State Plan for the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund — District of Columbia
Summary
The U.S. Department of Education's State Plan template for the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) Fund, issued April 21, 2021 under OMB Number 1810-0754 with an October 31, 2021 expiration date. The introduction says the fund provides nearly $122 billion to States to support safe reopening and the academic, social, emotional and mental health needs of students. Each state educational agency must submit its plan, or the State requirements that preclude submission and a date for submitting it, by June 7, 2021. The template says the Department will post each plan and its approval status, and it ends with paperwork-burden statements. No state is named in the text.
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Cite this document
“State Plan for the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund — District of Columbia.”
Original at www.ed.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/department-of-education-pdf-www-ed-gov-59e65f2845/
, SHA-256 424724d2feb2899ae10fd4664d0bb04dda6f0e3e8e0f6f25c1fbff796111402d.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.
Introduction
The American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (“ARP
ESSER”) Fund, authorized under the American Rescue Plan (“ARP”) Act of 2021, provides
nearly $122 billion to States to support the Nation’s schools in safely reopening and sustaining
safe operations of schools while meeting the academic, social, emotional, and mental health
needs of students resulting from the coronavirus disease 2019 (“COVID-19”) pandemic. It is
particularly important that ARP ESSER funding will enable States and local educational
agencies (“LEAs”), and more directly schools, to support students who have been most severely
impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and are likely to have suffered the most because of
longstanding inequities in our communities and schools that have been exacerbated by the
COVID-19 pandemic.
The U.S. Department of Education (“Department”) is committed to working in partnership with
States so that these unprecedented resources are quickly put to work to ensure students have
sustained access to in-person instruction and that the resources are used to provide the effective
support students need as they persist through and recover from the impacts of the COVID-19
pandemic. The thoughtful and timely use of these funds will have a lasting impact on our
Nation’s schools and help to address the inequities in resources, services, and opportunities
available to our students.
This template presents an opportunity for States to share their plans for the use of ARP ESSER
funds with the public. The Department must approve a State educational agency’s (“SEA’s”)
plan in order to make the State’s remaining ARP ESSER allocation available for use. Please note
that the Department intends to issue ARP ESSER reporting requirements separately.
Instructions
Each SEA must provide descriptions and other information that address each requirement listed
below. An SEA may use this template or another format as long as every item and element is
addressed in the SEA’s response. Throughout this document, questions that refer to an SEA’s
ARP ESSER funding are referencing the total allocation to be received by the SEA, including
that which it allocates to its LEAs.
Each SEA must submit to the Department by June 7, 2021, either: (1) its ARP ESSER plan or
(2) the State requirements that preclude submission of the plan by that date and a date by which
it will be able to submit its complete ARP ESSER plan.
To submit the SEA’s plan, please email the plan to your Program Officer at
[State].OESE@ed.gov (e.g., Alabama.OESE@ed.gov).
In order to ensure transparency, the Department will post each plan on the Department’s website
when it is received and will indicate each plan’s approval status.
This template also allows States to fulfill the requirement of the Coronavirus Response and
Relief Supplemental Appropriations (“CRRSA”) Act ESSER II 6-month reporting requirement
in section 313(f) of the CRRSA Act.
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Cover Page
Grantee and Contact Information
ARP ESSER PR Award Number (e.g., S425U2100XX): S425U210034
SEA Contact: Nikki Stewart
Telephone: 202-957-7748
Email address: Nikki.Stewart@dc.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) Shana Young
Signature of Authorized SEA Representative Date:
06.07.2021
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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.
1. Setting High Standards for Learning During the Public Health Emergency and Supporting LEAs to
Meet Standards: The District of Columbia faced an unprecedented challenge as it was forced to
implement social distancing measures due to COVID-19 which resulted in the full transition to distance
learning. As DC’s state education agency, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE)
works urgently and purposefully, in partnership with education and related systems, to sustain,
accelerate, and deepen progress for DC students. The public health emergency created a new
opportunity for OSSE to set high expectations for LEAs and schools. OSSE did this through developing
guiding principles for continuous education which outlined clear and consistent expectations for serving
students during the pandemic. OSSE also revised and republished its guiding principles for the 2021-22
school year in order to set clear expectations for reopening and recovery. In 2020-21, LEAs were
required to submit continuous education plans outlining their actions to implement each of the
principles. OSSE reviewed these plans for completeness, clarity, and compliance with applicable state
and local laws. Upon approval, OSSE published these plans for stakeholder reference, thus providing
important foundational information about LEA operations during this period of uncertainty. Finally,
OSSE aligned its technical assistance and professional development with the guiding principles for LEA
and school stakeholders. OSSE is now in the process of supporting LEAs to complete 2021-22 school year
continuous education plans. OSSE can share this robust suite of resources including the principles, plan
templates, and operational guides with the What Works Clearinghouse.
2. Special Education Supports: Special Education Resource Hub & Toolkit for Serving Students with
Disabilities in Remote Instruction: The District of Columbia has been clear about the significant
inequities in educational outcomes for students with disabilities when compared to their peers without
disabilities. OSSE has placed special emphasis on accelerating progress for students with disabilities in its
most recent strategic plan and will be devoting significant investment in this effort. Yet, we knew that
the impacts of COVID-19 placed additional uncertainty on the education and well-being of many of our
students with disabilities, and many families would have questions. That’s why OSSE published a Special
Education Resource Hub that covered student rights, expectations in the unprecedented school year
that we faced, contact information for supports, and information about transportation, attendance,
discipline, and school records. OSSE also designed this resource hub to be responsive to the common
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needs that families of students with disabilities have, for example, wondering if their child has a
disability, what happens if their child has been identified with a disability, or what to do when their
child’s needs have changed.
OSSE also created an LEA Toolkit for Serving Students with Disabilities during Periods of Remote or
Blended Learning. The purpose of this toolkit was to provide foundational guidance and concrete,
actionable resources for LEAs as they establish and implement policies and procedures for remote
and/or blended learning contexts that are consistent with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA) requirements. The toolkit included videos and other templates, for example, a service adaptation
worksheet, accommodation adaptation matrix, and a student data tool. OSSE hosted webinars on the
toolkit and provided a deep dive technical assistance series that covered Balancing LEA Discretion and
Flexibility, Ensuring Transparency and Collaboration, and Data-driven Supports.
All of these resources are ready for inclusion into the What Works Clearinghouse for the sharing of best
practices.
3. Ensuring Access to Remote Learning: Throughout the pandemic, the District of Columbia has been
committed to ensuring that students and teachers have the technology and nutrition they need. As
many as 74,000 learning devices were made available to public school students at the start of the 2020-
21 school year and as many as 63,400 students received assistance getting access to the internet. The
District’s Internet for All Initiative has also provided more than 5,500 households access to free in home
internet and outreach to additional households continues.
Understanding that thousands of students throughout the District rely on school meals for nutrition
during the summer and throughout the school year, DC also moved swiftly from the onset of the public
health emergency to set up meal sites across the city to support communities in meeting the nutritional
needs of children amid the COVID-19 outbreak. More than 80 schools and other sites throughout the
city offered free meals to all DC youth ages 18 and younger.
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.
OSSE has outlined three major priorities for the District’s education system to recover from the
pandemic: 1) a Safe Reopening, 2) supporting Student and Staff Well-Being, and 3) promoting
Accelerated Learning. The need to focus first and foremost on a safe reopening is clear: we know that
students learn best when in school buildings, and DC plans to serve all students in person, five days per
week, in fall 2021. However, a top concern mentioned across our 23 focus groups was physical health
and safety of attending school in person. Additionally, and as described in further detail in the A-3
response, District students exhibit high rates of chronic absenteeism from school that do not appear to
have abated during the pandemic. To address these challenges and to ensure a safe reopening, and as is
described further below in the B-1 response, OSSE is requiring LEAs to develop detailed health and
safety plans that outline how each LEA will safely reopen in a way that aligns with guidance from the
CDC, DC Department of Health, and OSSE. These plans will be made public so that families, educators,
and the public are fully aware of LEAs’ approaches to safe reopening.
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However, simply having students return to buildings is not sufficient for recovery from the pandemic, as
we know that the pandemic has taken a major toll on Student and Staff Well-Being. Also cited as a top
concern of families and educators across our 23 focus groups, this need is further demonstrated by a
report from EmpowerK12 which found that 77 percent of District students were worried that their
family will be exposed to COVID-19 and that 45 percent of students stated that their family situation has
become somewhat or significantly more stressful due to the pandemic. More alarming, nearly one in
five students recently experiencing the loss of a family member that resides with them, either due to
death, divorce, or moving away. Two-thirds of students have been unable to participate in an activity
that they normally do that makes them happy, and students who expressed that their families were
food insecure or housing insecure exhibited more negative responses to questions on trust, self-esteem,
or school life. If left unaddressed, these challenges could cause lasting damage to student, and could
impede student and staff engagement in accelerated learning to recover from the interrupted
instruction experienced during the pandemic. OSSE is undertaking several initiatives to support LEAs
with increasing student and staff well-being, which are described below in response to A-4.
Thirdly, OSSE is encouraging LEAs to provide Accelerated Learning for all students, especially those most
affected by the pandemic. The interrupted instruction that has occurred during the COVID-19 public
health emergency is unprecedented for our students and school communities, and its impact on
students is described in more detail in question 4 below. At the same time, we know that traditional
approaches to helping students “catch up” through remedial education—or focusing exclusively on
concepts better suited for earlier grade levels—are insufficient to ensure full recovery from interrupted
instruction.1 In fact, a focus on remedial learning could worsen existing educational inequities, as
schools are likely to disproportionately select students furthest from opportunity to receive remedial
instruction.2 Accelerated learning— in which educators place unfinished learning in the context of new
learning, integrating both new information and the needed prior knowledge at the same time—is better
suited to support all students to recover from interrupted instruction. 3 In response to A-4 below, we
provide more detail on our supports to LEAs to address unfinished learning for all students.
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,
1 TNTP, 2020. “Learning Acceleration Guide.”
2 The Achievement Network, 2019. “Unfinished Learning and Unfinished Teaching.”
3 Louisiana Department of Education. “Accelerate: Louisiana’s Pre-K-High School Tutoring Strategy.”
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v. Children with disabilities (including infants, toddlers, children, and
youth with disabilities eligible under the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (“IDEA”)),
vi. Students experiencing homelessness,
vii. Children and youth in foster care,
viii. Migratory students, and
ix. Other groups disproportionately impacted by the pandemic that have
been identified by the SEA (e.g., youth involved in the criminal
justice system, students who have missed the most in-person
instruction during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years,
students who did not consistently participate in remote instruction
when offered during school building closures, and LGBTQ+
students).
