Nevada State Plan for the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (May 19, 2022)
Summary
Nevada's ARP ESSER State Plan, submitted May 19, 2022, lists award number S425D210018 and Jhone M. Ebert, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, with the date 5/19/2022. Its progress section names strategies including Connecting Kids NV for 1:1 connectivity, saying about 120,000 of Nevada's 500,000 students lacked a device or connection when it launched and that on January 5, 2021 Nevada confirmed every public school student in digital learning had both. In the needs section, stakeholders cite social, emotional and mental health supports, and the plan gives Nevada's ratio as 463:1 students to school counselors against a recommended 250:1. The text ends with the Department of Education's equity statement under GEPA.
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Cite this document
“Nevada State Plan for the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (May 19, 2022).”
Original at www.ed.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/department-of-education-pdf-www-ed-gov-5d0459a142/
, SHA-256 124a434a2f00991b98247f61753d661cf4f96e442bf945f29b200ba2e2c6bb09.Full text
Nevada State Plan
for the American Rescue
Plan Elementary and
Secondary School
Emergency Relief Fund
Submitted to the U.S.
Department of Education
May 19, 2022
Nevada State Plan for the
American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund
U.S. Department of Education
Revised as of: May 19, 2022
OMB Number: 1810-0754
Expiration Date: October 31, 2021
Page 2 of 62
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.
Cover Page
Grantee and Contact Information
ARP ESSER PR Award Number (e.g., S425U2100XX): S425D210018
SEA Contact: Dr. Seng-Dao Keo, Chief Strategy Officer
Telephone: 702-486-6561
Email address: skeo@doe.nv.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)
Jhone M. Ebert, State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Signature of Authorized SEA Representative Date
5/19/2022
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A. Describing the State’s Current Status and Needs
The Department recognizes the extraordinary efforts made by States, LEAs, and educators to
support students during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this section, SEAs will describe the
progress they have made, the priorities and student needs guiding their ARP ESSER funding
decisions, and their current and projected operating status.
1. Progress and Promising Practices: Provide your assessment of the top 2-3
strategies that have been most effective in supporting the needs of students in your
State during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for students most impacted by the
COVID-19 pandemic. Please include, if applicable, how your State will submit and
encourage its LEAs to submit lessons learned and best practices to the
Department’s Safer Schools and Campuses Best Practices Clearinghouse so that
they can be shared with other States and LEAs.
The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) continues to partner with the Nevada Governor’s
office, State agency partners, districts, and schools to lead the pre-K-12 education response to
and recovery from COVID-19. In accordance with our values (as identified in the Statewide
Plan for the Improvement of Pupils) and in partnership with the State Board of Education,
NDE identified and aligned its COVID-19 response and recovery – including the allocation of
federal relief funds – to the following priorities established in April 2020, which have been
updated (in red) as the State shifts from COVID-19 response to recovery and renewal:
• Closing opportunity gaps for students who have been traditionally underserved
• Safe, efficient, and equitable re-opening of school buildings
• Access to technological capacity for educators, students, and families
• Social and emotional support of students in response to COVID-19
• Access to high-quality professional development for educators
• Access to high-quality instructional materials for educators and students
• Support of parents, families, and communities
• Access to adult education and workforce development opportunities
The top 3 strategies that have been most effective in supporting the priorities outlined
above and the needs of students in Nevada are ensuring 1:1 connectivity (Connecting Kids
NV), prioritizing a safe and equitable return to school buildings, and investing in high-
quality distance/digital education.
1:1 Connectivity – Governor Steve Sisolak’s COVID-19 Private Sector Task Force adopted
bridging the digital divide for students and families as one of its priorities in the summer of 2020.
In partnership with the Elaine P. Wynn & Family Foundation, Communities in Schools Nevada,
the Public Education Foundation, and R&R Partners, the COVID-19 Task Force launched
ConnectingKidsNV. At its launch in August, approximately 120,000 of Nevada’s 500,000
students did not have the device and/or connectivity they needed to participate in distance
learning. The goal of Connecting Kids NV was to equip every student (not just household) with a
device and connectivity.
On January 5, 2021, Nevada was the first state in the nation to confirm that every public school
student participating in digital learning, whether full- or part-time, had a learning- ready device
and internet connection. Prior to this milestone, some students learning from home in Nevada had
been sitting outside restaurants, libraries, or WiFi-equipped school buses to access education. In
addition, many students had been sharing devices during the school day or relying on cellular
data plans to connect to learning.
The online tracker at connectingkidsnv.org was updated weekly, and regular status updates were
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sent to 500-plus Statewide leaders who consistently responded to calls for assistance from
educators and families. NDE and the Governor’s Office of Science, Innovation, and Technology
mobilized resources and resolved issues for district and charter schools with a particular focus on
remote rural and Tribal communities, where families may struggle to access reliable internet
service.
There was no one-size-fits-all approach in the Connecting Kids NV response – staff and
volunteers knocked on doors to find and connect students and through public-private partnerships
maintained a virtual Family Support Center, where call agents connected families to the internet
six days a week. The Family Support Center fielded more than 45,000 calls from families and
connected nearly 18,000 families to reliable internet.
Prioritizing a Safe and Equitable Return to Schools – On emergency order of Governor
Sisolak, school buildings in Nevada were closed effective March 16, 2020 through the end of the
2019-20 school year. In preparation for the start of the 2020-21 school year, Governor Sisolak
returned authority for decisions regarding the reopening of school buildings to local education
agencies in consultation with public health officiations.
NDE convened a Re-Opening of Schools Committee comprised of State health officials, district
superintendents and staff, charter school leaders, school safety experts, emergency mangers, and
other experts, that produced the Framework for a Safe, Efficient, and Equitable Return to School
Buildings (Framework) (translated into Spanish). The Framework focused on four key areas: re-
opening school buildings, human resources, logistics, and wellness and recovery. It included
checklists for priority topics – such as communications planning, nutrition services, and trauma-
informed interventions – to support districts and schools in local planning and considerations to
ensure safe and welcoming learning environments for the 2020-21 school year. Governor’s
Declaration of Emergency Directive 022 and NDE Guidance Memo #20-05 established
expectations and flexibilities for the 2020-21 school year.
