Arizona — State Plan for the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund
Summary
Arizona's State Plan for the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, submitted to the U.S. Department of Education on July 22, 2021, with ARP ESSER PR Award Number S425U210038 and the printed name of Kathy Hoffman as the authorized representative, dated 7/22/2021. The executive summary says the Arizona Department of Education has tied pandemic needs to a vision of equity for all students and plans to use relief dollars to build capacity for the schools and communities most impacted. It lists strategies it calls effective, including addressing the digital divide, educator professional development, and partnerships with universities and community-based organizations.
Summary drafted by a model from the document's text below and checked by script against that text before publication. It is a navigation aid, not a reading of what the document proves. Where AI is used
- Issuer
- Congressional materials
- Document type
- Department Of Education Pdf Www Ed Gov 5Cd31E5275
- Case
- Department Of Education Pdf Www Ed Gov 5Cd31E5275
Cite this document
“Arizona — State Plan for the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund.”
Original at www.ed.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/department-of-education-pdf-www-ed-gov-5cd31e5275/
, SHA-256 d73bbf77dcb26a377937f231c12b3ce0ec9f753156ecd306fa773145a907d5bf.Full text
American Rescue Plan (ARP)
Elementary and Secondary School
Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund
Arizona State Plan
Submitted to the U.S. Department of Education
July 22, 2021
Executive Summary
Throughout the pandemic, the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) has worked closely with
stakeholders to understand critical needs related to the pandemic. ADE has tied those needs to a
strategic vision for the agency – equity for all students to achieve their full potential. This
vision informs our mission to ensure that every student in Arizona has access to high-quality
education, essential support services, and opportunities that allow them to succeed and thrive
academically.
The pandemic exacerbated long-standing inequities in Arizona's education system. ADE
strategically plans to address such inequities by using available federal relief dollars to build
capacity in state and local systems for the schools, students, and communities most impacted by
the pandemic, and complement and support local recovery efforts.
The Department has made a series of critical investments with ESSER I and II funds to respond
to the pandemic. Projects funded to date have met the following criteria:
• Support for students and communities most impacted by COVID-19
• Expanding schools' access to evidence-based programs and trainings
• Addressing multiple factors that impact student academic success like social-emotional-
wellbeing, educator workforce shortages and burnout, and family internet connectivity
• The ability to measure success and impact of investments
The following strategies have been particularly effective:
• Addressing the impact of the digital divide on learning
• Educator professional development and resources for multiple modalities of learning
• Partnerships with universities and community-based organizations on timely initiatives
Some examples of the above strategies in action include:
• Partnering with an internet service provider to increase internet speeds for low-income
families
• Partnering with other state agencies, universities, and philanthropic organizations to
provide virtual professional development opportunities and mental health support to
educators statewide
• Funding community-based organizations to serve more families in high-need
communities
Additional details and examples of these projects are provided in-depth at the beginning of our
plan.
All have encompassed interventions to address the impacts of disrupted instructional time and
shifts to learning environments. Many of these interventions may be extended into an additional
year using ARP ESSER funds. ADE will use this plan developed with stakeholder feedback and
data to bring additional focus to the work at-hand and ahead. Our goal is to accelerate
academic success over the next several years through:
2
1. Enrichment and reinforcement to learning -- innovations in assessment; data systems
and data sharing; high-quality afterschool, expanded day, and summer learning programs;
increased access to extracurriculars and tutoring; digital access and literacy; educator
recruitment and retention.
2. Mental, behavioral, and physical health support for students and educators --
professional development and trauma-informed training for educators; family engagement
and resources; high-quality after school, expanded day, and summer learning programs; and
increased access to specialized professionals in schools.
3. Student and family re-engagement and support for critical transition periods --
family engagement and resources, kindergarten readiness tools and resources; mentorship
programs; strengthening credit recovery programs; support for school district and community
outreach to disengaged youth; programs focused on high school and post-secondary
readiness; and digital access and literacy.
This state plan includes more details on our approach throughout the pandemic and plans moving
forward. We consider this a living document, as the needs and priorities across the state may
evolve and shift based on the course of the pandemic and the road to recovery.
We are grateful to our Arizona students, educators, families, and the broader education
community for their resiliency during the pandemic. We look forward to their partnership in the
months and years ahead with this historic opportunity to invest in education.
3
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.
4
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.
5
Grantee and Contact Information
ARP ESSER PR Award Number: S425U210038
SEA Contact: Kelly Koenig
Telephone: 602-364-2811
Email address: Kelly.Koenig@azed.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)
Kathy Hoffman, MS, CCC-SLP
Signature of Authorized SEA Representative Date:
7/22/2021
6
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.
The following strategies led by the Arizona Department of Education (ADE)
and partner organizations were particularly effective in supporting the needs of
students in Arizona, especially those most impacted by COVID-19:
Addressing the impact of the digital divide on learning
The digital divide was a particular challenge in Arizona, given its diverse
geographical landscape and the location of several school communities in
remote areas. Nonetheless, ADE was able to take some immediate action steps
including collaborating with:
Cox Communications (a prevalent provider in AZ) to permanently
double the speed of Cox's Connect2Compete internet service, a critical
increase in speed for this plan available to low-income families.
The Arizona Rural Schools’ Association and the Arizona County
Superintendents’ Association by providing $1.5M in ESSER funds to
fund a “final mile project”, which will bring reliable, high-speed
internet access to six rural Arizona communities by extending existing
broadband capacity at schools and libraries (via E-rate) to students’
homes. This is designed to be a proof of concept for scaling across the
state with other available resources.
Education Superhighway, a national non-profit, to enter into a data
sharing agreement to leverage statewide data to identify the availability
of ISP providers to support procurement efforts by LEAs and to help
families take advantage of other federal programs for affordable
broadband.
In addition, Superintendent Hoffman and a member of the State Board of
Education convened a Technology Task Force to examine immediate and long-
term needs to support digital access and literacy for education.
Recommendations and resources from the Task Force are informing the use of
7
ESSER funds, agency budget and staffing, as well as being shared with other
government agencies working on issues of digital access.
Educator professional development and resources for multiple modalities
of learning
ADE took several immediate steps to support educators and service
organizations grappling with the shift to distance learning, and then adapting to
a hybrid model during the pandemic. The participation rates demonstrated the
need across for this type of easily accessible resource offered at the state-level.
Social Emotional Learning: Trauma-Sensitive Training and Support for
Schools: free professional learning opportunities for educators to
implement trauma-informed methods and new SEL competencies into
their classrooms starting in the Summer of 2020 and through SY 2020-
2021
Arizona Virtual Teacher Institute (AVTI): provided opportunities for all
educators and childcare providers free, on-demand professional learning
to advance digital teaching and learning skills. LEAs also had the option
to leverage AVTI for customized trainings for their staff. Over 11,700
teachers from over 1100 unique school districts have participated in
these professional learning opportunities as of July 2021.
College Access Professional (CAP) training ADE staff to facilitate
virtual/hybrid training for teachers on how to play a role in advising
students and increasing postsecondary attainment throughout Arizona,
with a focus on low-income and underserved populations.
Partnerships with universities and community-based organizations
These entities have played a key role in addressing immediate and on-going
needs of the pandemic. For example:
University of Arizona’s Center for Recruitment & Retention of Math
Teachers (CRR) has worked with ADE on the goal of ensuring all K-12
math educators, including those in special education, have access to the
resources, supports, and professional learning opportunities offered by
the CRR statewide at no cost.
YMCA and Arizona Alliance of Boys & Girls Club collaborated with
ADE and the Governor’s Office at the height of the pandemic to provide
capacity to support onsite services for students who needed a safe place
to go when schools only offered distance learning during the SY 2020-
2021. These partners provided youth access to technology, adult
supervision, and support with online learning platforms, as well as
childcare and extended day opportunities for essential workers to
accommodate workforce hours.
8
ADE has several other projects and services through partnerships available
during summer 2021 and next school year.
ADE is also partnering with the Arizona Department of Economic Security to
utilize $95.7M in supplemental ARP funds to the Child Care Development
Fund to 1) accelerate early childhood literacy, including launching literacy
coaches; 2) provide preschool development grants for LEAs and other
providers; 3) expand the Dolly Parton Imagination Library Program; and 4)
support cross-sector strategic planning, data integration, and fiscal mapping to
address early childhood capacity gaps across Arizona. This will be an important
collaboration among partners and supplement to our strategies and investments
through ARP ESSER.
ADE will submit, and encourage its LEAs to submit, lessons learned and best
practices to the ED’s Safer Schools and Campuses Best Practices
Clearinghouse so that they can be shared with other States and LEAs.
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.
ADE will use this ARP ESSER plan developed with stakeholder feedback and
data to bring additional focus to the work at-hand and ahead. Our goal is to
accelerate academic success over the next several years though the following
priority areas:
1. Enrichment and reinforcement to learning
2. Mental, behavioral, and physical health support for students and
educators
3. Student and family re-engagement and support for critical
academic transition periods
These priorities will help ADE address key pressing issues currently facing
students and schools across the state, including:
Assessing learning loss and measuring and evaluating progress: Schools
need guidance on how best to assess the impact of learning loss of students,
selecting and using universal screening tools, diagnostic assessments, and other
data sources to identify learning gaps. This would include how to analyze these
local assessment data to support instructional decision-making and how to
measure and evaluate the impact of evidence-based strategies, programs, and
practices on student learning over time.
9
Equitably increasing learning opportunities and digital access: The
pandemic revealed long-standing inequities in learning opportunities –
particularly for Arizona's historically underserved and most vulnerable student
populations. There is a critical need to support the intentional selection and
implementation of evidence-based strategies and resources to support schools
equitably and sustainably, accelerate learning and increase learning
opportunities for students. Across the state, students' uneven engagement in
distance and online learning exacerbated absenteeism and learning gaps due to
lost instructional time. Given this, there is a need to continue to address the
digital divide and homework gap – particularly concerning access to reliable,
high-speed internet for students at home and supporting teachers on how to
integrate the use of technology in their teaching effectively.
Addressing disruption and trauma on student learning and development:
Support that may have previously been in place was either limited or ended due
to schools' inability to effectively deliver these services when closed for in-
person learning or operating in hybrid models. Furthermore, the pandemic
brought new grief, loss, and trauma, potentially including increased risk for
violence and abuse in the home. Given this, there will continue to be a need to
provide targeted, evidence-based strategies to support students, staff, and
families' well-being and mental health needs. There is also a need for ongoing
professional learning, resources, and support for teachers to integrate Social-
Emotional Learning competencies into their daily classroom routines and
practices and trauma-sensitive approaches using frameworks.
Data and information throughout this plan illustrate why these are priorities to
address critical and widespread issues facing Arizona's schools and 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,
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,
10
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,1 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 Highest priority needs
group
Students • Studies show that students will have lost up to 30 percent of their annual gain in reading and 50
from low- percent in math because of the disruption to in-person learning. Overall, students, on average, are
income predicted to have missed 6.8 months of learning. Black and Hispanic students are predicted to
families have missed between 9-11 months of learning (Migration Policy Institute, 2020). There will be a
need for schools statewide to assess the impact of learning to be intentional and targeted in
meeting students' needs and accelerating learning.
• Students who have been identified as Black, Hispanic, or Native American may also be students
who come from low-income families. These students faced some of the most significant barriers
with internet connectivity, accessing school supplies and materials, and receiving social and
emotional/health services during distance learning.
• Kindergarten enrollment dropped from 81,606 in SY20 to 72,960 in SY21, a decrease of
10.59%. Kindergarten students from low-income families make up a high percentage of these
numbers. These students have missed opportunities for learning foundational skills in reading
and math, developing proficiency in social and academic language, and developing social and
emotional skills that are critical in a learner's early years in school. They will need to be
prioritized as they move into their next year of schooling.
• For most students, educators, staff, and school administrators, COVID-19 raised concerns related
to danger, safety, and the need for protection. For some, these concerns added to pre-existing
trauma, adversity, and disparities. And for others, the pandemic brought new grief, uncertainty,
and trauma. These concerns were added barriers for students from low-income families,
exacerbating the challenges historically faced related to economic hardship and unmet basic
needs.
1
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.
11
Student Highest priority needs
group
Students • Historically, underserved students from Arizona’s racial and ethnic groups have been
from each disproportionately represented in Arizona’s data on chronic absenteeism. These students
racial or have missed much-needed instructional time, opportunities to access any desired or
ethnic necessary social, emotional, and mental health services.
background
used by the
State for The following table indicates data for chronically absent students in Arizona for SY2018-2019
reporting and SY2019-2020, disaggregated by student population. Please note that SY2019-2020 indicates
purposes – fewer chronically absent students, due to data reporting challenges schools faced after the
please add a COVID-19 National Emergency was declared on March 13, 2020.
row for each
racial or Total Number of Students Total Number of Students Total Percentage of Students
ethnic group All Students Chronically Absent Enrolled Chronically Absent
(e.g., Student
identifying Populations SY2018-2019 SY2019-2020 SY2018-2019 SY2019-2020 SY2018-2019 SY2019-2020
disparities Arizona 286,446 190,372 1,141,511 1,152,586 25.09% 16.52%
and focusing Native American 21,804 13,581 51,027 49,201 42.73% 27.60%
on
Asian 2,994 1,659 33,659 33,158 8.90% 5.00%
underserved
student Black 18,698 12,339 62,594 61,929 29.87% 19.92%
groups by Hispanic 151,189 100,398 520,897 523,478 29.02% 19.18%
race/ethnicit Multi-Racial 10,638 10,227 37,768 46,621 28.17% 21.94%
y)
Pacific Islander 979 544 4,425 3,933 22.12% 13.83%
White 80,117 51,610 431,141 434,266 18.58% 11.88%
LEP 20,776 13,153 73,405 85,320 28.30% 15.42%
Homeless 9,725 6,777 21,073 11,534 44.69% 58.76%
• Approximately one third of Arizona students continue to face barriers engaging in school due to
limited or no access to technology and connectivity. Half of these students are Black or
Hispanic/Latino, per Closing the K-12 Digital Divide In The Age of Distance Learning, a report
from July 2020 developed by Boston Consulting Group in partnership with Common Sense
Media.