To the extent possible, this description should include data on indicators such as
estimates of the academic impact of lost instructional time,4 chronic
absenteeism, student engagement, and social-emotional well-being.
Complete the table below, adding rows as necessary, or provide a narrative
description.
Table A1.
Student group Highest priority needs
Students from low-income families
Students from each racial or ethnic
background used by the State for
reporting purposes – please add a row for
each racial or ethnic group (e.g.,
identifying disparities and focusing on
underserved student groups by
race/ethnicity)
Students by gender – please add a row
for each 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
Migratory students N/A
Other groups of students identified by
the State (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
4
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.
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Student group Highest priority needs
did not consistently participate in remote
instruction when offered during school
building closures, LGBTQ+ students)
1. Chronic Absenteeism & Truancy/Return to School: Getting our students back inside the school
building after over a year of distance learning will be a significant priority for the District of Columbia,
and chronic absenteeism rates that were far too high prior to the pandemic will make this a significant
challenge and one of our top priorities.
Prior to the pandemic, the District of Columbia experienced high rates of chronic absenteeism and
truancy, and we have no indication that this trend has changed during the pandemic. For the 2019-20
school year, which only included attendance data through March 13, 2020, due to the transition to
distance learning during the pandemic, 27.3% of students were identified as chronically absent. In the
2018-19 school year, 30.2% of students were chronically absent, and based on our analysis, we were
likely to match or exceed those rates in 2019-20. Further, we see significant increases in rates of chronic
absenteeism and truancy between students experiencing homelessness and those that are not. The
District is working diligently to address housing instability, and past analysis has shown that students
that live in public housing demonstrate better attendance patterns than those who do not. Our analysis
has consistently shown that students that are at-risk (SNAP, TANF, overage under credited, or in foster
care) were 3 times more likely to be chronically absent when controlling for other demographic factors.
Black students were 7 times more likely to be truant than students that were not Black and
Hispanic/Latino students were 5 times more likely to be truant than non-Hispanic students.
2. Social Emotional & Mental Health Supports: Prior to the pandemic, OSSE reported in its biennial
Youth Risk Behavior Survey, that youth in DC are contemplating and attempting suicide at alarming
rates, with rates for certain groups including high school students experiencing homelessness, middle
school females, and students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, at higher rates than
their peers. Specifically, high school students experiencing homelessness are five times as likely to have
ever attempted suicide than high school students who are not homeless, when controlling for other
demographics, and high school students who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual are more than two
times as likely as their heterosexual peers to have ever attempted suicide. Nearly half (48.7%) of all high
school students who identify as transgender have ever attempted suicide.
At the middle school level, students who are homeless were 1.6 times more likely (60% more likely) to
consider committing suicide than students who were not homeless, when controlling for other
demographics. Additionally, middle school females are two times as likely as their male peers to have
ever seriously thought about killing themselves, and those students who identify as lesbian, gay, or
bisexual are nearly two and a half times as likely as their heterosexual peers to have to have done so.
(Subgroup level data for all major racial/ethnic groups from the 2019 Administration of the Youth Risk
Behavior Survey can be downloaded here and the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey report is available
here.)
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OSSE believes that these trends may be exacerbated as a result of the pandemic. Investing in social-
emotional and mental health resources for students and school staff is a top priority for the agency in
our recovery efforts.
3. Growing Achievement Gaps due to COVID-19 Learning Loss: Prior to the pandemic, the District of
Columbia exhibited strong progress on the National Assessment for Education Progress and its
statewide assessment. In 2019 the District of Columbia saw continued, steady increases on the annual
statewide assessments for the fourth year in a row – up 12.3 percentage points in ELA and 8.4
percentage points in math since 2015, when DC public school and public charter school students began
taking the assessment. Yet, while we have been gratified by movement in the right direction, we have
been very clear that the achievement gap between racial groups and economic backgrounds remain far
too wide. We have also seen slow subgroup improvement for students who are English language
learners and large gaps between students with disabilities and their non-disabled peers.
We fully understand that the pandemic has the potential to thwart this hard fought progress, and we
are troubled by analysis by Empower K12 that analyzed assessment results of nearly 30,000 students in
DC Public Schools (DCPS) and charter schools, finding that DC students are in a COVID learning slide. The
analysis estimated that DC students have lost four months of learning in math and one month of
learning in English language arts. The results are particularly stark for at-risk students, highlighting a
growing achievement gap. Early literacy proficiency also declined for students in grades K-2, down 12
percent from last fall for all students. The results are similar to national studies on learning loss, but
highlight that fewer DC students are on track for the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness in College
and Careers (PARCC) proficiency in grades 3–8.
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.
Assessing the impact of COVID on student learning: OSSE will support LEAs in identifying the extent of
the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student learning in a number of ways. First, as part of our
approved assessment waiver request for 2020-2021 school year statewide assessments, we will require
all K-12 schools to report information about non-summative assessments administered in tested grades
at the end of the year. LEAs are required to report this information for math, ELA and science in order to
identify knowledge gaps and inform planning at the student and school level for the summer and fall.
Schools must share the results with OSSE, disaggregated by subject, grade, and specific student groups.
Schools must also communicate directly with families and students in a timely manner about the
outcomes of student assessments. Additionally, LEAs must submit plans on how their schools are using
local interim assessments to drive instruction, provide additional programmatic interventions, and direct
federal ESSER funding, especially for those students most as risk. OSSE also requires LEAs to
communicate the results of these local assessments to students’ families.
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OSSE will use the information collected from LEAs’ plans and data to target state-provided supports,
technical assistance and oversight through annual monitoring and oversight activities. We are
considering making investments in supporting the use of and access to high-quality interim assessments
to support LEA efforts to continue close monitoring of student progress and targeted interventions. We
are also making available a variety of professional learning sessions and supports for both school leaders
and educators on assessing and accelerating student learning. These can be found on our Continuous
Education resource page.
Assessing the impact of COVID on student well-being: To help LEAs identify and respond to the impact
of the pandemic on student well-being, we are requiring LEAs to describe in their Continuous Education
Plans how they will screen and refer students for mental and behavioral health needs. Furthermore, we
are making investments to support LEAs with screening, identifying students at-risk for mental health
concerns, and referring and addressing students’ mental and behavioral health needs. In partnership
with the Department of Behavioral Health, we are furthering the expansion of the District’s
Comprehensive School Based Behavioral Health System in DC, expanding access to clinical services in
public schools across the District. OSSE is also considering new investments in evidence-based curricula
that would better equip school support staff and educators to respond to students in need. Lastly, we
have developed and made available a variety of tools and resources to support LEAs in building multi-
tiered systems of support, strong policies and procedures for handling aspects of mental and behavioral
health for students, as well as safe and supportive environments. These can be found on our Continuous
Education resource page.
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.
OSSE already had a robust data collection regimen in place including a daily student-level feed before
pandemic, and we were able to quickly modify our approach to support modified operations required
during the pandemic. Specifics for each of the data types requests are as follows:
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a. Mode of instruction: OSSE collects data on a daily basis for all students that is used to determine
the mode of instruction. Specifically, at the beginning of the pandemic, OSSE added a set of new
“distance learning” attendance codes and shifted to a “positive attendance” mode to capture
the attendance status and location of all students. These daily data, paired with demographic
data, allow us to calculate the mode of instruction for all student groups relevant in the District.
b. Enrollment: OSSE collects enrollment data on a daily basis for all students. These daily data,
paired with demographic data, allow us to calculate the mode of instruction for all student
groups relevant in the District.
c. Attendance: As noted above, OSSE collects attendance data on a daily basis for all students that
is used to determine the mode of instruction. These daily data, paired with demographic and
enrollment data, allow us to calculate the mode of instruction for all student groups relevant in
the District.
ii. The data described in A.5.i.a. and b. using the template in Appendix
A (and to the extent available, the data described in A.5.i.c.) for the
most recent time period available. Please note that this data can be
submitted separately within 14 calendar days after a State submits
this plan. The SEA must also make this data publicly available on its
website as soon as possible but no later than June 21, 2021, and
regularly provide updated available information on its website. The
Department will periodically review data listed in A.5.i on SEA
websites.
OSSE will provide and post this information to our website by June 21, 2021.
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.
Summer 2021: In the summer of 2020, we collected and made available to families detailed plans
describing LEAs’ operations in both virtual and hybrid learning postures. Since then, and as described
above, LEAs have continually updated their operational status via either the Public Charter School
Board’s (PCSB) operating status page, or District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) reopening plans
page. For summer 2021, we are encouraging DCPS and public charter schools to expand offerings to
more students than would be served by traditional summer programming, as well as to provide
programming that focuses on students with the greatest need for accelerated learning, including credit
recovery, early literacy, English learners, and acceleration-specific programming, as well as more
traditional summer enrichment options. DCPS’ summer programming is described in their Guide to
Summer Learning 2021 and PCSB maintains a list of the 2021 summer programming at DC public charter
schools. We also required LEAs to post their summer 2021 plans by the end of April 2021 to ensure that
families would have adequate time to plan for the summer. Schools will continue reporting their
operational status and mode of instruction for summer 2021 in the manner described above. We expect
that the mode of instruction will be a mix of full-time in-person, hybrid, and online-only instruction.
2021-2022 School Year: The District has set the clear expectation that District schools should serve all
students in person, five days per week, in fall 2021. Thus, all schools are expected to report “full-time in-
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person instruction” as the mode of instruction for the vast majority of students. At the same time, LEAs
must offer online-only instruction for students with medical certifications. Thus, we expect that a small
number of students with medical certifications will participate in the online-only mode of instruction. To
support LEAs to develop plans for offering these modes of instruction, and as described in more detail in
response to B-2, OSSE is requiring LEAs to develop detailed Continuous Education Plans that described
their plans for serving all students in person five days per week, as well as their plans for serving
students with medical certifications in an online-only setting.
B. Safely Reopening Schools and Sustaining their Safe Operations
The Department recognizes that safely reopening schools and sustaining their safe operations
to maximize in-person instruction is essential for student learning and student well-being,
and especially for being able to address the educational inequities that have been worsened
by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this section, SEAs will describe how they will support their
LEAs in this vital area.
