State Plan for the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund — Missouri
Summary
The Missouri State Plan for the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, on the Department of Education template issued April 21, 2021. The cover page lists Amber Riley as SEA contact and Margie Vandeven as the printed name of the Chief State School Officer or Authorized Representative, with a date of 6/15/2021. Section A states that all LEAs were in session by September 13, 2020, with 89 percent offering onsite options, and describes a Learning Acceleration Task Force of 118 stakeholders. It names safely reopening schools, accelerating student learning, and bridging the digital divide as the strategies most effective for Missouri students. The plan closes with a statement of MODESE's policy not to discriminate and the GEPA burden statement.
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
- Issuer
- Congressional materials
- Document type
- Department Of Education Pdf Www Ed Gov 44Da7Bbc15
- Case
- Department Of Education Pdf Www Ed Gov 44Da7Bbc15
Cite this document
“State Plan for the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund — Missouri.”
Original at www.ed.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/department-of-education-pdf-www-ed-gov-44da7bbc15/
, SHA-256 1b38ab5abc4168b78d7838c80f03cf56246858c1d711598214d4de9404dc99df.Full text
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., S425U210021):
SEA Contact: Amber Riley
Telephone: 573-526-9945
Email address: Amber.Riley@dese.mo.gov
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)
Dr. Margie Vandeven
Signature of Authorized SEA Representative Date:
6/15/2021
2
Contents
Cover Page .................................................................................................................................................... 2
Grantee and Contact Information.............................................................................................................. 2
A. Describing the State’s Current Status and Needs.................................................................................. 4
B. Safely Reopening Schools and Sustaining their Safe Operations ....................................................... 17
C. Planning for the Use and Coordination of ARP ESSER Funds .......................................................... 23
D. Maximizing State-Level Funds to Support Students .......................................................................... 28
E. Supporting LEAs in Planning for and Meeting Students’ Needs........................................................ 33
F. Supporting the Educator Workforce ................................................................................................... 37
G. Monitoring and Measuring Progress ................................................................................................... 42
Appendix A: School Operating Status and Instructional Mode Data Template ......................................... 47
Appendix B: Reporting Language Included in the Grant Award Notification (“GAN”) ........................... 50
Appendix C: Assurances ............................................................................................................................. 51
Appendix D ................................................................................................................................................. 53
3
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.
Response History and context are critical to understanding the most effective strategies for
supporting LEAs in Missouri. As a local control state, the majority of decision-
making occurs at the local level. At the outset of the pandemic, with the
understanding of the nature of local control, the Missouri Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education (MODESE) prioritized working quickly to
remove barriers to give local leaders as much flexibility as possible so that they
could make the best decisions to ensure that staff and students were safe, that
students were educated, that students were fed, and that schools continued to be
paid for their work. These priorities represent the “North Star” for MODESE
during the pandemic.
MODESE has sought to eliminate barriers temporarily to provide for continued
safe operation of schools and the continued delivery of instruction and support
services to students and families. In consultation with experts such as the
American Academy of Pediatrics and under the direction of the State Board of
Education (SBE), MODESE has been working hard since March 2020 to support
555 local school districts/charters and the local boards that govern them as they
work to implement the very challenging decisions they made to best serve their
communities. We are grateful to our partners across state government for
prioritizing safely reopening schools in an effort to best serve Missouri students.
While all schools were closed by the end of the 2019-20 school year, calls for
safely reopening schools for the summer and 2020-21 school year were being
issued as early as May 2020. By June 2020, some LEAs were able to offer onsite
and hybrid option summer school. All LEAs were in session by September 13,
2020, with 89 percent offering onsite options. At the peak of COVID-19 case
counts, only 25 percent of schools were fully distanced. By the close of the 2020-
21 school year, all Missouri districts and 94.4 percent of charter schools were
offering onsite learning opportunities. However, even in those schools with onsite
learning options, some parents chose to keep their children home and use an
online learning option. According to the American Enterprise Institute’s Return to
Learn Tracker, on March 8, 2021, Missouri ranked as having the 5th highest
4
proportion of in-person learners (behind Florida, Alabama, Kansas, and
Arkansas).
Flexibility:
On March 13, 2020, Commissioner Vandeven issued guidance regarding school
finance, attendance, CDC recommendations, virtual learning, and food service,
urging superintendents to “focus on the health and well-being of students, provide
as much normalcy as possible, and provide educational opportunities to students.”
• The SBE filed an emergency rule with the Missouri Secretary of State that
allowed schools to implement hybrid models of instruction for the purpose of
reducing the number of students onsite at any given time. Schools developed
Alternative Methods of Instruction – Extended (AMI-X) plans and submitted
them to MODESE for approval. The plan included not only the pattern of
alternating onsite instruction days but also the LEA’s design to deliver
instruction to all students, regardless of broadband availability. The 2020-21
school year opened with all 555 LEAs having approved AMI-X plans.
• MODESE sought, and Governor Mike Parson approved, 17 waivers of state
statute to provide flexibility to school leaders as they faced the challenges of
the COVID-19 pandemic.
• MODESE addressed a number of issues unique to 2020’s graduating seniors,
including assessment, Industry Recognized Credentials, graduation credit
requirements, and local options for determining credit.
Education:
Understanding that the unprecedented disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic
would have significant effects on student learning and student welfare, MODESE
immediately initiated two task forces to support schools and students: the Summer
School Task Force and the Learning Acceleration Task Force (LATF).
• The Summer School Task Force provided MODESE with three
recommendations to safely meet students’ needs during the summer of 2020:
provide maximum flexibility to schools, provide clear expectations for
summer learning, and provide clear expectations for virtual summer school.
MODESE removed restrictions on summer school scheduling and attendance
requirements and issued instructional expectations. Guidance included
considerations for mitigation strategies to help ensure a safe and healthy
learning environment.
• The LATF was charged with making recommendations to MODESE that
would address immediate and long-term student academic needs. The LATF
5
was comprised of 118 stakeholders, 91 of which were external and
represented 37 stakeholder groups. The work of the LATF is discussed later in
this application but in summary, the recommendations included identifying
priority standards, providing benchmark assessments, and providing
instructional resources.
Food and Nutrition Services:
During spring and summer of 2020, MODESE helped districts and charters
implement food service programs to support students and families across the state.
These included the Meal Service During Unanticipated School Closures Waiver,
the Seamless Summer Option, Summer Feeding Service Program, and the Waiver
to Allow Seamless Summer Option Meals in a Non-Congregate Setting.
MODESE’s Food and Nutrition Services program issued significant guidance to
LEAs on applications, allowable use, and claiming. Further, MODESE
participated in the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer program, which
ultimately approved over 62,000 qualified applications to benefit over 118,000
children.
Teacher Workforce:
MODESE’s Office of Educator Quality took several actions to support LEAs.
This team maintained continuity of service by establishing safety protocols to
ensure onsite work continued at MODESE to enable the issuing of nearly 27,000
teacher certificates. The office also launched an online training course for
substitute teachers which helped add 4,400 additional substitute teachers to the
workforce.
Communications Strategies:
None of these efforts would have been possible without a significant
communications and stakeholder engagement operation. MODESE has hosted
well over 100 webinars since the pandemic started. Audiences included school
leaders, school nurses, local public health agencies, and other stakeholders.
Audience members benefited from collaborative communications and direct
access to MODESE, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
(MODHSS), and other health experts. In addition to these webinars, MODESE
convened school leaders weekly, and later bi-weekly. These regular meetings of
superintendents and school association leaders ensured that collaborative, two-
way communication was ongoing. Both MODESE and school leaders found value
in understanding the perspectives of others. An additional avenue of
communications was MODESE’s team of 12 regionally-based area supervisors of
instruction. These staff members are assigned to serve all LEAs in their region
and are a critical interface with the leaders of those schools. MODESE held
virtual meetings with the area supervisors every other day for months, gradually
reducing this to semi-weekly and ultimately bi-weekly meetings. This regular
pattern of dialogue was another critical way to ensure timely two-way
communications took place.
6
Continuity of Financial Services:
MODESE’s Division of Financial and Administrative Services continued to
operate seamlessly during the pandemic. LEAs were paid on time every month,
regardless of any challenges faced by either MODESE or the schools. This
occurred even as the division allocated over $3.2 billion and distributed over $400
million in federal relief funds.
Key Strategies to Support the Needs of Students During the Pandemic
All the strategies above were essential to supporting students and schools.
MODESE understands that its support of students is often indirect, by supporting
LEAs that, in turn, support their students. In light of these efforts, and
understanding that the effects of some of the efforts will not be evident for some
time, MODESE has determined the following to be the strategies most effective
to address the needs of Missouri students during the pandemic: safely reopening
schools, accelerating student learning, and bridging the digital divide. MODESE
has implemented these “big ideas” in very concrete ways.
Safely Reopening Schools
MODESE’s ongoing collaborative communications about safe school operations
in the midst of the pandemic provides critical information to school leaders and
other stakeholders. Over the course of the last 15 months, many changes in
guidance have taken place. Research has provided an increasingly clear and
complete picture of the importance of layering mitigation strategies and the
relative safety of schools when mitigation strategies are properly implemented.