• Arizona's Native American students, living in 22 Federally recognized tribal nations, were
acutely impacted by the pandemic. Analysis of data regarding statewide percent households
without internet and percent households without a computer from the Maricopa Association of
Governments (MAG) noted that Native American students had limited or no access to
technology or internet connectivity to support online instruction. Many students received
instruction throughout the year through learning packets. These students also experienced some
of the nation's highest mortality rates for COVID-19 – leading to generations of families being
lost to the pandemic.
• Arizona’s Latino students make up the largest portion of the State’s public education system.
Many of the issues facing Arizona’s public schools are reflective of issues impacting Latino
students and the broader community. The 2020 report, The Impact of COVID-19 on Latino
12
Student Highest priority needs
group
Families, by the Arizona non-profit All in Education, reported data from a survey and poll that
reached 200 families noted that the top five concerns during the pandemic were 1) lack of
communication in English and Spanish, 2) technology issues (devices and reliable internet), 3)
parents’ lack of tools to support at home learning, 4) economic challenges, and 5) populations at
risk of falling behind (e.g. SPED, English Learners).
• As a result of missed time in school, trauma experienced due to the impact of COVID-19, and
limited access to the internet, Latino, Black, and Native American student's opportunities for
learning and social-emotional well-being have been impacted significantly.
Students by • Arizona’s data on chronic absenteeism, shows that male students are more likely to be
gender – chronically absent within underserved student groups than female student.
please add a
row for each
• Note that SY2019-2020 indicates fewer chronically absent students, because of the data
gender (e.g.,
identifying reporting challenges schools faced after the COVID-19 National Emergency was declared on
disparities March 13, 2020.
and focusing
on Total Number of Students Total Number of Students Total Percentage of Students
underserved Male Students Chronically Absent Enrolled Chronically Absent
student Student
groups by Populations SY2018-2019 SY2019-2020 SY2018-2019 SY2019-2020 SY2018-2019 SY2019-2020
gender) Arizona 147,001 97,884 584,438 590,665 25.15% 16.57%
Native American 10,969 6,865 25,754 24,973 42.59% 27.49%
Asian 1,544 846 17,044 16,826 9.06% 5.03%
Black 10,119 6,619 32,335 31,936 31.29% 20.73%
Hispanic 77,222 51,479 265,874 267,536 29.04% 19.24%
Multi-Racial 5,416 5,291 19,080 23,600 28.39% 22.42%
Pacific Islander 510 284 2,354 2,053 21.67% 13.83%
White 41,221 26,500 221,997 223,741 18.57% 11.84%
LEP 11,511 7,209 37,582 43,724 30.63% 16.49%
Homeless 5,014 3,521 * 5,911 * 59.57%
Total Number of Students Total Number of Students Total Percentage of Students
Female Students Chronically Absent Enrolled Chronically Absent
Student
Populations SY2018-2019 SY2019-2020 SY2018-2019 SY2019-2020 SY2018-2019 SY2019-2020
Arizona 139,418 92,474 557,073 561,921 25.03% 16.46%
Native American 10,835 6,716 25,273 24,228 42.87% 27.72%
Asian 1,450 813 16,615 16,332 8.73% 4.98%
Black 8,579 5,720 30,259 29,993 28.35% 19.07%
Hispanic 73,967 48,919 255,023 255,942 29.00% 19.11%
Multi-Racial 5,222 4,936 18,688 23,021 27.94% 21.44%
13
Student Highest priority needs
group
Pacific Islander 469 260 2,071 1,880 22.65% 13.83%
White 38,896 25,110 209,144 210,525 18.60% 11.93%
LEP 9,265 5,944 35,823 41,596 25.86% 14.29%
Homeless 4,711 3,256 * 5,623 * 57.90%
*Disaggregated data for students experiencing homelessness are not available at the time of this reporting
English • Arizona currently serves approximately 86,000 English Learner (EL) students who are
learners participating in an EL Program. Of that number, 78% are continuing in an EL Program from
SY2019-2020. 19,000 were new to an EL Program in SY2020-2021. Of those students, 60%
were incoming Kindergarten students.
• 2% of current students with an EL need and were in an EL program in SY2019-2020 were not in
an EL program in SY2020-2021. These students will need to be identified, assessed, and
monitored for progress.
• Kindergarten English Learner students will also need to be prioritized as they move into their
next year of schooling because of their unique social, emotional, and academic needs coupled
with a high rate of chronic absenteeism.
Children • Academic impact of lost instructional time and changed instructional environments: In SY
with 2021-2022, baseline and progress monitoring assessment of students with disabilities (SWD)
disabilities will be critical to understanding the impact of lost instructional time and changed instructional
environments (i.e., virtual vs. in-person) due to COVID-19 barriers during SY 2020-2021.
Although students with disabilities were eligible to receive instruction and special education
services via targeted onsite programs during SY 2020-2021 under Executive Order 2020-51,
many parents of SWD declined to allow in-person instruction and services for SWD for medical,
safety, transportation, or other reasons. If an SWD could not access all services effectively via
virtual or hybrid settings, the full benefit of free appropriate public education (FAPE) may not
have been possible. Additionally, while the need for Compensatory Services must be
individually assessed and made available for students in this situation, providing these services
now may not wholly compensate for lost time and services. Ongoing formal and informal
assessments must be undertaken, and the results incorporated into the IEPs of SWD and their
individual courses of study.
• Increased student engagement, representation, and expression: During SY 2020-2021, many
students were allowed to participate in virtual or hybrid instructional models to support safety
while still receiving educational services. All students need increased opportunities for multiple
means of engagement, representation, and expression. Still, they are critical for SWD, who
require individualized accommodations or modifications to access the curriculum (especially
considering the instructional model) to participate and make progress fully. Supporting Universal
Design for Learning (UDL) principles for students throughout all learning modalities continues
to be a research-based framework for improving academic and interpersonal student achievement
for all students, including SWD. Building on the incorporation of technology and multiple means
14
Student Highest priority needs
group
of engagement, representation, and expression that grew exponentially out of necessity during
SY 2020-2021, a focus on UDL principles for optimizing teaching and learning during SY 2021-
2022 will assist SWD in continuing to access the general curriculum fully. It will ensure
accommodations and modifications represent meaningful additional individualized support
instead of simply lifelines for academic participation.
Students • Students experiencing homelessness have been disproportionately represented in Arizona’s data
experiencin on chronic absenteeism. In SY2019-2020, on average 58.76% of students experiencing homeless
g were considered chronically absent.
homelessnes
s Total Number of Students Total Number of Students Total Percentage of Students
All Students Chronically Absent Enrolled Chronically Absent
Student
Populations SY2018-2019 SY2019-2020 SY2018-2019 SY2019-2020 SY2018-2019 SY2019-2020
Arizona 286,446 190,372 1,141,511 1,152,586 25.09% 16.52%
Homeless 9,725 6,777 21,073 11,534 44.69% 58.76%
• Students experiencing homelessness were not only among those students least likely to have
access to a device at home or consistent access to internet service but also may have had limited
access to free meals and any materials, resources, or supplies needed for learning. These
challenges have impacted their ability to engage in distance or online learning successfully. As a
result of missed time engaging in school, learning loss, and opportunities to have their individual
social and emotional needs met, these students have been significantly impacted. They will need
to be prioritized for services traditionally provided in and during the school day and much-
needed services provided outside of the school day.
Children • Students in foster care and group homes struggled with distance learning due to limited access to
and youth in technology, on-site support, and needed materials and supplies, per feedback provided by the
foster care foster care community, including the Arizona Department of Child Services (DCS) Director.
Children and youth in foster care in rural Arizona may have been even more impacted than their
urban counterparts. Given these challenges, foster students will need targeted supports to address
learning loss. These targeted interventions could include focused tutoring and afterschool
services, with an additional focus on early reading proficiency, math skills in middle school, and
credit recovery acceleration programs for high school students.
• According to Arizona’s Department of Child Safety (DCS) Director, students in foster
care/group homes struggled with distance learning in SY20-21 due to limited access to
technology, on-site support and needed materials and supplies to support their engagement in
school. LEAs were required to provide on-site supports for youth that needed assistance in
accessing and participating in remote learning per an Executive Order. However, many LEAs
were challenged with providing consistent on-site support due to the high rates of COVID-19
cases in their area.
15
Student Highest priority needs
group
• Additionally, students in foster care and group homes also faced a high degree of isolation
during the COVID-19 pandemic. Important social and emotional support systems and resilience
building activities ceased or continued virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Students will have also missed opportunities to develop routines, learn systems and processes
that are in place and followed when attending school in person. These challenges may be more
acute with students returning during a transition point – such as moving from a middle school to
high school setting.
• Recent data from the Casey Family Programs, 2021 show that that 91% of students enter foster
care due to neglect and other factors, such as includes parental substance abuse, child substance
abuse, child disability, child behavior problems, parent death, parent incarceration, caretaker
inability to cope, relinquishment or inadequate housing. Considering these data, some foster
care students will not only have missed opportunities for learning, but also social and emotional,
behavioral and mental health services and/or supports that are more readily provided during in-
person learning.
• Students will require supports regarding how to engage appropriately in a more traditional
classroom environment. Teachers will also require professional learning support to positively
address potential behavior challenges that may result from students returning to more structured
learning environments. Absent these supports, there may be increases in detention, suspensions
and expulsions for children and youth in foster care as they return to in-person instruction.
Migratory • Arizona currently serves over 11,451 migratory students. Almost half (5177) of our state’s
students migrant students have been identified as Priority for Service. These students are failing or at risk
of failing. 3767 students have been identified as dual labeled students, Migrant and EL.
• Many of Arizona’s migratory students live in rural communities. These communities faced the
greatest barriers in internet connectivity, accessing free meals, and school supplies and materials.
• Families of migratory students also struggled to find employment during the pandemic due to the
nature of their work. Limited opportunities for work contributed to unstable living conditions
and placed a significant social-emotional burden on students and their families. Systems and
processes that ensure services that migratory families and students have a right to receive, must
be re-established and provided in SY2021-2022.
Other • Children and youth being served by juvenile detention education programs and services already
groups of have unique academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs. The impact of the pandemic
students further exacerbated these needs. ADE received feedback from the juvenile detention education
identified by community (including representatives from the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections,
the State
county-operated juvenile detention education programs and county school superintendents, and
(e.g., youth
involved in ADE Secure Care staff) on the following priority needs for these students:
the criminal
16
Student Highest priority needs
group
justice • Given the impact of the trauma of the past year on existing challenges, there will be a need to
system, provide evidence-based strategies to support the social, emotional, and mental health shown to
students be effective with these students, mainly through a trauma-informed instruction lens. There will
who have further be a need to provide additional targeted academic interventions that are individualized
missed the
and focused on meeting students’ unique needs using a personalized learning approach.
most in-
person
instruction • Students served by juvenile detention education programs often present significant academic
during the gaps unique to each child. These gaps were widened by the impact of the pandemic, as the
2019-2020 ability to provide in-person instruction was limited and varied depending on the detention
and 2020- facility. Given this, the need to provide targeted, evidence-based interventions individualized
2021 school based on each child’s unique needs through a personalized learning approach will be critical to
years, help address these learning gaps.
students
who did not
• There are further needs to ensure intentional and consistent transition supports for students after
consistently
participate
being released from detention education and secure care programs. Without intentional supports
in remote and resources, students may go back to prior unhealthy environments post-release, which may
instruction not be positive and contribute to recidivism. Strengthening partnerships with the judicial system,
when schools, community-based organizations, and employers will help build relationships and
offered bridges for students to successfully transition to traditional public-school programs. Mentorships,
during post-secondary access, job training, and job placement are also critical for vulnerable student
school populations.
building
closures,
LGBTQ+
students)
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.
Schools are required to complete the Arizona Comprehensive Needs
Assessment (CNA) annually. The process is designed to provide schools the
necessary data to identify primary needs, root causes, desired outcomes, goals,
strategies, and action steps resulting in an Integrated Action Plan. The CNA
reflects the school’s current state. It identifies strengths, needs, and desired
outcomes specific to individual schools and their context. The six areas the
CNA looks at are Effective Leadership, Effective Teachers and Instruction,
Effective Use of Time, Effective Curriculum, Conditions, Climate, and Family
and Community Engagement.
17
LEAs throughout Arizona currently use a variety of benchmark or interim
assessments to determine progress towards standards mastery. Other student
learning data come from screening, diagnostic assessments, classroom
assessments, activities, and formative assessments. Offering professional
learning around using multiple data points to inform instruction to close
learning gaps such as processes from Bambrick-Santoyo, Driven by Data, as
well as protocols and processes such as Lipton and Wellman’s, Data-Driven
Dialogue; ATLAS, Looking at Data (National School Reform Faculty); etc.
will be important.
Gathering social, emotional, and mental well-being data is more problematic.
Some LEAs in AZ currently participate in Panorama Education’s Supporting
Student Success surveys and analytics to collect reliable data to understand
students, families, and staff better. Student data are collected directly from
students through surveys. These LEAs will be able to assess and take action by
using these data. Other LEAs may want to use ESSER funds to participate in
this resource. Panorama provides support for analyzing and using these data.
FastBridge Assessment System from Illuminate Solutions is one of the
assessment systems used by Arizona schools. In addition to ELA and Math
assessments, they also have The Social, Academic, and Behavior Risk Screener
(SAEBRS). It provides a clear link to the Arizona (CASEL) SEL Competencies
and the behavioral manifestations. A brief teacher rating scale identifies
students K-12 who may be at risk for social-emotional challenges and can be
used as a universal screener.