1. Support for LEAs: Describe how the SEA will support its LEAs in safely
returning to in-person instruction and sustaining the safe operation of schools.
This description must include:
i. How the SEA will support its LEAs implementing, to the greatest
extent practicable, prevention and mitigation policies in line with the
most up-to-date guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (“CDC”) for the reopening and operation of school
facilities to effectively maintain the health and safety of students,
educators, and other staff;
Complete the table below, adding rows as necessary, or provide a
narrative description.
Table B1.
Mitigation strategy SEA response (see
narrative below)
Universal and correct wearing of masks
Physical distancing (e.g., including use
of cohorts/podding)
Handwashing and respiratory etiquette
Cleaning and maintaining healthy
facilities, including improving
ventilation
Contact tracing in combination with
isolation and quarantine, in collaboration
with the State, local, territorial, or Tribal
health departments
Diagnostic and screening testing
Efforts to provide vaccinations to
educators, other staff, and students, if
eligible
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Mitigation strategy SEA response (see
narrative below)
Appropriate accommodations for
children with disabilities with respect to
the health and safety policies
Using a multi-tiered approach, OSSE in close collaboration with DC Health has provided guidance,
technical assistance, and a wide array of resources to LEAs and private, parochial, and independent
schools in the District on all of the mitigation strategies listed in table B1. A key tactic for support has
been developing, updating and disseminating guidance documents. That includes accessible OSSE
COVID-19 guidance specific to Health and Safety and the most up-to-date DC Health guidance which
discuss each of the mitigation strategies and provide related resources.
In addition, OSSE has hosted more than 20 bi-weekly technical assistance calls for LEA and school staff.
These calls provide an opportunity for LEAs to hear regular updates on new guidance and developments
in the field, presentations by school practitioners on emerging and best practices, and for LEAs and
school staff to ask questions and share information. The calls are recorded and call notes are sent out to
all registrants. All of the topics listed in Table B1 have been either a deep dive topic during these bi-
weekly calls or significant time has been spent during the calls exploring the challenges and effective
strategies to implement these mitigation strategies effectively.
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;
The District has set the clear expectation that District schools serve all students in person, five days per
week, at the start of the 2021-2022 school year. All schools are expected to report “full-time in-person
instruction” as the mode of instruction for the vast majority of students. We have also made clear that
LEAs should provide full-time distance learning only for students with medical certifications. OSSE is now
in the process of finalizing guidance related to instructional day and attendance for the upcoming school
year to incorporate these expectations. We have published our guidance on expectations for students
with medical certifications and their participation in distance learning.
OSSE has updated its Guiding Principles for Continuous Education for the 2021-2022 school year to
reflect these expectations. OSSE is requiring all LEAs to submit Continuous Education Plans and Health
and Safety Plans by June 30, 2021, in which they detail how they will meet these expectations while also
ensuring a safe re-opening,. OSSE will review these plans, provide feedback where needed, and post
them on our website. We will also require LEAs to share these plans with directly with families and make
available on their own website.
To ensure that LEAs are meeting the District’s expectation for returning to in-person learning, we have
stated that medical certification forms should be preserved for audit. LEAs will need to identify students
with these forms that are eligible for distance learning in their student information systems. OSSE will be
able to monitor and enforce this requirement through our attendance collection procedures.
13
Additionally, LEAs will be responsible for incorporating additional or updated public health guidance into
their policies and procedures through the school year. LEAs receiving ESSER III-ARP funds will be
required to review and update their Continuous Education Plans every six months, which incorporate
the safe return to in-person instruction and continuity of services and uses of funds plans required for
LEAs receiving ESSER III-ARP funding. OSSE’s ESSER III-ARP grant application requires LEAs to provide the
website on which plans are publicly available and will be updated at least every six months through
Sept. 2023, and these websites will be reviewed as a part of ESSER grant monitoring.
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
DC Health and OSSE have collaborated closely since the onset of the pandemic. OSSE’s health and safety
guidance for schools is based on the guidance for schools that DC Health has issued and incorporates
relevant portions of other DC Health guidance resources (e.g., travel, cleaning and disinfecting,
quarantine). OSSE’s school guidance complements the DC Health guidance documents by elaborating on
key recommendations and requirements in order to help LEAs and schools operationalize the DC Health
guidance.
OSSE holds regularly scheduled weekly calls with key DC Health officials and consults with DC Health
officials on specific questions and issues on nearly a daily basis. DC Health officials present information
and answer questions during the bi-weekly calls that OSSE conducts for LEA and school staff. OSSE and
DC Health review and comment on guidance resources that each agency develops to ensure
consistency.
In regard to consulting with Federal officials, OSSE closely monitors CDC’s guidance and information
briefs, and attends federally-sponsored webinars including those by the CDC, and the U.S. Departments
of Education and Health and Human Services. In addition to local data, information and guidance shared
by the CDC and other federal agencies are a significant part of the decision-making process for DC
Health and OSSE when updating our guidance and resources.
DC Health and OSSE have cooperated to administer both symptomatic and asymptomatic testing
programs in public and public charter schools. OSSE is supporting DC Health with the development and
execution of a testing plan utilizing the CDC ELC grant dollars allocated to the District for COVID-19
testing in schools.
iv. Any guidance, professional learning, and technical assistance
opportunities the SEA will make available to its LEAs.
OSSE has coordinated with District of Columbia agencies to ensure that LEAs have guidance to support
the safe reopening of schools. This guidance has been posted on OSSE’s website throughout the health
emergency. As schools prepare for reopening, we will work to build more confidence in returning to
school through training and technical assistance to LEAs on indoor air quality evaluations and outdoor
14
learning models.
OSSE will provide additional professional learning and technical assistance to LEAs in conjunction with
their Continuous Education Plans. LEAs are required to create and publicly post Continuous Education
Plans that outline their process for reopening and ensuring the safety of staff and students. In
connection with these plans, OSSE established guiding principles, hosted webinars to describe
expectations and direct LEAs to additional resources, including a webinar specifically on health and
safety plans hosted by the Division of Health and Wellness. Each LEA’s continuous education plan will be
reviewed by OSSE’s program staff to ensure it meets federal and local requirements. OSSE will convene
1:1 meetings with LEAs where additional assistance is needed.
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),5 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
5 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.
15
consistent, to the greatest extent practicable, with relevant CDC
guidance.
OSSE has streamlined plan requirements for LEAs receiving ESSER III-ARP funds through the inclusion of
questions in the Continuous Education Plans (CEP) LEAs are required to submit to OSSE. LEAs’ CEPs for
the 2020-2021 school year already on file with OSSE alongside the CEPs being developed and submitted
for the 2021-2022 school year will cover these requirements. The 2021-2022 school year CEP materials
incorporate requirements for ESSER III-ARP’s safe return to in-person instruction and continuity of
services and uses of funds plans as outlined in the ESSER III-ARP Interim Final Rule (IFR), including
specifications around stakeholder engagement and publicly posting materials, and a minimum of
biannual updates through Sept. 30, 2023. The 2021-2022 CEP questions incorporates four questions
specifically on i-iv listed above (page 8), each of the strategies listed in table B1 (beginning on page 9),
and additional information on the engagement requirements are detailed in the 2021-2022 CEP
technical appendix (beginning on page 2).
LEAs’ applications for ESSER III-ARP funds reflect and further reinforce these requirements. This includes
requiring LEAs to provide:
- the website where their 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 CEPs have been or will be publicly posted;
and
- a narrative of engagement with students, families, school and district administrators (including
special education administrators), and teachers, principals, school leaders, other educators,
school staff, and their unions in the development of their 2021-2022 CEP. Additionally, as
applicable, the LEA should also address how they included tribes, civil rights organizations
(including disability rights organizations), and stakeholders representing the interests of children
with disabilities, English learners, children experiencing homelessness, children in foster care,
migrant students, children who are incarcerated, and other underserved students in the
engagement process. The response should also include a summary of the feedback received to-
date and how the feedback has been or will be included in their CEP.
LEAs’ 2020-2021 Continuous Education Plans are or will be publicly posted by June 24, 2021. LEAs’ 2021-
2022 Continuous Education Plans incorporating requirements from the ESSER III-ARP IFR will be posted
by Aug. 24, 2021 or the beginning of the school year whichever is first, and updated at least every six
months through Sept. 2023. Public posting and regular updating of plans will be reviewed as a part of
the ESSER III-ARP grant monitoring process.
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.
16
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);
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.
Our ESSER III-ARP plan is made in continuous consultation with stakeholder feedback that was collected
throughout the public health emergency.
Throughout the pandemic and recovery, OSSE has engaged in significant two-way feedback with a wide
variety of stakeholders about our Guiding Principles for Continuous Education, which are foundational
to describing our expectations for LEAs for recovery. From March 2020 through June 2021, OSSE and our
partners in the office of the Deputy Mayor for Education (DME) have led nearly 100 virtual meetings for
LEA leaders with an average attendance of 150 per meeting, covering varied topics of urgent interest to
school communities such as building closure protocols, virtual learning best practices, meal distribution,
city resources, vaccination availability, accelerating learning, and school-level operational adjustments in
response to the rapidly changing understanding of the public health emergency. In summer 2020, the
District conducted a citywide reopening survey that reached more than 12,000 families, and this
feedback informed our 2020-21 Guiding Principles and subsequent guidance to LEAs. Furthermore, in
February, March, and April 2021, OSSE and DME together conducted 23 focus groups on continuous
education for next year, school year 2021-22, with over 240 attendees, including school leaders,
teachers, families, and students representing all 8 District wards. The attendees represented traditional
public schools, public charter schools, and nonpublic special education schools serving District students,
as well as civil rights education advocacy groups and nonprofits that are deeply focused on racial equity
and civil rights. Attendees gave detailed feedback on the major challenges faced by their school
communities during the pandemic, and also gave suggestions to OSSE about what supports and
improvements they would need for a successful 2021-22 school year. This feedback, in turn, shaped our
2021-22 Guiding Principles for Continuous Education, the Continuous Education Plans that LEAs must
develop, as well as State education agency-level programming and investments.
