oral language.
At a minimum, 70 hours of scientifically based reading instruction and
intervention must take place. LEAs are to adhere to research suggested
effective teacher-student ratio sizes for providing instruction. The LEAs are
required to report pre-and post-reading assessment data. Assessments used
must come from the approved list of reading assessments that was reviewed by
the Alabama Literacy Act Taskforce. Reading camp data including
participation and assessment data will be submitted in the reading portal and
used to measure program impact.

The SEA will support the LEAs with the SRCs by providing Early
Literacy of Science in Reading training throughout the state. The
SEA will provide supports, resources, embedded coaching, and
training to LEAs on effective summer program implementation and
practices,

. Evidence-Based Summer Learning and Enrichment Programs: Describe how the
SEA will use the funds it reserves under section 2001(f)(2) of the ARP Act

(totaling not less than 1 percent of the State’s total allocation of ARP ESSER

funds) for evidence-based summer learning and enrichment programs, including

those that begin in Summer 2021, and ensure such programs respond to students’

academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs. The description must

include:

i. A description of the evidence-based programs that address the

academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs of students
(e.g., providing intensive or high-dosage tutoring, accelerating
learning) the SEA has selected, and the extent to which the SEA will
evaluate the impact of those programs;

21
ii.

ili.

How the evidence-based programs will specifically address the
disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on certain groups of students,
including each of the student groups listed in question A.3. i.--viii.
When possible, please indicate which data sources the SEA will use
to identify students most in need of summer learning and enrichment
programs; and

The extent to which the SEA will use funds it reserves to identify
and engage 1) students who have missed the most in-person
instruction during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years; and 2)
students who did not consistently participate in remote instruction
when offered during school building closures.

The SEA will use the funds it reserves under section 2001(f)(2) of the
ARP Act (1%) to focus on accelerating learning, enrichment, and
providing intensive or high-dosage tutoring by supporting LEAs and
awarding grants from the state set-aside funds to address the needs of
students most impacted by COVID-19, particularly those students who
have missed the most in-person instruction during the 2019-2020 and
2020-2021 school years, students who did not consistently participate in
remote instruction when offered during school building closures and
retained students. In their application, LEAs must describe how they will
identify and serve students who missed the most in person instruction
during the 2019-2020 and 2020- 2021 school years and students who did
not consistently participate in remote instruction when offered during
school building closures and how they will be served in the program(s).

LEAs at a minimum must describe the following in their application:

e A description of the evidence-based programs that address the
academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs of students (e.g.,
providing intensive or high-dosage tutoring, accelerating learning) the
LEA has selected, and the extent to which the LEA will evaluate the
impact of those programs;

¢ How the evidence-based programs will specifically address the
disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on certain groups of students,
including each of the vulnerable student populations; indicating the
data sources;

e The extent to which the LEA will use funds to identify and engage
1) students who have missed the most in-person instruction during the
2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years; 2) students who did not
consistently participate in remote instruction when offered during
school building closures and 3) retained students.

22
The SEA will provide supports, resources, and training to LEAs on effective
summer enrichment program implementation including evidence-based practices
and assessments, materials, program timeframe, hours, and student-teacher ratio
requirements. In addition, LEAs will be provided the Road to Recovery Resource
Guide to assist with unfinished learning supports design strategies that include
strategies for student subpopulations. LEAs must align designed programs with
those that are evidence-based. The LEA will use the criteria outlined in the Every
Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) for evidence-based interventions listed below:
e Has research from studies using a well-implemented experimental or
quasi-experimental design (meets Tier 1 or 2 evidence)
e Has research showing promising evidence from a well-implemented,
correlations study that statistically controls for selection bias (meets ESSA
Tier 3 evidence)
e Has rationale demonstrating the intervention is likely to improve student
outcomes, and an effort to study the effects of the intervention is
underway (meets ESSA Tier 4 evidence),

. Evidence-Based Comprehensive Afterschool Programs: Describe how the SEA
will use the funds it reserves under section 2001(f)(3) of the ARP Act (totaling
not less than 1 percent of the State’s total allocation of ARP ESSER funds) for
evidence-based comprehensive afterschool programs (including, for example,
before-school programming), and ensure such programs respond to students’
academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs. The description must
include:

i. A description of the evidence-based programs (e.g., including
partnerships with community-based organizations) the SEA has
selected, and the extent to which the SEA will evaluate the impact of
those programs;

ii. How the evidence-based programs will specifically address the
disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on certain groups of students,
including each of the student groups listed in question A.3.i.-viii.
When possible, please indicate which data sources the SEA will use
to identify students most in need of comprehensive afterschool
programming; and

iii. The extent to which the SEA will use funds it reserves to identify
and engage 1) students who have missed the most in-person
instruction during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years; and 2)
students who did not consistently participate in remote instruction
when offered during school building closures.

The SEA will use the funds it reserves under section 2001(f)(3) of the ARP Act
(1%) by providing evidence-based comprehensive afterschool programs
(including, for example, before-school programming and out-of-school-time
programs) to LEAs through the awarding of grants from the state set-aside funds

23
to address the needs of students most impacted by COVID-19, particularly those
students who have missed the most in-person instruction during the 2019-2020
and 2020-2021 school years, students who did not consistently participate in
remote instruction when offered during school building closures and retained
students.