Another high-quality SEL assessment is The Devereux Student Strengths
Assessment and the 4-item accompanying screener. The DESSA-Mini are
rating scales for K-8 mapped directly to SEL skills.
Without assessment resources in all schools, it will be necessary to support
schools and LEAs to embed SEL throughout their back to school planning
through two way communication with staff, students, families and community
parents; staff community building, to reconnect and attend to adults SEL needs;
provide professional learning to promote SEL, building solid relationships with
students and creating a safe, supportive learning environment; supportive
learning environment, building community, listening to students ideas and
concerns; integrating SEL competencies throughout the school day,
schoolwide, identifying ways all teachers help students enhance and practice
competencies through distance learning and in-person settings, either through
evidence-based programs, regular class meetings, group and individual check-
ins, or instructional practices that allow for reflection, discussion, and
collaboration; and student support, addressing tier I, II and III supports and
protocols to identify students’ needs as well partner with families and
community agencies to proactively identify, provide, and monitor additional
18
supports to students who are struggling socially, emotionally, behaviorally, or
academically.
Specific to youth mental health Arizona will provide information following
guidelines and recommendations of such organizations as the National Alliance
for Mental Health, Association for Children’s Mental Health, Youth Mental
Health First aid, Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network, National
Center on Safe and Supportive Schools and the National Training and
Technical Assistance Center. Currently, Arizona provides Project AWARE.
The goals of Project AWARE are to build and expand capacity at state and
local levels to improve access to mental health services and supports; to
conduct outreach and training to increase mental health literacy; and reduce
stigma and connect youth, families, and school staff to mental health services.
ADE also provides Youth mental Health First Aid Training to educators and
online QPR Suicide Prevention Training.
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.
In SY 2020-2021, Arizona LEAs were required to report the percentage of
instructional time that was remote or online, but only at the LEA-level.
Arizona has provided data as of Mid-May 2021 for SY 2020-2021 for School
Operating Status and Instructional Mode in Appendix A, Table 1. Data are
provided for all schools, elementary schools (schools serving primarily grades
K-8) and secondary schools (schools serving primarily grades 9-12). These
tables assume that the percentage of instruction that was remote or online only
was the same for all schools within the LEA, except or schools approved to
19
provide Arizona Online Instruction, which is entirely online. Unredacted data
from the SY2020-2021 October 1st Enrollment Report was used to make school
primary grade levels served determination for the purposes of this reporting.
Starting in SY2021-2022, School Operating Status and Instructional Mode data
will be collected at the student level via the Arizona Education Data Standards
(AzEDS) process. AzEDS is the vehicle for ADE to collect all student-level
data from LEAs for school finance and state and federal reporting.
Leveraging AzEDS will allow for ADE to collect and report disaggregated
student-level data reporting per the ongoing reporting requirements of
Appendix A, Table 2 of the ARP ESSER State Plan Template, to include Mode
of Instruction, Enrollment and Attendance for all students and disaggregated for
each of the student groups described in A.3.i-viii for each mode of instruction
(fully remote or online-only instruction; both remote/online and in-person
instruction (hybrid model); and/or full-time in-person instruction).
SY2020-2021 State Policy Actions Regarding Modes of Instruction
June 24, 2020, Governor Ducey issued EO-2020-41, which allowed school to
offer distance learning instruction outside of an approved online school model.
This required all schools to submit a distance learning plan and identify ways to
submit attendance for students in distance learning.
June 29, 2020, Governor Ducey issued EO-2020-44 requiring all schools to
delay in-person classes until August 17, 2020, while beginning distance
learning as no later than August 14, 2020.
July 23, 2020, Governor Ducey issued EO-2020-51 requiring all schools,
beginning August 17, 2020, to offer free onsite learning opportunities and
support services for students who needed a place to go during the day. School
districts or charters that were experiencing an outbreak or were impacted by the
stay-at-home orders of tribal sovereign nations could apply for a waiver from
the requirement to provide onsite services.
March 3, 2021, Governor Ducey issued EO-2021-04 requiring all district and
charter schools to return to in-person, teacher-led instruction following a
scheduled spring break or by March 15, 2021. There was an exception for
counties with substantial or high transmission to take measures to reduce or
stagger attendance for in-person learning. Schools were not, however,
prohibited from offering parents the choice for hybrid or remote instruction.
ii. The data described in A.5.i.a. and b. using the template in Appendix
A (and to the extent available, the data described in A.5.i.c.) for the
20
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.
School Operating Status and Instructional Mode Data
Data are reported as of Mid-May 2021 for SY 2020-2021
Table 1:
All Schools
Offered to Offered to
Number of schools All schools all students some students Not offered
Remote or online only 498 498 0 1647
School buildings open with 1592 1592 0 553
both remote/online and in-
person instruction (hybrid)
School buildings open with 55 55 0 2090
full-time in-person instruction
Elementary Schools (Schools serving primarily K-8)
Offered to Offered to
Number of schools All schools all students some students Not offered
Remote or online only 315 315 0 1234
School buildings open with 1200 1200 0 349
both remote/online and in-
person instruction (hybrid)
School buildings open with 34 34 0 1515
full-time in-person instruction
21
Secondary Schools (Schools serving primarily 9-12)
Offered to Offered to
Number of schools All schools all students some students Not offered
Remote or online only 183 183 0 413
School buildings open with 392 392 0 204
both remote/online and in-
person instruction (hybrid)
School buildings open with 21 21 0 575
full-time in-person instruction
The ARP ESSER - SY2020-2021 School Operating Status and Instructional Mode Data were
posted on the ADE ARP ESSER website on 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.
The data reported under Appendix A: School Operating Status and
Instructional Mode are reflective of Mid-May 2021 and represent the general
operation status for schools as of the end of the SY 2020-2021 school, and
likely well-represents the projected status for schools entering Summer 2021.
Our general expectation is that schools will return to in-person instruction for
the SY 2021-2022.
LEAs may be able to offer hybrid or online learning modalities based on local
needs if they meet state requirements to offer online instruction through an
approved Arizona Online Instruction (AOI) entity within the LEA, or through
flexibility offered through H.B. 2898 passed during the Spring 2021 legislative
session (see below).
The Governor’s Executive orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic
terminated on June 30, 2021. Therefore, schools are not afforded the same
flexibilities for mode of instruction as available during the 2020-2021 school
year. During the 2021 Legislative Session, the Arizona Legislature passed H.B.
2862 (Laws 2021, Chapter 299) as amended by H.B. 2898. H.B. 2862 allows
school districts and charter districts to adopt an Instructional Time Model
(ITM) to meet the instructional hour requirements in A.R.S. §§ 15-808 and 15-
901 which provides flexibility for a school district or charter district to
determine the way instructional hours are provided to students, including:
remote courses, project-based learning, mastery-based learning, weekend
courses, or evening courses. Before a school district adopts an ITM, the school
22
district must hold at least two public hearings. School districts and charter
schools intending to adopt an ITM must document how attendance will be
tracked and taken for each setting in which a student is provided instructional
time for auditing purposes.
23
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
Universal and correct wearing of masks See narrative response below
Physical distancing (e.g., including use of See narrative response below
cohorts/podding)
Handwashing and respiratory etiquette See narrative response below
Cleaning and maintaining healthy facilities, including See narrative response below
improving ventilation
Contact tracing in combination with isolation and See narrative response below
quarantine, in collaboration with the State, local,
territorial, or Tribal health departments
Diagnostic and screening testing See narrative response below
Efforts to provide vaccinations to educators, other staff, See narrative response below
and students, if eligible
Appropriate accommodations for children with See narrative response below
disabilities with respect to the health and safety policies
ADE has collaborated with the Arizona Department of Health Services
(ADHS), as well as County Health Departments to support schools in
implementing strategies consistent with CDC recommended mitigation
strategies to support schools and ensure the safety of students, families and staff
throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
This collaboration has included coordinated messaging and communications for
schools and the community regarding CDC safety guidelines and
recommendations (to include testing and vaccination efforts) as well as
navigating Arizona’s Executive Orders regarding distance learning, requiring
24
onsite services, the use of face coverings and reopening schools for in-person
learning.
ADE, ADHS and County Health Departments have also collaborated regarding
how best to coordinate and leverage federal recovery resources that may be
available across each agency, and by schools (such as through each of the
ESSER funds) to support effective, efficient and sustained safe reopening of
schools statewide. The intent is to identify gaps in support, and to also avoid
potential duplication of effort as each agency works to support their
stakeholders.
ADE has also shared the CDC’s operational strategy for schools and childcare
facilities, as well as Volume 1 and 2 of ED’s COVID-19 Handbooks and other
key resources for schools on ADE’s Strategies for Safe In-Person Learning for
Elementary and Secondary Schools website.
On April 19, 2021, Governor Ducey issued an Executive Order rescinding a
section of Executive Order 2020-51, directing schools to require face masks,
and Emergency Measure 2020-04, issued by the Arizona Department of Health
Services (ADHS) outlining requirements for mask usage in schools. The
Arizona Department of Education has encouraged local education agencies and
families to continue to follow CDC guidance.
On June 30, 2021, The Arizona State Legislature passed a budget (HB2898)
with a provision that explicitly bans LEA’s from mandating mask use on school
campuses. The Arizona Department of Education continues to stress the
importance of universal and correct use of masks and encourages LEA’s to
work with their school communities to ensure consistent and correct usage of
masks to the greatest extent possible.
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;
Regarding SY2020-2021:
In June 2020, ADE released a Roadmap for Reopening Schools that was
developed in partnership with public health experts and stakeholders across the
Arizona. It included specific considerations for leaders, teachers, students, and
families regarding COVID mitigation. It also included a Continuity of
Operations Planning (COOP) Template. At the time of its release, however,
there was no statewide policy or required benchmarks for reopening—local
policies varied regarding COVID and school reopening.
25
On March 3, 2021 the Arizona Governor issued Executive Order 2021-04 Open
for In-Person Learning. Per this order, schools were required to return to in-
person learning by March 15, 2021, or after their scheduled Spring Break.
Exceptions to this order were included for middle and high schools located in
counties with “high” transmission of COVID-19, as defined by the CDC.
Students were also given the option to continue to participate in distance
learning if that was the choice of their parent or guardians. All LEA were
required to submit an attestation that all schools within each LEA’s jurisdiction
were following the tenets of the executive order.
Throughout SY 2020-2021, all Arizona LEAs were required to report the
percentage of instructional time that was remote or online only at the LEA-level
through the submission of Distance Learning Plans. ADE provided guidance on
this policy through its School Finance unit.
Regarding SY2021-2022:
Starting in SY2021-2022, School Operating Status and Instructional Mode data
will be collected at the student level per the ongoing reporting requirements of
Appendix A, Table 2 of the ARP ESSER State Plan Template, to include Mode
of Instruction, Enrollment and Attendance for all students and disaggregated for
each of the student groups described in A.3.i-viii for each mode of instruction
(fully remote or online-only instruction; both remote/online and in-person
instruction (hybrid model); and/or full-time in-person instruction).
ADE has created a Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of
Services LEA plan template to support LEAs receiving ARP ESSER funds to
meet the requirements of ARP Sec. 2001(i) and ED’s Interim Final Rule (IFR).
ADE has also posted guidance and support materials to support LEAs with
revising their local plans and has set the expectation for LEAs to submit their
plan to ADE by their first day of the SY 2020-2021 school year – with updates
to be submitted at least every 6 months, or more often depending on updates in
CDC guidance, through September 30, 2023. ADE will track the submission of
LEA plans to ensure and monitor the ongoing compliance with these
requirements.
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
The ADE has had regular collaborative meetings with both the Arizona
Department of Health Services and County Health Departments.
26
This collaboration has included coordinated messaging and communications for
schools and the community regarding CDC safety guidelines and
recommendations (to include testing and vaccination efforts) as well as
navigating Arizona’s Executive Orders regarding distance learning, requiring
onsite services, the use of face coverings and reopening schools for in-person
learning.
ADE, ADHS and County Health Departments have also collaborated regarding
how best to coordinate and leverage existing and new federal recovery
resources that may be available across each agency, and by schools (such as
through each of the ESSER funds) to support effective, efficient and sustained
safe reopening of schools statewide. The intent is to identify gaps in support,
and to also avoid potential duplication of effort as each agency works to support
their stakeholders.
ADHS is further leveraging nearly $215 million in American Rescue Plan funds
from the CDC in partnership with ADE to support a statewide voluntary, free
pooled testing program to “detect, diagnose, trace and monitor COVID-19 and
prevent its spread” in Arizona K-12 schools. This voluntary program will help
reduce the cost burden on LEAs to offer pooled testing as a CDC suggested
mitigation strategy to support the safe reopening and continuous operations of
their schools in SY2021-2022.
iv. Any guidance, professional learning, and technical assistance
opportunities the SEA will make available to its LEAs.
ADE, ADHS and County Health Departments have collaborated on how best to
coordinate communications, messaging and technical assistance resources to
support the safe reopening and continuous operations of schools statewide. This
has included coordinating on how to provide timely, focused supports for
school leaders on how to implement recommended CDC mitigation strategies.
ADE has also worked to amplify key information and resources for schools,
particularly as changes in mitigation strategies have been announced based on
changing conditions and contexts and updates in CDC guidance.
This collaboration has included coordinated messaging and communications for
schools and the community regarding testing and vaccination efforts as well as
navigating Arizona’s Executive Orders regarding distance learning, requiring
onsite services, the use of face coverings and reopening schools for in-person
learning.
27
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),2 and revises as
appropriate, its plan, and how the SEA will ensure that the LEA
seeks public input, and takes such input into account on (1) whether
revisions are necessary and, if so, (2) the revisions to the plan; and
iv. Describe, to the extent the SEA collects it, information about LEA
implementation, to the greatest extent practicable, of each element of
the most up-to-date CDC guidance listed in table B1 and its LEAs’
needs for support and technical assistance to implement strategies
consistent, to the greatest extent practicable, with relevant CDC
guidance.