When free masks and later antigen test kits became available, school leaders
received that information and shipments of supplies through MODESE and
partner state agencies. As vaccine eligibility was opened and vaccinations became
available, MODESE informed stakeholders of the most current and essential
information. MODESE also facilitated ongoing webinars for school leaders,
school nurses and local public health officials to have direct access to MODHSS
officials and other health experts. These efforts have clearly supported the safe
operation of schools and will continue as conditions change and information is
updated. Current conditions are significantly better than they have been for some
months. However, as school reopens in the fall and as seasonal changes bring
more people indoors and into closer contact, MODESE will ensure that school
leaders have the essential information to ensure the safe operations of schools.
Learning Acceleration
The impact of the pandemic on instructional time has created a significant need to
establish where student learning is now and to develop a plan to accelerate their
learning when needed. For MODESE, the definition of learning acceleration is
important. “Acceleration of learning is the instructional practice of ensuring that
students consistently receive grade-level materials, tasks, and assignments. It
requires educator focus on moving forward rather than backward, using scaffolds
to fill in only the most critical gaps—not in isolation, but at the moment they are
7
needed within grade-level work.” 1 Acceleration focuses on teaching students on
grade level, scaffolding in missing knowledge, in contrast to remediation that
focuses on teaching all of the prior knowledge while also teaching all of the
current knowledge. The latter approach leads to frustration and a sense of futility.
To support educators in meeting students’ academic needs, MODESE
commissioned the LATF in late spring of 2020. The LATF, as previously
mentioned, was comprised of 118 stakeholders, 91 of which were external and
represented 37 stakeholder groups. This task force recommended identifying
priority standards, the essential content at each grade level, and providing
benchmark assessments aligned to these standards. To accomplish this task,
MODESE convened an additional 1,363 stakeholders, representing 20 stakeholder
groups. This group, in the course of 16 meetings, identified the priority standards,
found here. Priority standards will drive and focus the work of an assessment
redesign effort over the next two years. In the field, they will inform instruction,
allowing local flexibility for additional emphasis. Further, the LATF
recommended providing aligned instructional resources. MODESE has also
provided benchmark assessments and learning modules under the Missouri
Learning Engagement and Preparation (MO LEAP) learning acceleration
initiative. The work of the task force can be found here.
Bridging the Digital Divide
Through a collaborative cross-agency team, a statewide analysis of broadband
availability was performed during spring 2020. Data included surveys of schools
regarding the availability of devices and broadband in students’ homes. The
Office of Broadband Development, in collaboration with the Missouri Online
Research in Education Network (MORENet), produced maps of statewide
infrastructure and connectivity speed. This analysis verified what most already
believed: broadband availability is extremely variable across Missouri. In
response, Governor Mike Parson prioritized the use of the Governors Emergency
Education Relief (GEER) funds and MODESE prioritized the use of ESSER state
reserve funds to address the digital divide. MODESE acknowledges significant
support from Missouri Governor Mike Parson’s office in the use of GEER funds
and additional Coronavirus Relief Funds for this effort. These funding streams
were used to support two grant programs that quickly addressed the immediate
technology needs of learners. Because the earlier analysis confirmed that
broadband availability was a significant need, the first grant program gave funds
to schools to provide or enhance external access to the schools’ networks. This
grant focused on the provision or enhancement of perimeter Wi-Fi, as well as
providing hotspots and school bus-based Wi-Fi. Broadband infrastructure and
affordability are still critical issues for learners in the long-term. However, these
solutions provided some immediate relief to learners in every school. The second
1
Learning Acceleration Guide: Planning for Acceleration in the 2020-2021 School Year. Retrieved June 22, 2020
from https://tntp.org/covid-19-school-response-toolkit.
8
grant program provided funds to purchase Wi-Fi enabled devices for students.
Survey data indicated that approximately 20 percent of Missouri students did not
have devices available at home. The grant program provided allocations to
approximately 62 percent of LEAs. The LEAs were ranked by need, using
poverty and the Digital Divide Index. 2 Allocations were calculated, based on
student enrollment. Funding was awarded, according to rank, until the entire $20
million was distributed. The grant provided support to students in the LEAs most
in need and least able to supply students with devices. These grants met
important, immediate needs but did not fully address the issue of equitable and
affordable access to digital learning resources. More is yet to be accomplished.
As these strategies are implemented, MODESE will analyze evidence of the
effectiveness of each (safely reopening schools, learning acceleration, and
addressing the digital divide) as data are gathered. MODESE designed the efforts
based on data and MODESE is implementing them with the greatest fidelity
possible. Lessons learned and additional improvement will be identified. As best
practices and lessons learned are identified, MODESE will submit, or encourage
LEAs to submit, these to the Safer Schools and Campuses Best Practices
Clearinghouse.
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.
Response Missouri schools, and by extension Missouri students, face a number of
challenges because of, or magnified by, the pandemic. The social-emotional well-
being of our students is a major issue and is discussed below. Three additional
critical issues MODESE must seek to address center on the educator workforce,
learning acceleration, and reducing the digital divide.
Research is clear that the most important school-level factor in student learning is
the teacher 3 and the most important factor in supporting teachers is the principal 4.
The effectiveness of a school rests heavily on the shoulders of educators and
building leaders. Missouri entered the pandemic with data showing that the supply
of teachers was declining. Over the last 10 years, enrollment in teacher
preparation programs has fallen by nearly 42 percent. Since 2014, the number of
students completing teacher preparation programs has fallen by 29.4 percent. The
number of teaching certificates has fallen by 10.5 percent. The teacher attrition
2
https://pcrd.purdue.edu/2019-digital-divide-index-ddi/
3
Tucker, P. and Stronge, J. (2003), Linking Teacher Evaluation and Student Learning, ASCD.
4
Wallace Foundation. (2011). The school principal as leader; Guiding schools to better teaching and learning.
Retrieved from http://www.wallacefoundation.org/knowledge-center/school-leadership/effective-principal-
leadership/Documents/The-School-Principal-as-Leader-Guiding-Schools-to-Better-Teaching-and-Learning.pdf on
May 21, 2021.
9
trend lines are showing modest improvement, but at this time less than two-thirds
of third-year teachers continue to their fourth year. Less than half of fifth-year
teachers continue to their sixth year. Clearly, Missouri schools and students need
these trends to reverse. The impact of the pandemic is only exacerbating these
negative trends. Data for the current year are incomplete but at this time, available
data indicate that approximately 11.4 percent more teachers will retire at the end
of the 2020-21 school year as compared to the prior two years. School leaders
indicate that this increase is directly tied to the increased stress the pandemic
caused for educators. Teachers are expressing a level of fatigue that they have not
had before. With that understanding, the MODESE prioritizes investing in
teachers and principals.
While the supply of principals is less concerning, ensuring that they are effective
leaders, particularly during this challenging time, is a priority. MODESE provides
the Missouri Leadership Development System (MLDS) for this purpose. MLDS
currently serves nearly 1,100 school leaders in the state, focusing on developing
essential skills and effective practices in the key areas of Visionary, Instructional,
Managerial, Relational, and Innovative Leadership. Over the last three years
MLDS principals have provided more stability for their schools, staying in the
same position between 93-98 percent of the time as compared to 82-84 percent of
the time for non-participants. Research suggests that principal turnover results in
reduced student outcomes. 5 Continuity of leadership provides an advantage to
schools with MLDS principals. MODESE must increase its capacity to support
principals so that all, not just half of principals, have access to MLDS.
Accelerating learning is a critical issue for all students, but even more so for
students from low-income families, black students, and students experiencing
homelessness. Preliminary enrollment data found in Table A1, indicates that those
groups had significantly lower rates of enrollment than the state average.
MODESE’s survey, outlined in Question C.1., identified concerns for the
pandemic impact on elementary, high school, low-income, homeless, and students
with disabilities. Some schools have offered in-person instruction for the whole
year, but others were heavily dependent on distanced instruction. Leaders in these
schools indicate that student engagement was often reduced in distanced settings.
Reduced engagement, and in some cases lack of enrollment, may leave many
students lacking the essential knowledge and skills to be successful.
With all students in mind, but with particular concern for those most impacted,
MODESE will continue the work of implementing priority standards. This
includes aligning assessments to those standards and emphasizing the importance
of students being able to read by the end of second grade.
5
Bartanen, B., Grissom, J., and Rogers, L. (2019). The impacts of principal turnover. Educational Evaluation and
Policy Analysis, Sage. Retrieved from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.3102/0162373719855044 June 3,
2021.
10
Finally, disparities in access to broadband, and therefore digital resources, is an
issue that cannot be ignored. These differences are significant contributors to the
disparate impact of the pandemic on specific groups of students. While nearly
every LEA in Missouri has a high-speed fiber optic connection, data indicates that
1 in 5 Missouri students lack access to reliable high-speed internet in their homes
because it is either unaffordable or unavailable. This lack of broadband is most
evident in urban and remote, rural areas, both of which have greater economic
challenges. When distanced instruction has been, is, or will be necessary, students
must have access to high-speed internet.
The pandemic has caused an increased reliance on data and broadband access for
students, but has also highlighted a known shortcoming for MODESE. Our
longitudinal data system, built over 15 years ago, simply can’t keep up with the
current need for data collection, analysis, or visualization. The underlying
hardware and software architecture lacks both capacity and agility. Installation of
analytical and visualization software is challenged by the limited resources
available. In this new environment, the availability of near real-time data that is
both accurate and reliable is critical for decision-makers as they seek to support
student learning. These factors suggest that MODESE should upgrade its
longitudinal data system.
3. 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. Students from low-income families,
ii. Students from each racial or ethnic group (e.g., identifying
disparities and focusing on underserved student groups by race or
ethnicity),
iii. Gender (e.g., identifying disparities and focusing on underserved
student groups by gender),
iv. 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
11
when offered during school building closures, and LGBTQ+
students).