Nevada’s 17 county school districts and charter schools put in place community-informed
reopening plans for the 2020-21 school year.
• Five school districts were able to offer in-person instruction to all students for the entire school
year with face covering, physical distancing, and other COVID-19 mitigation protocols in
place.
• Ten school districts offered hybrid learning models all school year, whether through weekly,
partial week, or partial day approaches.
• Elko County School District started the school year fully remote and began welcoming
students back in November and Clark County School District – the largest in Nevada and fifth
largest in the nation – began welcoming students back for in-person instruction in March 2021.
In all cases, parents and families were able to choose a distance education option for their students.
Emergency Directive 044 and Guidance Memorandum 21-02 set expectations for the 2021- 22
school year, and local education agencies (LEAs) retain authority to make determinations
regarding instructional approaches in consultation with local public health officials. LEA Plans for
Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services are due July 14, 2021 to NDE’s
grant application website as an uploaded file and will also be posted to LEA websites in a public-
friendly format as required by USED’s guidance.
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Investing in High-quality Distance and Digital Education – When learning moved to
distance/digital instruction due to school building closures in March 2020, NDE moved quickly to
establish the Nevada Digital Learning Collaborative (NvDLC), so students could access high-
quality, rigorous distance education. In July, NDE announced the official launch of NvDLC
website. The site features tools and resources for grades pre-K-12 that help educators, students,
and families thrive in an online learning environment. On the NvDLC website, educators can find
high-quality curricular materials and instructional strategies to help them meaningfully connect
with students and families in a virtual learning environment.
The NvDLC website includes tools to support educators in addressing the needs of diverse
learners, such as students with disabilities and English Learners, professional learning programs
through which educators can hone their virtual teaching skills and provides students and families
with support regarding the new virtual learning environment, offering resources such as how to
structure the day when digital learning. The site includes a translate option tab on each page, so a
language of choice may be selected in support of English Learners. From July 2020 through May
2021, 14,822 distinct users have visited the NvDLC website, accumulating 50,542 views across 71
countries.
As a complement to the NvDLC, NDE launched the Nevada Digital Engineers, a network of
experienced classroom, school, school administrators, and district leaders in Nevada who build
capacity for distance learning statewide by providing virtual training and coaching to stakeholders.
The Digital Engineers continue to expand NvDLC website content in support of a long-term
vision for this multi-use platform that will live beyond the pandemic. Thanks to the Digital
Engineers, Nevada’s educators were provided high-quality professional learning, instructional
supports, and materials. Digital Engineers offer office hours by content area, including: Career and
Technical Education, Inclusive Education, Special Education, Computer Science, Mathematics,
Fine Arts, Social Emotional Learning, among others. Through these office hours, Nevada teachers
may connect with a colleague who is a Digital Engineer and receive direct support for improving
their instruction.
In addition, NDE cultivated several digital curriculum partnerships to help educators transition to
distance instruction and minimize the disruptions experienced by students.
• NDE launched a Statewide partnership with Canvas, a learning management system, with a
Digital Engineer point of contact for each school district. Students and teachers were
able to access high-quality digital instructional materials and professional learning through
Canvas to inform lesson plans and digital or distance instruction. Currently, nine Nevada LEAs
and 19 charter schools are active in Canvas, with over 560,000 distinct users.
• Thanks to a public-private collaboration, NDE launched a two-year partnership to provide
students and educators with access to Discovery Education Experience, the award-winning,
flexible K-12 platform that keeps students connected to learning whether at home or at school.
As of June 30, 2021, 730 schools, 221,350 students, and 15,867 educators had used the
Experience platform.
• NDE also extended our reading partnership with myON to provide pre-K-12 students and
families with access to online reading materials at no cost. This partnership allows students to
access a library consisting of thousands of digital books and age-appropriate news articles
based on a student’s reading level, personal likes, and preferences. Nevada students have read
6,434,814 digital books and more than 58 million minutes using myON since May 2020.
Nevada’s priority remains the safe and equitable reopening of school buildings. However, the
State will continue to invest in high-quality digital instructional materials and professional
learning to ensure students, families, and educators have access to resources and support to
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address the impacts of interrupted learning, support learning acceleration, and continue to
advance student achievement in the State well beyond COVID-19 recovery.
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.
The top issues currently facing students and schools across Nevada as a result of the
COVID-19 pandemic include supporting social, emotional and mental health, addressing
interrupted learning, and recruiting, supporting, and retaining effective educators. To
identify these priorities, the Nevada Department of Education (NDE) engaged with dozens of
groups representative of the stakeholder categories required by the U.S. Department of Education
guidance. In addition to stakeholder conversations, feedback provided by NDE’s programmatic
experts informed the selection of the top issues facing students and schools. Lastly, NDE took into
account statewide survey results from a survey that was conducted in fall 2020. NDE partnered
and collaborated with the University of Nevada, Reno Extension (Extension) and the Nevada
Association of Counties to develop a Statewide survey targeting parents/families, school
personnel, and community representatives to learn about what is considered the most important in
efforts to ensure quality of education for Nevada’s youth. Extension is a unit within the University
of Nevada, Reno that is engaged with Nevada’s communities through direct education, programs,
and resources.
Supporting Social, Emotional, and Mental Health – The most frequently cited issue facing
students and schools among Nevada’s stakeholders was social, emotional, and mental health
supports for both students and staff. Stakeholders specifically mentioned interventions including:
hiring additional licensed social workers, decreasing student-to-mental-health- professional ratios,
providing wraparound services and on-site support, and reaching out directly to students. Nevada
currently does not meet the nationally recommended best practice of 250:1 students-to-school-
counselor or social worker. Currently, Nevada’s ratio is 463:1 students-to-school-counselor and
1,174:1 for students-to school-social worker.
More evidence to support the need to decrease student-to-mental-health-professional ratios comes
from The Nevada School Wellbeing Survey. The Nevada School Wellbeing Survey was
administered in November and December of 2020 to students, family members/caregivers, and
school staff to collect information about the most pressing needs resulting from the impacts of
COVID-19. This was the first year for the Nevada School Wellbeing Survey which creates a
baseline of data and the beginning of a longitudinal data system for student and staff wellbeing.