ADE has included a required assurance as part of the LEA ARP ESSER grant
application that requires an LEA to assure compliance with ARP Sec. 2001(i) and ED’s
Interim Final Rule regarding the LEA Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and
Continuity of Services Plan requirement.
Additionally, ADE has created a standardized Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and
Continuity of Services LEA plan template to support LEAs receiving ARP ESSER
funds to meet this requirement. The template was designed to ensure compliance with
all required local plan components of ED’s Interim Final Rule, to include LEAs
2
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.
28
providing a description of the process used to gather, and consider, public input in the
creation and revision of their local plan.
ADE has posted guidance and support materials to support LEAs with revising their
local plans on the agency’s ARP ESSER website, and has set the expectation for LEAs
to submit their plan to ADE by their first day of the SY 2020-2021 school year – with
updates to be submitted at least every 6 months, or more often depending on updates in
CDC guidance and changes in local contexts, through September 30, 2023. ADE will
track the submission of LEA plans to ensure and monitor the ongoing compliance with
these requirements.
ADE does not currently collect information regarding LEA implementation of CDC
guidance but will do so moving forward with the SY2021-2022 school year based on
the implementation and monitoring of the ARP Safe Return to In-Person Instruction
and Continuity of Services Plan requirements.
29
C. Planning for the Use and Coordination of ARP ESSER Funds
The Department recognizes that seeking input from diverse stakeholders is essential to
developing plans for the use of ARP ESSER funds that are responsive to the needs of
students, families, and educators. In this section, SEAs will describe their plans for
consultation and for coordinating the use of ARP ESSER funds with other resources to meet
the needs of students.
1. SEA Consultation: Consistent with the ARP ESSER requirements, describe how
the SEA engaged in meaningful consultation with stakeholders, and incorporated
input into its plan, including, but not limited to:
i. students;
ii. families;
iii. Tribes (if applicable);
iv. civil rights organizations (including disability rights organizations);
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.
Ongoing Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration with Arizona’s Education
Community
ADE utilized its standing meetings/processes with stakeholders to discuss ESSER set aside
funds, including the particular focus areas designated by ARP for ARP ESSER. These
meetings have included:
• ADE and Arizona Education Organizations Weekly Calls: These calls started
shortly after the declaration of the national emergency for COVID-19 in March
2020. These weekly standing meetings helped to ensure coordinated
communication and timely collaboration that informed local, regional, and
statewide responses throughout the pandemic. Feedback was provided to inform
communications, support, and technical assistance for schools and communities to
help them navigate local relief and recovery efforts, public health guidelines, and
Executive Orders from the Governor’s Office. Representatives from the following
education organizations have participated in these ongoing meetings: Arizona
School Boards Association (ASBA), Arizona School Administrators (ASA),
Arizona Association of School Business Officials (AASBO), Arizona Charter
Schools Association (ACSA), Arizona Association of County School
30
Superintendents (AACSS), Arizona Education Association (AEA) Arizona Rural
Schools Association (ARSA), Greater Phoenix Education Management Council
and Arizona Education Management Council (GPEMC/AEMC).
• ADE further partnered with the Arizona School Boards Association (ASBA),
Arizona School Administrators (ASA), Arizona Association of School Business
Officials (AASBO), and the Arizona Charter Schools Association (ACSA) to
provide Collaborative Webinars to support ESSER implementation. All ADE
presentations to support the implementation of each major recovery act (CARES,
CRRSA, ARP Acts) and each ESSER fund opportunity (I, II, and ARP ESSER)
and related requirements have been done in concert with education organizations.
This collaborative partnership has helped ensure clear and consistent
communication across stakeholder groups and served to expand the reach of the
agency's message. ADE also provided targeted communications and technical
assistance in partnership with organizations such as the Arizona Rural Schools
Association, County School Superintendents, the Greater Phoenix Education
Management Council, Arizona Education Management Council, Tribal Leaders,
Alternative Education Consortium, and Career and Technical Education Districts.
• Education Leaders Weekly Calls: ADE established weekly virtual meetings with
education leaders statewide – to include Superintendents and other district and
school-level leaders. This served as a vehicle to ensure clear, consistent
communication of information, resources and guidance to support their schools to
navigate the shift from online/distance learning to hybrid and face-to-face
instruction and preparing for the safe reopening of schools throughout the SY
2020-2021 school year. These weekly calls will continue into SY 2021-2022
• Superintendent’s Advisory Councils are convened by the State Superintendent to
inform the work of the agency. This existing capacity was leveraged to provide
timely feedback regarding the impact of COVID-19 within specific communities,
and how the agency could best respond to meet those needs. Each advisory council
has a unique membership, although each council includes educators, as well as
student representatives:
o African American Advisory Council
o Equitable and Inclusive Practices Advisory Council
o Indian Education Advisory Council
o Latinx Advisory Council
o Student Advisory Council
• Monthly ADE Policy & Program updates were held virtually with education
organizations (including advocacy groups and non-profit service organizations), as
well as legislative and executive branch staff.
• Monthly ADE Office of Indian Education (OIE) Policy & Program Updates
specifically targeted for Indigenous Stakeholders, including tribal education
31
department staff. OIE works statewide to support educational opportunities for
Indigenous students attending Arizona’s public schools. The capacity of this office
was expanded using ESSER funds to further support the unique recovery needs of
Indigenous families and their schools, especially given the outsized impact of
COVID-19 on tribal communities.
Equitable & Effective Schools Task Force
ADE gathered research and community input via its Equitable and Effective School
Funding Task Force to develop a set of recommendations on the distribution and
prioritized use of SEA discretionary ARP ESSER funds.
This task force had convened initially to work together throughout the fall semester of
2020 to identify critical needs and action steps to address the pandemic and ongoing
recovery. The task force was reconvened in June 2021 to provide input on SEA
discretionary ARP ESSER fund allocation decisions. ADE expanded its membership to
include a broader set of stakeholders for this purpose.
Over 100 stakeholders, representing school district and charter leadership, philanthropy,
the non-profit sector representative, early childhood practitioners and advocates, major
education associations, special education advocacy groups, school board members,
educators, and state agency leadership joined the reconvened task force meetings.
ADE staff worked closely with contracted facilitators familiar with the education
landscape in Arizona to hold two stakeholder meetings in June 2021. By leveraging task
force member expertise, the agency:
• Gathered data on how LEAs are planning to address learning loss
• Built understanding of existing capacity and resource gaps in areas outlined by the
ARP ESSER state-level discretionary funds
• Explored opportunities for innovation with one-time funding
• Identified systems-level policies and practices needed to support effective use of
funds under ARP ESSER requirements and areas of focus
Task force facilitators also solicited information on anticipated guidance and technical
assistance needed from ADE to support the use of the funds, and how to monitor and
evaluate effectiveness.
The facilitators surveyed participants ahead of the first meeting on these topics. To inform
the discussion, task force members were also provided information on ARP, research and
policy briefs on learning loss, summer enrichment, afterschool programs, and promising
pandemic responses from other states. Some initial themes from the pre-meeting survey
include:
• Staffing programs is challenging right now
• Prioritize students who need the most
• Ensure quality programming for all
• Lack of infrastructure is still a barrier to access
• Increased demand means the work needs to grow fast
32
• Promote quality programming and partnerships
• Flexibility is critical
The facilitators also reached out to ADE’s Student Advisory Council with similar survey
questions about current conditions and what they would like to see. Themes from the
student survey include:
• Support for mental health, including more access to counselors
• Return to physical health and movement, including sports, is important
• Students want academic tutoring
• A desire for more in-person experiences for vaccinated youth
• Schools need to support the return to school and foster a love of learning
• Teachers need supports so that schools can retain veteran teachers
Student responses were shared with the task force and incorporated into the final
recommendations.
Themes and recommendations from Task Force Meeting #1:
*On impact and use of one-time funds dedicated to key ARP ESSER areas include:
• Social-Emotional Learning support
• Mental health and trauma-informed support for students and staff; and
• Support for families, especially when students are at critical transitions in their
academic career
*On the funding process:
• Desire for ADE to vet and fund a list of services available to LEAs
• Make available start-up/planning/exploratory funds
• Support LEAs with navigating evidence-based approaches
• Support partnership between LEAs and CBOs and/or universities
Themes and recommendations from Task Force Meeting #2:
• Prioritize student and adult social emotional learning, mental & physical health, K-
12 transitions, especially early education
• Focus on school, LEA, CBO, state-level capacity and overall strategies
• Data (including comprehensive data system), professional development, and
assessments are resources that will be needed across priority areas to support work
going forward.
The input from stakeholders was used to develop the priorities outlined as part of this plan.
It will also be used to guide ADE’s process for determining state-driven interventions and
investments, processes for distributing funds, and setting criteria for use of funds and data
reporting and evaluation.
33
How the SEA provided the public the opportunity to provide
Stakeholder Groups input in the development of the plan
Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council, ARP ESSER State
Students Plan Student Survey
Families Equitable and Effective Schools Taskforce
Indian Education Advisory Council; Office of Indian Tribal
Tribes Leaders in Education Convening Meetings
Civil rights organizations
(including disability Equitable and Effective Schools Taskforce; ADE Monthly Policy
rights organizations) and Program Updates Meetings
School and district
administrators (including Equitable and Effective Schools Taskforce; Education Leaders
special education Weekly Call; ADE and Education Organizations Weekly Call;
administrators); ASA; GPEMC
Equitable and Effective Schools Taskforce; Education Leaders
Weekly Call; ADE and Education Organizations Weekly Call;
Superintendents ASA; GPEMC
Equitable and Effective Schools Taskforce; Education Leaders
Weekly Call; ADE and Education Organizations Weekly Call;
Charter school leaders ACSA
Teachers, principals,
school leaders, other Equitable and Effective Schools Taskforce; Education Leaders
educators, school staff, Weekly Call; ADE and Education Organizations Weekly Call;
and their unions AEA; ASA; GPEMC
Stakeholders
representing the interests
of children with
disabilities, English
learners, children
experiencing Equitable and Effective Schools Taskforce; Education Leaders
homelessness, children Weekly Call; ADE and Education Organizations Weekly Call;
and youth in foster care, Feedback sessions with Juvenile Detention Education Programs
migratory students, Stakeholders; Feedback sessions with Children and Youth in
children who are Foster Care Stakeholders, to include Children’s Action Alliance,
incarcerated, and other Arizona’s Children Association and Arizona Friends of Foster
underserved students Children Foundation
34
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.
ADE's overarching goal with ESSER funds is to support communities recovering
from COVID-19, position our state's education system to better support student
success, and ensure Arizona has a 21st-century ready workforce. ADE plans to use
its SEA's reserve to support emergency needs statewide strategically and equitably
to reach students and communities in each of Arizona's fifteen counties.
Each of ADE's current and future investments using ESSER funds follows a rubric
to ensure these funds:
• Support students and communities most impacted by COVID-19
• Expand schools' access to evidence-based programs and training
• Address multiple factors that impact students' academics, including: social-
emotional wellbeing, educator workforce shortages, and family internet
connectivity
All publicly announced projects funded by ESSER SEA set-aside funds are posted
on the agency's website. Each project currently falls into one of the following
categories:
• Student Equity and Achievement
• Educator Recruitment and Retention
• Safe and Healthy Schools
• Serving Arizona's School Community through the Pandemic and Beyond
• Post-Secondary Access and Attainment
• Additional Recovery Funding to Public Schools (additional funds to support
Non-Title I-A LEAs, Career & Technical Education District (CTEDs) and
additional support for Title I-A LEAs)
ADE is further committed to measuring and evaluating the success and impact of
these investments.
35
Table C1.
Funding Prior/current SEA and LEA uses Planned SEA and LEA uses (including
source (including funding amounts, if applicable) funding amounts, if applicable)
ESSER I SEA ESSER I Set-Aside Funded Projects SEA ESSER I Set-Aside Funded Projects
(CARES Arizona College Access Network - $10,000 Parent Educator Academy: All in
Act) College Access Professional (CAP) Training) Education - $1,000,000
to train ADE staff to facilitate virtual/hybrid The Parent Educator Academy is designed
training for teachers to increase postsecondary to place passionate parents in the
attainment throughout Arizona, with a focus classrooms of schools to shift the trajectory
on low-income and underserved populations. on workforce development to start growing
talent where it matters most – parents – and
Teaching Reading Effectively (TRE) advancing them into future positions of
Online Course - $6,750 influence. This investment will allow All in
This funding was used to support the use of a Education to expand to additional districts
virtual platform for a training that is normally and counties over the next three years.
done in-person.
LEA ESSER I Activities
Arizona Virtual Teacher Institute - LEA planned uses of funds for the
$2,500,000 remainder of the ESSER I period of
Provide all educators free professional availability largely appear to track the
development to advance digital teaching and summary of the most common school uses
learning skills. Partnership with ASU Prep of ESSER I recovery funds to date listed in
Digital the prior/current SEA and LEA uses of
funds column.
University of Arizona’s Center for
Recruitment & Retention of Math
Educators for Professional Development -
$500,000
Ensure all math educators, including those in
special education, have access to the various
resources, supports, and professional
development offered by the University of
Arizona's Center for Recruitment and
Retention (CRR).
Math Momentum - $600,000 (Total not to
exceed $9.6M through use of ESSER II and
III).
Math Momentum will promote active learning
as lesson pathways cater to individual
knowledge and skills, motivating and
supporting both struggling and advanced
learners. This investment will support a
summer pilot program with eight districts
using a digital learning model, then expand
36
Funding Prior/current SEA and LEA uses Planned SEA and LEA uses (including
source (including funding amounts, if applicable) funding amounts, if applicable)
based on demand in the 21-22 school year and
beyond. The program will be targeted to
LEAs where there is not access to a qualified
math teacher or Algebra courses in the middle
school grade bands.