Response To the extent possible, this description should include data on indicators such as
estimates of the academic impact of lost instructional time, 6 chronic absenteeism,
student engagement, and social-emotional well-being.
As of this application, data for the current school year are incomplete. As data
from the 2020-21 school year are available during summer 2021, MODESE will
analyze academic achievement, attendance, and other information for the state as
a whole for all students and by subgroups. MODESE currently has preliminary
enrollment data for the 2020-21 school year. Based on these early data, the state
saw a decline of approximately 3.2 percent in enrollment for the 2020-21 school
year as compared to the prior three-year average. Enrollment has been declining
by less than one percent in the past. MODESE expects that many students who
were not enrolled previously will enroll for the coming year, many with a
significant amount of lost instructional time.
Preliminary enrollment data are broken down by the groups in Table A1.
Reduced rates of enrollment are more pronounced for black students, students
from low-income families, and children and youth experiencing homelessness.
The figures in Table A1 are comparisons of the 2020-21 enrollment data to the
same group’s prior three-year average. When enrollment for schools in urban
settings is disaggregated, the effects are more pronounced.
Additional data analysis must be performed when 2020-21 data, including state
assessment results, are complete. However, enrollment data make it clear that
there are significant groups of students that must be re-engaged in school.
MODESE expects future analysis to show the academic and social well-being
effects of disengagement on those students who have not been consistently
engaged or enrolled. Even when students have been enrolled, MODESE is
concerned about those with low engagement.
Table A1.
Student Group Percentage Highest Priority Needs
Enrollment
Gain or Loss
Students from low-income -5.6 To be determined upon
families further data analysis
American Indian/Alaska Native -3.1 To be determined upon
further data analysis
Asian -2.0 To be determined upon
further data analysis
Black -5.5 To be determined upon
further data analysis
6
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.
12
Student Group Percentage Highest Priority Needs
Enrollment
Gain or Loss
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 17.7 To be determined upon
further data analysis
Hispanic 4.3 To be determined upon
further data analysis
Multi-Race 11.3 To be determined upon
further data analysis
White -4.4 To be determined upon
further data analysis
Male -3.3 To be determined upon
further data analysis
Female -3.1 To be determined upon
further data analysis
English learners -4.5 To be determined upon
further data analysis
Children with disabilities -3.6 To be determined upon
further data analysis
Students experiencing -5.7 To be determined upon
homelessness further data analysis
Children and youth in foster care -6.2 To be determined upon
further data analysis
Migratory students -9.6 To be determined upon
further data analysis
Gifted -7.3 To be determined upon
further data analysis
4. 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.
Response At the outset of the pandemic, MODESE was keenly aware of the need for more
data than was usually collected. In addition to the routine collection of enrollment
and attendance, MODESE began collecting modes and patterns of instruction and
the availability of broadband and internet devices. These data are important in
understanding some pandemic effects.
Those data are also important to help paint the whole picture of state assessment
outcomes. Even though the SBE suspended the use of assessment results for state
and federal accountability purposes (federal waiver approved June 9, 2021), all
LEAs are working to assess every student possible onsite. MODESE extended
assessment windows to June 15, 2021 to provide added flexibility for LEAs
working to ensure tests are administered in safe and healthy environments.
13
The 2021 assessment data are not comparable for accountability purposes but will
provide insight into the state of student learning in Missouri. MODESE has
advised LEAs not to use 2021 assessment data for any high stakes purposes. The
analysis of this body of student enrollment, attendance, instructional modality,
digital resource availability, and state assessment data will significantly improve
MODESE’s support of LEAs. Aggregate data will be made publicly available to
inform investments at the state and local levels.
When data collection is complete for 2020-21, MODESE will analyze outcomes
in two ways. First, MODESE will analyze the data to examine the disparate
impact of the pandemic on students and student groups identified in Question 3.
As noted earlier, assessment data collected this year is not comparable to prior
years. It constitutes a single data point in the context of the pandemic. Assessment
data for 2020-21 will be disaggregated to determine differences in achievement,
based on the mode of instruction and on student groups. MODESE hypothesizes
that the analysis will surface information regarding the mode of instruction and
increases in equity gaps. Where digital resources were few and instruction was
primarily remote, MODESE expects achievement to be lower when compared to
other settings. Because of this, the identification of priority standards and
accelerated learning, including through competency-based learning approaches,
will be most important for these groups.
Second, MODESE will use its value added growth model to analyze assessment
results. 7 Again, MODESE will not use the results of the 2020-21 assessments or
growth model calculations for accountability and has advised LEAs to avoid their
use for any high stakes purposes, such as teacher evaluations or student grades.
Missouri will use its growth model calculation to better understand pandemic
effects and to inform future steps. Growth will be calculated for all students and
aggregated by mode of instruction: Onsite, Distanced Instruction - Primarily
Online, Distanced Instruction - Primarily Other than Online, Blended Instruction
(hybrid pattern), and Virtual Instruction. Additionally, the growth model will be
used to establish whether or not there were patterns of student learning associated
with geography and digital resource availability.
This thorough analysis of the 2020-21 assessment data will include disaggregation
of outcomes by student groups, mode of instruction, digital availability, and prior
achievement level. MODESE will share the results of these analyses with LEAs
to assist them in their local decision-making.
Given that MODESE does not have a standard tool for gauging the social,
emotional, and mental health needs of students and staff, there is some uncertainty
7
Fazlul, I., Koedel, C., Parsons, E., and Qian, C. (2021). Bridging the covid divide: How states can measure student
achievement growth in the absence of 2020 test scores. Fordham Institute. Retrieved from
https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/research/bridging-covid-divide-how-states-can-measure-student-
achievement-growth-absence May 26, 2021.
14
about what those needs are. Certainly there is variability in how school leaders
characterize their students in this area. It is clear that in many LEAs, students
lacked access to supports and socialization, leaving them with unmet needs.
Anecdotal information regarding educators is more consistent, indicating that
educators, particularly teachers, are very fatigued.
MODESE is well positioned to support LEAs with state assessment analysis. To
the extent possible, MODESE will also work collaboratively with LEAs and
assessment vendors to triangulate state and local interim assessment outcomes
with state summative assessments. This collaborative approach should not
eliminate the need for LEAs to use their local data to draw conclusions and make
decisions. Local assessment data may confirm state assessment data.
Alternatively, LEAs may find that local assessments are not well aligned to state
standards. Beyond student learning, MODESE encourages LEAs to examine their
own enrollment and attendance data to establish which students will need
additional support. Finally, LEAs should take careful stock of both students’ and
staff members’ social, emotional, and mental health needs. Some of these data
may be available within the LEA. In some cases, LEAs should be prepared to
collaborate with other local agencies to establish need and develop resources.
5. 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-
viii for each mode of instruction.
Response During the 2020-21 school year, MODESE collected the mode of instruction, the
predominant method of instruction experienced by individual students, three times
each year: October, February, and June. The mode of instruction selected applies
to the period of time prior to the data collection. The modes of instruction
MODESE is collecting is as follows:
• Onsite Instruction;
15
• Distanced Instruction, Primarily Online;
• Distanced Instruction, Primarily Other than Online;
• Blended (hybrid pattern) Instruction; and
• Virtual Instruction.
On August 11, 2020, MODESE began collecting and publishing the pattern of
instruction, a summary of how instruction is being delivered in each LEA across
the state. The data showed which patterns of instruction LEAs offered each day.
The patterns included the following and were updated daily:
• Onsite (all students receiving in-person instruction);
• Onsite with a Distanced Option (families may choose in-person or distanced
instruction);
• Blend of Onsite and Distanced (LEA determines which schools/grade levels
receive either in-person or distanced instruction; includes patterns of days
alternating in-person and distanced instruction);
• Distanced (all students receiving distanced instruction); and
• Closed (no instruction).
The state regulation enabling hybrid instruction will expire on July 30, 2021.
MODESE will collect and publish the patterns of instruction in the fall, if the data
are useful in decision-making and informing the public. MODESE expects these
data to be limited to onsite and virtual instruction. Because Missouri statute
allows any eligible public school student to request enrollment in the Missouri
Course Access and Virtual School Program (MOCAP), a program of virtual
instruction administered by the state, every LEA in the state will offer two
instructional modalities to their students.
MODESE collects student enrollment five times each year: October, December,
February, April, and June. These data are used for a variety of purposes.
Beginning in the 2019-20 school year, MODESE disaggregated the data by
pattern of instruction in order to determine the number of students in LEAs that
were implementing hybrid and distanced instruction. MODESE expects to
continue to collect the data.
MODESE has three cycles of attendance collection: August (prior summer
school, required), April (optional), and June (regular term, required). These data
are traditionally used for school accountability and state payment calculation. By
SBE action, the use of attendance for accountability purposes has been suspended
during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years. MODESE will report student
attendance on the state, LEA, and school report cards, and may include it in other
reports. Report cards can be found here.
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
16
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.
Response The data are included in the tables in Appendix A and data are published on the
MODESE website here.
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.
Response As noted earlier, the state regulation enabling hybrid instruction will expire on
July 30, 2021. This regulation was enacted to support safe school operations while
preserving instruction. As also noted earlier, schools may offer virtual instruction
within statutory requirements. MODESE may pursue further enabling regulation
to allow for mixed delivery of instruction. This decision will be based on further
research, including the data analysis noted above.