Supports for mental health were identified by LEA leaders as a key concern in survey design and
this need was confirmed by the survey results. While Statewide results for students and families
indicated moderate mental health needs, the majority of school staff responses indicated more
severe needs. Staff identified the following as major or moderate concerns: personal or family
mental health (75% of respondents), feelings of burnout (76%), and personal or family wellbeing
(84%).
Addressing Interrupted Learning (Learning Loss) – Nevada’s educators and staff
demonstrated persistence and ingenuity in ensuring continuity of instruction for students during
COVID-19 using the resources provided by the Nevada Digital Learning Collaborative (NvDLC,
referenced above in Section A1 as a “Promising Practice”). Despite these and other efforts,
addressing the impact of interrupted learning is a top priority for stakeholders and policymakers.
Nevada’s family engagement partners, special education advocates, and other civil rights groups
named possible learning loss as a top issue to address in the upcoming school year. Many of
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Nevada’s local education agencies are proactively offering credit recovery and summer
acceleration programs to close opportunity gaps that have been exacerbated by COVID-19. NDE
applied for and received approval for waivers of certain assessment and accountability
requirements for the 2019-20 school year. During the 2020-21 school year, districts and schools
administered required federal assessments and we anticipate being able to use assessment results
(once available) to inform our efforts to evaluate and respond to the effects of interrupted learning.
Recruiting, Supporting, and Retaining Effective Educators – With supports provided through
the Nevada Digital Learning Collaborative and other partnerships for digital instruction, Nevada’s
educators adapted to distance and hybrid instructional approaches. Throughout our stakeholder
conversations, educators, including school leaders, cited the ARP ESSER funds as an opportunity
support ongoing efforts to recruit, support, and retain more qualified and effective educators. In
alignment with the first priority outlined above in Section A2, the need to recruit and retain
effective educators extends beyond classroom teachers to include specialized instructional support
personnel. Specialized instructional support personnel include school counselors, social workers,
and school psychologists who are trained to provide the social, emotional, and mental health
services school communities need. As highlighted earlier, current ratios of these vital staff are far
behind the nationally recommended best practice ratios. The Nevada State Board of Education
recognized this need by formally adopting the nationally accepted best practice ratios as non-
binding recommendations in April 2020. Further details regarding Nevada’s educator workforce
are found in Section F.
3. Identifying Needs of Underserved Students: Describe your State’s 2-3 highest
priority academic, social, emotional, and/or mental health needs for the remainder of
the 2020-2021 school year (if applicable) and for the 2021-2022 school year related to
the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on each of the following student groups:
i. Students from low-income families,
ii. Students from each racial or ethnic group (e.g., identifying disparities
and focusing on underserved student groups by race or ethnicity),
iii. Gender (e.g., identifying disparities and focusing on underserved student
groups by gender),
iv. English learners,
v. Children with disabilities (including infants, toddlers, children, and youth
with disabilities eligible under the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (“IDEA”)),
vi. Students experiencing homelessness,
vii. Children and youth in foster care,
viii. Migratory students, and
ix. Other groups disproportionately impacted by the pandemic that have
been identified by the SEA (e.g., youth involved in the criminal justice
system, students who have missed the most in-person instruction during
the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years, students who did not
consistently participate in remote instruction 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.
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.
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Table A1.
Note from NDE: Table A1 was completed using 1) information gathered during
the stakeholder facilitation protocol described in Section C, 2) data accessed
through NevadaReportCard.com, and 3) the Nevada School Climate Survey.
Where school climate survey index score results are referenced, they align with
the updated U.S. Department of Education benchmarked performance level
categories: 100 - 299 - Least favorable conditions; 300 - 400 - Favorable
conditions; 401 - 500 - Most favorable conditions.
Students throughout the State, regardless of who they are or where they go to school experienced
similar challenges due to the circumstances created by COVID-19, Those challenges and concerns
are addressed in the State’s top three priorities, with the recognition that some students and
communities experienced impacts disproportionately. For example, access to digital devices and
internet was a significant barrier for students from families experiencing poverty or homelessness
who also tend to be disproportionately students of color. For students whose primary support
system is traditionally peers and supportive adults at school, such as those who are LGBTQ+, the
loss of those connections due to school building closures resulted in a sense of alienation and had
serious impacts to their sense of emotional safety.
Nevada is fortunate to have an incredibly diverse student population, and we trust our partners in
local education agencies to support the implementation of focused and targeted supports that are
tailored to the unique needs of their school communities. As a State, we continue to emphasize
the need for social, emotional, and mental health supports as a key component of recovery and
renewal of our education system in the aftermath of COVID-19.
When coupled with the important task of assessing the impact of interrupted learning that school
building closures brought, along with a commitment to continue to ensure that all students have
access to high-quality digital learning opportunities that reinforce and enhance in-person
learning, we are setting a solid course toward continuing to maintain safe in-person learning.
NDE will use data to address the disparities that the pandemic shone a light on through a renewed
focus and the investment of the necessary resources to accomplish those goals.
Student group Highest priority needs
Students from low- Key priorities identified for Nevada’s students include:
income families • Wraparound services including social, emotional, and mental health
supports for students and families.
• Addressing the digital divide and building digital literacy/platform
capacity
• Assessing the impact of interrupted learning (i.e., learning loss) and
providing accelerated and personalized instruction
Where specific priorities are not highlighted for the student groups
disaggregated by race/ethnicity in the rows below, they should be assumed
to align to these high-level common priorities.
American Priority: Addressing the digital divide and building digital literacy capacity.
Indian/Alaska Ensuring food security/access to nutrition services, especially in remote
Native Students rural communities.
School climate survey index scores for students who identify as American
Indian were lowest for Emotional Safety (343), followed by Relationships
(351) and Physical Safety (361). This group’s highest index score was for
Cultural and Linguistic Competence (365).
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Student group Highest priority needs
Asian students Priority: Wraparound services including social, and emotional, and mental
health supports for students and families. School climate survey results for
students who identify as Asian were lowest for Emotional Safety (364),
followed by Relationships (370) and Physical Safety (375). This group’s
highest index score was for Cultural and Linguistic Competence (387).