17
Since October 2020, the Council of the District of Columbia has engaged in significant oversight of
education agencies’ efforts to respond to the pandemic, provide adequate remote learning services, and
develop plans that addressing learning loss and educational recovery. OSSE participated in public
roundtables conducted by the Committee of the Whole of the District of Columbia and received
significant public testimony from stakeholders (e.g., Washington Teachers Union, advocacy and civil
rights organizations, teachers, parents, LEA and school leaders), on its efforts that was utilized for the
development of this plan:
• Joint Budget Oversight Hearing, June 4, 2020
o The purpose of this hearing was to hear from community stakeholders and government
agencies on the FY 21 Budget. This hearing took place at the onset of the COVID-19
pandemic and focused on early efforts to combat the pandemic.
• Distance Learning in DC Public and Public Charter Schools, October 2, 2020
o The purpose of this hearing was to hear from community stakeholders and government
agencies about the roll out of distance learning during the ongoing public health
emergency.
• Return to In-Person Instruction in the District of Columbia Public Schools, December 2, 2020
o The purpose of this roundtable was to hear from DCPS parents, guardians, and other
educational stakeholders on DCPS’s proposed plan to return to in-person instruction
safely.
• Student Learning Loss: Widening the Achievement Gap During the COVID-19 Pandemic on
February 10, 2021
o The purpose of this roundtable was to hear from experts and District leadership on the
learning loss that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as solutions for
mitigating the loss.
• Student Learning Loss: What is the District’s Plan on February 26, 2021
o The purpose of this roundtable was to receive testimony from invited guests and District
leadership on the need for a comprehensive, citywide plan and the potential strategies
included in that plan to address the student learning loss that occurred during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
• Fiscal Year 2020 Performance Oversight Hearing of the Office of the State Superintendent of
Education, March 10, 2021
o This hearing included a full day of public witnesses speaking on the performance of
District education agencies on a wide range of issues but most were pandemic related.
OSSE also testified on its performance and answered questions on recovery efforts.
• School Reopening and Academic Recovery: Hearing from Experts, May 24, 2021
o The purpose of this roundtable was to receive testimony from invited experts about the
proper IT needs for distance learning and on strategies that the District should employ
to assist parents in feeling comfortable about sending their children back to learning in-
person.
• School Reopening & Academic Recovery: Hearing from Ward 7 and 8 Families, May 26, 2021
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o The purpose of this hearing was to hear from communities in wards 7 and 8 who have
been most impacted by the pandemic and the lack of in-person learning in order to
better inform school reopening plans as well as strategies to address academic recovery.
OSSE has also established continuous communication procedures with LEAs that pre-date the pandemic,
and these routines have been instrumental to ensuring opportunities for engagement and feedback on
the agencies efforts throughout the pandemic and beyond. This includes hosting monthly LEA Leader
Meetings and participating in biweekly LEA Leader calls that are used not only to share information but
also to obtain feedback with leaders.
OSSE leveraged the existing statewide structures of OSSE’s Principal Advisory Council (PAC) and OSSE’s
Teacher Advisory Council (TAC) to further consult with school leaders and teachers around the use
ESSER III-ARP funds. The PAC and TAC are diverse groups of 23 school leaders and 23 teachers,
respectively, from across the District that reflect the demographics of the District’s schools and
students. These advisory councils meet quarterly and serve as a ‘brain trust’ to the State Superintendent
and OSSE top leadership to ensure OSSE’s policies, programs and resources are informed by school- and
classroom-level perspectives. The following advisory council meetings included topics related to ARP
ESSER spending:
• June 2020 PAC and TAC Meetings: PAC and TAC members gave feedback on OSSE’s initial draft
of the Guiding Principles for Continuous Education, provided input on which of the guiding
principles would be the most challenging to implement, and offered proposed supports and
solutions, in particular for student subgroups disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
• July 2020 PAC “Listening, Learning, Leading” Series: Each week in July 2020, OSSE hosted a
weekly session for LEA and school leaders, including PAC members, to come together and share
challenges, ideas, and potential solutions around school re-entry, including the topics of using
learning management systems, scheduling and classroom structures, and how to maximize
instructional time to deepen instructional quality.
• November 2020 PAC and TAC Meetings: PAC and TAC members gave input on OSSE’s plans for a
statewide literacy framework aimed at accelerating literacy learning and closing achievement
gaps in English language arts, grades K-12.
• February 2021 PAC and TAC Meetings: PAC and TAC members shared challenges and “what’s
working” for distance learning, and then gave input and feedback on OSSE’s strategic priority to
deepen teacher instructional practices in order to catalyze progress and dramatically shift the
trajectory of growth for special populations and students furthest from opportunity.
• June 2021 TAC Meeting: TAC members provided input and feedback on training content and
resources that OSSE will use to build out on-demand wellness resources for all District
educators. The Council also gave critical input on a toolkit that OSSE is developing as part of its
initiative to support school-level capacity building in educator wellness structures and practices
to help ensure that educator wellness continues to be embedded in school structures beyond
the pandemic.
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Lastly, OSSE presented the contents of the plan, specifically on how it was using its ESSER III-ARP funds
to the State Board of Education on June 2, 2021. OSSE also presented on this fiscal year 2022 budget
proposal as well as its plans for ESSER III-ARP funds in its budget overview presentation with external
stakeholders on June 2, 2021.
Collectively, these efforts created meaningful opportunities to engage with the stakeholders listed on
this plan. OSSE will also share the final submitted plan with the public on its website. OSSE will continue
to conduct engagement on the plan after submission and as we implement.
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);
Complete the table below or provide a narrative description.
Table C1.
Funding Prior/current SEA and LEA Planned SEA and LEA
source uses (including funding uses (including
amounts, if applicable) funding amounts, if
applicable)
ESSER I SEA: SEA: N/A
(CARES Act) • OSSE has spent its LEA: As of May 2021,
ESSER I-CARES SEA OSSE has reimbursed
set-aside ($3,990,603) LEAs for
on emergency support $11,921,322.43 or
contractual needs approximately 32% of
related to special their total allocations.
education and the Of the remaining
measurement of funds
student learning. ($25,884,396.80),
These costs include LEAs plan to use more
supporting than 65% on distance
Independent Hearing learning supports,
Officers (IHOs) to including educational
20
Funding Prior/current SEA and LEA Planned SEA and LEA
source uses (including funding uses (including
amounts, if applicable) funding amounts, if
applicable)
serve as Mediators technology devices
and Facilitators within and connectivity
the District’s special supports.
education dispute
resolution process, The two second
funding PARCC highest planned use of
Assessment funds, comprising
Administration more than 20% of
services, and remaining funds, were
supporting of the human capital,
Statewide Special operational capacity,
Education Data supports for students
System. disproportionately
LEA: impacted by COVID-19
Spending categories in and wrap-around
FY2020 were: supports. Examples of
• Distance Learning expenses include staff
($5,336,283.39) supporting the
• Human Capital transition to virtual
($3,628,525.93) learning, mental
• Operational Capacity health staff, and
($1,668,122.86) sanitation/safety
supplies.
• Recovery Learning
($606,255)
• Special Populations
and Wrap Around
Supports ($380,522)
• Other
($301,612)
GEER I SEA: SEA: N/A
(CARES Act) • Providing LEA: N/A
Broadband
Internet Services
to Low-Income
Public School and
Adult Education
Students
($3,280,000 for
services, $27,678
in contractor
support)
• Expand the
District’s
21
Funding Prior/current SEA and LEA Planned SEA and LEA
source uses (including funding uses (including
amounts, if applicable) funding amounts, if
applicable)
Comprehensive
School-Based
Behavioral Health
System
($1,500,000)
• School-Based
Initiative to
Provide Safe
Passage/School
Safety and Reduce
Juvenile Justice
($1,000,000)
LEA: N/A
ESSER II SEA: OSSE has or plans to award for the following
(CRRSA Act) activities to support the goals described in question
C-2, particularly for students disproportionately
impacted by COVID-19.
• Safe reopening: We will work to build more
confidence in returning to school through
training and technical assistance on indoor
air quality evaluations and outdoor learning
models.
• Student and staff wellbeing: OSSE is
investing in further expansion of the
District’s comprehensive School Based
Behavioral Health System in DCPS and
public charter schools. We are investing in
the Department of Behavioral Health’s
mobile crisis team and will build LEA
capacity to respond to individual student
crises. We will establish a self-service,
interactive training platform with on-
demand wellness resources available to all
early childhood and K-12 educators in the
District. In addition, we will make
investments at the school level to support
educator wellness structures and practices,
so it can be better prioritized in routine
school operations.
• Accelerated learning: Resources that will
accelerate learning now and into the
future, will be used for the following:
22
Funding Prior/current SEA and LEA Planned SEA and LEA
source uses (including funding uses (including
amounts, if applicable) funding amounts, if
applicable)
-Assist the families of students with
disabilities in partnering with schools to
support a successful return to the
classroom and catching up on instruction
and services.
-Expand our existing OSSE dual enrollment
programming to provide more
opportunities for 155 students to earn
college credit while still enrolled in high
school/GED seeking program free of
financial cost.
-Complete a citywide review of
kindergarten readiness using the nationally
recognized EDI tool to collect critical
information about the cognitive
development and social, emotional, and
physical wellbeing of four-year olds in the
District.
• Gap filling investments: Equivalent
allocations to non-Title I LEAs and to
community-based organizations serving
adult learners, including those
disproportionately impacted by COVID-19,
to ensure these education partners have
access to critical emergency funding.
LEA: OSSE released the ESSER II-CRRSA application
to LEAs on May 7, 2021 and is receiving planned
budgets from LEAs and reviewing and approving
applications on a rolling basis; our application and
training materials, emphasize the use of these
funds to support safe reopening ($154,811,857)
GEER II SEA: All funds planned for SEA: N/A
(CRRSA Act) Childcare Road to LEA: N/A
Recovery and Targeted
Relief Grants to make
additional grants through
this program to child care
providers with greatest
needs ($2,415,567)
LEA: N/A
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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.
ESSER I-CARES: All eligible LEAs were awarded their full ESSER I-CARES allocations prior to the May 7,
2021 deadline ($37,805,719). OSSE also obligated all funds in the SEA 10% Reservation with the
exception of the .05% for state administration by the May 7, 2021 deadline ($3,990,604).