Social Emotional Learning: Trauma-
Sensitive Training and Support for Schools
- $370,000
Free professional development for educators
to implement trauma-informed methods and
new SEL competencies into their classrooms.
YMCA, and Boys & Girls Club -
$2,309,000
Support for the YMCA and the Arizona
Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs to provide
capacity to support onsite services, to support
Arizona youth who do not have access to
technology or adult supervision at home to
complete school curriculum, and to support
childcare and extended day opportunities for
families to accommodate workforce hours -
particularly for essential workers.
Special Education Compensatory Services
Fund - $5,000,000
Support public schools in determining which
students with disabilities may need
compensatory services and aid in the delivery
of those services.
Additional LEA Assistance -
$14,050,179.49
Additional support for Title I-A LEAs, Non-
Title I-A LEAs, and Career Technical
Education Districts (CTEDs)
LEA ESSER I Activities
To date, LEAs have drawn down ~68% of
their total ESSER I awards.
The following is a summary of the most
common school uses of ESSER I recovery
funds to date:
37
Funding Prior/current SEA and LEA uses Planned SEA and LEA uses (including
source (including funding amounts, if applicable) funding amounts, if applicable)
Technology for distance and hybrid
learning
• Devices, software, internet
service/hotspots, and IT support,
infrastructure, and security
• Professional learning for teachers and
administrators
• Technology support for students and
families
Personal protective equipment and safety
supplies
• Face masks, face shields, plexiglass,
gloves, gowns, thermometers, hand
sanitizer
• Cleaning/disinfecting supplies and
equipment and facilities costs
• HVAC systems upgrades, air purifiers,
water bottle filling stations
Food services and transportation expenses
Salary expenses for expanded duties,
retention, and additional staffing needs
Social emotional learning and mental
health supports
GEER I Arizona’s Governor’s Office manages GEER Arizona’s Governor’s Office manages
(CARES I funds. However, ADE does have an GEER I funds. ADE will continue to
Act) agreement to manage an LEA grant program: manage the Acceleration Academies LEA
Acceleration Academies. This program grant program via an agreement with the
supports eligible high-need schools to provide Governor’s Office through September 30,
targeted professional learning to build 2022.
capacity of teachers, implement evidence-
based instructional strategies, purchase
evidence-based curriculum materials and
support summer instruction offset summer
learning loss.
School eligibility for the Acceleration
Academies was determined using multiple
factors, including:
• Free and Reduced Lunch applications
38
Funding Prior/current SEA and LEA uses Planned SEA and LEA uses (including
source (including funding amounts, if applicable) funding amounts, if applicable)
• Not Proficient AzMERIT ELA and Math
scores (state assessment data)
• Unemployment claims in corresponding
zip codes
• COVID cases in corresponding zip codes
• No access to computer in corresponding
zip codes
• No access to internet in corresponding zip
codes
The Acceleration Academies program is
funded at $18,996,325, supporting 181 funded
school sites within 89 participating LEAs.
ESSER II SEA ESSER II Set-Aside Funded Projects SEA ESSER II Set-Aside Funded
(CRRSA Addition of 140 School Counselor & Social Projects
Act) Worker Positions through the School Ask Benji Chatbot: Increase FAFSA
Safety Grant Program - $21,300,000 Completion Rates - $1,500,000
Provides funding for 140 new school Ask Benji is an artificial intelligence-
counselors and social worker positions by powered chatbot that assists students in
investing in the School Safety Grant Program completing the FAFSA. The funding will be
waitlists. used over the next two years to expand Ask
Benji’s services statewide, enhance the
Arizona Ready for School Campaign - chatbot to include new service features such
$1,550,000 as career interest and college application
Public relations campaign developed with assistance, and provide support for
feedback from education stakeholders to community activities.
support student re-engagement with in-person
learning Opportunities for Youth - $100,000
OFY works to connect disconnected or
Expanding Rural Broadband with the "opportunity" youth ages 16-24 with
Final Mile Project - $1,500,000 education or employment opportunities. The
Bring reliable, high-speed internet access to COVID-19 pandemic has only increased the
rural Arizona students by extending existing number of youths in need of being
broadband capacity at schools and libraries to reconnected. This investment will support
students’ homes. the ongoing work of OFY and its partners
across Maricopa County.
Arizona College Access Network - $20,000
College Access Professional (CAP) Training) AdviseAZ Americorps: College and
to train ADE staff to facilitate virtual/hybrid Career Counseling - $600,000
training for teachers to increase postsecondary AdviseAZ places current college students
attainment throughout Arizona, with a focus and recent college graduates as part-time
on low-income and underserved populations. advisers in high schools throughout the
state. They collaborate with school
39
Funding Prior/current SEA and LEA uses Planned SEA and LEA uses (including
source (including funding amounts, if applicable) funding amounts, if applicable)
Office of Indian Education (OIE) leadership to enhance the school's college
Expansion - $667,000 and career culture. This new funding will be
(total investment $1M to include ARP ESSER) used to support AdviseAZ AmeriCorps
The ADE Office of Indian education works member placement in more high schools
statewide to support educational opportunities across Arizona.
for indigenous students attending Arizona’s
public schools. More capacity is needed in Special Education Cost Study - $500,000
this office to support the unique recovery It has been fourteen years since Arizona last
needs of indigenous families and their commissioned a special education cost
schools, especially given the outsized impact study, leaving policymakers with outdated
of COVID-19 on tribal communities. information to inform legislative decisions.
This study is a valuable tool needed to show
Math Momentum - $6,00,000 (Total not to the actual cost required to meet all students'
exceed $9.6M through use of ESSER II and needs and advocate for additional funding
ARP ESSER). as needed.
Math Momentum will promote active learning
as lesson pathways cater to individual Arizona K-12 Center: New
knowledge and skills, motivating and Teacher Mentoring - $2,500,000
supporting both struggling and advanced Expands capacity for the Arizona K12
learners. This investment will support a Center’s educator mentoring program.
summer pilot program with eight districts Experienced mentors work directly with
using a digital learning model, then expand new teachers to support them during their
based on demand in the 21-22 school year and first years in the classroom. This evidence-
beyond. The program will be targeted to based retention strategy is key to long-term
LEAs where there is not access to a qualified success in the classroom.
math teacher or Algebra courses in the middle
school grade bands. Diné Institute Teacher Fellows: Northern
Arizona University - $1,500,000
Discovery Education -- $7,000,000 The Diné Institute strengthens teaching in
(Total not to exceed $19.5M through use of schools serving Navajo students by
ESSER II and ARP ESSER). All Arizona engaging all interested teachers in long-term
educators and students will receive access to professional development seminars to
Discovery Education’s award-winning K-12 increase content knowledge, curriculum
learning platform as a teaching and learning development skills, capacity to deliver
resource aligned to state standards to culturally responsive lessons, and leadership
supplement local curriculum. ability. This investment will allow the
program to expand to 40 fellows in 2021.
Social Emotional Learning: Trauma-
Sensitive Training and Support for Schools Laptop and Hotspot Partnership with
- $100,000 City of Phoenix - $853,000
Free professional development for educators Phoenix Public Library will launch a laptop
to implement trauma-informed methods and and hotspot lending program in the spring
new SEL competencies into their classrooms. of 2021 with a fleet of 425 laptops and 200
hotspots to be lent to customers with one-
40
Funding Prior/current SEA and LEA uses Planned SEA and LEA uses (including
source (including funding amounts, if applicable) funding amounts, if applicable)
Kajeet Hotspots for Students & Families - week lending periods. To better serve
$15,000 students in need of longer lending periods,
Provides monthly reoccurring service for 200 ADE’s investment will allow for an
hotspots across the state for students. expansion to double the number of laptops
and hotspots available, allocating half of the
Additional LEA Assistance - collection specifically reserved to meet the
$49,856,390.66 needs of students. College Depot at Phoenix
Additional support for Title I-A LEAs, Non- Public Library staff would help identify the
Title I-A LEAs, and Career Technical youth and provide semester-long and
Education Districts (CTEDs) summer lending periods.
LEA ESSER II Activities Time is Now Youth Mentorship: Big
To date, LEAs have drawn down ~8% of their Brothers, Big Sisters - $300,000
total ESSER II awards. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona
LEA uses of funds for ESSER II generally (BBBSAZ) provides in-school, community-
aligns with the uses of funds summary based, and virtual mentoring programs to
provided for ESSER I. LEAs have, however, help at-risk youth reach their full potential.
budgeted additional funds for activities such This investment will allow BBBSAZ to
as: match 200 vulnerable, low-income youth
• Recruitment and retention stipends for (100 each year over a 2-year period) with
teachers and staff screened and trained adult mentors and
• Summer school programs and activities other resources.
• Curriculum and instructional supplies (to
include technology related hardware and Holistic Youth Transformation Program:
software) to help increase learning New Pathways for Youth - $500,000
opportunities for students Provides comprehensive, evidence-based
• Social, emotional and mental health programming to improve the educational
supports for students and staff outcomes of at-risk students attending Title
• Facilities expenses, to include upgrading I schools in Maricopa County.
HVAC systems to improve indoor air
quality, to support safe reopening of
schools for in-person learning for students LEA ESSER II Activities
and staff LEA planned uses of funds for the
remainder of the ESSER II period of
availability largely appear to track the
summary of the most common school uses
of ESSER II recovery funds to date listed in
the prior/current SEA and LEA uses of
funds column.
GEER II Arizona’s Governor’s Office manages GEER Arizona’s Governor’s Office manages
(CRRSA II funds. GEER II funds.
Act)
41
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.
The following data are provided as of 7/18/2021:
ESSER I LEA allocations and grant applications were released on May 29,
2020
• $263,429,711.10 was awarded to Title I-A and Non-Title I-LEAs and
entities through ESSER I.
• $177,819,010.03 has been drawn down, representing 68% of all LEA
ESSER I grant awards. Title I-A LEAs (mandatory subgrantees) have
drawn down $170,433,434.56, or 67% of their total awards. Non-Title I-
A LEAs (funded through SEA reserved funds) have drawn down
$7,385,575.47, or 70% of their total awards.
ESSER II LEA allocations and grant applications were released on February
18, 2021
• $1,084,600,742.83 was awarded to Title I-A and Non-Title I-LEAs and
entities through ESSER II.
• $85,167,821.66 has been drawn down, representing 8% of all LEA
ESSER II grant awards. Title I-A LEAs (mandatory subgrantees) have
drawn down $80,978,643.72, or 8% of their total awards. Non-Title I-A
LEAs (funded through SEA reserved funds) have drawn down
$4,189,177.94, or 10% of their total awards.
ARP ESSER LEA allocations and grant application were released on May 24,
2021
• $2,367,408,840.35 was awarded to Title I-A and Non-Title I-LEAs and
entities through ARP ESSER.
ADE is not currently able to track LEA obligations. To do so will require a new
LEA data submission and collection process. ADE is the in process of reviewing
the proposed data collection and reporting requirements for ESSER I, II and III
released by ED on July 2, 2021. The proposed business rules are extensive and
will require the creation of new collection and reporting capacities at the SEA to
capture new fiscal and programmatic data elements from LEA ESSER fund
grantees.
42
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.3
ADE has an established Strategic Funding Support Team. The
team is comprised of senior leadership representing the primary
decision makers for all agency grant programs. The goals of this
team have been to streamline internal processes, support LEAs in
planning for an applying for grant funds and to develop
collaborative technical assistance for LEAs to support local
efficient spending, and effectively utilize agency funding to
support students, teachers, leaders, families, and communities.
This Strategic Funding Support Team has:
• Provided cross-functional internal leadership and internal
staff professional learning
• Created partnerships and provided guidance to LEAs to
support strategic use of funding, and,
• Continues to build agency-wide technical assistance and
support systems.
Additionally, ADE staff capacity is being expanded to support
providing technical assistance and programmatic monitoring for
LEA grantees. These positions will also support LEAs through
developing and providing guidance and trainings for LEAs for the
ESSER funds programs and on developing and maintaining
collaborative relationships with local, regional, and state
community partners to support implementation efforts.
A particular focus will be on supporting local strategic, integrated
planning and budgeting and sustainability planning. The intent is
to ensure LEAs can effectively utilize their ESSER funds in an
integrated manner in concert with other local, state and federal
funds, and to proactively plan and identify how local funding
3
Please note that the needs of students experiencing homelessness must be addressed (along with the other groups
disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic) through the use of the ARP ESSER SEA reservations and
the required LEA reservation for the academic impact of lost instructional time; the funding provided to support the
needs of students experiencing homelessness by section 2001(b)(1) of the ARP Act is in addition to the supports and
services provided with ARP ESSER funds.
43
sources may be used to effectively sustain programs and strategies
when the ESSER funds expire.
To further support our LEAs, ADE applied for and received a
fiscal waiver from ED to waive the carryover limitation for
FY2020 Title I-A funds and extend the period of availability for
FY2019 ESEA funds. This has supported our LEAs to leverage
their ESEA funds more effectively to support local needs given
the disruptive impact of the pandemic from Spring 2020 through
the SY 2020-2021 school year. Additionally, ADE received a
programmatic waiver for Title IV-A content area spending
requirements and the 15% limitation on the use of funds for
technology infrastructure to provide additional flexibility for
LEAs to leverage their Title IV-A funds to support local needs.
ADE has applied for a renewal of both the ESEA fiscal and Title
IV-A programmatic waivers to provide our LEAs further local
flexibility as they prepare for the safe return to in-person
instruction in SY 2020-2021.
The ADE Health and Nutrition Services (HNS) Unit has supported
LEAs with guidance for Child Nutrition Program operators,
particularly regarding navigating COVID-19 guidance provided
by USDA and the agency to help ensure students have had access
to nutritious meals both during school closures, throughout the
school year and during the summer. HNS has also supported the
implementation of the Pandemic-EBT (P-EBT) program for
eligible families.