Hispanic/Latino Priority: Wraparound services including social, and emotional, and mental
students health supports for students and families. School climate survey results for
students who identify as Hispanic/Latino were lowest for Emotional Safety
(354), followed by Relationships (363) and Physical Safety (366). This
group’s highest index score was for Cultural and Linguistic Competence
(374).
Black/African Priority: Wraparound services, addressing the digital divide/connectivity,
American students and building digital literacy/platform capacity. School climate survey results
for students who identify as Black were lowest for Emotional Safety (349),
followed by Physical Safety (352). This group’s highest index scores were
for Relationships (360) and Cultural and Linguistic Competence (361).
Pacific Islander Priority: Wraparound services, addressing the digital divide/connectivity,
students and building digital literacy/platform capacity. School climate survey results
for students who identify as Pacific Islander were lowest for Emotional
Safety (363), followed by Physical Safety (369) and Relationships (369).
This group’s highest index score was for Cultural and Linguistic
Competence (382).
Students who identify Priority: Wraparound services, addressing the digital divide/ connectivity,
with two or more races and building digital literacy/platform capacity. School climate survey results
for students who identify with Two or More Races were lowest for
Emotional Safety (352), followed by Relationships (360) and Physical
Safety (365). This group’s highest index score was for Cultural and
Linguistic Competence (372).
White students Priority: Wraparound services, addressing the digital divide/connectivity, and
building digital literacy/platform capacity. School climate survey results for
students who identify as white were lowest for Emotional Safety (354),
followed by Relationships (362) and Physical Safety (372). This group’s
highest index score was for Cultural and Linguistic Competence (379).
Students who identify Priority: Wraparound services including social, and emotional, and mental
as male health supports for students and families. School climate survey results for
students who identify as male were lowest for Emotional Safety (341),
followed by Relationships (354) and Cultural and Linguistic Competence
(365). This group’s highest index score was for Physical Safety (372).
Students who identify Priority: Wraparound services including social, and emotional, and mental
as female health supports for students and families. School climate survey results for
students who identify as female were lowest for Emotional Safety (331),
followed by Relationships (345) and Cultural and Linguistic Competence
(352). This group’s highest index score was for Physical Safety (368).
Students who do not Priority: Wraparound services including social, and emotional, and mental
identify as female nor health supports for students and families. School climate survey results were
male lower across the board for students who do not identify as either male or
female, with the lowest index score for Emotional Safety (304), followed by
Relationships (323) and Cultural and Linguistic Competence (328). This
group’s highest index score was for Physical Safety (345).
Page 10 of 62
Student group Highest priority needs
Students who are Priority: Wraparound services, addressing the digital divide/connectivity,
English Learners and building digital literacy/platform capacity. Additional opportunities
and/or instructional time for English Learners to hone their oral and written
skills.
• Progress monitoring tools/system to assess English Leaners’
progress throughout the school year
• Interpretation/translation and communication services for EL
students and their families
Children with Priority: Wraparound services including social, and emotional, and mental
disabilities health supports for students and families.
• Addressing the social and emotional needs of children with
disabilities
• Bridging the gap between the general education classroom and
implementation of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)
• Accessibility and accommodation of special education students using
technology and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), particularly
ensuring appropriate supports are available to students (and relevant
staff) who may find face coverings a barrier to learning or
communicating
Students experiencing Priority: Wraparound services, addressing the digital divide/connectivity,
homelessness and building digital literacy/platform capacity.
• Multigenerational programming
• Identifying students experiencing homelessness and
proactively supporting students and families who may
experience homelessness
• Transportation services to and from school and other learning
opportunities
Children and youth in Priority: Wraparound services, addressing the digital divide/connectivity,
foster care and building digital literacy/platform capacity.
• Addressing the digital divide/connectivity and building digital literacy
capacity
• At-home instructional and academic supports
Migratory students Priority: Wraparound services, addressing the digital divide/connectivity,
and building digital literacy/platform capacity.
Transition programs and personalized supports Wraparound services
Other groups of Priority: Wraparound services, addressing the digital divide/connectivity,
students identified by and building digital literacy/platform capacity.
the State (e.g., youth • Military-connected students: Distance learning supports and
involved in the criminal infrastructure and addressing the digital divide/connectivity
justice system, students
who have missed the most • Rural students: Ensuring schools and programs are adequately
in-person instruction staffed addressing the digital divide/connectivity; ensuring
during the 2019-2020 and accessible nutrition services (example provided by stakeholders of
2020-2021 school years, limited hours during which to pick up food at a central location that
students who did not
was not convenient for working parents/caregivers)
consistently participate in
remote instruction when • LGBTQ+: Professional development for educators and counselors
offered during school on how to support LGBTQ+ youth and school therapists
building closures,
LGBTQ+ students)
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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.
The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) has supported local education agencies
throughout the COVID-19 response and recovery in prioritizing student and staff well- being
and ensuring continuity of learning. Key strategies that we will implement to support LEAs
going forward include:
• Modeling and sharing best practices for meaningful stakeholder engagement;
• Leveraging data to identify groups of students most adversely impacted by COVID-19; and
• Maximizing resources to identify and respond to the needs of students most adversely
impacted by COVID-19.
Modeling and Sharing Best Practices for Meaningful Stakeholder Engagement – Throughout
the COVID-19 response, NDE has been committed to soliciting and making decisions based on
stakeholder input, including by inviting LEAs, parents, and students to testify at open public
meetings regarding their pandemic experiences.
To continue this engagement in support of Nevada’s ARP ESSER State Plan, NDE created a
stakeholder consultation toolkit for the use of our programmatic staff experts. The toolkit includes
a process overview document, a norming PowerPoint, a public-facing PowerPoint presentation
with talking points, draft invitation text, and a post-engagement survey form.