ESSER II-CRRSA: LEAs received notification of their preliminary ESSER II-CRRSA allocations in February
2021. OSSE released the ESSER II-CRRSA application in the Enterprise Grants Management System
(EGMS) on May 7, 2021. OSSE offered LEAs an option to receive a Grant Award Notification (GAN) earlier
than May (e.g., for budget planning or board of directors), by completing assurances for review as an
initial substantially approvable application. OSSE is now reviewing and approving LEA applications in
EGMS on a rolling basis. As of May 24, 2021, $88,147,695.26 of LEA 90% ESSER II-CRRSA funds have been
awarded and all will be awarded in advance of the Jan. 5, 2022 deadline. OSSE receives budget plans and
operates on a reimbursement basis; the SEA is not able to track on LEA obligations within our grants
management system, but will be doing so informally through ongoing ESSER monitoring and technical
assistance to LEAs. As of June 1, OSSE has obligated $915,100 of ESSER II-CRRSA 10% State Reservation
funds, with additional projects approved and in the procurement, Memorandum of Agreement, or
grantmaking process.
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.6
LEA Support for Cohesive Planning Across Multiple Funding Sources: OSSE is supporting LEAs to plan
cohesively for reopening and recovery using multiple funding sources, including ESSER, ESEA, IDEA, and
other funding. OSSE is providing ongoing training and tools to LEAs to support them in this planning,
including a summary of allowable uses across ESSER and other federal grant programs aligned to these
needs. OSSE’s internal ESSER team comprises staff managing multiple federal grants -- ESSER, ESEA,
6 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.
24
IDEA, McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance, and grants available to charter school LEAs -- enabling staff
to provide case management to LEAs and strategize across multiple funding sources as they develop
plans for reopening and recovery.
WIOA: OSSE administers the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), as authorized by the
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). As federally required, the AEFLA grant program is
supported by a combination of federal and local funding. Relevant activities that will support LEAs and
their communities 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, include OSSE awarding AEFLA, DCWIC Career Pathways, and Gateway to Careers Grant
funds. OSSE, in partnership with the DCWIC, will conduct a grant competition and award AEFLA Section
231 and DCWIC Career Pathways funding to eligible providers7 of demonstrated effectiveness, to offer
high quality integrated education and training programs to District residents with an emphasis on
preparing youth and adults for a career path in one or more of the DC WIC’s high demand industries.
Nutrition Services: OSSE has been maximizing the federal funding offered for United States Department
of Agriculture (USDA) Child Nutrition Programs, including electing all applicable waivers and supporting
Pandemic EBT. OSSE has encouraged LEAs to elect to participate in the Summer Food Service Program
during school year 2020-2021 and the Seamless Summer Option during school year 2021-22 to receive
the maximum amount of federal funding while providing free meals to all students.
ARP-Homeless/MKV: OSSE will be awarding existing McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act grantees
additional funding through ARP-Homeless I and is poised to provide additional support with ARP-
Homeless II as it becomes available.
IDEA: As of May 27, 2021, OSSE is awaiting additional information from the US Department of Education
on the ARP IDEA supplement and is poised to provide LEAs additional funding.
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
7 Eligible providers will include organizations that have demonstrated effectiveness in providing adult education and literacy,
and may include: (a) a local educational agency; (b) a community-based organization or faith-based organization; (c) a volunteer
literacy organization; (d) an institution of higher education; (e) a public or private non-profit agency; (f) a library; (g) a public
housing authority; (h) a nonprofit institution that is not described in any of subparagraphs (a) through (g) and has the abil ity to
provide adult education and literacy activities to eligible individuals; (i) a consortium or coalition of agencies, organizations,
institutions, libraries, or authorities described in any of the subparagraphs (a) through (h); and (j) a partnership between an
employer and an entity described in any of the subparagraphs (a) through (i).
25
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;
OSSE is considering a variety of approaches and evidence-based interventions to help LEAs accelerate
learning in order to address the academic impact of lost instructional time. The following strategies are
under consideration:
• Support high-dosage tutoring (HDT) across the District: Invest in infrastructure supports such as
citywide standards and foundational training for tutors to help ensure high-quality
implementation of HDT as well as grants to schools and/or community-based organizations
(CBOs) to help scale high-dosage tutoring models that meet OSSE’s standards, particularly in
high needs areas where there is currently very limited supply (e.g., middle school math) and for
populations who have experienced significant disruption due to COVID (e.g., at-risk students).
• Scale the use of high-quality literacy and math curricula: Conduct a citywide audit of current
literacy curricula and provide professional development and training on the science of reading
while making available high-quality literacy curricula for schools and LEAs to adopt. OSSE will
take comparable steps for math and also consider how such curricula could be leveraged in
support of efforts to scale high-dosage tutoring across the city.
• Encourage the development and adoption of high-quality coursework in non-math and ELA
subjects: Make grants available that are specifically aimed at developing and implementing
coursework beyond Math and ELA that meets high standards, engages our full school
communities, and supports whole child development and engagement. This strategy will also
include expanding access to Science instruction and strengthening the STEM educational
pipeline.
• Make targeted investments to support accelerated learning for students with disabilities and
English learners: Provide leaders and educators with access to high-quality professional learning
and supports that boost the academic achievement of SWDs and ELs as well as assist LEA and
school leaders in building effective programs that can sustain and expand these gains over time.
This will include a suite of micro-credentials for special education and general education
teachers to establish a shared foundation of knowledge and skills that help them create
inclusive learning environments and set up all children to succeed.
• Support adoption and effective use of high-quality assessments: Make investments to improve
the quality and effective use of formative and interim assessments by schools to better
understand and track student progress.
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Additionally, OSSE will continue to collect data from statewide assessments in ELA, Math, and Science,
alternative statewide assessment data, and ACCESS for ELs which will be analyzed to determine the
impact of programmatic investments.
OSSE will use multiple methods for evaluating the outputs, outcomes, and impact of the approaches and
evidence-based interventions selected including through centralized SEA data collection and review, the
District’s research practice partnership, a formal program evaluation for our largest investments, and
the requirement of a program evaluation built into LEA and CBO grant requirements.
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
To address the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on students who are low-income, historically
disadvantaged and underserved, students with disabilities, students experiencing homelessness and
English learners, OSSE plans to:
Support high-dosage tutoring across the District: High-dosage tutoring is a proven, effective strategy for
increasing student outcomes, with a strong research base (Fryer, 2016). OSSE plans to structure its
grants and technical assistance to help target additional capacity to schools with the greatest student
need, such as those with large at-risk populations. Additionally, OSSE is exploring high-dosage tutoring
programming at non-school sites in order to help reach students who are may be more difficult to reach
in traditional school settings, including students who are chronically absent.
Support LEAs in evaluating curricula and adopting high-quality materials to ultimately improve
students’ access to high quality instruction and materials. Recent research has shown that students
spend the majority of time in schools without access to grade-appropriate assignments, strong
instruction, or teachers who hold high expectations, and this finding affects students of color and low
income students disproportionately (TNTP, 2018). As LEAs work to meet student needs following
disrupted learning over the past year and a half, OSSE recognizes an opportunity to elevate the
importance of high-quality instructional materials and effective teaching practices. OSSE has not
historically collected or supported LEAs to evaluate curricula which limits our ability to ensure that all
students have access to high-quality instructional materials. Research studies also show that selecting a
high-quality curriculum can have a bigger impact than a number of other interventions such as
decreasing class size and offering merit pay to teachers (Boser, Chingos, & Straus, 2015; Koedel &
Polikoff, 2017; Whitehurst, 2009). Daniel Hirschhorn’s longitudinal study (1993) found that students who
were taught using a high-quality math curriculum for four consecutive years (grades 7-10) outpaced
comparison students by a margin of 23 percentile points — an effect that amounts to four additional
years of learning.
Expand access to Science instruction and strengthen the STEM educational pipeline: Due to COVID,
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schools and educators prioritized ELA and Math instruction, further widening the existing gaps in access
to high-quality Science instruction as shown in recent DC educator surveys specific to access to well-
rounded instructional times. Studies have found that early acquisition of science knowledge was
correlated with later science success (Morgan, P. L., et al 2016, Science achievement gaps begin very
early, persist, and are largely explained by modifiable factors). Transforming the Workforce for Children
Birth Through Age 8 further states that without (STEM) education starting early, and continuing
throughout educational pathways, many children will be on a trajectory in which it will be difficult for
them to catch up to their peers. STEM access is an equity issue in education, particularly for students in
urban communities like DC. This lack of access results in a widening of the achievement gap because of
inequities in STEM resources, e.g., high-quality curriculum, technology, materials and manipulatives for
engineering, experimentation, and exploration and STEM teachers, who are more likely to be
inexperienced, have higher than average teacher turnover, and have no support or training in STEM. To
address the widening inequity in STEM, OSSE will increase access to high-quality curriculum to improve
LEA practices and increase the number of educators capable of facilitating high-quality student-focused
science instruction.
Encourage the development and adoption of high-quality coursework in non-math and ELA subjects:
Because many schools prioritized ELA and math instruction during the 2020-21 school years, schools
must now find ways to accelerate learning in areas outside of the core subjects (ELA, math, science and
social studies) or by presenting content in the core subjects in ways which increase relevance and
engagement for students and leads to improved learning outcomes. Students who are low-income,
historically disadvantaged, English learners, experiencing homelessness, and/or have disabilities need
equitable access to enrichment, project-based learning, and rigorous content (TNTP, 2018; Hertzog,
2005). OSSE will provide grants to encourage the development and adoption of high-quality coursework
in subjects such as arts, STEM, social studies, SEL, high school electives, project-based learning, and
museum education.
Make targeted investments to support accelerated learning for English learners: The COVID-19
pandemic revealed substantial inequities in English learners’ educational access and opportunity,
described in detail in CCSSO’s state leader guidance. OSSE has planned supports for LEAs to prioritize
English learners. Given the newly updated WIDA English Language Development (ELD) standards
framework, used by DC as the state ELD standards, we need to assess LEA’s current implementation
strengths and weaknesses, and then provide tailored consultative supports to LEAs to help them
improve their programs. In addition, the majority of DC students will lack two consecutive years of
summative English proficiency test data due to school closures and distance learning. LEAs need to
ensure that English learners are moving forward in developing proficiency in English, and seek valid,
reliable, WIDA aligned assessments to conduct interim assessments during the school year in order to
monitor students’ progress and adjust instruction accordingly. OSSE will provide LEAs an English
proficiency benchmark assessment to LEAs, in order to increase data-driven instruction and help
educators to move students forward towards their language goals and timely exit from English learner
status.