LEAs at a minimum must describe the following in their application:

e A description of the evidence-based programs (e.g., including partnerships
with community-based organizations) LEA has selected, and the extent to
which the LEA will evaluate the impact of those programs;

* How the evidence-based programs will specifically address the
disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on certain. groups of students,
including the most vulnerable student groups listed. When possible, please
indicate which data sources the LEA will use to identify students most in
need of comprehensive afterschool programming; and

e The extent to which the LEA will use funds to identify and engage
1) students who have missed the most in-person instruction during the
2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years; 2) students who did not
consistently participate in remote instruction when offered during school
building closures and 3) retained students.

The SEA will provide supports, resources, and training to LEAs on effective
afterschool/out-of-school program implementation including evidence-based
practices and assessments, materials, program timeframe, hours, and student-
teacher ratio requirements. In addition, LEAs will be provided the Road to
Recovery Resource Guide to assist with unfinished learning supports design
strategies that include strategies for student subpopulations. LEAs must align
designed programs with those that are evidence-based. The LEA will use the
criteria outlined in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) for evidence-based
interventions listed below:
e Has research from studies using a well-implemented experimental or
quasi-experimental design (meets Tier 1 or 2 evidence)
e Has research showing promising evidence from a well-implemented,
correlations study that statistically controls for selection bias (meets ESSA
Tier 3 evidence)
e Has rationale demonstrating the intervention is likely to improve student
outcomes, and an effort to study the effects of the intervention is
underway (meets ESSA Tier 4 evidence),

4. Emergency Needs: If the SEA plans to reserve funds for emergency needs under
section 2001(f)(4) of the ARP Act to address issues responding to the COVID-19
pandemic, describe the anticipated use of those funds, including the extent to

24
which these funds will build SEA and LEA capacity to ensure students’ and
staff's health and safety; to meet students’ academic, social, emotional, and
mental health needs; and to use ARP ESSER funds to implement evidence-based
interventions.

At this time, the SEA has not identified other needs, not previously addressed by
other funding categories.

E. Supporting LEAs in Planning for and Meeting Students’ Needs

The Department recognizes that the safe return to in-person instruction must be accompanied
by a focus on meeting students’ academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs, and by
addressing the opportunity gaps that existed before — and were exacerbated by — the
pandemic. In this section, SEAs will describe how they will support their LEAs in
developing high-quality plans for LEAs’ use of ARP ESSER funds to achieve these
objectives.

1. LEA Plans for the Use of ARP ESSER Funds: Describe what the SEA will
require its LEAs to include in LEA plans consistent with the ARP ESSER
requirements for the use of ARP ESSER funds, how the SEA will require such
plans to be made available to the public, and the deadline by which the LEA must
submit its ARP ESSER plan (which must be a reasonable timeline and should be
within no later than 90 days after receiving its ARP ESSER allocation). The LEA
plans must include, at a minimum:

iy The extent to which and how the funds will be used to implement
prevention and mitigation strategies that are, to the greatest extent
practicable, in line with the most recent CDC guidance, in order to
continuously and safely operate schools for in-person learning;

il. How the LEA will use the funds it reserves under section 2001(e)(1)
of the ARP Act (totaling not less than 20 percent of the LEA’s total
allocation of ARP ESSER funds) to address the academic impact of
lost instructional time through the implementation of evidence-based
interventions, such as summer learning or summer enrichment,
extended day, comprehensive afterschool programs, or extended
school year programs;

ill. How the LEA will spend its remaining ARP ESSER funds consistent
with section 2001(e)(2) of the ARP Act; and
iv. How the LEA will ensure that the interventions it implements,

including but not limited to the interventions under section
2001(e)(1) of the ARP Act to address the academic impact of lost
instructional time, will respond to 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 and youth in foster care, and migratory
students.

The SEA will ensure all necessary components of the ARP ESSER requirements
are part of the LEA ARP ESSER Plan. The LEA will be required to submit its
plan for the use of the ARP ESSER Funds via eGAP no later than August 23,
2021. To ensure that each plan meets the minimum requirements, a guidance
document will be provided.

The SEA will require districts to submit a two-part LEA plan. Part I of the plan
required the ARP ESSER assurances to be signed verifying receipt of LEA
allocations, adherence to federal guidelines and regulations, and
acknowledgement of Part II requirements. Part II of the plan (due August 23,
2021) will require LEAs to describe at a minimum:

e The extent to which and how the funds will be used to implement
prevention and mitigation strategies that are, to the greatest extent
practicable, in line with the most recent CDC guidance, in order to
continuously and safely operate schools for in-person learning;

e How the LEA will use the funds it reserves under section 2001(e)(1) of the
ARP Act (totaling not less than 20 percent of the LEA’s total allocation of
ARP ESSER funds) to address the academic impact of lost instructional
time through the implementation of evidence-based interventions, such as
summer learning or summer enrichment, extended day, comprehensive
afterschool programs, or extended school year programs;

e How the LEA will spend its remaining ARP ESSER funds consistent with
section 2001(e)(2) of the ARP Act; and

e How the LEA will ensure that the interventions it implements, including
but not limited to the interventions under section 2001(e)(1) of the ARP
Act to address the academic impact of lost instructional time, will respond
to 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 and youth in foster care, and
migratory students.

e How the LEA will measure impact of ARP ESSER funded activities.