NDE’s federal relief funding leads invited over 20 programmatic staff experts to a stakeholder
engagement planning session, during which programmatic staff experts were presented with the
process overview and norming PowerPoint to ground them in the purpose and significance of our
stakeholder consultation process for ARP ESSER. When they left the planning session, the staff
experts had draft invitation text they could use to invite their stakeholder groups to feedback
sessions, as well as the PowerPoint deck and talking points to present during that session. The
PowerPoint deck and talking points included prompts for stakeholder feedback on how the SEA
set aside should be spend in alignment with State Board of Education relief priorities. The
stakeholder feedback session prompts were directly aligned to the ARP ESSER State Plan,
specifically Sections A, C, E, and F, so all SEA responses would be inclusive of stakeholder
feedback. A member of our federal relief funding lead team attended each session to support the
program experts with any questions they could not field and take notes. Those notes were then
entered into a post-engagement survey form, so they could be consolidated and reconciled to
inform this application and other recovery and renewal efforts going forward. NDE held multiple
feedback sessions tailored to LEAs and shared the toolkit with district leaders as a model for their
ongoing efforts to engage stakeholders in the development of the two LEA plans required by the
American Rescue Plan Act. Over 30 stakeholder groups participated the ARP ESSER stakeholder
feedback sessions. The groups invited reflect the stakeholder groups reflected in Table A1 of the
ARP ESSER State Plan and include:
• LGBTQ+ Youth
• Children’s Advocacy Alliance
• Native American Youth
• Native American Tribal Representatives
• LEA Tribal Liaisons
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• State Public Charter School Authority
• Charter school leaders
• Multi-tiered Systems of Supports State Team
• Special Education Directors Association
• Special Education Advisory Committee
• Nevada Hands and Voices (civil rights advocacy group)
• Title I, D coordinators
• Title I Committee of Practitioners
• My Brother’s Keeper, Las Vegas Chapter
• LEA McKinney-Vento Liaisons
• LEA Foster Care Liaisons
• Advisory Council for Family Engagement
• District Parental Involvement and Family Engagement Liaisons
• Superintendent’s Teacher Advisory Council
• Superintendent’s Principal Advisory Council
• TeachPLUS (teacher-informed education policy advocacy group)
• Private School Educators
• English Mastery Council (State-appointed English Learner advocacy group)
• LEA Title III Directors
• Children’s Cabinet
• LEA Early Childhood Education District Coordinators/Administrators
• LEA Chief Nurses
• Social, Emotional, Academic Supports and Restorative Practices Workgroup
• School Bus Transportation Directors
• SafeVoice Liaisons (K-12 school safety anonymous tip hotline)
• Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission
• School Mental Health Providers
• Nevada Medicaid
• Nevada Division of Children and Family Services
• Nevada Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
• Nevada Association of School Superintendents
In addition to sessions planned with various partner and advocacy groups, NDE hosted two
feedback “make-up” sessions to provide opportunities for those who could not attend with their
stakeholder group to participate in the consultation process.
Finally, NDE created and posted to our website an ARP ESSER Planning Guide for LEAs to
support them in their planning and stakeholder engagement efforts.
Leveraging Data to Identify Groups of Students Most Adversely Impacted by COVID- 19–
NDE will support districts in identifying the extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on
student learning and student well-being by providing disaggregated and timely data. NDE applied
and received approval for an accountability and assessment waiver for the 2019-20 school year
and a limited accountability waiver for the 2020-21 school year. In accordance with the waiver for
2020-21, NDE will not be calculating school ratings or index scores as part of the Nevada School
Performance Framework (NSPF). School ratings/reports will carry over from the most recent year
(SY 2018-19), and all designated schools (comprehensive support and improvement, targeted
support and improvement, and additional targeted support and improvement, also known as CSI,
TSI, and ATSI respectively) will maintain their current designation status.
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The following data categories will be reported by NDE and available to LEAs to support their
efforts to address the needs of students most impacted by the pandemic, including the formulation
of their ARP ESSER plans:
• Assessment results for elementary, middle, and high school English language arts,
mathematics, science, and English language proficiency - Academic achievement is used in all
three levels of school ratings in the Nevada School Performance Framework (NSPF):
elementary, middle, and high schools. Academic Achievement uses performance on state tests
for Math, English Language Arts (ELA), and Science. For Math and ELA, the Smarter
Balanced Assessments are administered in grades 3 – 8 and the American College Test (ACT)
is administered in grade 11. The state science assessments are administered in grades 5, 8, and
10. The Nevada Alternative Assessment (NAA) is administered to students with severe
cognitive disabilities and these results are combined with Smarter Balanced, ACT, and
Science assessment results. Additionally, Nevada annually measures English proficiency for
ELs using the WIDA ACCESS assessment. The English Language Proficiency Indicator is
also included in all three levels (elementary, middle, and high school) of the school rating
system in the Nevada Performance Framework (NSPF).
• Academic growth using a skip-year analysis following guidelines from the National Center for
Assessment - Student growth is the amount of academic progress a student has made over time
in comparison with their academic peers. In Nevada, student growth is determined by
calculating Student Growth Percentiles (SGPs). Nevada measures student growth using annual
Smarter Balance assessments for: Mathematics 4th grade through 8th grade and ELA 4th
grade through 8th grade. Nevada also measures growth for English Learners (ELs) by
administering the WIDA Access Assessment annually to students in 1st grade through 12th
grade. The WIDA assessment is administered to determine the English language proficiency of
students for whom English is not their first language. Since accountability and testing were
waived for school year 2019-20 in accordance with USED guidance, Nevada will implement a
skip-year growth analysis which shows student progress over two academic years combined
(i.e., school year 2018- 19 and school year 2020-21), rather than just a single year of learning.
At the school level, this means that skip-year growth measures will capture the collective
impact of two years of instruction on a cohort of students' learning trajectories.
• Graduation data (4-year and 5-year adjusted cohort graduation rate [ACGR]) - The four- year
cohort graduation rate measures the percent of students in a ninth-grade cohort who graduate
with a regular high school diploma within four years or less. The five-year ACGR measures
the percent of students in a ninth-grade cohort who graduate with a regular diploma in five
years or less. Both the four-year and five-year ACGR are used in the Nevada School
Performance Framework (NSPF) school accountability rating system.