As of June 1, 2021, data indicate that 384 of 555 LEAs will hold summer school.
Of the 384, six intend to deliver instruction in a hybrid model, four intend to offer
virtual instruction, and the remainder will be onsite. In Missouri, students residing
where no local summer school is offered may enroll anywhere summer school is
offered.
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
17
facilities to effectively maintain the health and safety of students,
educators, and other staff;
Response As noted at the beginning of this application, MODESE began extensively
supporting LEAs in implementing COVID-19 prevention and mitigation
strategies aligned to CDC guidance. The guidance developed by MODESE
included over 100 webinars and hundreds of pages of written documents, much of
which addressed safe school operations and safe reopening plans for the 2020-21
school year. The webinars provided school leaders and other stakeholders direct
access to MODESE, MODHSS, and nationally recognized Missouri pediatric
infectious disease experts from Children’s Mercy Kansas City (Missouri) and
Washington University (St. Louis, Missouri). MODESE also presented the most
current COVID-19 response information to the SBE every month for over a year.
SBE meetings are live-streamed for the benefit of LEAs and the public.
One outgrowth of the close relationship between MODESE and the MODHSS,
due to the ongoing collaborative communications, was the development of a
distribution network. Since spring 2020, MODESE has shipped 236,520
BinaxNOW antigen test kits and 8.6 million masks to schools.
MODESE was pleased to collaborate with the CDC, MODHSS, and Washington
University to study the effects of mitigation strategies on transmission rates in
Missouri schools.
MODESE will continue to issue updated guidance related to operating schools
safely. The grid below lists actions taken by MODESE in regard to maintaining
public health.
Table B1.
Mitigation Strategy SEA Response
Universal and correct • Issued state guidance recommending schools implement
wearing of masks local mask mandates
• Collaborated with the Missouri Hospital Association for
the “Mask Up” campaign
• Included CDC information on correct/proper use of
masks in state guidance document
• Shared information from infectious disease experts on
monthly webinars to discuss the ongoing evidence to
support masking as an effective mitigation strategy in
schools
• Distributed 8.6 million masks in conjunction with State
Emergency Management Agency
• Provided grant funding to support local purchase of
masks
Physical distancing (e.g., • Issued state guidance recommending schools implement
including use of physical distancing strategies (i.e. cohorting of students,
cohorts/podding) staggered bus routes, hybrid learning models, etc.)
• Shared information from infectious disease experts on
monthly webinars to discuss the ongoing evidence to
18
Mitigation Strategy SEA Response
support physical distancing as an effective mitigation
strategy in schools
• Approved 555 AMI-X plans to ensure distancing while
preserving instruction
Handwashing and • Issued state guidance recommending schools clearly
respiratory etiquette communicate with students and staff the importance of
proper hand-washing and respiratory etiquette
• Shared information from infectious disease experts on
monthly webinars to discuss the ongoing evidence to
support proper hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette as
an effective mitigation strategy in schools
• Provided grant funding to support local purchase of hand
sanitizer and other hygiene needs
Cleaning and maintaining • Issued state guidance recommending schools develop a
healthy facilities, including robust protocol to ensure surfaces were sanitized
improving ventilation appropriately
• Issued state guidance recommending schools clearly
communicate with students and staff the importance of
staying home from school when they were ill
• Shared information from infectious disease experts on
monthly webinars to discuss the ongoing evidence to
support proper cleaning efforts as an effective mitigation
strategy in schools
• Provided grant funding to support local purchase of
additional personnel, equipment, and materials to clean
schools
Contact tracing in • Provided guidance for the use of homebound instructions
combination with isolation status for students quarantining
and quarantine, in • Issued state guidance recommending schools develop a
collaboration with the State, strategy to quickly assist local public health officials with
local, territorial, or Tribal contact tracing efforts, which included seating charts,
health departments class rosters, etc.
• Shared information from infectious disease experts on
monthly webinars to discuss the importance of contact
tracing quickly and effectively as a mitigation strategy in
schools
• Provided grant funding to support LEAs hiring additional
personnel to assist with contact tracing efforts
Diagnostic and screening • Issued state guidance recommending schools develop a
testing testing strategy to support in-person learning efforts
• Developed the Missouri K-12 BinaxNOW Antigen Testing
program with the MODHSS to distribute rapid antigen
test cards to LEAs who applied to participate
• Evolved antigen testing program to include
screening/asymptomatic testing in 2021
• Collaborated with MODHSS to explore screening testing
options for the 2021-22 school year to offer a wide
variety of options for LEAs to select the testing support
most needed for their LEA
• Shared information from infectious disease experts on
monthly webinars to discuss the importance of testing as
a mitigation strategy in schools
19
Mitigation Strategy SEA Response
• Provided grant funding to support LEA testing strategies,
needs, etc.
Efforts to provide • Advocated for educators and school personnel to be
vaccinations to educators, among critical infrastructure employees prioritized for
other staff, and students, if vaccination
eligible • Promoted statewide vaccination events
• Shared information from infectious disease experts on
monthly webinars to discuss the importance of
vaccination as a mitigation strategy in schools
Appropriate • Issued question and answer guides for distance learning
accommodations for for children with disabilities
children with disabilities • Distributed guidance issued by the Office of Special
with respect to the health Education Programs (OSEP) regarding educating
and safety policies children with disabilities
• Issued follow-up question and answer guidance to OSEP
guidance
• Provided all LEAs access to LRP Publications
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;
Response As stated at the beginning of this application, Missouri is a local control state, in
which decisions about reopening schools are made by local leaders. School
leaders work closely with local public health authorities. The first LEA opened on
August 11, 2020 implementing onsite instruction. By September 13, 2020, all
LEAs were open, with over 89% offering onsite options. Even at the peak, only
25 percent of LEAs were fully remote. At the close of the 2020-21 school year,
99.5 percent of LEAs were offering onsite learning opportunities. The vast
majority of Missouri’s LEAs were never fully remote during 2020-21. Even so,
some parents opted for distanced instruction in these schools. In terms of state-to-
state comparisons, Missouri has the 6th lowest proportion of remote learners, the
8th lowest proportion of hybrid learners, and the 5th highest proportion of in-
person learners, according to the American Enterprise Institute’s Return to Learn
Tracker. During 2020-21, many LEAs offered some form of hybrid instruction
(alternating days of in-person and distanced instruction). Their ability to do so
was based on emergency and regular state regulations enabling hybrid instruction
to protect the health and safety of the entire school population through reduced
numbers of students and staff onsite. The emergency regulation has expired and
the regular regulation is set to expire on July 30, 2021. LEAs are allowed to
deliver hybrid instruction during summer school until the regulation expires.
MODESE’s current expectation is that all Missouri LEAs will offer full-time
onsite instruction in the fall of 2021 to all families who desire that mode of
instruction.
20
MODESE created a dynamic map that shows the pattern of instruction for every
LEA, dating back to the start of the 2020-21 school year. The map can be found
here. Missouri is a local control state and as such, decisions to change patterns of
instruction are made by local leaders.
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
Response MODESE regularly consults with the MODHSS, as well as experts in pediatric
infectious disease from Children’s Mercy Kansas City and Washington
University/St. Louis Children’s Hospital. These consultations produced guidance
in the form of documents and webinars for the field. Using Coronavirus Relief
Funds, MODESE has collaborated with the MODHSS to provide masks, hand
sanitizer, and rapid antigen test kits for LEAs. MODESE provided support for
testing and the reporting of the antigen testing results on a statewide basis. It is
noteworthy that select Missouri LEAs participated in a national study with the
CDC and Washington University regarding mitigation strategies and transmission
rates in schools 8.
LEAs consult primarily with their local health officials. This consultation is the
basis for any decisions to close schools and, to some extent, support for antigen
testing, contact tracing, and vaccine access.
iv. Any guidance, professional learning, and technical assistance
opportunities the SEA will make available to its LEAs.
Response Beginning in March 2020, MODESE published its Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Information webpage. The webpage includes guidance documents, additional
resources, and links to other agencies, information, etc. MODESE has produced
the Missouri School Reopening and Operating Guidance, a living document that
has been updated six times since August 2020, to provide LEAs with timely and
accurate information regarding best practices for school operations. Since March
2020, MODESE has hosted well over 100 webinars and virtual meetings for
schools, school leaders, and various education stakeholders. These webinars and
virtual meetings provide the most recent information from the CDC, MODHSS,
8
Dawson, P., Worrell, M.C., et al. (2021). Pilot Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 Secondary Transmission in Kindergarten
Through Grade 12 Schools Implementing Mitigation Strategies — St. Louis County and City of Springfield, Missouri,
December 2020. Centers for Disease Control. Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7012e4.htm May 25, 2021.
21
and consultation with experts in pediatric infectious disease from Washington
University St. Louis Children’s Hospital, and Children’s Mercy Kansas City. The
most recent webinars and webinar materials are located here and can be accessed
through links at the bottom of the page. MODESE will continue to provide
updated materials and webinars to keep the field informed.
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;
ii. 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), 9 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.
Response MODESE has made significant efforts in offering guidance to the field in regard
to safe school operations during the pandemic. As mentioned earlier, MODESE
9
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.
22
will continue to update its guidance as conditions warrant. As part of the process
for administering ARP ESSER funds, MODESE will host webinars, issue
guidance, and offer technical assistance as needed to ensure schools have access
to the most current information. These webinars will be recorded and guidance
published to ensure that information is available at any time.