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OSSE will review 2021-22 CEP submissions and formative assessment data submitted by LEAs to
determine the impact of lost instructional time and refine future needs.
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.
OSSE is exploring potential investments to re-engage disengaged and under-engaged youth in DC as well
as to reduce absenteeism and disciplinary actions among 9 th-grade students. OSSE anticipates using
strategies that would engage students who missed significant in-person instruction and students who
did not consistently participate in remote instruction. To support this work, OSSE plans to structure
grants (e.g., grants for high-dose tutoring) to target LEAs and schools with the greatest need. OSSE has
taken this approach with prior grants, using the ratings from our accountability framework (STAR) to
identify priority schools and will consider this approach as well as others to target students
disproportionately impacted by COVID.
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’
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;
OSSE plans to use this funding to expand Out of School Time (OST) grants. Grants will be awarded to
501(c)3 organizations with a history of providing summer learning programs and experience
implementing evidence-based interventions. The RFA process will be designed to ensure that only
evidence-based interventions are awarded grant funds.
To evaluate program impact, we will be collecting participant level data from grantees and will be
evaluate academic performance of participants including analysis of in-school attendance, afterschool
attendance and test scores. In addition, sites receive an observation of program quality using the
Wiekart Summer Program Quality Assessment (PQA). The PQA is a validated instrument designed to
measure the quality of youth programs and identify staff training needs.
29
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
Three OST Requests for Applications (RFAs) will be issued to serve specific populations. The currently
planned competitions are:
a. Target summer programming for students involved in the juvenile justice system. The
subgrantee has developed a relationship with the Department of Youth Rehabilitative
Services to provide programming inside the youth detention center.
b. Target summer programming for students residing in public housing and short-term
family housing. The subgrantee has an existing grant program in partnership with the DC
Housing Authority and DC Department of Human Services to serve these targeted
communities. The grant program will be expanded to serve new communities.
c. Provide grants to summer programming for underserved communities and at-risk youth
(homeless, foster, qualifies for SNAP/TANF, or a high school students that is one or more
year older than the expected age for the grade in which the student is enrolled).
In 2017, DC conducted a needs assessment on the supply and demand of OST programming. The needs
assessment showed the dramatic need for additional seats over the summer with a gap of over 25,000
seats needed for K-8 students. The report is available here.
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.
DC will utilize existing data and inter-agency partnerships to support Out of School Time grantees with
outreach efforts to support program participation by students who missed the most in-person
instruction and may not have consistently participated in remote instruction.
The District-wide attendance initiative, Every Day Counts, will support targeted communication around
this initiative to schools with high absenteeism. When possible, we will partner with school Student
Support Teams to 1) provide information on where youth may be able to participate in OST programs,
and 2) ask for contact information of youth who have been disengaged to provide direct outreach.
In addition, we will strengthen partnership with Child and Family Services Agency to provide targeted
support for homeless youth and students who have been referred for being chronically absent.
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Data sharing agreements between District agencies support identification of students who are
chronically absent or truant. Currently in school year 2020-2021, 25% of OST participants are identified
as truant and 18% are identified as chronically absent.
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;
OSSE plans to use this funding to expand Out of School Time grants. Grants will be awarded to 501(c)3
organizations with a history of providing summer learning programs and experience implementing
evidence-based interventions. The RFA process will be designed to ensure that only evidence-based
interventions are awarded grant funds.
To evaluate program impact, we will be collecting participant level data from grantees and will evaluate
academic performance of participants including analysis of in-school attendance, afterschool attendance
and test scores. In addition, all grantees that serve students in fourth grade or higher are required to
administer the Survey of Academic and Youth Outcomes (SAYO) to measure social emotional learning
(SEL). The SAYO is a research-based measurement tool that uses pre- and post- survey to measure the
program experience. In addition, sites receive an observation of program quality using the Wiekart
Youth Program Quality Assessment (PQA). The PQA is a validated instrument designed to measure the
quality of youth programs and identify staff training needs.
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
Three OST Requests for Applications will be issued to serve specific populations. The currently planned
competitions are:
a. Target afterschool programming for students involved in the juvenile justice system. The
subgrantee has developed a relationship with the Department of Youth Rehabilitative
Services to provide programming inside the youth detention center.
31
b. Target afterschool programming for students residing in public housing and short-term
family housing. The subgrantee has an existing grant program in partnership with the DC
Housing Authority and DC Department of Human Services to serve these targeted
communities. The grant program will be expanded to serve new communities.
c. Provide grants to afterschool programming for underserved communities and at-risk
youth (homeless, foster, qualifies for SNAP/TANF, or a high school students that is one
or more year older than the expected age for the grade in which the student is
enrolled).
In 2017, DC conducted a needs assessment or on the supply and demand of OST programming. The
needs assessment showed the dramatic need for additional seats over the summer with a gap of over
25,000 seats needed for K-8 students. The report is available here.
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.
DC will utilize existing data and inter-agency partnerships to support Out of School Time grantees with
outreach efforts to support program participation by students who missed the most in-person
instruction and may not have consistently participated in remote instruction.
The District-wide attendance initiative, Every Day Counts, will support targeted communication around
this initiative to schools with high absenteeism. When possible, we will partner with school Student
Support Teams to 1) provide information on where youth may be able to participate in OST programs,
and 2) ask for contact information of youth who have been disengaged to provide direct outreach.
In addition, we will strengthen partnership with Child and Family Services Agency to provide targeted
support for homeless youth and students who have been referred for being chronically absent.
Data sharing agreements between District agencies support identification of students who are
chronically absent or truant. Currently in school year 2020-2021, 25% of OST participants are identified
as truant and 18% are identified as chronically absent.
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.
While OSSE is still finalizing the use of this 2.5% state reserve, current considerations include the
following investments:
32
• Re-imagining school: Build on the lessons learned and innovations in education delivery that
have taken plan during the pandemic by investing in the research, design and implementation of
policy initiatives that will support the equitable development of more high-quality, flexible
school models in the future via competency based education, dual enrollment, and remote
options. These initiatives will have a particular focus on helping address some of the most hard
to reach student populations including those that are over-age and under-credited or those in
the juvenile justice system.
• Strengthening quality of and access to data to inform academic recovery: Accelerate
improvements in our data systems at the state level, including beginning to lay the groundwork
for the collection of course-level and academic data, expanding access to early childhood data to
support kindergarten readiness, as well as building technical assistance resources aimed at
building LEA data capacity so they can best use data to inform recovery.
• Re-engagement and school culture and climate supports: A collection of investments to help re-
engage disengaged and under-engaged youth in DC, bolster supports for 9th graders to help
reduce absenteeism and disciplinary actions, and strengthen positive school culture and climate
to create welcoming and trauma-informed environments for students returning.
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
interventions, such as summer learning or summer enrichment,
extended day, comprehensive afterschool programs, or extended
school year programs;
33
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.
OSSE has streamlined plan requirements for LEAs receiving ESSER III-ARP funds through the inclusion of
questions in the Continuous Education Plans (CEP) LEAs are required to submit to OSSE. LEAs’ CEPs for
the 2020-2021 school year already file with OSSE alongside the CEPs being developed and submitted for
the 2021-2022 school year will cover these requirements. The 2021-2022 school year CEP materials
incorporate requirements for ESSER III-ARP’s safe return to in-person instruction and continuity of
services and uses of funds plans as outlined in the ESSER III-ARP Interim Final Rule (IFR), including
specifications around stakeholder engagement and publicly posting materials, and a minimum of
biannual updates through Sept. 30, 2023. The 2021-2022 CEP questions incorporates four questions
specifically on i-iv listed above (page 8), each of the strategies listed in table B1 (beginning on page 9),
and additional information on the engagement requirements are detailed in the 2021-2022 CEP
technical appendix (beginning on page 2).
OSSE’s two-phase ESSER III-ARP application process for LEAs parallels and further reinforces these
requirements.
- In phase I, LEAs had to provide assurances, including around the LEA plan requirements,
engagement, and the 20% learning loss set aside
- In phase II, LEAs will detail plans and provide a specific budget for planned expenditures. OSSE
has developed 25 specific budget codes that LEAs will use to categorize costs into three
priorities: safely reopen schools, address specific needs, and address learning loss. These codes
create visibility into the specific investments that LEAs are making with ARP ESSER funding.
Additionally, during the reimbursement process, LEAs will be required to indicate which
expenditures supported student disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
- The phase II application also asks LEAs to provide the following:
o The location where their 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 CEPs have or will be publicly posted,
o Planned costs using specific budget codes, including delineation for 20% learning lost set
aside costs, and
o Additional detail on the evidence-based practices planned for the 20% learning loss set
aside
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o How planned investments will to address the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on
underrepresented student subgroups
LEAs’ 2020-2021 Continuous Education Plans are or will be publicly posted by June 24, 2021. LEAs’ 2021-
2022 Continuous Education Plans incorporating requirements from the ESSER III-ARP IFR will be posted
by Aug. 24, 2021 or the beginning of the school year whichever is first, and updated at least every six
months through Sept. 2023. Public posting and regular updating of plans will be reviewed as a part of
the ESSER III-ARP grant monitoring process.
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;
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.
OSSE has streamlined safe return to in-person instruction and continuity of services and uses of funds
plans requirements for LEAs receiving ESSER III-ARP funds into the Continuous Education Plans (CEP)
questions The 2021-2022 school year CEP questions articulate and reinforce these expectations to LEAs
in several places:
- overview (page 2) emphasizes that plans will be publicly posted, and
- assurances (pages 15-16) require LEAs to confirm meaningful stakeholder engagement plans in
line with the ESSER III-ARP IFR and publicly posting 2021-2022 plans by Aug. 24.
Additionally, the technical appendix (pages 2 and 7) also elaborate on these expectations for LEAs.
LEAs’ applications for ESSER III-ARP funds parallel and further reinforce these requirements. This
includes requiring LEAs to provide:
- the location where their 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 CEPs have or will be publicly posted, and
35
- a narrative of engagement with students, families, school and district administrators (including
special education administrators), and teachers, principals, school leaders, other educators,
school staff, and their unions in the development of their 2021-2022 CEP. Additionally, as
applicable, the LEA should also address how they included tribes, civil rights organizations
(including disability rights organizations), and stakeholders representing the interests of children
with disabilities, English learners, children experiencing homelessness, children in foster care,
migrant students, children who are incarcerated, and other underserved students in the
engagement process. The response should also include a summary of the feedback received to-
date and how the feedback has been or will be included in their CEP.