In the eGAP system, LEAs will be required to respond to the following: How the
LEA will ensure that the ARP ESSER funded interventions, including but not
limited to the 20% set-aside, will respond to 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 and youth in foster
care, and migratory students.

26
Each LEA application will undergo a multi-level state review to ensure the
program requirements are met and appropriately documented. In the ARP ESSER
application, LEAs will be required to provide additional insight into how the
remaining 80% of ESSER funds will be spent. In the ARP ESSER application,
LEAs are required to complete the applicable focus areas, verify the amount, and
explain how each focus area addresses the prioritized needs, The amount will
auto-populate based on the input from the LEA’s proposed budget. In the e-GAP
system, LEAs are required to respond to the following: How will the LEA use the
remaining ARP ESSER funds consistent with statutory requirements? Each LEA
application will undergo a multi-level state review to ensure the program
requirements are met and appropriately documented.

. LEA Consultation: Describe how the SEA will, in planning for the use of ARP
ESSER funds, ensure that, consistent with the ARP ESSER requirements], its
LEAs engage in meaningful consultation with stakeholders, including, but not
limited to:

i. students;
ii. - families;
iii. school and district administrators (including special education
administrators); and
iv. teachers, principals, school leaders, other educators, school staff, and
their unions.

The LEA must also engage in meaningful consultation with each of the following
to the extent present in or served by the LEA:

i. Tribes;
ii. civil rights organizations (including disability rights organizations);
and
iti. stakeholders representing the interests of children with disabilities,

English learners, children experiencing homelessness, children and
youth in foster care, migratory students, children who are
incarcerated, and other underserved students.
The description must also include how the SEA will ensure that LEAs provide the
public the opportunity to provide input in the development of the LEA’s plan for
the use of ARP ESSER funds and take such input into account.

As part of its LEA ARP ESSER application, the SEA will require meaningful
consultation with the listed stakeholders. The LEA application for ARP ESSER
specifically addresses stakeholder consultation and engagement. Further, LEAs
will be asked to provide specific information on this consultation, as well as the
URL where the LEA plan will be posted and made available to the public, The
stakeholder consultation and engagement and supporting documentation will be
integrated into the SEA’s compliance monitoring process, All LEAs will be
monitored annually in one of the three tiers (self, desktop, onsite) based on the
department’s risk assessment. Stakeholder consultation and engagement is an
indicator in the instrument across all tiers of monitoring. This component will also
be made part of compliance monitoring,

27
3. Describe how the SEA will support and monitor its LEAs in using ARP ESSER
funds. The description must include:

i, How the SEA will support and monitor its LEAs’ implementation of
evidence-based interventions that respond to students’ academic,
social, emotional, and mental health needs, such as through summer
learning or summer enrichment, extended day, comprehensive
afterschool programs, or extended school year programs ~ including
the extent to which the SEA will collect evidence of the
effectiveness of interventions employed;

il. How the SEA will support and monitor its LEAs in specifically
addressing the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
on certain groups of students, including each of the student groups
listed in question A.3.i.-viii; and

iii. How the SEA will support and monitor its LEAs in using ARP
ESSER funds to identify, reengage, and support students most likely
to have experienced the impact of lost instructional time on student
learning, such as:

a. Students who have missed the most in-person instruction during
the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years;

b. Students who did not consistently participate in remote
instruction when offered during school building closures; and

c. Students most at-risk of dropping out of school.

The SEA’s multi-tiered monitoring framework includes three distinct levels: on-
site, desktop, and self-monitoring. A risk analysis comprised of multiple
indicators identifies the level of potential risk. Results from the analysis
designate each LEA's risk level. Each LEA in the state must participate in one
level of monitoring annually; however, SEA has also developed business rules to
this process to ensure that all LEAs are monitored (desktop or on-site) at least
once every five years.

The SEA will support and monitor its LEAs in using funds to identify, reengage,
and support students most likely to have experienced the impact of lost
instructional time. The SEA will develop a checklist to assist LEAs with self-
monitoring of federal relief funds to ensure compliance with regulations. The
process will include data collection and monitoring for implementation as well
as impact.

The programmatic and financial aspects of monitoring will reside in eGAP.
Specific regulations will be observed during regularly scheduled desk audits and
compliance monitoring visits. In an effort to build capacity with the LEAs,
temporary part-time personnel will work in collaboration with the LEAs on pre-
monitoring activities. The eGAP platform will be used to approve the use of
federal funds and ensure compliance with federal regulations. In efforts to build

28
capacity and safeguard funds for their intended purposes, there is a 3-step
approval process at the LEA level, and a 3-step approval process at the SEA
level.

The SEA will issue guidance for evidence-based strategies that includes a list of
SEA-reviewed resources for evidence-based interventions and strategies that
respond to students’ academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs. Lists
will include summer learning, extended day or year programs, and additional
strategies that provide effect sizes necessary to result in improvement. The SEA
will collect information on the effectiveness of interventions,

The SEA’s guidance for evidence-based strategies will include strategies that are
specifically meant to respond to the needs of students disproportionately
impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including each of the student groups
listed in Question A.3.i.-viii. The SEA and LEAs will monitor district
implementation of evidence-based strategies used to address the needs of student
groups disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 in the same manner other
supports and implementation will be delivered and monitored. Data obtained to
measure implementation and progress will be disaggregated by subpopulations.