Because so many schools in Missouri have been offering onsite instruction during
the 2020-21 school year, MODESE believes that many, if not most, LEAs have
existing Safe Return to In-Person Instruction plans that satisfy the requirements of
section 2001(i) of the ARP Act. MODESE will require that LEAs include a
hyperlink to their Safe Return to In Person Instruction Plan when LEAs submit
their ARP ESSER plans to MODESE. MODESE staff will review these plans for
completeness and to determine if LEAs are meeting the requirements of i and ii
(above) before awarding the final one-third of the APR ESSER allocations.
Technical assistance will be offered to LEAs that do not satisfy this requirement
in their plan submission.
MODESE does not currently collect information on the implementation of
COVID-19 mitigation strategies in LEAs. However, technical assistance
publications are available here. MODESE’s field staff of Area Supervisors of
Instruction will also provide consultation and technical assistance.
MODESE will use its Tiered Monitoring (TM) system, discussed in more detail
later, to ensure that LEAs review, and, if necessary, revise, their Safe Return to
In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Service plans at least every six months.
The system will require LEAs to supply their most recent meeting date, supported
by sign-in sheets and minutes, the status of any revision, and current link to the
plan.
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.
1. 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:
i. students;
ii. families;
iii. Tribes (if applicable);
iv. civil rights organizations (including disability rights organizations);
23
v. school and district administrators (including special education
administrators);
vi. superintendents;
vii. 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.
Response As noted earlier, MODESE has been regularly consulting with a variety of
stakeholders. Regular weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly meetings occur with the
Commissioner’s Advisory Committee, the Education Roundtable, the
Commissioner’s Teacher Advisory Committee, and with leaders of education
organizations. These meetings include the exchange of information through
interactive webinars, and soon the exchange will be through in-person meetings.
In addition to these regular consultations in which student and LEA needs are
discussed, MODESE augmented its consultation process by the use of a survey.
The survey was sent to all LEAs, and over 100 additional stakeholders, with
nearly 3,100 responses. Responses came from all applicable stakeholder groups
listed above and additionally, from education organizations.
The results of the survey are summarized as follows. Respondents indicated that
the top five groups most impacted by the pandemic are:
• Children from low-income families;
• Elementary students;
• Children with disabilities;
• High school students; and
• Children and youth experiencing homelessness.
Regardless of the group identified as most impacted, respondents indicated a
strong need for improved access to broadband, tutoring, and instructional
materials. Respondents also expressed the need for a tool or resource to gauge
students’ social, emotional, and mental health needs and greater access to mental
health professionals. As further analysis is completed, MODESE will consider
how best to meet the needs expressed in the survey. In the area of teacher
recruitment and retention, survey respondents indicated support for teachers,
particularly in the area of improving teacher pay.
24
2. 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
(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);
Response Table C1.
Funding source Prior/current SEA and LEA uses Planned SEA and LEA uses
(including funding amounts, if (including funding amounts, if
applicable) applicable)
ESSER I (CARES • LEA Allocations $192,131,014 All funds allocated
Act) • Digital Divide Grants
$5,946,505
• Teacher Training, Recruitment
& Retention Grants $7,935,256
• Trauma-Informed Schools
$1,515,574
• Longitudinal Data System
$105,797
• Administrative Costs $715,481
• Impact Analysis $93,673
GEER I (CARES • Digital Divide Grants All funds allocated
Act) $14,741,339
• Transportation Grants
$15,258,661
ESSER II (CRRSA • LEA Allocations $784,055,062 • Digital Divide Grants
Act) • Teacher Recruitment & $30,000,000
Retention Grants $21,399,240 • Longitudinal Data System
$4,300,000
• Assessment System Redesign
$15,000,000
• Administration $3,517,989
• Reading and Math Specialists
$4,600,000
• State Operated Schools Safety
& Security $2,000,000
• Student Recovery and Re-
engagement $4,800,000
• MLDS Expansion $1,500,000
25
Funding source Prior/current SEA and LEA uses Planned SEA and LEA uses
(including funding amounts, if (including funding amounts, if
applicable) applicable)
Homeless I and II • New Homeless Grant
(ARP) Competition $2,403,059
• State Reservation $801,020:
o Develop New Automated
Homeless Identification
System
o Four Regional Homeless
Summits
o Contract for Onsite Follow
Up
o Contract for Location of
Students Who Have
Disengaged
ii. To what extent ESSER I and ESSER II 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.
Response All ESSER I funds have been allocated and awarded to LEAs. MODESE has full
legislative authority to spend these funds. ESSER II funds have been allocated
and awarded to LEAs. However, MODESE has only been authorized to spend
$522,703,375 during FY 21, with the remaining amount appropriated for FY 22.
Allocation amounts are posted here. MODESE does not track LEA obligations.
LEAs assure obligation timelines are met through a certification process during
the budget application submission. To date, LEAs have expended approximately
84 percent of ESSER I funds. LEAs began requesting reimbursement of ESSER II
funds on June 1.
The amounts in the following table are included in the previous table. The
remaining obligations for State Reserve funds from ESSER I include:
Project Obligation
Distance Education Professional Development $8,000
Missouri Student Connectivity $3,984,221
Trauma-Informed Schools $664,725
Teacher Recruitment & Retention grants $7,935,256
Longitudinal Data System $49,615
Administrative Costs $204,943
Impact Analysis $93,673
26
The tentatively planned obligations for State Reserve funds from ESSER II
include:
Project Allocation
Digital Divide Grants $30,000,000
Teacher Training, Recruitment & Retention Grants $21,399,240
Longitudinal Data System $4,300,000
Administration $3,517,989
Reading and Math Specialists $4,600,000
State Board Operated Schools Safety & Security $2,000,000
Student Recovery and Re-engagement $4,800,000
Assessment System Redesign $15,000,000
MLDS Expansion $1,500,000
iii. 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. 10
Response MODESE has taken an active approach to providing additional funding to LEAs
through a variety of sources. These sources and uses include the following:
Source Use
Coronavirus Relief Fund Missouri Student Connectivity-Access
Grant (perimeter Wi-Fi at every school
building)
Coronavirus Relief Fund COVID-19 Response Supply
Reimbursement Grant (PPE and cleaning
supply grants)
Coronavirus Relief Fund K-12 Support (grant with additional
support to public LEAs)
10
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.
27
Source Use
Coronavirus Relief Fund Emergency Worker Childcare
reimbursements
Coronavirus Relief Fund Transportation for Meal Delivery Grant
GEER Fund Transportation Supplement Grant
GEER Fund Missouri Student Connectivity-
Connections Grant (Wi-Fi enabled devices
for students)
National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option Meals
School Breakfast Program Afterschool Snack Program
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;
Response As explained in Section A., MODESE will continue to support principals through
expansion of the MLDS. If schools are to effectively implement the adaptive
changes needed, it is clear that all principals, not just half, must be trained to lead
change. Second, MODESE plans to place content area specialists in each of the
nine Regional Professional Development Centers (RPDCs). Depending on
spending authority, MODESE is tentatively planning to place three specialists in
English language arts, three specialists in mathematics, and one specialist in
28
reading in each RPDC. The content area specialists will support both effective
pedagogy and the use of priority standards. The reading specialist will support
training in the science of reading as well as providing training for dyslexia
screening.
Identifying priority standards and the provision of MO LEAP benchmark
assessments and instructional materials is the beginning of what is needed in the
area of what to teach. MODESE’s strategic planning process focused strongly on
ensuring that every student can read by the end of second grade. To measure
progress for this important goal, MODESE will develop or select a reading
foundations assessment to be added to the state’s assessment system. Further, to
better prepare students for life beyond high school, MODESE is working to
develop competency-based learning (CBL) in Missouri. MODESE recently
collaborated with SchoolSmart KC, a non-profit that supports schools, to examine
the advisability of implementing CBL in Missouri. The collaboration resulted in a
presentation to the SBE and a whitepaper, produced by Bellwether Education
Partners. While research on CBL is still in its early stages, it indicates that when
CBL is well-implemented, it is effective for all students and particularly for those
who are underserved. These factors combine to compel MODESE to refine the
summative assessment system to measure early reading skills, to fully align to the
priority standards and be competency-based. This direction for refining the
assessment system fully aligns with recommendations made by the
Commissioner’s Policy Advisory Panel, a group of diverse stakeholders, business
leaders, and government officials convened and moderated by the Hunt Institute.
As noted earlier, technology resources, both internal to MODESE and for students
across the state is the third major priority for MODESE. First, students must have
access to digital learning resources. Funds under ARP ESSER present a
significant opportunity to improve the availability and affordability of broadband.
Rural settings lack fiber optic infrastructure needed for high-speed internet to be
available. In some rural settings, and many urban ones, high-speed internet may
be present but is not affordable for many families.
Finally, as noted earlier, MODESE needs to upgrade its own data system to
ensure the availability and usability of data needed for policy decision-making,
resource allocation, and public reporting. This will include hardware and software
upgrades as well as the implementation of Ed-Fi®, Common Education Data
Standards (CEDS), and School Codes for Exchange of Data (SCEDS) protocols.
In summary, MODESE has identified priority areas and action plans that will
support student learning. This includes providing leadership development for all
principals, additional instructional specialists to support educators, the expansion
of the DCI system with its common formative assessments, the redesign of the
assessment system to focus on reading, priority standards, and CBL. MODESE
will also explore ways in which resources are available to gauge and meet the
social, emotional, and mental health needs of students.