• Closing opportunity gaps data – Closing opportunity gaps as defined in Nevada’s ESSA Plan
specifically focuses on elementary and middle school students who were previously not
proficient but are now on track to proficiency. Every year, all 3rd to 8th grade students in
Nevada participate in Math and ELA assessments. Growth, or progress, toward proficiency is
measured for each student that has at least two consecutive years of scores. This growth
determines whether a student is on track to reach proficiency in three years or by the end of 8th
grade.
• Career and college readiness indicators - College and Career Readiness is included in the high
school rating system in the Nevada School Performance Framework (NSPF) and reflects the
State’s commitment to college and career readiness for all high school students. There are
many programs of college and career readiness coursework that prepare students for post-
secondary life. Some of these programs include Advanced Placement (AP), International
Baccalaureate (IB), Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment (DC/DE), and Career and Technical
Education (CTE). Students that participate in these programs may earn a Nevada College and
Career Ready (CCR) Diploma. To earn a CCR diploma, a student must meet the criteria for an
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Advanced Diploma and also take additional classes and assessments.
• Chronic absenteeism and attendance collected and reported for EDFacts federal reporting
- Research shows that reducing chronic absenteeism is critical to improving student
achievement; therefore, many states include this measure in their accountability systems.
Chronic Absenteeism is a measure showing the percentage of students missing 10% or
more of school days enrolled for any reason, including excused, unexcused, and
disciplinary absences. Students who are absent due to school sponsored activities are not
considered absent for the purposes of this calculation.
• Credit sufficiency and academic learning plans - The Student Engagement Indicator
(sometimes referred to as the Student Success or School Quality Indicator) satisfies the
requirement for inclusion of a school quality or school success Indicator in a state’s
accountability system. This Indicator includes Measures that vary across school levels.
The Chronic Absenteeism Measure applies to all three school levels (elementary, middle,
and high). In addition to the Chronic Absenteeism Measure, middle school Measures
include eighth grade credit requirements and Academic Learning Plans as required by
State regulations, while high school Measures include Ninth Grade Credit Sufficiency.
The Student Engagement Indicator contributes up to 10% to a school’s total index score at
all school levels.
• Enrollment - Nevada reports annual student enrollment counts disaggregated by
race/ethnicity, gender, special populations, and grade level. This validated collection
occurs annually as of October 1st and is reported on the NDE website and Nevada Report
Card accountability portal.
• Retention - Nevada reports data on retention by grade for the State, districts, and schools
on the Nevada Report Card accountability portal.
• Teacher information - Nevada reports data on teachers at State, district, and school levels,
including the number of teachers, number of core classes not taught by highly qualified
teachers, teacher ADA, teacher average daily attendance, paraprofessional and substitute
teacher information, school administrators, and professional qualifications.
• Discipline and attendance data - Nevada reports data on pupil attendance and discipline,
including bullying and cyber bullying, for the State, districts, and schools. Per State law
(NRS 385A.240 and NRS 385A.250), this data must be disaggregated by the student
groups outlined in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which includes pupils: who
are economically disadvantaged, from major racial and ethnic subgroups, with
disabilities, who are English learners, who are migratory children, who are homeless,
who are in foster care, who are military impacted, and by gender.
• School climate survey results - The Nevada School Climate/Social Emotional Learning
(NV-SCSEL) survey has been administered each school year since 2015 and includes
questions on students’ perceptions of their own social emotional competency as well
students’ perceptions of their school across four school climate constructs: Relationships,
Cultural and Linguistic Competency, Emotional Safety, and Physical Safety. An online
Data Tool allows for the results to be disaggregated whenever possible. Reports are
provided in both English and Spanish, and a Peer Matching Tool incorporates academic
data from the State’s accountability portal, as well. Results are reported according to
national performance benchmarks established by the U.S. Department of Education in
2017. Legislation passed during Nevada’s 2019 State Legislative Session requires that the
annual plans to improve the achievement of pupils include these measures of school
climate from students, family members/caregivers, and school staff. A pilot school staff
climate survey was administered in spring 2021, which will inform a Statewide annual
administration beginning in fall 2021, when the student survey will be administered for the
2021-22 school year. The pilot will serve as a baseline for data and the start of a
longitudinal database for years to come.
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• Financial information (per pupil spending) - Nevada provides data on per pupil spending,
remedial education funding, and legislative appropriations.
In addition, NDE required LEAs to complete or update their needs assessment in relation to
COVID-19 and planning for ESSER I funding. As part of their ESSER I application, each LEA
provided a summary of how their needs assessment was conducted, the extent to which
stakeholders were involved in the process, and a summary of the most critical prioritized needs.
LEAs used a variety of sources, such as assessment data and parent/community surveys, to
identify LEA and school needs. NDE also provided technical assistance to LEAs, reminding them
that their funding priorities should be responsive to the findings of their needs assessment. With
ESSER II and ARP ESSER funding, NDE is encouraging LEAs to review and update their
existing needs assessment to continue to inform their spending.
Maximizing Resources to Respond to the Needs of Students Most Adversely Impacted by
COVID-19 – NDE will support LEAs in identifying the extent of the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic on student learning and student well-being by contracting with research experts in these
areas. These experts will provide an evaluation of Nevada’s status of student learning loss and
student well-being needs, as well as create recommendations and provide services to close
opportunity gaps.
As of the publishing of this document, NDE received State Legislature approval to use ESSER
funds to contract with an education evaluation firm to conduct a Statewide comprehensive needs
assessment. The comprehensive needs assessment will include a landscape analysis to understand
the unique needs of school communities related to: academic learning and potential learning loss,
attendance and participation, social emotional learning, mental health, professional development
for varied learning environments (virtual, hybrid, and in-person), summer learning, evidence-
based interventions, and opportunity gaps. The comprehensive needs assessment and its results
will be available to all districts to inform local COVID-19 recovery.
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.