44
D. Maximizing State-Level Funds to Support Students
The Department recognizes that States have an extraordinary opportunity to address the
disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on underserved students through the
ARP Act’s required State set-asides to address the academic impact of lost instructional time,
provide summer learning and enrichment programs, and provide comprehensive afterschool
programs. In this section, SEAs will describe their evidence-based strategies for these
resources.
1. Academic Impact of Lost Instructional Time: Describe how the SEA will use the
funds it reserves under section 2001(f)(1) of the ARP Act (totaling not less than 5
percent of the State’s total allocation of ARP ESSER funds) on evidence-based
interventions to address the academic impact of lost instructional time by
supporting the implementation of evidence-based interventions, such as summer
learning or summer enrichment, extended day, comprehensive afterschool
programs, or extended school year programs, and ensure that such interventions
respond to students’ academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs. The
description must include:
i. A description of the evidence-based interventions (e.g., providing
intensive or high-dosage tutoring, accelerating learning) the SEA has
selected, and the extent to which the SEA will evaluate the impact of
those interventions on an ongoing basis to understand if they are
working;
As noted above in Section C.2. Table C1, ADE has selected several specific,
evidence-based interventions that address the academic impact of lost
instructional time. Many of these interventions may be extended into an
additional year using ARP ESSER funds depending on proven effectiveness
and demand from field for on-going intervention. Interventions were selected
based on ADE’s strategic priorities, a rubric for impact, and recommendations
from stakeholders.
Regarding additional evidence-based interventions and the designated ARP
ESSER funds, ADE intends to focus on the following priorities identified by
stakeholders, including:
1) Enrichment and reinforcement to learning
2) Mental, behavioral, and physical health support for
students and educators
3) Student and family re-engagement and support for critical academic
transition periods
The selection process for additional and on-going interventions will include:
• Establishing a working group of internal experts and stakeholders for
each priority area.
• Generating and evaluating targeted, evidence-based strategies available
for vulnerable populations in Arizona.
45
• Setting criteria for funding; including determining tiered or prioritized
level of support for LEAs or communities based on available COVID-
impact data.
• Determining distribution method and appropriate grant sizes based on
intervention, scale, and community need.
• Vetting solicitations and available services across Arizona.
The Equitable & Effective Schools Task Force asked that ADE keep the
following in mind regarding ARP ESSER fund distribution:
• LEA and Community Based Organization (CBO) capacity and
opportunity for partnership
• Awards large enough to make a demonstrable difference
• Application process that is not overly or unnecessarily burdensome to
applicants
• Flexibility to address evolving needs around pandemic using data
• Braiding and leveraging other sources of funding for sustainability
ADE will collect data aligned to federal reporting requirements, survey the field
and partners involved with the intervention, and engage in on-going stakeholder
engagement to understand whether the intervention is working.
ADE will take into consideration state and local policies on COVID mitigation
and re-opening schools that may impact the effectiveness of the intervention.
Lastly, ADE will lean on national research and clearing houses of information
on evidence-based interventions and evaluate what is fitting or can be
customized to Arizona’s communities.
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; an
Several of the ADE’s current interventions are targeted and designed to be
culturally responsive to support the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on
the student groups listed in question A.3.i.-viii. Most of the students in
Arizona’s public school system fall within such student groups and are also
impacted by statewide or schoolwide interventions underway.
ADE will continue to use the available statewide data sources to address
disproportionate impact of COVID-19 and target additional interventions to
vulnerable student populations. ADE was able to develop this type of process
46
for its Acceleration Academy grant program using GEER I funding. For that
program, ADE used the following data to prioritize awards based on COVID
impact:
• Free and Reduced Lunch applications
• Not Proficient AzMERIT ELA and Math scores (statewide assessment)
• Unemployment claims in corresponding zip codes
• COVID cases in corresponding zip codes
• No access to computer in corresponding zip codes
• No access to internet in corresponding zip codes
Moreover, in evaluating inventions for vulnerable groups of students, ADE
will also consider strategies and challenges identified by stakeholders. For
example, advocates working with foster care students cited transportation as a
barrier to student access to afterschool programs where they benefit from
structured time for homework and a safe environment to interact with adults
and peers.
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.
ADE will continue to utilize data as fit to target resources to students who
missed the most instruction over the course of the pandemic. The following
data on instructional modes from the 2020-2021 school year available:
• ID numbers of students no longer enrolled in AZ public system
• LEAs with waivers for onsite services due to public health orders;
meaning buildings were closed and 100% of students and staff were in
distance learning.
• Mode of instruction offered at each LEA at, at least one point during
2020-2021 school year.
• (LEA-level) The percent of student body in distance learning on the
40th day of the school year and on the last day. *Documentation on
how attendance was being taken should show whether the student was
in distance learning or in-person for a given day. This is not, however,
required to be reported publicly.
• (School-level) Number of days of in-person, teacher-led instruction
was offered (by August 1, 2021 based on state legislation)
ADE has already undertaken several of initiatives to identify and engage
students who have been missing or disengaged from schools, including:
47
• Providing LEAs a list of students who were enrolled in their school the
year prior but are no longer enrolled in another public school across the
system. This data will help LEAs adopt strategies for reaching out to
students they know are missing from the system. It is possible, however,
that those students may be enrolled in a private school, homeschooled, or
moved across state lines.
• Launching the Ready for School campaign to encourage students and
families to reenroll in their public schools. The campaign uses video and
media ads to highlight the many benefits of in-person school. ADE has
also used ESSER funds to create a hotline to support parents with the
enrollment process
• Establishing an internal team working on a comprehensive system of
supports or a cohort of schools that received waivers from having to
provide onsite services due to local public health orders. The buildings of
these schools were closed throughout the pandemic, and students could not
access computer labs or special education services even if instruction was
led online. The working assumption is that students enrolled in these
schools missed the most in-person instruction across the state. The ADE
team is working to identify their unique needs and help link to resources
across ADE’s program teams.
ADE will consider the use of ARP ESSER funds to scale current efforts or
adopt additional approaches to target interventions at students who missed the
most school last year.
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;
See Section D.1 on ADE’s process for ARP ESSER funds. This includes
summer learning and enrichment programs.
ADE is a participant in a collaborative network of State Education Agency
(SEA) staff convened by the National Summer Learning Association and
48
Council of State School Officers. The intent is for SEAs to build knowledge
and capacity on how to develop community system-wide strategies to support
learning. This network will support ADE in identifying evidence-based
programs and standards for practice, as well as developing guidance for LEAs
on the effective use of local ESSER funds to advance summer enrichment.
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
See Section D.1 on ADE’s process for ARP ESSER funds. This includes
summer learning and enrichment programs.
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.
See Section D.1 on ADE’s process for ARP ESSER funds. This includes
summer learning and enrichment programs.
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;
See Section D.1 on ADE’s process for ARP ESSER funds. This includes
comprehensive afterschool programs.
49
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
See Section D.1 on ADE’s process for ARP ESSER funds. This includes
comprehensive afterschool programs.
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.
See Section D.1 above on ADE’s process for ARP ESSER funds. This includes
comprehensive afterschool programs.
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.
ADE views the goal of ESSER recovery funds is to support communities
recovering from COVID-19, position our state’s educational system to support
student success, and ensure Arizona has a 21st-century ready workforce. Our
goal is to allocate federal recovery dollars from the SEA’s reserve to support
emergency needs statewide strategically and equitably in order to reach
students and communities in each of Arizona’s fifteen counties. Where
possible, we have taken advantage of the opportunity to leverage these funds
alongside existing investments. ADE will further leverage an ongoing
stakeholder engagement process to ensure that future investments are
effectively targeted to meet the ongoing unique needs of Arizona’s schools,
students, and communities statewide.
Each of ADE’s current and future investments using ARP ESSER funds
follows a rubric to ensure these funds:
50
• Support students and communities most impacted by COVID-19
• Expand schools’ access to evidence-based programs and trainings
• Address multiple factors that impact students' academics, including:
o Social-emotional wellbeing
o Educator workforce shortages
o Family internet connectivity
ADE is committed to measuring and evaluating the success and impact of these
investments.
ADE has also leveraged ARP ESSER funds to provide additional LEA
assistance for Title I-A LEAs, Non-Title I-A LEAs, and Career Technical
Education Districts (CTEDs). $47,500,838.92 has been allocated to LEAs for
this purpose.
51
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;
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.
ADE released ARP ESSER LEA allocations and grant application on May 24, 2021.
ADE’s comprehensive guidance and support materials for the LEA ARP ESSER grant
process are posted on the agency’s ARP ESSER website. ADE has set a target date of
August 23, 2021 for LEAs to submit their ARP ESSER application – which is 90 days
from Arizona’s release of ARP ESSER allocations and grant application.
52
The ARP ESSER LEA plan requirements as outlined in ED’s Interim Final Rule have been
embedded within the LEA ARP ESSER online grant application as both required
assurances for compliance and in the collection of the required content for the plan.
The ARP ESSER grant application includes a Program Narrative Questions page within
the application. This page is designed to supplement the more detailed budget narrative
section of the LEA application and provide accountability to ensure that all budgeted
activities included by the LEA in their application align to an allowability category for
ARP ESSER per ARP Sec. 2001(e)(2). The agency’s ESSER I and II application contain
similar pages to support this purpose with respect to the requirements of the CARES and
CRRSA Acts.
The following are selected screen shots of this page from the ARP ESSER application:
53
ADE has added required response sections on the Program Narrative Questions page for
LEAs to address subsections (I – the extent to which an LEA is leveraging ARP ESSER
funds to implement CDC mitigation strategies) and (iv – how the LEA will ensure the
activities implemented will address the academic, social, emotional and mental health
needs of all students) above:
Additionally, ADE created a new ‘Required LEA Set-Aside’ page within the application.
This page is designed to supplement the more detailed budget narrative section of the LEA
application and provide accountability to ensure LEAs meet the required set aside
requirements. This page prepopulates and automatically calculates the required minimum
20% of an LEA’s total ARP ESSER award that must be reserved to address learning loss:
54
LEAs are required to complete the set aside page based on their planned evidence-based
activities, and associated total budget for those activities, to support academic, social and
emotional needs within each major listed category of Summer Learning or Summer
Enrichment Programs, Extended Day Programs, Comprehensive Afterschool Programs,
Extended School Year Programs and Other:
Subtotals are captured for each major category and are then totaled. The page includes
validations to ensure no less than 20% of the LEA’s total ARP ESSER award has been
represented on this page. The validation results in an error that will prevent an LEA from
submitting their application until it is corrected.
ADE is leveraging existing staff from our School Support and Improvement unit to support
the review of ARP ESSER LEA grant applications. In part, this will help to ensure the
requirements per ARP Sec. 2001(e)(1) that all required set aside funded activities to
address learning loss and meet student academic, social, emotional and mental health
needs are also evidence-based – particularly in their application in support of our most
vulnerable student populations – are met.
55
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.
ADE has included the following required assurance to ensure LEAs comply
with the ARP ESSER LEA plan development stakeholder engagement
requirements per ED’s Interim Final Rule:
ADE will include a review of local documentation of the stakeholder
engagement process used to develop an LEA’s ARP ESSER plan, and the
LEA’s posted plan to ensure compliance with these requirements as part of
LEA programmatic monitoring activities.
ADE partnered with Achieve60AZ, College Success Arizona, Expect More
Arizona and Arizona School Administrators to create and share an ‘ARP
ESSER and Community Input Partner Toolkit’ posted on ADE’s ARP
ESSER website to assist LEAs with their local stakeholder engagement efforts.
This toolkit contains resources and strategies for effectively engaging
56
stakeholders, along with a list of specific community stakeholder organizations
representing the needs of vulnerable student populations, with links to each
organization and their contact information. Practical information is shared
regarding how to conduct community forums, both virtually and in-person and
how to craft effective surveys to gather actionable data and information to
inform local planning. Real examples from different LEAs across the state are
also provided - such as sample surveys, flyers, emails and social media posts.
The Arizona School Administrators (ASA) and Arizona School Boards
Association (ASBA) are supporting our collective efforts to raise awareness for
this toolkit to support local engagement efforts.
ADE has further provided the expectation that the local ARP ESSER LEA plan
is a living document, which can be revised and updated throughout the period
of availability of the grant program, to include the expectation of ongoing
stakeholder engagement to support this 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;
ADE’s SEA capacity to collect and report data will need to be enhanced to
provide the capacity to collect data regarding the participation in programs
funded by ARP ESSER resources, such as disaggregated student-level data to
address LEA implementation of evidence-based strategies, as well as evidence
of the effectiveness of their implemented strategies.
As referenced in Section E, ADE captures detailed information regarding how
LEAs will meet the required 20% set-aside to address learning loss, as well as
the ARP ESSER LEA Plan requirement to indicate ‘how the LEA will ensure
the activities implemented will address the academic, social, emotional and
mental health needs of all students’ as part of the LEA ARP ESSER grant
application.
ADE is the in process of reviewing the proposed data collection and reporting
requirements for ESSER I, II and ARP ESSER released by ED on July 2, 2021.
The proposed business rules are extensive and will require the creation of new
collection and reporting capacities at the SEA to capture new fiscal and
programmatic data elements from LEA grantees.
57
Additionally, ADE staff capacity is being expanded to support providing
technical assistance and programmatic monitoring for LEA grantees. These
positions will also support LEAs through developing and providing guidance
and trainings for LEAs for the ESSER funds programs, particularly with respect
to local strategic, integrated planning and budgeting and sustainability
planning; and developing and maintaining collaborative relationships with
local, regional, and state community partners. These positions will further work
to identify and analyze data needed to adhere to all ESSER Funds data
reporting requirements to meet applicable reporting deadlines.