29
MODESE is committed to developing broadband availability for students and
improving its data capacity. This will improve access to digital learning resources
for those most in need and will ensure MODESE’s timely and accurate analysis of
the effects of interventions during the pandemic.
When the data for 2020-21 are complete, significant additional analysis must be
undertaken. This analysis will inform decision-making about additional needed
interventions, policy, and resource deployment.
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
Response In Sections A and D, MODESE notes the need for complete data and additional
analysis, to be performed during summer and fall 2021, before a complete
understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on student groups. This analysis will
inform decision-making about specific additional interventions that may be
needed to meet the needs of all students, especially those disproportionately
impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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.
Response Also as noted in Sections A and D, complete data and analysis is needed before
MODESE makes any final determinations on the impact of and interventions
needed for students who have experienced the greatest loss of instructional time.
At a minimum, DESE will use enrollment, course completion, and assessment
data to establish the degree to which students have been disengaged from schools.
Additional measures may be taken to support LEAs in re-engaging those students.
2. 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’
30
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;
Response As of this application submission, MODESE is awaiting spending authority from
the Missouri legislature for ARP ESSER funds. Therefore, MODESE will
determine the best use of its reserve funds to support summer learning for summer
2022 following the data analysis mentioned previously. MODESE may consider
subsidizing or incentivizing summer school programming and may also consider
the promotion of high-dosage tutoring. To ensure that the acceleration of student
learning is not delayed, MODESE has encouraged LEAs to consider using local
allocations of CRRSA ESSER (ESSER II) funds for summer learning in 2021.
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 summer learning and enrichment
programs; and
Response As noted in Sections D.1.i, ii, and iii and D.2.i, MODESE has not fully
determined what additional actions will be taken beyond its current commitments
to improving instruction for all students, and particularly individual student
groups impacted. Once data analysis is complete, those decisions will be made.
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.
Response Also as noted in Sections A and D.1.iii., complete data analysis is needed before
MODESE makes any final determinations on the impact of and interventions
needed for students who have been disengaged from school. The analysis noted
above will be used to inform how MODESE will support LEAs in re-engagement
for summer school 2022. As noted elsewhere, MODESE currently lacks
appropriation authority for ARP ESSER funds, preventing its use for 2021.
However, MODESE has encouraged LEAs to use CRRSA ESSER (ESSER II)
funds for summer school 2021.
31
3. 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;
Response MODESE will expand its afterschool program through grants or contracts
designed to support student’s academic, social, emotional, and mental health
needs. Currently, the Missouri 21st Century Community Learning Center program,
an evidence-based afterschool program, has a competitive application cycle open.
MODESE will consider using these funds to support additional quality applicants
from this or a future competition (either directly to LEAs or to community/faith-
based entities) and/or to initiate contracts to existing programs to expand their
afterschool programming. As noted elsewhere in this plan, the timing of spending
authority will affect the details of implementation. MODESE will evaluate the
impact of these new awards consistent with its evaluation of regularly funded
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
Response Local programs will provide activities to address the unique needs of low-income
students, children with disabilities, English learners, racial and ethnic minorities,
students experiencing homelessness, and foster care youth. Local programs will
report how outreach and service delivery will meet the needs of each population.
MODESE will consider the need for and specifics of priority preferences
following further data analyses.
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
32
who did not consistently participate in remote instruction when
offered during school building closures.
Depending on the method(s) of expansion selected in D.3.i.,
MODESE will include in its evaluation of grant applications the
degree to which applicants emphasize the identification and
engagement of disengaged students, and/or will use the contractual
process to address this need.
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
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.
Response MODESE will comply with statutory reservation requirements and will reserve
two and one-half percent of the state allocation for emerging needs.
Determinations of use will follow further data analysis.
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:
i. 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;
ii. 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
33
interventions, such as summer learning or summer enrichment,
extended day, comprehensive afterschool programs, or extended
school year programs;
iii. 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.
Response MODESE will require LEAs to submit an ARP ESSER application that includes
the link to the LEA’s Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of
Service Plan. The final submission will include a spending plan and budget that
addresses the mitigation and prevention strategies. The ARP ESSER application
will also contain a section in which the LEA will be required to provide detail on
how it will spend a minimum of 20 percent of its allocation to address the impact
of lost instructional time through evidence-based interventions.
Finally, the ARP ESSER application will require LEAs to provide detail on how it
will spend the remaining funds. The ARP ESSER application and/or the
associated guidance will include a list of allowable uses and the associated
expenses planned for each use. The LEA will provide a description of the
expense in each category, the budgeted amount, and the method of evaluation the
LEA will use to ensure its interventions address the needs of students.
2. 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;
34
ii. civil rights organizations (including disability rights organizations);
and
iii. 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.
Response MODESE’s ARP ESSER guidance and LEA application for funds under ARP
ESSER will include the specific consultation requirements under the law and the
Interim Final Requirements. MODESE will require that LEAs assure that they
have engaged in consultation with the required, and other entities as applicable,
listed in Question E.2. LEAs may consult through surveys, meetings, and or
comment periods. LEAs will also need to assure that they have consulted with
Tribes (if applicable), civil rights organizations, and stakeholders representing the
interests of students to the extent they are present in or served by the LEA.
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;
Response MODESE will provide an ARP ESSER guidance document to LEAs that will
support the LEAs’ selection of evidence-based interventions. The ARP ESSER
application will be structured to provide guidance to LEAs as they select and
implement evidence-based interventions to respond to students’ needs.
MODESE will monitor the LEAs through our Tiered Monitoring (TM) System.
MODESE’s TM System will provide a stem statement that the LEA will respond
to in one of four ways: “Yes the LEA meets the requirement”; “No, the LEA does
not meet the requirement”; “The LEA is resolving any issues to meet the
requirement”; or “The requirement is not applicable to the LEA”.
The TM System will require the LEA to upload the evidence source to document
meeting the requirement of the stem statement. Staff will monitor LEA
submissions and evidence sources. Technical assistance will be provided to any
LEAs that indicate they are not meeting or are resolving issues to meet the
standard.
35
MODESE will review the evidence-based interventions implemented by the
LEAs. MODESE may identify selected interventions for which additional
effectiveness data will be collected and evaluated.
ii. 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
Response The ARP ESSER application will prompt LEAs to identify the group or groups
disproportionately impacted locally. The LEA will then be asked to identify the
intervention or interventions selected to address the group or groups’ needs. If the
LEA has not yet identified the disproportionately impacted group(s), the LEA will
be prompted to indicate how they will make the identification and select the
intervention(s).
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.
Response The ARP ESSER application will prompt LEAs to identify students who have
experienced the greatest impact of lost instructional time. The LEA will then be
prompted to identify the actions it will take to re-engage and support those
students. If the LEA has not yet identified the students experiencing the greatest
impact of lost instructional time, they will be prompted to indicate how they will
make the identification and select the intervention(s). As noted previously, the
TM System will be used to monitor LEAs.
4. 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
36
over-use of exclusionary discipline measures (including in- and out-
of-school suspensions) and creating a positive and supportive
learning environment for all students.
Response The LEA ARP ESSER application provided by MODESE will ask LEAs to
explain how it will allocate funds based on student need. Further, LEAs will be
asked to explain how they have already or will implement an equitable and
inclusive return to in-person instruction. The guidance document will include
clarifying examples of how an LEA may implement such actions.
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.
Response For the 2020-21 school year, the following data provides the degree of shortage of
educators by general area. MODESE does not collect data on shortages of other
professional or support staff.
Table F1.
Area Data on Shortages and Needs
Sciences (MS Science, Biology, 329.2 total FTE vacancies, 45.7 left
Earth Science, Chemistry, and vacant or filled with less-than-fully
Physics) certified teachers (13.9%)
Secondary STEM (Biology, 480.3 total FTE vacancies, 64.2 left
Chemistry, Earth Science, Physics, vacant or filled with less-than-fully
Industrial Technology, Technology certified teachers (13.4%)
Education, and Math)
37
Area Data on Shortages and Needs
STEM (Middle School (MS) Science, 833.0 total FTE vacancies, 107.4 left
MS Math, Biology, Earth Science, vacant or filled with less-than-fully
Chemistry, Physics, High School certified teachers (12.9%)
(HS) Math, Industrial Technology,
and Technology Education)
Music (Vocal and Instrumental) 236.1 total FTE vacancies,
29 left vacant or filled with less-than-
fully certified teachers (12.3%)
World Languages (French, Spanish, 90.1 total FTE vacancies,
German, Latin, and Other) 11 left vacant or filled with less-than-
fully certified teachers (12.2%)
Mathematics (MS and HS) 448.9 total FTE vacancies, 46.8 left
vacant or filled with less-than-fully
certified teachers (10.4%)
Special Education (Early Childhood 972.2 total FTE vacancies, 74.7 left
Special Education, Mild/Moderate vacant or filled with less-than-fully
Cross Categorical, Severe certified teachers (7.7%)
Developmental Disabilities, Blind
and Low Vision, and Deaf and Hard
of Hearing)
Personnel Pupil Services (Elementary 305.7 total FTE vacancies, 20.9 left
and Secondary Counselor, School vacant or filled with less-than-fully
Psychological Examiner, and School certified teachers (6.8%)
Psychologist)
English Language Learners 88.9 total FTE vacancies,
5.5 left vacant or filled with less-than-
fully certified teachers (6.2%)
Middle School STEM (Math and 352.7 total FTE vacancies, 15 left
Science) vacant or filled with less-than-fully
certified teachers (4.3%)
Administration (Assistant 465.5 total FTE vacancies,
Superintendent, Career Education 16 left vacant or filled with less-than-
Director, Elementary Assistant fully certified teachers (3.4%)
Principal, Elementary Principal, MS
Assistant Principal, MS Principal,
Secondary Assistant Principal,
Secondary Principal, Special
Education Administrator, and
Superintendent)
38
ii. 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.