The data described in A.5.i.a. and b. using the template in Appendix A
(and to the extent available, the data described in A.5.i.c.) for the most
recent time period available. Please note that this data can be submitted
separately within 14 calendar days after a State submits this plan. The
SEA must also make this data publicly available on its website as soon as
possible but no later than June 21, 2021, and regularly provide updated
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available information on its website. The Department will periodically
review data listed in A.5.i on SEA websites.
ii. 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 Nevada Department of Education (NDE) has collected school operating status/mode of
instruction and student enrollment in relation to attendance and posted it to NDE’s website as a
downloadable file here. The downloadable file is modeled after the tables in Appendix A of the
ARP ESSER State Plan template. Districts submitted the identified primary mode of instruction at
individual schools and NDE disaggregated student enrollment by race/ethnicity and special
populations to produce enrollment counts for remote/online only, hybrid, and
full-time in-person instruction. At this time, our data collection methodology does not allow us to
identify modes of instruction “offered to some students.”
For the 2021-22 school year, NDE will implement a methodology to collect individual student
mode of instruction as a component of attendance in our student information system. The school
operating status/mode of instruction and student enrollment data collection and posting for the
2021-22 school year will be aligned to quarterly average daily attendance counts administered
planned to be collected by NDE on October 1st, January 1st, April 1st and July 1st.
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;
All Nevada LEAs offered in-person instruction to at least some students for part, if not all, of the
2020-21 school year. The Nevada Department of Education will continue to support LEAs in the
safe operation of school facilities in alignment with CDC and State guidance.
Additionally, NDE has a staff representative serving on the Governor’s COVID-19 Mitigation and
Management Task Force who also liaises with State and local public health officials to ensure
districts and schools have the most up-to-date and accurate information available.
Upon the issuance of any State Emergency Directives related to education or that have
implications for school settings, NDE prepares guidance or resources to support LEAs in meeting
expectations. Examples of Emergency Directives and guidance can be found on NDE’s COVID-
19 Resources webpage.
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Table B1.
Mitigation strategy SEA response
Universal and correct As of the writing of this document and based on State Emergency
wearing of masks Directives, face coverings are required by all adults and students
over the age of 9 in school settings and by students of all ages on
public transportation.
Physical distancing (e.g., As of the writing of this document, State Emergency Directives
including use of provide LEA leaders, in consultation with local public health
cohorts/podding) officials, the authority to make determinations regarding physical
distancing, space capacity, and large
gathering requirements.
Handwashing and Nevada’s Framework for a Safe, Efficient, and Equitable Return to
respiratory etiquette School Buildings (Framework) includes key considerations for
physical hygiene, including hand washing reflective of CDC
Guidance.
Cleaning and Nevada’s Framework for a Safe, Efficient, and Equitable Return to
maintaining healthy School Buildings (Framework) includes key considerations for
facilities, including cleaning and maintaining health facilities, including hand washing
improving ventilation reflective of CDC Guidance.
Contact tracing in Some considerations related to contract tracing and exclusion
combination with isolation (quarantine) of students and staff are covered in the Framework.
and quarantine, in The State has also supported the Nevada Department of Education
collaboration with the and its LEAs by establishing Nevada Health Response (which
State, local, territorial, includes an education section), as well as a COVID Trace Mobile
App.
or Tribal health In addition, Nevada Department of Health and Human Services’
departments Division of Public and Behavioral Health (DPBH) helped support
mitigation measures in school-based settings by assisting with
implementation of surveillance, symptom monitoring and disease
investigation. Efforts included the development of a School
Absenteeism Monitoring System (SAMS), which serves as a
standardized process through Infinite Campus for tracking and
reporting on student absenteeism and symptom monitoring for
Nevada schools. SAMS has been utilized by the Washoe County
School District (WCSD) and the Washoe County Health District
(WCHD), and the data collected and analyzed through this
program has been a useful tool to monitor irregularities in
absences and served as an early indicator of potential outbreaks.
The Nevada Department of Health and Human Services worked in
collaboration with NDE to expand the SAMS program by
extending it to all school districts throughout the State.
Diagnostic and screening From September through December 2020, $6.2 million in
testing Coronavirus Relief Funds from the CARES Act was used to
implement the Task Force Initiative for Educator's Safety and
Screening (T.I.E.S.). T.I.E.S. was designed in collaboration with
district leaders, teacher representatives, and health professionals
and provided a free COVID-19 testing program for participating
educators, administrators, bus drivers, and school staff. Originally
conceptualized to serve Clark County School District, the fifth
largest district in the nation, NDE partnered with THT Health to
expand T.I.E.S. to serve educators and staff throughout Nevada’s
17 school districts and public charter schools. In addition, NDE
and the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services’
Division of Public and Behavioral Health (DPBH) are working
together to support each school district, charter, and private school
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Mitigation strategy SEA response
to access funding available through the Epidemiology and
Laboratory Capacity (ELC) Reopening Schools: Support for
Screening Testing to Reopen & Keep Schools Operating Safely
through ARP. DPBH has been collaborating with NDE on
BinaxNOW rapid test rollout and distribution to all interested
public, charter, and private schools – regardless of their model for
in-person or virtual instruction. Each participating school district
or school is required to have a State of Nevada laboratory license
and a Federal CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement
Amendments) certificate prior to administering the BinaxNOW
test. The DPBH’s Bureau of Health Care Quality and Compliance
(HCQC) has a plan to review licensure applications for each
school district or school choosing to opt into the BinaxNOW
testing capability, whereas all schools within a school district or
the SPCSA would be authorized branches of the singular, approved
school district license.
Efforts to provide Pre-K and K-12 educators in Nevada were prioritized at the top of
vaccinations to educators, the Frontline & Essential Workforce lane under the Nevada
other staff, and students, if COVID-19 Vaccination Playbook. This includes teachers,
eligible guidance counselors, bus drivers, cafeteria staff, cleaning and
maintenance staff and every other valued and essential employee
who serves Nevada's students. As of February 26, 2021, every
educator in every county school district in the State had either
received their first and/or second shot, was scheduled to get
vaccinated, or had the opportunity to access vaccination under this
priority group.
Appropriate The Framework identifies the needs of students with disabilities as
accommodations for a key consideration along numerous aspects of reopening plans. In
children with disabilities addition, the distance education guidance issued by NDE for the
with respect to the health 2020-21 and 2021-22 school year stipulates that distance
and safety policies education plans must ensure all students receive access to the
services to which they are entitled to, including English Learners,
students with Individualized Education Programs, and students
with 504 plans.