The SEA will assist districts in determining activities to identify, reengage, and
support students most likely to have experienced the impact of lost instructional
time by incorporating these activities into technical assistance resources
provided to all districts for the 2021-22 school year.

The SEA will monitor district implementation of strategies for reengagement
and support by periodically reviewing available data regarding student progress
or requesting data when not available. The SEA will also require districts to
report on implementation of evidence-based strategies to enable the evaluation
of effectiveness of such strategies. As additional information regarding federal
monitoring requirements becomes available, the SEA will review its current
monitoring protocols and make revisions as necessary to align with the federal
requirements.

. Describe the extent to which the SEA will support its LEAs in implementing
additional strategies for taking educational equity into account in expending ARP
ESSER funds, including but not limited to:

i. Allocating funding both to schools and for districtwide activities
based on student need, and
ii, Implementing an equitable and inclusive return to in-person

instruction. An inclusive return to in-person instruction includes, but
is not limited to, establishing policies and practices that avoid the
over-use of exclusionary discipline measures (including in- and out-
of-school suspensions) and creating a positive and supportive
learning environment for all students.

29
The SEA will provide guidance and technical assistance on the use of ESSER
funds that highlights how allowable activities may be used to advance educational
equity. As part of their application, LEAs will be required to provide information
on their plans to use ARP ESSER funds to implement an equitable and inclusive
return to in-person instruction.

In addition, as part of the school improvement process, the LEA/schools
administer teacher, student, and community climate surveys, with the mission to
create and sustain safe and supportive learning environments, thereby, increasing
academic success for all students. These resources are intended to provide LEAs
with data to inform decisions on school culture, including discipline, student
perception, and teacher working conditions.

F. Supporting the Educator Workforce

The Department recognizes the toll that the COVID-19 pandemic has taken on the Nation’s
educators as well as students. In this section, SEAs will describe strategies for supporting and
stabilizing the educator workforce and for making staffing decisions that will support
students’ academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs.

1. Supporting and Stabilizing the Educator Workforce:

i. Describe the extent to which the State is facing shortages of
educators, education administration personnel, and other school
personnel involved in safely reopening schools, and the extent to
which they vary by region/type of school district and/or groups of
educators (e.g., special educators and related services personnel and
paraprofessionals; bilingual or English as a second language
educators; science, technology, engineering, and math (“STEM”)
educators; career and technical education (“CTE”) educators; early
childhood educators). Cite specific data on shortages and needs
where available.

il. Describe how the SEA will assist its LEAs in identifying the most
urgent areas of shortages or potential shortages, with particular plans
for individual LEAs facing the most significant needs (e.g., by
avoiding layoffs, providing high-quality professional learning
opportunities, and addressing the impact of stress or trauma on
educators). Include a description of how other Federal COVID-19
funding (e.g., ESSER and GEER funds under the CARES Act and
CRRSA Act) have already been used to avoid layoffs during the
COVID-19 pandemic.

iil. Describe the actions the SEA will take to fill anticipated gaps in
certified teachers for the start of the 2021-2022 school year and to
what extent the SEA will further support its LEAs in expanding the
educator pipeline and educator diversity while addressing the
immediate needs of students disproportionately impacted by the

30
pandemic (e.g., recruiting teaching candidates to provide high-
dosage tutoring or implementing residencies for teacher candidates).

Alabama has experienced teacher shortages in the subject areas of mathematics,
science, special education, and English over the last several years. Procedures
have been implemented to address teacher shortage concerns. Some local districts
offer signing bonuses; other schoo! districts rely on state incentives to fill shortage
areas. Provisional and emergency certification routes are utilized by some local
school systems to fill vacancies.

Interest in the teaching profession nationally has decreased, because the teaching
profession has become less attractive to young professionals. It is the goal of the
SEA to ensure students are being taught by educators with proper credentials.
Each academic year teacher shortage data are collected and reported to the United
States Department of Education, and Alabama data are listed in the national
Teacher Shortage Areas (TSA) database. This system is designed to collect data
from states and jurisdictions and generate Teacher Shortage Areas Reports
intended to be a reference document that shows where state and schools are
looking to potentially hire properly credentialed teachers, academic
administrators, and other educators as needed. Information is shared with LEAs
and educator preparation programs.

Interest in the teaching profession nationally has decreased, because the teaching
profession has become less attractive to young professionals. The current teacher
shortage report reflects mathematics as the number one hard-to-fill area. As of
2018, 58 of Alabama’s 139 city and county school districts listed difficulty in
hiring properly certified mathematics teachers.

As part of its efforts to fill anticipated gaps in certified teachers for the 2021-2022
school, the SEA has implemented the following strategies:

e A statewide electronic application and job posting system available to any
applicant in need of a job. ;

e Several LEAs have used ESSER I and/or ESSER II funds for at least a
portion of their staff salaries and benefits. LEAs continued to pay their
staff during periods of closure, as was emphasized by the CARES Act.

e Teacher Excellence and Accountability for Mathematics and Science
(TEAMS) program that aims to fill each and every school with
credentialed math and science teachers in grades 6-12.

e Alabama Math & Science Teacher Education Program (AMSTEP), a
repayment incentive that pays back a significant portion of the tuition
costs that teachers (and prospective teachers) incur while pursuing their
teacher degrees from any of the 26 Alabama in-state colleges and
universities. This program targets schools in the Black Belt (low socio-
economic) area of Alabama.

e Awareness campaign of alternative, emergency, and provisional
certificates.