Response Under ESSER (CARES), MODESE encouraged LEAs to use funds to avoid
layoffs. Further, MODESE funded the Missouri State Teacher of the Year group’s
production of 10 hours of high-quality training on effective teaching in a
distanced environment. Finally, MODESE used a portion of the state reserve to
address the effects of stress on teachers through the trauma-informed school
contract.
MODESE will offer teacher retention grants to all LEAs. The application process
that LEAs will complete to access funding to improve teacher retention includes a
review of local data on teacher turnover as well as strategies the LEA will
implement to address their own particular shortage areas. LEAs will monitor
teacher turnover data to determine the effectiveness of these strategies.
Information provided to LEAs about the application process includes research
supported strategies that have a positive impact on teacher retention. The grant
allocation process includes a provision to provide additional funds to those LEAs
with harder to fill positions, such as LEAs serving higher numbers of students of
color and students in poverty.
iii. 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
pandemic (e.g., recruiting teaching candidates to provide high-
dosage tutoring or implementing residencies for teacher candidates).
Response MODESE is taking a multi-faceted approach to address gaps in certified teachers.
The approach will address needs at all points in the teacher supply system. First,
MODESE will conduct a multi-year, statewide recruitment campaign to assist
these efforts. The purpose of this campaign is to address challenges with the
narrative of the teaching profession. Specifically, this campaign will highlight the
benefits of being a teacher in the state of Missouri and the critical and honorable
work of preparing the state’s future workforce.
39
This effort will be augmented by a simultaneous and unprecedented multi-million
dollar teacher recruitment and retention investment, in the form of grants to every
LEA and every educator preparation program in the state. The recruitment
investment in the LEAs will take the form of Grow Your Own (GYO) grants.
These grants are to establish or expand existing local GYO programs in each LEA
to recruit high school students and other staff, like substitute teachers and para-
professionals, into the preparation process for the teaching profession.
The purpose of establishing GYO grants is based on national research showing
that 60 percent of teachers end up teaching within twenty miles of where they
went to school. Said another way, the richest pool for future Missouri teachers for
Missouri schools are sitting in high schools all across the state. These GYO
programs will include strengthening partnerships with educator preparation
programs, identifying and selecting individuals who possess characteristics
consistent with high quality teachers, preparation and support activities that create
high quality learning opportunities and experiences, and a specific process for
evaluating the effectiveness of any of these GYO strategies and activities.
The recruitment investment in all educator preparation programs will take the
form of teacher recruitment grants. These grants are to expand and improve
educator preparation program recruitment efforts. Similar to the GYO grants,
these teacher recruitment grants for educator preparation programs will include
strengthening partnerships with LEAs, identifying and selecting individuals who
demonstrate characteristics consistent with effective teaching, providing
preparation and support activities for those individuals who have been recruited,
and a specific and intentional process for evaluating the effectiveness of all
teacher recruitment strategies and activities.
In addition to recruiting from LEAs, educator preparation programs will also
expand and improve their recruitment efforts of individuals who have exited the
PK-12 system into alternative programs. This simultaneous and unprecedented
investment in recruitment efforts is focused on increasing the supply of new
teachers for all LEAs in the state. But equally important is the recruitment of
candidates that will diversify the teaching workforce, as well as candidates for
hard-to-staff content areas like Math, Science, Special Education, etc. This need
to diversify the workforce is a major priority for MODESE and for LEAs across
the state and will therefore be an ultimate goal of this investment in teacher
recruitment.
Addressing recruitment is one critical effort to ensure an adequate supply of
teachers. The retention of teachers in the profession is a second and critical effort.
Retention rates of teachers who have completed their third year and are
continuing into year four are just 64 percent. Retention rates of teachers who have
completed their fifth year of teaching and are continuing to year six falls to just 48
percent. It is the loss of these early career teachers that results in an annual hiring
rate of over eleven percent and creates a demand for teachers that cannot be met
40
with Missouri’s current supply of teachers coming out of educator preparation
programs. The unprecedented multi-million dollar investment in teacher
recruitment and retention will include funds to improve teacher retention in every
LEA in the state.
The retention investment in the LEAs will take the form of teacher retention
grants. LEAs will design a plan that invests funds in research supported activities
that result in higher levels of teacher retention. Among others, these activities
might include improvements to the LEA’s mentor program, expanded
opportunities for professional learning, or funding activities that increase
opportunities for teacher voice and/or teacher leadership. The teacher retention
grant allocations were determined by providing additional funds to LEAs who
have higher percentages of students in poverty and students of color. Missouri
data shows that LEAs with more students in poverty or of color have higher
turnover rates, higher rates of vacant positions, and higher percentages of teachers
with less than three years of experience. These LEAs in particular have been
disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. The additional funds to these LEAs
will ensure that students most impacted by the pandemic are receiving the most
support.
In addition to the unprecedented investment in teacher recruitment and retention,
MODESE will continue to offer 10 hours of free professional development
produced by the Missouri State Teachers of the Year in critical areas as noted by
teachers across the state as high areas of need. As noted earlier in this application,
MODESE plans to place additional instructional specialists in reading and
mathematics in every RPDC in the state.
As noted earlier in this application, research indicates that the quality of the
principal is a critical factor for teachers. In fact, recent research based on the
synthesis of two decades of research released by the Wallace Foundation this past
spring found in part that “it is difficult to envision an investment with a higher
ceiling on its potential return than a successful effort to improve leadership
development.” Two comprehensive evaluations of the MLDS conducted over the
past two years have found it to be a highly successful leadership development
system. As such, MODESE will increase the capacity of the MLDS to ensure that
all principals in the state have opportunities for learning and support as they face
the challenges ahead in this school year
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).
41
Response MODESE is aware of the significant need for students to have access to key
support staff. Several existing efforts have already begun to address this need.
First, using the SEA reserve for ESSER I, MODESE awarded a contract to
provide statewide training on trauma-informed practice. This contract continues to
provide LEAs access to monthly training and support. Second, MODESE has
working to develop partnerships with institutions that train mental health
counselors. This partnership is pursuing a number of solutions to meet the social,
emotional, and mental health needs in LEAs. Among them is a set of partnerships
between institutions and LEAs that would allow mental health students from
colleges or universities to satisfy their clinical hours through supervised onsite
work with LEAs. Third, the GYO grants in LEAs and teacher recruitment grants
for educator preparation programs mentioned previously can be applied to all
certificated staff. Educator preparation programs across the state provide multiple
areas of certification, including school counselors, ELL, special education, etc. In
particular, special education teachers continue to be identified as a shortage area
in our state. The teacher recruitment and retention grants will fund recruitment
efforts by LEAs and educator preparation programs to target the recruitment of
more individuals to be prepared to be certified as special education teachers, as
well as other shortage areas. The teacher retention grants will fund activities that
can improve working conditions in schools. Retention grant funds can also be
used to expand support staff to allow for increased support for students and for
teachers.
MODESE will work collaboratively with LEAs and with professional partners to
clearly establish needs and solutions to support students’ social, emotional, and
mental health needs. These efforts may include providing a standard tool to gauge
those needs. Even absent a standard tool, headlines alone tell us that our students
experience trauma and loss, both in and out of school, every day. We must
collectively create better conditions and access to supports for them.
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.
1. 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
42
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;
ii. 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);
iii. 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).
Response As noted previously, MODESE has been proactively collecting data to inform
decision-making and resource deployment. While MODESE currently collects a
significant amount of data on student learning, the opportunity to learn, fiscal
condition, jobs created and retained, and program participation, the data are not as
usable as they should be. Further, the data are not collected frequently enough. In
short, the capacity of the agency to collect, analyze, and disseminate information
in a timely fashion is less than is needed to support LEAs and students. MODESE
must increase its data system capacity and data usability. MODESE plans to
implement Ed-Fi® to ensure interoperability with the 555 LEAs’ platforms in use.
Ed-Fi® implementation will enable MODESE to collect data much more
frequently than the current yearly cycle. Concurrent with Ed-Fi® implementation,
MODESE will implement CEDS to ensure that the data being analyzed is as
accurate as possible. Finally, MODESE is exploring implementing SCEDS to
standardize course codes across the 555 LEAs.
Overhauling the cumbersome data system is necessary but is not all that is
needed. In addition to the improvements named above, MODESE is focused on
ensuring that the data it acquires is usable for stakeholders. MODESE will
continue to use analytic and visualization tools to improve the accuracy and
usability of public reports.
43
Improved data services will provide the MODESE with the ability to collect,
analyze, and report data much more efficiently and effectively than it currently
can. The benefits include the ability for MODESE to identify and respond to
school and student needs more quickly. Additionally, the agency will be able to
share the results of the analyses with the field and the public in ways that better
support student learning during and beyond the pandemic.
2. 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.