LEAs’ 2020-2021 Continuous Education Plans are or will be publicly posted by June 24, 2021. LEAs’ 2021-
2022 Continuous Education Plans incorporating requirements from the ESSER III-ARP IFR will be posted
by Aug. 24, 2021 or the beginning of the school year whichever is first, and updated at least every six
months through Sept. 2023. Public posting and regular updating of plans will be reviewed as a part of
the ESSER III-ARP grant monitoring process.
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;
OSSE will begin supporting and monitoring LEAs’ implementation of evidence-based interventions that
respond to students’ academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs, by setting expectations and
providing guidance and support. OSSE started this with incorporating requirements on the minimum
20% learning loss set aside in the ESSER III-ARP assurances that all eligible LEAs completed this spring
prior to receipt of their Grant Award Notices by May 24, 2021. OSSE will continue integrating training on
how ESSER funds may be used to implement interventions that respond to students’ needs into the CEP
plan development and approval process. OSSE will also be creating and sharing training and resources
specific to the ESSER III-ARP application when the phase II application is made available in the Enterprise
Grants Management System this summer.
The ESSER III-ARP application in EGMS includes budget codes that will enable OSSE to track on evidence-
based intervention spending in categories such as summer learning and afterschool programs. The
ESSER III-ARP application also prompts LEAs to review the requirement around evidence-based
interventions and then provide additional detail on planned evidence-based interventions, including: a
description of the intervention; what underrepresented student subgroups (listed in A.3.i-viii) will be
supported; how the LEA determined the intervention was evidence based (including research citations
or other data sources); and the expected outcome for the intervention and how it will be measured
(including specific data or metrics). This information collected through the ESSER III-ARP application will
be critical to OSSE’s ability to support and monitor evidence of impact and effectiveness over time.
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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
OSSE will begin supporting and monitoring LEAs in addressing the disproportionate impact of COVID-19
on certain groups of students through coordination with the CEP planning process (see E-1i-iv) and
through ESSER III-ARP application design (see E-3i). By setting expectations through OSSE’s guiding
principles and CEPs and leveraging LEA’s ESSER III-ARP subgrant application questions and budget design
to prompt LEAs to plan with these students in mind, OSSE will have baseline information for ongoing
monitoring and support. We expect additional monitoring activities will include the following: 1:1
engagement with OSSE grant managers and their LEAs (see G-2); coordination among OSSE teams to
ensure LEAs are aware of continuing and new of supports (see D-1i); and, coordination among OSSE
teams to ensure LEAs are aware of other funding sources available that may be used to support the
disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on certain groups of students, including students with disabilities
and English learners (see C-2iii). Additionally, as LEAs expend funds, they will be required to indicate
through reimbursement submissions if funds were used to support any of the student groups listed in
question A.3.i.-viii. OSSE also expects to make additional supports available to LEAs for students
experiencing homelessness through ARP Homeless funding and is revisiting its annual risk-based
monitoring protocol to incorporate ESSER-specific requirements.
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.
Historically, OSSE has conducted analyses of attendance, discipline, and mobility disaggregated by
student groups to bring transparency and enable targeted supports.
Using the CEP plans developed for the 2020-21 school year as an LEA’s baseline, feedback and technical
assistance during CEP development for the 2021-22 school year will include supporting LEAs to review
data and develop plans for the upcoming school year – including the LEA’s plans to identify, reengage,
and support students most likely to have experienced the impact of lost instructional time and, as a
result, have unfinished learning.
The 2021-22 CEP asks each LEAs to “describe its approach to re-engaging students who were
consistently less engaged with distance learning in the 2020-21 school year, including how the LEA is
37
identifying these students and conducting individualized outreach to students and families to reengage
them in learning in the 2021-22 school year.” Through CEPs, LEAs will also be providing information on
assessment tools (e.g., diagnostic, screener, interim, benchmark, end-of-course and end-of-year
assessment) they will use to measure student learning and interrupted instruction.
By coordinating the CEP and ESSER III-ARP subgrant application process, OSSE and LEAs will be able to
cohesively strategize around how ESSER III-ARP funds may be used to identify and support addressing
unfinished student learning.
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
over-use of exclusionary discipline measures (including in- and out-
of-school suspensions) and creating a positive and supportive
learning environment for all students.
OSSE will support its LEAs in implementing additional strategies for taking educational equity into
account in its planning for the 2021-2022 school year generally and in expending its ESSER III-ARP funds
specifically. In relevant grants, including those for high-dosage tutoring, we will consider grant structures
to target LEAs and schools with greater needs. We have taken this approach with prior grants, using the
ratings from our accountability framework (STAR) to identify priority schools and will consider this
approach as well as others for ARP ESSER III-ARP funded-grants.
Additionally, in the Continuous Education Plans (CEPs) that all LEAs must complete this summer, OSSE
has included a question that requires LEAs to describe their approach to behavior and discipline and
how the LEA will use positive, relevant and developmentally appropriate discipline practices that
account for the challenge of transitioning from distance learning back to the school building. We have
made available a suite of resources and supports to help LEAs build equitable and inclusive
environments, trauma-informed practices, and a restorative justice framework for addressing behavior
challenges.
One resource we provide to educators is the School Culture and Climate Resource webpage that houses
toolkits, best practices, and asynchronous trainings to support LEAs in using a multi-tiered approach for
positive disciplinary supports. OSSE also provides ongoing professional learning opportunities for
practitioners and school leaders focused on proactive discipline supports, including trauma-informed
approaches, social emotional learning, restorative justice, equity, and multi-tiered systems of support.
OSSE staff supporting LEAs with planning and implementation for ESSER grants will includ ongoing
training and support. We will include inclusive and equitable practices as allowable uses in training and
38
support further in 1:1 support with LEAs (see response to G-2 for more information on case
management approach).
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.
Complete the table below, changing or adding additional rows as
needed, or provide a narrative description.
Data provided below is based on OSSE’s 2020-2021 Faculty and Staff Data collection.
Table F1.
Area Data on shortages Narrative description
and needs (SY20-21)
Special educators 67 At the start of SY20-
and related service 21, public schools in
personnel and DC [charter and
paraprofessionals traditional] had 67
vacant special
education teacher
positions.
Bilingual educators 1 At the start of SY20-
21, public schools in
DC [charter and
traditional] had 1
vacant bilingual
teacher positions.
English as a second 35 At the start of SY20-
language educators 21, public schools in
DC [charter and
39
Area Data on shortages Narrative description
and needs (SY20-21)
traditional] had 35
vacant English as a
second language
teacher positions.
Math and science 6 At the start of SY20-
21, public schools in
DC [charter and
traditional] had 6
vacant math and
science teacher
positions.
CTE educators 2 At the start of SY20-
21, public schools in
DC [charter and
traditional] had 2
vacant CTE education
teacher positions.
Early childhood 8 At the start of SY20-
educators 21, public schools in
DC [charter and
traditional] had 8
vacant early
childhood education
teacher positions
School counselors N/A OSSE does not collect
these data
Social workers N/A OSSE does not collect
these data
Nurses N/A OSSE does not collect
these data
School N/A OSSE does not collect
psychologists these data
ii. Describe how the SEA will assist its LEAs in identifying the most
urgent areas of shortages or potential shortages, with particular plans
40
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.
OSSE collects workforce, educator preparation program, and teacher equity data and supports LEAs by
creating and sharing data and reports to support their workforce planning, particularly for shortage
areas. A new dashboard in development will provide accessible data to support cross-school strategic
staffing planning for LEAs around roles such as dual language, special education, and English learners.
DC also plans to continue to issue educator workforce reports as a tool for LEAs and other stakeholders.
OSSE will use the information collected from LEAs’ plans and data to target state-provided supports and
technical assistance. We are also making available a variety of professional learning sessions and
supports for both school leaders and educators on assessing and accelerating student learning. See
responses to A-4, B-1iv, D-1, and E-4ii for information on high-quality professional learning
opportunities OSSE plans to launch and continue to support LEAs.
We are also using federal recovery funding to establish a self-service, interactive training platform with
on-demand wellness resources available to all early childhood and K-12 educators in the District. In
addition, we will make investments at the school level to support educator wellness structures and
practices, so it can be better prioritized in routine school operations. We will also dedicate funds to
efforts aimed at building more positive school cultures.
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).
In winter 2021, OSSE convened a group of stakeholders, including the following: practitioners, educator
preparation providers (EPPs), advocates, and unions to form the OSSE Special education licensure
advisory committee (SELAC). SELAC convenes monthly to evaluate OSSE’s special education licensure
requirements, including the impact of these requirements on the OSSE special educator workforce.
SELAC will be making recommendations to OSSE about our special education licensure requirements in
spring 2022.
The 2019 DC Educator Workforce Report demonstrated that DC teachers are more racially diverse than
teachers nationally; however, DC's teacher population is not fully reflective of the rich diversity of our
41
city’s student population. Recent research shows that DC’s educator preparation providers (EPPs) have a
significant opportunity to increase the diversity of the future teachers they are training to serve DC’s
students. OSSE is invested in updating teacher preparation program policies that encourage EPPs to
demonstrate how they are preparing educators who reflect the full diversity of DC’s population.
In the 2020-2021 school year, OSSE offered the first Mentoring and Induction Program Development
PLC; OSSE will offer a second cohort in the 2021-22 school year. This intensive, yearlong experience
supports and empowers a cross-LEA community of leaders working to improve in-house new teacher
support systems in their LEAs. The PLC has a project based learning structure where participants build
portfolio products they authentically “put to work” in their organizations. In the 2021-2022 school year,
the PLC included 30 hours of synchronous professional development. Improved teacher development
systems can lead to a variety of positive results, including the following:
- Attracting high-quality teacher candidates, which may expand the pipeline and reduce
vacancies;
- Supporting educators in building the knowledge and applied skill they need to be successful in
their unique context and to improve student learning, especially for those disproportionately
impacted by the pandemic; and
- Increasing educator retention, which may in turn reduce vacancies.