31
e The SEA used Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) to fund salary or wages for
healthcare professionals or aides to provide COVID-19 response and
mitigation services at the schools,

e Alternative teaching certificate for certain retired members of the United
States Armed Forces to assist with teacher shortages.

Assisting LEAs with sample recruitment and retention plans.
Communication campaign designed to increase the number of certified
personnel to fill vacancy gaps and recruit individuals to the profession.
Continue to implement Alabama’s two-year mentoring program for new
teachers, pilot additional supports for mentor teachers with national
organizations, and review/update the new teacher manual.

2. Staffing to Support Student Needs: Describe the extent to which the SEA has
developed or will develop strategies and will support its LEAs in increasing
student access to key support staff within school buildings, including school
counselors, special education personnel, nurses, social workers, and psychologists
(e.g. hiring additional personnel or freeing up these staff to focus on providing
services to students).

In addition to already state- and federally funded LEA/school level positions
supporting counselors, school nurses, and special education personnel, the SEA
has approved the use of ESSER II funds to hire additional school support
personnel. The SEA has established and will continue to develop a number of
strategies to support increasing access to support staff at the district level.
Recently, the state received funding through the legislature to support mental
health coordinators for LEAs.

The SEA will continue to provide detailed guidance to districts for utilizing
various federal funding sources to increase student access to key support staff and
will explore expanding granted funds to LEAs beyond school nurses to support
the hiring and supplies for key support staff such as school counselors, school
social workers, school psychologists, and other support professionals. The SEA
will continue to provide technical support to our LEAs to leverage both state and
federal resources in efforts to provide increased student access to key specialized
student support personnel within school buildings, including school counselors,
nurses, social workers, and school psychologists as well as special education
personnel. This will be accomplished by hiring additional personnel or freeing up
these staff to focus on providing services to students.

32
G. Monitoring and Measuring Progress

The Department recognizes that transparency on how ARP ESSER funds are used and their
impact on the Nation’s education system is a fundamental responsibility of Federal, State,
and local government. In this section, SEAs will describe how they are building capacity at
the SEA and LEA levels to ensure high-quality data collection and reporting and to safeguard
funds for their intended purposes.

l.

Capacity for Data Collection and Reporting: It is important for an SEA to
continuously monitor progress and make adjustments to its strategies, as well as
to support its LEAs in making adjustments to LEA strategies, based on impact.
Describe how the SEA will ensure its capacity and the capacity of its LEAs to
collect data on reporting requirements, including but not limited to the examples
of reporting requirements described in the SEA’s Grant Award Notification (listed
in Appendix B). Describe the SEA’s capacity and strategy to collect data from its
LEAs (disaggregated by student group, where applicable), to the greatest extent
practicable, including any steps the SEA will take to build its capacity in the
future (which may include the use of ARP ESSER and other Federal COVID-19
pandemic funds at the SEA and LEA levels), on issues that may include the
following:

i. Student learning, including the academic impact of lost instructional
time during the COVID-19 pandemic;
il. Opportunity to learn measures (e.g., chronic absenteeism; student

engagement; use of exclusionary discipline; access to and
participation in advanced coursework; access to technology,
including educator access to professional development on the
effective use of technology; access to high-quality educators; access
to school counselors, social workers, nurses, and school
psychologists; and results from student, parent, and/or educator

surveys);

ili. Fiscal data that is comparable across the State (e.g., per-pupil
expenditures at the LEA and school levels);

iv. Jobs created and retained (by position type);

V. Participation in programs funded by ARP ESSER resources (e.g.,
summer and afterschool programs); and

Vi. Other reporting requirements reasonably required by the Secretary

(please refer to Appendix B of this template; final requirements will
be issued separately).

The SEA primarily relies upon the summative assessments to gather information
on student learning at the state level. The grades 2-8 assessment was not
administered in school year 2019- 2020 but was administered in school year
2020-2021. Once available, the data will be used to determine student
performance. The SEA currently has a data dashboard that houses the
department’s academic and non-academic data. This system allows for both the
SEA and LEA to monitor status and progress on student outcomes. LEAs have
capabilities to monitor student level information by viewing information at the

33
student-level through the SIS.

The SEA houses student- and staff-level data for LEAs to view and verify in the
ALSDE Identity Management (AIM) portal. The data must be reviewed and
certified via the data governance process. Additionally, representatives on the
governance committee gives the agency insight into the capacity at the local level
to expand data collection requirements. Once new data collections have been
approved by the governance committee, the collection requirements are published
in the data governance manual. Through this process the SEA already collects
many of the items listed in G.1.i-vi. Our current processes and technical
capabilities allow us to expand and collect what we do not currently collect.