Response MODESE has an established fiscal monitoring procedure referred to as the TM
System for all federal funds and it will be utilized for the ARP ESSER funds as
well. Through the TM System, every subrecipient will go through the desk
application review process. The desk application review process consists of the
review and approval of budget applications, payment requests, Final Expenditure
Reports (FERs), plans, and any other supporting documentation/data. It also
includes technical assistance provided over the phone, in manuals, by email, and
through trainings. After the desk application review process and if the
subrecipient’s application is accepted, then subrecipients are subject to desk or
onsite monitoring. The type of monitoring assigned is based on an annual risk
assessment.
The fiscal liaison, Program Director, and/or the Program Director designee will
complete the fiscal monitoring process. Monitoring generally occurs after the
subrecipients submit the FER for the program.
A risk assessment for all subrecipients is performed on an annual basis to
determine the level of risk. Risk factors may include
• Audit Findings;
• New Personnel;
• Fiscal Monitoring Findings from Prior Years;
• Late Budget;
• Late FER;
• Allocation Amount;
• Overpayments;
• Lapsed/Forfeited Funds;
44
• Financial Concerns (may include Financial Distress, Impending School
Closure, Indications of Fraud/Abuse, High Risk Financial Plan Assignment, or
Award Restrictions);
• Timely Correction of Findings; and
• Other Program Specific Criteria.
Based upon the results of the risk assessment, all subrecipients are categorized as
high, moderate, or low risk. Each risk category is assigned to a specific level of
monitoring.
Subrecipients identified as high risk are subject to onsite monitoring, and/or one
or more of the following:
• Virtual Visit Monitoring;
• Desk Monitoring;
• Phone Monitoring;
o Submission of Additional Documentation; and/or
o Required Attendance at Trainings/Technical Assistance.
The onsite monitoring process consists of a documentation review prior to and/or
during the onsite visit based on a set of pre-determined questions. Upon
completion of the onsite review, MODESE issues a report with any required
corrective actions. The subrecipient must complete corrective actions within 30
days of receipt of the report. The onsite monitoring process is completed through
the TM system.
Subrecipients identified as moderate risk may be subject to desk monitoring
and/or one or more of the following:
• Virtual Visit Monitoring;
• Phone Monitoring;
• Submission of Additional Documentation Required Attendance at
Trainings/Technical Assistance; and/or
• No Action.
The desk monitoring process consists of the completion and submission of a self-
assessment by the subrecipient. MODESE reviews the responses and if any
concerns arise during the review, subrecipients may be required to submit
documentation (general ledgers, invoices, policies, procedures, inventories, etc.)
for further review. The subrecipient must complete corrective actions within 30
days of receipt of the report. The desk monitoring process is completed through
the TM System.
Subrecipients identified as low risk may be subject to one or more of the
following:
• Trainings/Technical Assistance;
• Submission of Additional Documentation; and/or
45
• No Action.
MODESE has an established internal control plan that addresses procedures for
grant drawdowns, cash receipts, procurement, payroll, refunds, investments,
segregation of duties, credit cards, time records, authorized personnel, internal
monitoring, and audit review. All funds and programs within MODESE follow
the procedures outlined in the internal control plan. CARES, CRRSA, and ARP
ESSER will follow these procedures as well.
MODESE has a strong system of providing technical assistance in place.
Additionally, staff members have begun collaborative training across the financial
and programmatic aspects of ARP ESSER. As LEAs require technical assistance,
staff members will respond to those needs. MODESE will also provide technical
assistance through webinars, manuals, guidance documents, and timelines.
MODESE will provide sample procedures, forms, and documents to assist
subrecipients. Because ESSER and CRRSA ESSER have been implemented with
success, fiscal monitoring routines have been established. MODESE anticipates
the need for some additional capacity to administer ARP ESSER due to the
differences between ARP ESSER and the previous iterations.
In addition, MODESE has added two full-time staff to track and monitor relief
funds. However, MODESE does not have the capacity without legislative
approval, to hire more full-time staff. Therefore, MODESE has retained hourly
staff to address monitoring and the desk application review process for relief
funds. As previously mentioned, the desk application review process consists of
the review and approval of budget applications, payment requests, FERs, plans,
and supporting documentation/data. The process also includes technical assistance
provided over the phone, in manuals, by email, and through trainings. Hourly staff
have either previously worked within MODESE and have knowledge of federal
grants and funds, or have been thoroughly trained on these programs by
experienced full-time staff. MODESE has cross-trained and structured work
through a team-based approach to minimize disruptions to the work flow. To the
extent that future conditions require, MODESE will either hire additional hourly
staff or contract for professional services.
46
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 reflects the time period of October 15, 2020 through February 15, 2021 and
represents data aggregated at the LEA level. The data in Table 2 reflects the time period of
October 15, 2020 through February 15, 2021. This is the most recent data available at the student
level. The data includes LEAs and schools operated by the Missouri Division of Youth Services,
which is part of the Missouri Department of Social Services.
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.
Response It is important to understand that Missouri statute requires that every school
district and charter school provide eligible students the option to enroll in
MOCAP, the state’s virtual instruction program. Because this application uses the
term “offer” in regard to each mode of instruction, the grid could easily be
simplified to say that all 2,312 Missouri schools offer remote or online instruction
to all students. The resulting grid would be accurate but meaningless. MODESE
did not collect modes of instruction at the building level. Consequently,
MODESE chose to complete this grid by aggregating student level data, which
does provide the mode of instruction for each student. Therefore, the numbers in
Table 1 reflect what actually happened – whether the mode was school
determined or an option exercised by students and families – in each building.
MODESE has amended the row and column headings to more accurately reflect
the data presented. Again, the vast majority of Missouri LEAs have been offering
onsite options throughout the 2020-21 school year, never falling below 75
percent.
Further complicating the response to this question is the fact that Missouri
provided an emergency regulation, noted throughout this application, to preserve
as much onsite instruction as possible while creating social distancing. LEAs
implemented hybrid instruction differently as local conditions drove decision
making.
47
Number of Schools All schools Mode(s) for Offered to Remaining
students some students Schools
All students were distanced 2,312 25 0 2,287
School buildings open where one or 2,312 1689 0 623
more combinations of onsite and
distanced instruction was present
School buildings open with full-time 2,312 598 0 1,714
in-person instruction
Number of Elementary Schools All elementary Mode(s) for Offered to Remaining
schools students some students Schools
All students were distanced 1,384 13 0 1,371
School buildings open where one or 1,384 1,005 0 379
more combinations of onsite and
distanced instruction was present
School buildings open with full-time 1,384 366 0 1,018
in-person instruction
Number of Middle Schools All middle Mode(s) for Offered to Remaining
schools students some students Schools
All students were distanced 362 6 0 356
School buildings open where one or 362 297 0 65
more combinations of onsite and
distanced instruction was present
School buildings open with full-time 362 59 0 303
in-person instruction
Number of High Schools All high schools Mode(s) for Offered to Remaining
students some students Schools
All students were distanced 566 6 0 560
School buildings open where one or 566 387 0 179
more combinations of onsite and
distanced instruction was present
School buildings open with full-time 566 173 0 393
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).
48
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 students Total Remote or Both Full-time in-
enrollment online only remote/online person
and in-person instruction
instruction
(hybrid)
All Students 886,355 130,630 209,767 545,958
Students from low-income families 407,644 64,892 98,933 243,819
White, not Hispanic 546,177 62,673 115,527 367,977
Black or African American, not
Hispanic 130,035 30,181 56,058 43,796
Hispanic, of any race 60,377 10,881 15,945 33,551
Asian, not Hispanic 15,679 5,733 4,197 5,749
American Indian or Alaskan Native,
not Hispanic 3,031 440 573 2,018
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander,
not Hispanic 3,111 441 887 1,783
Two or more races, not Hispanic 40,744 7,670 9,446 23,628
Race/Ethnicity information not
available 87,201 12,611 7,134 67,456
English learners 45,654 10,768 12,969 21,917
Children with disabilities 123,671 16,081 27,782 79,808
Students experiencing homelessness 22,883 4,498 6,280 12,105
Children and youth in foster care 5,414 528 1,106 3,780
Migratory students 401 25 62 314
Female 387,056 59,898 98,065 229,093
Male 412,123 58,122 104,570 249,431
Gender N/A 87,176 12,610 7,132 67,434
49
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:
• 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;
• Data on each school’s mode of instruction (fully in-person, hybrid, and fully remote) and
conditions;
• 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;
• SEA and LEA uses of funds to sustain and support access to early childhood education
programs;
• 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.
50
Appendix C: Assurances
By signing this document, the SEA assures all of the following:
• 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].OESE@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
51
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).
52
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
Educations 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.
53
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.
Response In carrying out its educational mission, the Missouri Department of Elementary
and Secondary Education (MODESE) provides reasonable and appropriate
accommodations to ensure equal access to and participation in its programs for
students, school and district staff, agency employees, and others.
Federally funded activities, programs and services are accessible, and this grant
will also be accessible, to all teachers, students, and other program beneficiaries
with special needs allowing them to participate fully in the projects. It is the
policy of MODESE not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion,
gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, veteran status,
mental or physical disability, or any other basis prohibited by statute in its
programs or employment practices as required by Title VI and VII of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504
of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Title II of
the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Americans with Disabilities
Act Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA), the Genetic Information Non-
Discrimination Act (GINA), or USDA Title VI.
54
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.
55
File and source
- File
- department-of-education-pdf-www-ed-gov-44da7bbc15.pdf
- Size
- 766,153 bytes
- SHA-256
- 1b38ab5abc4168b78d7838c80f03cf56246858c1d711598214d4de9404dc99df
- Original
- www.ed.gov