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
Please see response to Section 3(i) above. Additionally, the ADE Equitable and
Effective Schools Taskforce (described in Section C and D) will be used to
provide ongoing feedback to the SEA regarding Arizona’s implementation of
ESSER fund programs to support our state’s most vulnerable student
populations. This feedback will serve to inform both LEA grantee technical
assistance and support provided by ADE, as well as supporting future targeting
of ESSER SEA set-aside funds to ensure they are effectively and sustainably
meeting the needs Arizona’s students and education community.
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.
Please see response to Section 3(i) above.
In addition to the data and information shared by LEAs as part of the ARP
ESSER LEA grant application, and technical assistance and professional
learning supports provided by ADE staff, the ADE Equitable and Effective
Schools Taskforce (described in Section C and D) will be used to provide
ongoing feedback to the SEA regarding Arizona’s implementation of ESSER
fund programs – to include supporting students whose student learning may be
58
most impacted due to the loss and/or disruption of instructional learning time,
and those student who may be most at-risk (or may now be at an elevated risk
based on the challenges of the prior year) of dropping out of school. This
feedback will serve to inform both LEA grantee technical assistance and
support provided by ADE, as well as supporting future targeting of ESSER
SEA set-aside funds to ensure they are effectively and sustainably meeting the
needs Arizona’s students and education community.
ADE has additionally provided resources and supports for schools to assist the
them to safely reopen for in-person instruction, to include sharing ED’s 3
volumes of the COVID-19 Handbook. Further, LEAs are required to revise and
updated, at a minimum every 6 months through September 30, 2023, their LEA
Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan, per the
requirements of the ARP Act. These plans will provide additional
accountability regarding local LEA plans for supporting the students' academic
needs and students' and staff social, emotional, mental health, and other needs
as LEAs move forward with their local recovery efforts.
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.
ADE staff capacity is being expanded to support providing technical assistance
and programmatic monitoring for LEA grantees. These positions will also
support LEAs through developing and providing guidance and trainings for
LEAs for the ESSER funds programs, particularly with respect to local
strategic, integrated planning and budgeting and sustainability planning.
Additionally, ADE will continue to closely collaborate with statewide advocacy
and professional organizations, such as the Arizona School Administrators
(ASA), Arizona School Boards Association (ASBA), Arizona Association of
School Business Officials (AASBO) and the Arizona Charter Schools
Association (ACSA), as well as partnerships with County School
Superintendents to provide timely, focused communications, technical
assistance and professional learning to support local LEA implementation
efforts.
59
ADE has championed the use of local decision making for leveraging ESSER
funds to accelerate and enrich learning and increase learning opportunities and
creating positive and supportive learning environments – particularly for our
most vulnerable populations. ADE is committed to working collaboratively to
support schools to use local, state and federal entitlement and recovery funds
effectively and strategically to meet immediate needs and to make thoughtful,
sustainable investments in support of ongoing local recovery efforts
ADE recognizes that the ESSER funds represent a generational opportunity to
make strategic, sustainable investments to help address systemic inequities and
unleash innovation and creativity to transform teaching and learning to realize
our agency’s shared vision of Equity for All Students to Achieve their Full
Potential.
60
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.
Table F1.
Area Data on shortages and needs Narrative description
Special educators Appropriately certified data - Percentage of According to the 2020-21 shortage
and related service positions filled with not appropriately report data that Arizona submitted to the
personnel and certified staff: (Area - FY19/FY21) USED for the annual Teacher Shortage
paraprofessionals Mild-Moderate - 15%/13% report, 4 of the 13 shortage areas are in
Early Childhood Special Education - special education positions.
15%/14% Paraprofessionals are not
Learning Disability - 15%/15% licensed/certified by the state. Data
Severe-Profound - 17%/28% regarding paraprofessionals are
Emotional Disability - 26%/14% available at the local level.
Anecdotally, most LEAs report
challenges in finding qualified
paraprofessionals to fill all available
positions.
Bilingual educators Percentage of Bilingual positions not filled According to FY19 appropriately
with appropriately certified staff: certified data of the 71 positions
FY19 - 24% FY21 - 35% reported 24% were filled by not
appropriately certified staff and
although positions declined in FY2021,
35% of the 66 positions were filled with
not appropriately certified staff.
Legislative changes have provided
additional flexibilities in the instruction
61
Area Data on shortages and needs Narrative description
of English learners and bilingual
education. It is anticipated these changes
will increase the number of bilingual
positions needed.
It is unknown what the true demand for
bilingual positions are due to gaps in
current data collection.
English as a second Percentage of Structured English Immersion According to appropriately certified
language educators positions not filled with appropriately data, in FY19 15% of positions were
certified staff: filled with not appropriately certified
FY19 - 15% FY21 - 16% staff and increased to 16% in FY21.
STEM educators Percentage of STEM positions not filled with According to appropriately certified
appropriately certified staff: (Area - data, Science areas continue to be a
FY19/FY21) shortage area as well as middle grades
General Science - 17%/33% mathematics.
Chemistry - 12%/15%
Earth Science - 35%/40%
Physics - 15%/23%
Middle Grades Math - 22.5%/23%
CTE educators In 2021 there were 197 improperly certified The ADE CTE unit has received
teachers out of 2050 teachers teaching CTE anecdotal feedback that a school will
programs. The ADE CTE Unit further close a program if a teacher is not
estimates that there is a vacancy rate of found. Data on CTE positions filled by
approximately 10% for CTE teaching substitute teachers when a certified CTE
positions statewide. teacher could not be found are not
currently available.
Early childhood Percentage of Early Childhood Special According to appropriately certified
educators Education positions not filled with data, Early Childhood Special Education
appropriately certified staff: continues to be a shortage area.
FY19 - 10%
FY21 - 15%
School counselors All but 4 of the 198 awarded school counselor Requests for another 81 school
positions under the state funded School Safety counselor positions received by the
Program have been filled for FY21/22 with ADE were unable to be filled because of
candidates meeting the position qualifications inadequate state funding of the program.
(98% filled). Because of the known increase in need
for these positions created by the
pandemic, ADE utilized ESSER II funds
to award these positions to schools. It is
not yet known whether the positions can
be filled with qualified individuals.
62
Area Data on shortages and needs Narrative description
Social workers All but 3 of the 140 awarded school social Requests for another 100 school social
worker positions under the state funded worker positions received by the ADE
School Safety Program have been filled for were unable to be filled because of
FY21/22 with candidates meeting the position inadequate state funding of the program.
qualifications (98% filled). Because of the known increase in need
for these positions created by the
pandemic, ADE utilized ESSER II funds
to award these positions to schools. It is
not yet known whether the positions can
be filled with qualified individuals.
Nurses Data on unmet school nurse needs and Anecdotally, it is known that several
vacancies is not collected by the ADE. districts are unable to fill advertised
positions due to non-competitive
salaries that are offered. Similar to
counselors and social workers, the issue
of inadequate nurses seems to be more a
funding issue and that positions are not
created because of inadequate funds.
School psychologists Number of school psychologist vacancies: Vacancies do not reflect all positions
FY19: 53 (4%) needed as the AZ school psychologist to
FY20: 47 (4%) student ratio (1:1,320) is much higher
than the nationally recommended ratio
Results from the ADD Exceptional Student (1:500-700) per data reported by the
Services (ESS) Unit Teacher Attrition Survey Arizona Association of School
Psychologists.
ii. Describe how the SEA will assist its LEAs in identifying the most
urgent areas of shortages or potential shortages, with particular plans
for individual LEAs facing the most significant needs (e.g., by
avoiding layoffs, providing high-quality professional learning
opportunities, and addressing the impact of stress or trauma on
educators). Include a description of how other Federal COVID-19
funding (e.g., ESSER and GEER funds under the CARES Act and
CRRSA Act) have already been used to avoid layoffs during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Through our data collection, LEAs identify areas of need and ADE supports
them through communication with Education Preparation Programs (EPP),
providing a statewide job fair both in person and virtual, as well as a
statewide job board for educators and education positions – the Arizona
Education Employment Board.
63
ADE has created an Educator Recruitment and Retention team focusing on
supporting the LEAs in recruitment and retention strategies as well as
leveraging stakeholder partnerships. This team has also developed and
implemented Principal and Supervisor of Principal professional learning
academies to build leadership capacity in LEAs to ensure support of
students and educators.
ADE actively partners with the Arizona K12 Center to support LEAs
statewide through professional learning and on recruitment and retention
strategies. We collectively revised our state’s induction and mentoring
standards and provide LEAs professional learning and support to increase
capacity for induction and mentoring as a vehicle to increase teacher
efficacy and retention.
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).
ADE actively assists LEAs in creating Classroom-based educator
preparation programs to expand the local educator pipeline and address
educator diversity. Additionally, ADE is supporting all educator preparation
programs (EPPs) in providing data and strategies for the recruitment of
future educators as well as ensuring efficacy in program completers. New
legislation potentially allows community colleges to expand their role by
offering bachelor's degrees. ADE will work with the community college to
assist in standing up expanded educator preparation programs that more
reflect the community.
ADE also facilitates a state-wide job board and job fair to assist LEAs in
reaching a diverse pool of candidates for all teaching and support positions.
As the accountability team analyzes gaps for students, the ADE will identify
LEAs for targeted support and assistance in implementing impactful
strategies to address need as well as partner with EPPs in utilizing strategies
for the benefit of LEAs and student needs.
64
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).
The ADE Certification unit is supporting the work of the School Safety unit
and their implementation of the school safety grant. ADE further a supported
rule change to create additional certification pathways for school counselors
and helped to create a new School Social Worker certificate.
The ADE School Safety and Social Wellness unit is collaborating with the state
school counselor and school social worker organizations to advertise the
positions awarded to schools through the School Safety Program. This
collaboration has extended to public and private universities to develop a
stronger pipeline of social workers selecting schools as their workplace of
choice. Cross-program collaboration within the ADE is occurring to strengthen
professional development and support provided to these positions to improve
job performance and increase retention.
The ADE School Safety and Social Wellness unit is also collaborating with the
Arizona Nurse Association to investigate options for increasing the pipeline of
nurses to schools in anticipation of the funding received by the state health
department for school nurses.
65
G. Monitoring and Measuring Progress
The Department recognizes that transparency on how ARP ESSER funds are used and their
impact on the Nation’s education system is a fundamental responsibility of Federal, State,
and local government. In this section, SEAs will describe how they are building capacity at
the SEA and LEA levels to ensure high-quality data collection and reporting and to safeguard
funds for their intended purposes.
1. Capacity for Data Collection and Reporting: It is important for an SEA to
continuously monitor progress and make adjustments to its strategies, as well as
to support its LEAs in making adjustments to LEA strategies, based on impact.
Describe how the SEA will ensure its capacity and the capacity of its LEAs to
collect data on reporting requirements, including but not limited to the examples
of reporting requirements described in the SEA’s Grant Award Notification (listed
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;
ADE collects statewide assessment data, disaggregated by student group, for
Arizona’s statewide assessments. These data are then reviewed, analyzed and
reported to meet state and federal accountability requirements for making
accountability determinations.
ADE administers statewide assessments in Grades 3-8 and once in high school
for ELA and Mathematics and in grade bands 3-5, 6-8, and once in high school
for Science that are aligned to the State Academic Standards (Note: this also
includes Alternate Assessment).
Beginning in Spring 2022, Arizona will administer the Arizona’s Academic
Standards Assessment (AASA) in grades 3 – 8, ACT in Grade 11, and AzSCI
in grades 5, 8, and 11 to meet this federal requirement, and will administer the
ACT Aspire at grade 9. Arizona will also offer the SAT as part of the Menu of
Assessments at Grade 11, and administer the PSAT at grade 9.
The following is a list of current projects of the ADE Assessment Unit:
• Implementation of the new statewide high school assessment - Grade 11
(ACT)
• Development of new AZSCI Operational Assessment – Grades 5, 8, and 11
• Development of the new AZELLA aligned to the new ELP Standards
• Development of the new MSAA Science Assessment – Grades 5, 8, and 11
• Implementation of the MSAA (Alternate Assessment) for ELA and
Mathematics – Grades 3 - 8 and 11
66
• Development of a new Alternate English Language Proficiency Assessment
Grades K - 12
• National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) assessment both
National and International Assessments
• Updates to Accessibility Manuals
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);
ADE currently collects disaggregated student-level chronic absenteeism data.
ADE collects student access to and participation in advanced coursework, such
as Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and Cambridge
International courses. ADE also collects advanced placement exam data for
these programs.
ADE collects date regarding educator professional learning opportunities
facilitated by the SEA.
ADE collects data regarding access to appropriately certified teachers, as well
as access to school counselors, social workers, nurses, and school
psychologists. ADE also regularly collects position data from LEAs through the
ADE Teacher Input Application (TIA), which then links certified educators to
the positions they fill. The ADE TIA system also collects aggregated teacher
evaluation data. Additionally, the School Finance unit collects positional
information for all certified and non-certified positions in district LEAs through
the School District Employee Reporting (SDER) system.
ADE has leveraged the collection of data from stakeholders via online survey
tools to support the implementation of statewide initiatives and program
reporting requirements, as applicable.
iii. Fiscal data that is comparable across the State (e.g., per-pupil
expenditures at the LEA and school levels);
Arizona school districts and charter schools are required to prepare an Annual
Financial Report (AFR) for the preceding fiscal year and to annually submit
this report to the ADE by October 15th. The annual AFR report summarizes
67
financial data across a number of funds, programs, and uses and includes
school-level financial reporting data.
After Annual Financial Reports are submitted, the data are processed by the
ADE and used to calculate federally required per-pupil expenditure data and
other state-required data points that appear in Arizona school report cards at
azreportcards.azed.gov. These data are also compiled to prepare the
Superintendents Annual Financial Report (SAFR), which summarizes financial
data for all school districts and charter schools in Arizona and is required by
state statute to be annually published by January 15th. Updated financial data,
to include updated school per pupil expenditures, are typically added to school
report cards in late January.