GEER funding is also supporting the District’s Comprehensive School Based Behavioral Health System to
ensure schools are fully staffed with behavioral health providers to deliver multi-tiered behavioral
health systems and supports. Clinicians at schools provide prevention and mental health promotion
activities to the whole school community, as well as deliver early intervention and clinical services to
assigned students. This investment supports the continuity of robust behavioral health service delivery
by qualified providers when students need support the most.
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).
We are furthering the expansion of the District’s Comprehensive School Based Behavioral Health System
in DC to expand access to clinical services in public schools across the District. This support is to ensure
schools are fully staffed with behavioral health providers to deliver multi-tiered behavioral health
systems and supports which are essential to the well-being of students and help prevent more complex,
lifelong behavioral health challenges. Behavioral health clinicians (social workers and professional
counselors) assigned full-time to DCPS or public charter schools provide prevention and mental health
promotion activities to the whole school community and deliver early intervention and clinical services
to assigned students. This investment supports the continuity of robust behavioral health service
delivery by qualified providers when students need support the most. OSSE is also encouraging and
supporting LEAs to plan for how their ESSER allocations may be used to support staffing their schools
42
and training their teams to meet students’ mental and physical health needs. We’ve established specific
budget codes in the ESSER III-ARP subgrant application and technical assistance resources to create
clarity for LEAs on allowable uses. Information collected through this budget structure will also support
public transparency on how LEAs used funds. One specific budget code is Mental Health Services and
Supports for Students, allowing LEAs to code personnel costs for increasing student access to mental
health personnel.
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
safeguarding 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
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).
43
ESSER funding will support OSSE in building on its existing data infrastructure and commitment to
transparency. Recovery funding will accelerate improvements in our data systems at the state level,
such as beginning to lay the groundwork for the collection of coursework and academic data as well as
building technical assistance resources aimed at building LEA data capacity so they can best use data to
inform recovery.
The following publicly available sources will allow OSSE, LEAs, and our community to review progress
and consider continuous improvement or changes needed through the duration of the grant:
• DC School Report Card, which includes opportunity-to-learn disaggregated data on chronic
absenteeism and LEA and per-pupil expenditures by LEA.
• CEPs: OSSE has and will continue to collect data on student learning during and after the COVID-
19 pandemic through LEAs’ Continuous Education Plans (CEP). As was required of LEAs in 2020-
2021, this summer LEAs are developing 2021-2022 Continuous Education Plans where they will
describe:
o 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,
o how they intend to re-open schools while maintaining the safety and health of students
and staff on their campuses in alignment with CDC and DC Health aligned guidance. In
addition, LEAs will be asked to update these each six months so that they reflect the
most updated version of their current status and adjusted plans, and
o how they will measure the impact of lost instructional time on student learning.
OSSE will support LEAs to complete their CEPs and, once approved, 2021-22 CEPs will be publicly
posted by Aug. 24, 2021, or before the start of school whichever is first, and updated a
minimum of every six months based on review of results and needs as identified by LEAs.
• Annual reporting for ESSER funds: The first CARES annual report required LEAs to report on jobs
created or retained overall and OSSE will continue to support LEAs to review and complete
ESSER data collections.
As described D-1ii, OSSE will be reviewing formative assessment data submitted by LEAs to determine
the impact of lost instructional time and refine future needs.
Additionally, as described in E-1, in their ESSER III-ARP grant application, LEAs will be required to submit
their budget in three priority categories: address learning loss, address specific needs (mental wellness
supports for staff and students and educational technology), and safely reopening schools which will
provide OSSE further insight into how ARP ESSER funding is being used to address the impacts of the
pandemic, including student needs.
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
44
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.
OSSE has expanded its capacity to oversee recovery funding and to provide targeted support to LEAs.
The Federal Programs and Strategic Funding team within the Division of Systems and Supports, K12
manages day-to-day implementation of ESSER III-ARP LEA grants, including fiscal monitoring through
reimbursement review as well as annual risk-based monitoring. The core ESSER grant team includes
seven key personnel, including a director, five grant managers (two newly hired to provide additional
capacity), and a fiscal analyst. This team works in coordination with other agency partners including the
Office of the General Counsel, Office of Chief Financial Officer, and Office of Grants Management and
Compliance to ensure internal controls and smooth administration.
LEAs receiving ESSER funding will apply for and request reimbursements through OSSE’s centralized
Enterprise Grants Management System (EGMS) where planned and actual costs can be tracked and
reviewed. Three staff members will review every application to ensure allowability per Federal
requirements. Reimbursements will be reviewed by the Federal Programs & Strategic Funding team for
allowability, reasonableness, and allocability. Reimbursements are processed through three tiers of
review; following programmatic review, each request also require approval by staff in the Office of
Grants Management and Compliance and funds disbursement is managed separately by the Office of
Chief Financial Officer.
All LEA have been assigned to a specific grant manager to support them through their application and
reimbursement processes. OSSE will provide technical assistance and resources to subrecipients to
illustrate expectations and support strong program implementation. For subrecipients requiring greater
support, OSSE will develop targeted monitoring plans, including imposing specific conditions and
corrective action plans, when deemed necessary.
OSSE requires all subgrantees to maintain records that show the amount of funds under the grant, how
the subrecipient uses the funds, the total cost of the project, the share of that total cost provided from
other sources; and other records to facilitate an effective audit, as consistent with 34 CFR Section 76.730
of EDGAR. Additionally, all subgrantees are also required to retain relevant documentation for up to 5
years.
Lastly, OSSE conducts monitoring on an annual basis using a risk-based approach. All subgrantees are
evaluated for risk using a methodology that incorporates 11 different factors, including the size of
award, single audit results, special education findings, and failure to draw down funds. We conduct on-
site, virtual and desktop monitoring abased on the risk level of the subgrantees identified for
monitoring. Monitoring consists of record reviews, document reviews, and interviews which are
intended to identify any noncompliance, assess progress toward federal and local targets, and provide
recommendations to support continuous improvement. OSSE further works with subgrantees to correct
identified noncompliance and support improved program implementation in subsequent grant years.
45
Transparency on recovery funding expenditures also supports oversight and is available on
https://covid-relief-data.ed.gov/ and https://www.usaspending.gov/.
46
Appendix A: School Operating Status and Instructional Mode Data Template
Indicate the date or time period represented by the following data.
Table 1
OSSE will submit to USED and publicly post Appendix A, Table 1 by June 21, 2021, as specified in A-5ii.
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.
Add or change rows as needed
Number of schools All schools Offered to all Offered to some Not offered
students students
Remote or online # # # #
only
School buildings # # # #
open with both
remote/online and
in-person
instruction (hybrid)
School buildings # # # #
open with full-time
in-person
instruction
To the extent data are available, please complete the above table for 1) all schools in the State,
and 2) separately for each instructional level (e.g., pre-kindergarten/elementary schools, middle
schools, high schools).
Table 2
In the most recent time period available, what was the enrollment and mode of instruction for the
schools in your State?
The data are based on student enrollment for the month of April 2021.
Add or change rows as needed
Number of Total enrollment Remote or online Both remote/online Full-time in-person
students only and in-person instruction
instruction
(hybrid)
Students from low- 44,507 36,721 7,276 510
income families
47
White, not Hispanic 11,169 6,415 4,602 152
Black or African 60,033 49,734 9,744 555
American, not
Hispanic
Hispanic, of any 17,337 13,834 3,279 224
race
Asian, not Hispanic 1,445 1,040 391 14
American Indian or 147 118 29 0
Alaskan Native, not
Hispanic
Native Hawaiian or 57 45 12 0
Pacific Islander, not
Hispanic
Two or more races, 2,564 1,694 834 36
not Hispanic
Race/Ethnicity 30 19 10 1
information not
available
English learners 10,697 8,055 2,429 213
Children with 15,297 11,743 3,288 266
disabilities
Students 5,248 4,243 951 54
experiencing
homelessness
Children and youth 406 320 78 8
in foster care
Migratory students 0 0 0 0
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;
48
• 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.
49
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
50
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).
51
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.
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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.
When using American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief
(ESSER) funds, the District of Columbia will ensure that students, teachers, and other beneficiaries with
special needs have equitable access to, and participation in, grant-funded activities.
DC’s ESSER III-ARP funds will support (1) subgrants to local education agencies (LEAs) and (2) state set
aside contracts and grants to support 1) a Safe Reopening, 2) supporting Student and Staff Well-Being,
and 3) promoting Accelerated Learning. Each project will ensure equitable access to, and participation in
grant-funded activities.
90% Subgrants to LEAs: OSSE’s principles for continuous education require LEAs to address the social,
emotional and mental health needs of all students and meet the unique needs of diverse learners with a
particular focus on students with disabilities and English learners. OSSE has closely aligned its CEP and
ESSER III-ARP application process for LEAs. In the application for ESSER funds, LEAs are required to
provide a description of how, when using ESSER III-ARP Act grant funds, they will ensure that students,
teachers, and other beneficiaries with special needs have equitable access to, and participation in,
grant-funded activities.
10% State set aside: State set aside funding will support LEAs to accelerate learning in order to address
the academic impacts of lost instructional time (as described further in D-1i). OSSE’s investments include
targeted supports for educators to help students continue unfinished learning that may have resulted
from the unexpected closures and shift to distance learning. Additionally, through ARP funding we are
making available a suite of resources and supports to help LEAs build equitable and inclusive
53
environments, trauma-informed practices, and a restorative justice framework for addressing behavior
challenges. The following are examples of steps OSSE is taking to ensure access to and participation in
educator training opportunities regardless of gender, race, national origin, disability, or age:
- Use of a variety of advertisement vehicles for promoting these professional learning
opportunities, to ensure LEA- and school-level leadership, in addition to classroom teachers, are
aware of these opportunities that are offered at no cost to the participants.
- Provide interpreter services upon request for live training sessions, and utilizes closed
captioning for training video recordings.
- Offer robust printed materials to enable all participants to follow along during the live sessions
and while viewing recordings.
- Incorporate GEPA requirements into contractual agreements and expect recipients to adhere to
GEPA requirements.
ESSER III-ARP will be supporting professional learning activities for and with LEAs and schools that serve
a high percentages of disadvantaged students, including students with disabilities, English learners, at-
risk youth, and children living in high-poverty communities. The professional learning activities will be
centered in evidence-based strategies proven effective for accelerating learning and closing
achievement gaps for students, especially those experience disadvantages and furthest from
opportunity.
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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.
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