The fiscal management system will be used to collect fiscal data that is
comparable across the State (e.g., per-pupil expenditures at the LEA and school
levels). The SEA will develop a uniform expenditure reporting system to collect
detailed information on ARP ESSER expenditures across LEAs. Comparable data
will be collected and reported for all LEAs. The SEA will collect jobs created and
retained with ARP ESSER funds on an annual basis as part of the LEA’s
compliance reporting. LEAs will report all FTEs that 1) are funded from ESSER
funds, and/or 2) received a stipend or bonus for added responsibilities caused by
the pandemic.

The SEA will build capacity of LEAs for participation in summer programs, after-
school programs, and extended year programs through grants to the LEAs. These
grants will be supported through technical assistance to guide LEAs through the
planning processes. SEA will collect data from LEAs to monitor participation in
ARP ESSER funded programs, including summer programs, after-school
programs, and extended year programs, funded by LEA grants.

The SEA will use the current governance process and systems that are easily
expandable to collect the data required based on the program needs once the final
requirements are determined.

. Monitoring and Internal Controls: Describe how the SEA will implement
appropriate fiscal monitoring of and internal controls for the ARP ESSER funds
(e.g., by updating the SEA’s plan for monitoring funds and internal controls under
the CARES and CRRSA Acts; addressing potential sources of waste, fraud, and
abuse; conducting random audits; or other tools). In this response, please describe
the SEA’s current capacity to monitor ARP ESSER; steps, if needed, to increase
capacity; and any foreseeable gaps in capacity, including how the SEA will
provide its LEAs with technical assistance in the anticipated areas of greatest
need.

The SEA will use the eGAP platform to approve the use of federal funds and

34
ensure compliance to federal regulations. Internal controls within the eGAP
system prevent LEAs from submitting applications if the requirements are not
followed, This includes reservation requirements of at least 20% of funds used to
address learning loss, the appropriate amount of indirect costs, and other
business rules, as appropriate.

In efforts to build capacity and safeguard funds for their intended purposes, there
is a 3-step approval process at the LEA level, and a 3-step approval process at
the SEA level.

The programmatic and financial aspects of monitoring will reside in eGAP.
Specific regulations will be observed during regularly scheduled desk audits and
compliance monitoring visits. In an effort to build capacity with the LEAs,
temporary part-time personnel will work in collaboration with the LEAs on pre-
monitoring activities. The SEA process will consist of developing a template to
assist LEAs with self-monitoring of federal relief funds to ensure compliance
with regulations. The process will include data collection and monitoring for
implementation as well as impact.

35
Appendix A: School Operating Status and Instructional Mode Data Template
Indicate the date or time period represented by the following data.

The data in Table 1 and 2 is reflected as of June 1, 2021.

Table 1

In the most recent time period available, how many schools in your State offered each mode of
instruction or learning model described below? Each row should account for all schools in your
State, so that, for each row, the sum of the numbers in the “offered to all students,” “offered to
some students,” and “not offered” columns is equal to the number in the “all schools” column.

Number of All schools Offered to all | Offered to Not offered
schools students some students
Remote or 0 1387 0 0
online only
School 1387 1387 0 0
buildings open
with both
remote/online
and in-person
instruction
(hybrid)
School 1387 1387 0 0
buildings open
with full-time
in-person
instruction

To the extent data are available, please complete the above table for 1) all schools in the State,

and 2) separately for each instructional level (e.g., pre-kindergarten/elementary schools, middle
schools, high schools).

As of the 4"" Nine Weeks (the final attendance period), 100% of ali districts and schools
in the state offered in-person instruction. The SEA does not currently collect student level
data concerning remote/online, hybrid or in-person instruction at the student level. LEAs
submit td the SEA the percentage of students per LEA involved in the various forms of
instruction delivery and that information is currently posted and available on the SEA’s
website at the Instructional Delivery Mode link.

The data currently collected is in the aggregate and cannot be disaggregated by
subpopulation. The SEA is working within the new SIS that will be fully operational in
August of 2021 to include such information so an LEA can see in real-time student level
data pertaining to the instructional delivery mode. That data will lead to greater analysis
of assessment data, both formative within the LEA and summative at the SEA level to

36
drive focused improvements among our subpopulations in gap closing. Once the new

data set is available in the fall, the SEA will post the data by subpopulation.

Table 2

In the most recent time period available, what was the enrollment and mode of instruction for the
schools in your State?

Number of Total Remote or Both Full-time in-
students enrollment online only remote/online | person
and in-person | instruction
instruction
(hybrid)
Students from | 379,518 Data Not Data Not Data Not
low-income Available* Available* Available*
families
White, not 430,473 # Data Not Data Not Data Not
Hispanic Available* Available* Available*
Black or 243,498 Data Not Data Not Data Not
African Available* Available* Available*
American, not
Hispanic
Hispanic, of 69,471 Data Not Data Not Data Not
any race Available* Available* Available*
Asian, not 11,401 Data Not Data Not Data Not
Hispanic Available* Available* Available*
American 26,462 Data Not Data Not Data Not
Indian or Available* Available* Available*
Alaskan
Native, not
Hispanic
Native 1,887 Data Not Data Not Data Not
Hawaiian or Available* Available* Available*
Pacific
Islander, not
Hispanic
Two or more 25,815 # Data Not Data Not Data Not
races, not Available* Available* Available*
Hispanic
Race/Ethnicity | 128 Data Not Data Not Data Not
information not Available* Available* Available*
available
English 33,655 Data Not Data Not Data Not
learners Available* Available* Available*
Children with | 99,266 Data Not Data Not Data Not
disabilities Available* Available* Available*