ADE will also compile, post, and annually report to ED SEA and LEA ARP
ESSER Maintenance of Equity (MoEquity) data per ARP ESSER requirements.
iv. Jobs created and retained (by position type);
ADE collects data regarding the number of jobs created and/or retained by FTE
within each ESSER fund (ESSER I, II and III) LEA grant application:
ADE also regularly collects position data from LEAs through the ADE Teacher
Input Application (TIA), which then links certified educators to the positions
they fill. The ADE TIA system also collects aggregated teacher evaluation data.
Additionally, the School Finance unit collects positional information for all
certified and non-certified positions in district LEAs through the School District
Employee Reporting (SDER) system.
v. Participation in programs funded by ARP ESSER resources (e.g.,
summer and afterschool programs); and
ADE’s SEA capacity to collect and report data will need to be enhanced to
provide the capacity to collect data regarding the participation in programs
funded by ARP ESSER resources, such as disaggregated student-level data for
participation in summer and afterschool programs.
ADE is the in process of reviewing the proposed data collection and reporting
requirements for ESSER I, II and III released by ED on July 2, 2021. The
proposed business rules are extensive, and will require the creation of new
collection and reporting capacities at the SEA to capture new fiscal and
68
programmatic data elements from the SEA, LEA grantees and entities funded
using SEA set-aside funds across each ESSER fund grant.
ADE has created new common data collection and program evaluation
language for inclusion in all SEA set-aside funded project agreements and
contracts that are aligned with ED’s current proposed data reporting guidelines.
This language includes references to required fiscal, programmatic and FTE
position data reporting.
vi. Other reporting requirements reasonably required by the Secretary
(please refer to Appendix B of this template; final requirements will
be issued separately).
Starting in SY2021-2022, School Operating Status and Instructional Mode data
will be collected at the student level via the Arizona Education Data Standards
(AzEDS) process. AzEDS is the vehicle for ADE to collect all student-level
data from LEAs for school finance and state and federal reporting.
Leveraging AzEDS will allow for ADE to collect and report disaggregated
student-level data reporting per the ongoing reporting requirements of
Appendix A, Table 2 of the ARP ESSER State Plan Template, to include Mode
of Instruction, Enrollment and Attendance
for all students and disaggregated for each of the student groups described in
A.3.i-viii for each mode of instruction (fully remote or online-only instruction;
both remote/online and in-person instruction (hybrid model); and/or full-time
in-person instruction).
ADE is the in process of reviewing the proposed data collection and reporting
requirements for ESSER I, II and III released by ED on July 2, 2021. The
proposed business rules are extensive and will require the creation of new
collection and reporting capacities at the SEA to capture new fiscal and
programmatic data elements from the SEA, LEA grantees and entities funded
using SEA set-aside funds across each ESSER fund grant.
ADE has created new common data collection and program evaluation
language for inclusion in all SEA set-aside funded project agreements and
contracts that are aligned with ED’s current proposed data reporting guidelines.
This language includes references to required fiscal, programmatic and FTE
position data reporting.
ADE will additionally provide ongoing technical assistance and support for
LEAs and SEA funded entities to help ensure quality and timeliness of
submission of all required data.
69
2. Monitoring and Internal Controls: Describe how the SEA will implement
appropriate fiscal monitoring of and internal controls for the ARP ESSER funds
(e.g., by updating the SEA’s plan for monitoring funds and internal controls under
the CARES and CRRSA Acts; addressing potential sources of waste, fraud, and
abuse; conducting random audits; or other tools). In this response, please describe
the SEA’s current capacity to monitor ARP ESSER; steps, if needed, to increase
capacity; and any foreseeable gaps in capacity, including how the SEA will
provide its LEAs with technical assistance in the anticipated areas of greatest
need.
ADE will leverage existing agency processes to fiscally monitor LEAs receiving
ESSER I, II and ARP ESSER funds. Current capacity is being expanded to meet the
additional volume of monitoring that will be required due to the inclusion of these new
grant programs.
Fiscal monitoring for LEAs receiving ESSER grant funds will begin in calendar year
2022, after Completion Reports are submitted for the initial budget period of ESSER I
(March 13, 2020 – September 30, 2021). LEAs are required to provide documentation
as part of the Completion Report that includes high-level fiscal overview from the
project. Completion Reports also contain required data and documentation regarding
expenditures that occurred during the initial budget period.
LEAs will be selected for fiscal monitoring in accordance with ADE’s existing Risk
Assessment process, based on the Risk Assessment Rating (High-Low). In addition to
the Completion Report review and approval process, fiscal monitoring will further
consist of reviewing local LEAs policies for internal controls, procurement, and other
required elements per Education Department General Administration Regulations
(EDGAR) and the Uniform Grant Guidance (UGG).
Material weaknesses that are identified through the fiscal monitoring process will
result in appropriate technical assistance and follow up, to include corrective action
plans, as applicable.
ADE is also in the process of increasing current agency capacity to fiscally monitor
non-LEA entities receiving ESSER I, II and ARP ESSER SEA set-aside funds. To
support this process, ADE has created new common data collection and program
evaluation language for inclusion in all SEA set-aside funded project agreements and
contracts that are aligned with ED’s current proposed data reporting guidelines. This
language includes references to required fiscal, programmatic and FTE position data
reporting.
70
Appendix A: School Operating Status and Instructional Mode Data Template
Indicate the date or time period represented by the following data.
Data reported are as of Mid-May 2021 for SY 2020-2021
Table 1
In the most recent time period available, how many schools in your State offered each mode of
instruction or learning model described below? Each row should account for all schools in your
State, so that, for each row, the sum of the numbers in the “offered to all students,” “offered to
some students,” and “not offered” columns is equal to the number in the “all schools” column.
Add or change rows as needed
Number of schools All schools Offered to all Offered to Not offered
students some students
Remote or online only 498 498 0 1647
School buildings open with both 1592 1592 0 553
remote/online and in-person
instruction (hybrid)
School buildings open with full- 55 55 0 2090
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).
Elementary Schools (Schools serving primarily K-8)
Number of schools All schools Offered to all Offered to Not offered
students some students
Remote or online only 315 315 0 1234
School buildings open with both 1200 1200 0 349
remote/online and in-person
instruction (hybrid)
School buildings open with full- 34 34 0 1515
time in-person instruction
Secondary Schools (Schools serving primarily 9-12)
Number of schools All schools Offered to all Offered to Not offered
students some students
Remote or online only 183 183 0 413
School buildings open with both 392 392 0 204
remote/online and in-person
instruction (hybrid)
School buildings open with full- 21 21 0 575
time in-person instruction
71
Table 2
In the most recent time period available, what was the enrollment and mode of instruction for the
schools in your State?
NOTE: In SY2020-2021, Arizona LEAs were required to report the percentage of
instructional time that was remote or online only at the LEA-level. Tables assume that the
percentage of instruction that was remote or online only was the same for all schools within
the LEA, except or schools approved to provide Arizona Online Instruction, which is entirely
online. Unredacted data from the SY2020-2021 October 1st Enrollment Report was used to
make school primary grade levels served determination. Starting in SY2021-2022, these data
will be collected via AzEDS allowing for disaggregated student-level data reporting per the
ongoing reporting requirements of Appendix A, Table 2 of the ARP ESSER State Plan
Template.
Add or change rows as needed
Number of Total Remote or Both Full-time in-
students enrollment online only remote/online person
and in-person instruction
instruction
(hybrid)
Students from # # # #
low-income
families
White, not # # # #
Hispanic
Black or # # # #
African
American, not
Hispanic
Hispanic, of # # # #
any race
Asian, not # # # #
Hispanic
American # # # #
Indian or
Alaskan
Native, not
Hispanic
Native # # # #
Hawaiian or
Pacific
Islander, not
Hispanic
72
Number of Total Remote or Both Full-time in-
students enrollment online only remote/online person
and in-person instruction
instruction
(hybrid)
Two or more # # # #
races, not
Hispanic
Race/Ethnicity # # # #
information not
available
English # # # #
learners
Children with # # # #
disabilities
Students # # # #
experiencing
homelessness
Children and # # # #
youth in foster
care
Migratory # # # #
students
73
Appendix B: Reporting Language Included in the Grant Award Notification (“GAN”)
As described in the Grant Award Notification (“GAN”), the SEA will comply with, and ensure
that its LEAs comply with, all reporting requirements at such time and in such manner and
containing such information as the Secretary may reasonably require, including on matters such
as:
• How the State is developing strategies and implementing public health protocols
including, to the greatest extent practicable, policies and plans in line with the CDC
guidance related to mitigating COVID-19 in schools;
• Overall plans and policies related to State support for return to in-person instruction and
maximizing in-person instruction time, including how funds will support a return to and
maximize in-person instruction time, and advance equity and inclusivity in participation
in in-person instruction;
• Data on each school’s mode of instruction (fully in-person, hybrid, and fully remote) and
conditions;
• SEA and LEA uses of funds to meet students’ social, emotional, and academic needs,
including through summer enrichment programming and other evidence-based
interventions, and how they advance equity for underserved students;
• SEA and LEA uses of funds to sustain and support access to early childhood education
programs;
• Impacts and outcomes (disaggregated by student subgroup) through use of ARP ESSER
funding (e.g., quantitative and qualitative results of ARP ESSER funding, including on
personnel, student learning, and budgeting at the school and district level);
• Student data (disaggregated by student subgroup) related to how the COVID-19
pandemic has affected instruction and learning;
• Requirements under the Federal Financial Accountability Transparency Act (“FFATA”);
and
• Additional reporting requirements as may be necessary to ensure accountability and
transparency of ARP ESSER funds.
74
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
75
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).
76
Appendix D
OMB Control No. 1894-0005 (Exp. 06/30/2023)
NOTICE TO ALL APPLICANTS
The purpose of this enclosure is to inform you other program beneficiaries with special
about a new provision in the Department of needs. This provision allows applicants
Educations General Education Provisions discretion in developing the required
Act ("GEPA") that applies to applicants for description. The statute highlights six types
new grant awards under Department of barriers that can impede equitable access
programs. This provision is Section 427 of or participation: gender, race, national origin,
GEPA, enacted as part of the Improving color, disability, or age. Based on local
America's Schools Act of 1994 (Public Law circumstances, you should determine
(P.L.) 103-382). whether these or other barriers may prevent
your students, teachers, etc. from such access
To Whom Does This Provision Apply? to, or participation in, the Federally-funded
project or activity. The description in your
Section 427 of GEPA affects applicants for
application of steps to be taken to overcome
new grant awards under this program. ALL
these barriers need not be lengthy; you may
APPLICANTS FOR NEW AWARDS
provide a clear and succinct description of
MUST INCLUDE INFORMATION IN
how you plan to address those barriers that
THEIR APPLICATIONS TO ADDRESS
are applicable to your circumstances. In
THIS NEW PROVISION IN ORDER TO
addition, the information may be provided in
RECEIVE FUNDING UNDER THIS
a single narrative, or, if appropriate, may be
PROGRAM.
discussed in connection with related topics in
(If this program is a State-formula grant the application.
program, a State needs to provide this
Section 427 is not intended to duplicate the
description only for projects or activities that
requirements of civil rights statutes, but
it carries out with funds reserved for State-
level uses. In addition, local school districts rather to ensure that, in designing their
projects, applicants for Federal funds address
or other eligible applicants that apply to the
equity concerns that may affect the ability of
State for funding need to provide this
certain potential beneficiaries to fully
description in their applications to the State
participate in the project and to achieve high
for funding. The State would be responsible
standards. Consistent with program
for ensuring that the school district or other
requirements and its approved application, an
local entity has submitted a sufficient section
applicant may use the Federal funds awarded
427 statement as described below.)
to it to eliminate barriers it identifies.
What Does This Provision Require?
What are Examples of How an Applicant
Section 427 requires each applicant for funds Might Satisfy the Requirement of This
(other than an individual person) to include in Provision?
its application a description of the steps the
The following examples may help illustrate
applicant proposes to take to ensure equitable
how an applicant may comply with Section
access to, and participation in, its Federally-
assisted program for students, teachers, and 427.
77
(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.
Click here to enter text.
78
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.
79
Appendix D: Response to Section 427 of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA)
Section 427 of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) requires a description of the steps
that will be taken to ensure equitable access to, and participation in, federally assisted programs
for students, teachers and other program beneficiaries. To ensure equitable participation and access
project resources, the following considerations will be made:
• When requested, the Arizona Department of Education will produce dissemination materials
(e.g., direct mailings, e-mails, on-line announcements) in both English and Spanish. Other
considerations will be made to ensure the document is readily accessible to traditionally
underrepresented groups.
• The project staff will coordinate the process of cooperation and collaboration between and
among the project participants to ensure equitable access and participation of recipients of the
project funds.
• The project staff will conduct accessibility assessments of their programs’ physical and
instructional environments.
• The project staff will eliminate physical and learning barriers in the educational settings and
provide reasonable accommodations to those being served.
• The project staff will carefully consider issues of cultural diversity and sensitivity by reviewing
instructional elements of the program. Careful attention to topics covered in the program will
be considered based on how participants might respond, react, or perceive information being
presented.
The Arizona Department of Education shall maintain non-discriminatory learning environments
to ensure that participants are not excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of or
otherwise subjected to discrimination in any program or activity of the district on the basis of
race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, disability or national origin. The right of any student to
attend and participate in school activities will be limited only when the welfare of others may be
threatened. When students act irresponsibly, they will be held accountable so as to preserve an
appropriate educational setting for others. These provisions are supported in the proposal as well
as in the Department’s policies and rules supporting diversity.
80
File and source
- File
- department-of-education-pdf-www-ed-gov-5cd31e5275.pdf
- Size
- 1,423,485 bytes
- SHA-256
- d73bbf77dcb26a377937f231c12b3ce0ec9f753156ecd306fa773145a907d5bf
- Original
- www.ed.gov