37
Students 8,658 Data Not Data Not Data Not
experiencing Available* Available* Available*
homelessness

Children and 2,797 #Data Not Data Not Data Not
youth in foster Available* Available* Available*
care

Migratory 1,224 Data Not Data Not Data Not
students Available* Available* Available*

As of the 4" Nine Weeks (the final attendance period), 100% of all districts and schools
in the state offered in-person instruction. The SEA does not currently collect student level
data concerning remote/online, hybrid or in-person instruction at the student level. LEAs
submit to the SEA the percentage of students per LEA involved in the various forms of
instruction delivery and that information is currently posted and available at the
Instructional Delivery Method link.

The data currently collected is in the aggregate and cannot be disaggregated by
subpopulation. SEA is working within the new SIS that will be fully operational in
August of 2021 to include such information so an LEA can see in real-time student level
data pertaining to the instructional delivery mode. That data will lead to greater analysis
of assessment data, both formative within the LEA and summative at the SEA level to
drive focused improvements among our subpopulations in gap closing. Once the new
data set is available in the fall, the SEA will post the data by subpopulation.

Appendix B: Reporting Language Included in the Grant Award Notification (“GAN”)

As described in the Grant Award Notification (“GAN”), the SEA will comply with, and ensure
that its LEAs comply with, all reporting requirements at such time and in such manner and
containing such information as the Secretary may reasonably require, including on matters such
as:

e How the State is developing strategies and implementing public health protocols
including, to the greatest extent practicable, policies and plans in line with the CDC
guidance related to mitigating COVID-19 in schools;

¢ Overall plans and policies related to State support for return to in-person instruction and
maximizing in-person instruction time, including how funds will support a return to and
maximize in-person instruction time, and advance equity and inclusivity in participation
in in-person instruction;

e Data on each school’s mode of instruction (fully in-person, hybrid, and fully remote) and
conditions;

e SEA and LEA uses of funds to meet students’ social, emotional, and academic needs,
including through summer enrichment programming and other evidence-based
interventions, and how they advance equity for underserved students;

e SEA and LEA uses of funds to sustain and support access to early childhood education
programs;

38
Impacts and outcomes (disaggregated by student subgroup) through use of ARP ESSER
funding (e.g., quantitative and qualitative results of ARP ESSER funding, including on
personnel, student learning, and budgeting at the school and district level);

Student data (disaggregated by student subgroup) related to how the COVID-19
pandemic has affected instruction and learning;

Requirements under the Federal Financial Accountability Transparency Act (“FFATA”);
and

Additional reporting requirements as may be necessary to ensure accountability and
transparency of ARP ESSER funds.

39
Appendix C: Assurances

By signing this document, the SEA assures all of the following:

e

The SEA will conduct all its operations so that no person shall be excluded from
participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under the ARP
ESSER program or activity based on race, color, national origin, which includes a
person’s limited English proficiency or English learner status and a person’s actual or
perceived shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics; sex; age; or disability. These non-
discrimination obligations arise under Federal civil rights laws, including but not limited
to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of
1972, section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Age Discrimination Act of
1975. In addition, the SEA must comply with all regulations, guidelines, and standards
issued by the Department under any of these statutes;
The SEA will comply with all ARP Act and other ARP ESSER requirements and all
requirements of its Grant Award Notification, including but not limited to:
o Complying with the maintenance of effort provision in section 2004(a)(1) of the
ARP Act, absent a waiver by the Secretary pursuant to section 2004(a)(2) of the
ARP Act; and
o Complying with the maintenance of equity provisions in section 2004(b) of the

ARP Act, and ensuring its LEAs comply with the maintenance of equity provision

in section 2004(c) of the ARP Act (please note that the Department will provide

additional guidance on maintenance of equity shortly);
The SEA will allocate ARP ESSER funds to LEAs in an expedited and timely manner
and, to the extent practicable, not later than 60 days after the SEA receives ARP ESSER
funds (i.e., 60 days from the date the SEA receives each portion of its ARP ESSER
funds). An SEA that is not able to allocate such funds within 60 days because it is not
practicable (e.g., because of pre-existing State board approval requirements) will provide
an explanation to the Department within 30 days of receiving each portion of its ARP
ESSER funds (submitted via email to your Program Officer at [State]. ORESE@ed.gov
(e.g., Alabama. OESE@ed.gov)), including a description of specific actions the SEA is
taking to provide ARP ESSER funds to LEAs in an expedited and timely manner and the
SEA’s expected timeline for doing so;
The SEA will implement evidence-based interventions as required under section 2001(f)
of the ARP Act and ensure its LEAs implement evidence-based interventions, as required
by section 2001 (e)(1) of the ARP Act;
The SEA will address the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on
underserved students (i.e., students from low-income families, students from racial or
ethnic groups (e.g., identifying disparities and focusing on underserved student groups by
race or ethnicity), gender (e.g., identifying disparities and focusing on underserved
student groups by gender), English learners, children with disabilities, students
experiencing homelessness, children and youth in foster care, and migratory students), as
required under section 2001(f) of the ARP Act, and ensure its LEAs address the
disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on underserved students (i.e.,
students from low-income families, students from racial or ethnic groups, gender, English
learners, children with disabilities, students experiencing homelessness, children and

40
youth in foster care, and migratory students), as required by section 2001(e)(1) of the
ARP Act; and

The SEA will provide to the Department: (1) the URL(s) where the public can readily
find data on school operating status and (2) the URL(s) for the SEA and/or LEA websites
where the public can find the LEA plans for a) the safe return to in-person instruction and
continuity of services required under section 2001(i) of the ARP Act, and b) use of ARP
ESSER funds. SEAs should consider ensuring a standardized URL format in all cases
(e.g., xxx.gov/COVIDplan).

4t
Appendix D

OMB Control No. 1894-0005 (Exp. 06/30/2023)
NOTICE TO ALL APPLICANTS

The purpose of this enclosure is to inform you
about a new provision in the Department of
Education’s General Education Provisions
Act ("GEPA") that applies to applicants for
new grant awards under Department
programs. This provision is Section 427 of
GEPA, enacted as part of the Improving
America's Schools Act of 1994 (Public Law
(P.L.) 103-382).

To Whom Does This Provision Apply?

Section 427 of GEPA affects applicants for
new grant awards under this program. ALL
APPLICANTS FOR NEW AWARDS
MUST INCLUDE INFORMATION IN
THEIR APPLICATIONS TO ADDRESS
THIS NEW PROVISION IN ORDER TO
RECEIVE FUNDING UNDER THIS
PROGRAM.

(if this program is a State-formula grant
program, a State needs to provide this
description only for projects or activities that
it carries out with funds reserved for State-
level uses. In addition, local school districts
or other eligible applicants that apply to the
State for funding need to provide this
description in their applications to the State
for funding. The State would be responsible
for ensuring that the school district or other
local entity has submitted a sufficient section
427 statement as described below.)

What Does This Provision Require?

Section 427 requires each applicant for funds
(other than an individual person) to include in
its application a description of the steps the
applicant proposes to take to ensure equitable

access to, and participation in, its Federally
assisted program for students, teachers, and
other program beneficiaries with special
needs. This provision allows applicants
discretion in developing the required
description. The statute highlights six types
of barriers that can impede equitable access
or participation: gender, race, national origin,
color, disability, or age. Based on local
circumstances, you should determine
whether these or other barriers may prevent
your students, teachers, etc. from such access
to, or participation in, the Federally funded
project or activity. The description in your
application of steps to be taken to overcome
these barriers need not be lengthy; you may
provide a clear and succinct description of
how you plan to address those barriers that
are applicable to your circumstances. In
addition, the information may be provided in
a single narrative, or, if appropriate, may be
discussed in connection with related topics in
the application.

Section 427 is not intended to duplicate the
requirements of civil rights statutes, but
rather to ensure that, in designing their
projects, applicants for Federal funds address
equity concerns that may affect the ability of
certain potential beneficiaries to fully
participate in the project and to achieve high
standards. Consistent with program
requirements and its approved application, an
applicant may use the Federal funds awarded
to it to eliminate barriers it identifies.

42
What are Examples of How an Applicant
Might Satisfy the Requirement of This
Provision?

The following examples may help illustrate
how an applicant may comply with Section
427.

(1) An applicant that proposes to carry
out an adult literacy project serving,
among others, adults with limited English
proficiency, might describe in _ its
application how it intends to distribute a
brochure about the proposed project to
such potential participants in their native

language.

(2) An applicant that proposes to develop
instructional materials for classroom use
might describe how it will make the
materials available on audio tape or in
braille for students who are blind.

(3) An applicant that proposes to carry
out a model science program for
secondary students and is concerned that
girls may be less likely than boys to enroll
in the course, might indicate how it
intends to conduct "outreach" efforts to
girls, to encourage their enrollment.

(4) An applicant that proposes a project to
increase school safety might describe the
special efforts it will take to address
concerns of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender students, and efforts to reach
out to and involve the families of LGBT
students.

We recognize that many applicants may
already be implementing effective steps to
ensure equity of access and participation in
their grant programs, and we appreciate your
cooperation in responding to _ the
requirements of this provision.

SEA Response:

The SEA will ensure that the LEAs will
include in its local application a description

of how the LEA will comply with the
requirements of section 427 of GEPA (20
U.S.C. 1228a). The description must include
information on the steps the LEA proposes to
take to permit students, teachers, and other
program beneficiaries to overcome barriers
(including barriers based on gender, race,
color, national origin, disability, and age) that
impede equal access to, or participation in,
the program.

The SEA will support LEAs to ensure all
necessary steps are taken to allow every
student, teacher, and other program
beneficiary to participate in the ARP ESSER
program. If any barrier arises that impedes
equal access to, or participation in the ARP
ESSER program, the SEA will work
collaborative with the LEA to quickly
address and resolve those issues.

43
Estimated Burden Statement for GEPA Requirements

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a
collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. Public
reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 3 hours per
response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources,
gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of
information. The obligation to respond to this collection is required to obtain or retain
benefit (Public Law 103-382). Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other
aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the
U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20210-4537 or
email ICDocketMgr@ed.gov and reference the OMB Control Number 1894-0005.

44

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