Prior to the opening of schools for the 2020-21 school year, NDE worked collaboratively with the
Governor’s COVID-19 Task Force and Division of Emergency Management to procure and
distribute Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to all LEAs. Following this distribution, NDE
again coordinated with the Division of Emergency Management and Department of Health and
Human Services to procure and distribute PPE for the remainder of the first semester of the 2020-
21 school year. The PPE included gowns, N-95 masks, gloves, and sanitizer. In addition, all
districts and the State Public Charter School Authority received a distribution of youth and adult
size cloth masks from FEMA that were delivered or made available for pick up by the Division of
Emergency Management. As of February 2021, the Nevada Division of Emergency Management
provided over 4.5 million items of PPE to public, private, charter, and Tribal schools throughout
Nevada.
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;
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Plans and policies related to NDE’s COVID-19 response can be found on the COVID-19
Resources webpage. Key plans and policies include:
• April 22, 2020: Ongoing response to school building closures in Nevada
• April 28, 2020: Path Forward Plan: Responding to COVID-19
• June 9, 2020: Summer Learning and Activities Guidance
• August 26, 2020: Framework for a Safe, Efficient, and Equitable Return to School Buildings
(and translated into Spanish)
• February 26, 2021: COVID-19 Education Response Overview
• June 10, 2021: Supporting Students Through Federal Relief Funding: ARP ESSER Planning
Guide for LEAs
Governor’s Declaration of Emergency Directive 022 and NDE Guidance Memo #20-05
established expectations and flexibilities for the 2020-21 school year; Emergency Directive 044
and Guidance Memorandum #21-02 set expectations for the 2021-22 school year. LEAs will have
to submit their federally required Plans for Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of
Services by July 14, 2021 through Nevada’s grant management platform, which must include a
plan for distance education and be accompanied by the LEA leader’s certification for distance
education as described in Memo #21-02.
In implementing distance education for the 2021-22 school year, districts and schools must ensure
students participating in distance education have access to the technology necessary to participate
in distance education, such as access to a computer and internet connectivity, or plan to provide
accommodations for students without access to such technology. Districts and schools must
provide opportunities for distance education as follows:
• Any district or charter school student who has documentation from a medical professional
related to a condition that would be compromised by attending school in- person or is
quarantined on the advice of local public health officials must have an opportunity to access
and participate in distance education.
• All county school district students must have an ability to access and participate in distance
education at the request of their parent/guardian through a process to be established by the
district.
In addition, districts and schools must provide a distance education option for the 2021-22 school
year as follows:
• A licensed teacher or substitute teacher must attempt to contact each student via
electronic means or by telephone at least once per instructional day; if a student’s lack of
access to a telephone or internet service results in an inability to be contacted, a licensed
teacher or licensed substitute teacher must attempt contact via other means (e.g., home visit)
once per week and maintain a record of attempts.
• The program of instruction must provide appropriate education for English Learners, students
with Individualized Education Programs, and students with 504 Plans.
• Licensed teachers and/or licensed substitutes must be accessible to students through the
internet or by telephone during the school’s regularly scheduled instructional hours.
• Students participating in distance education must receive access to the nutrition services to
which they are entitled.
• Districts and schools must use a consistent method in Infinite Campus (Nevada’s statewide
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student information system) for recording contact with students participating in distance
education, which may include students demonstrating regular weekly progress in their
classwork that can be verified through a learning management system.
As of the publication of this document, the Nevada Department of Education’s Office for a Safe
and Respectful Learning Environment was approved to hire a registered nurse to provide technical
assistance to LEAs regarding re-opening and compliance with CDC and State guidance. The
registered nurse will also review and confirm plans for the safe operation of schools to ensure
alignment with CDC guidance.
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 Nevada Department of Education (NDE) consults with federal, State, and local health
officials when updating its guidance to LEAs with both routine and on-demand meetings
and collaboration. NDE continues to work with health districts and the Nevada Division of
Public and Behavioral Health during scheduled monthly and weekly collaboration meetings. NDE
also hosts monthly LEA chief school nurse meetings to support the implementation of federal and
State health requirements for screening, contact tracing and other COVID-19 related activities
across all schools.
Legislation passed during the 2021 State Legislative Session added epidemics to the list of events
mandating preparation and response plans to the Crisis, Emergency, and Suicide Response
(CESR) plans that are required of all schools in Nevada. NDE provides a model CESR plan and
supports local education agencies in developing and reviewing those plans on an annual level to
ensure quality and that best practices are being effectively leveraged to support all aspects of
school preparedness and response efforts. NDE also convened a 3-day virtual Statewide School
Safety conference in June 2021, which featured presentations on best practices for COVID-19
recovery, as well as trauma-informed schools, suicide prevention, social emotional learning, and
comprehensive mental health supports.
iv. Any guidance, professional learning, and technical assistance
opportunities the SEA will make available to its LEAs.
The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) has made re-opening guidance and technical
assistance opportunities available to LEAs through its Framework, regular LEA convenings,
and availability of expert staff to support the safe re-opening of schools. In addition, NDE will
continue to provide professional learning and technical assistance in following areas:
• Implementing CDC pandemic guidelines during the recovery and renewal phasis of the
pandemic,
• Social and emotional support in the recovery and renewal phases of the pandemic,
• Mental health supports and suicide prevention,
• Training on identifying and responding to self-harm student behaviors,
• Training and support in grief and loss,
• Training and support on learning loss and recovery, and
• Behavioral health threat assessment.
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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:
v. 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;
Emergency Directive 044 and Guidance Memorandum #21-02 set expectations for the 2021-22 school
year. LEAs will have to submit their federally required Plans for Safe Return to In-Person Instruction
and Continuity of Services through Nevada’s grant management platform. In accordance with
Guidance Memorandum #21-02, such plans must include a plan for distance education and be
accompanied by the LEA leader’s certification for distance education.
As updated federal and State guidance regarding COVID-19 mitigations efforts is promulgated, NDE
will produce frequently asked questions documents and other resources to support LEA
implementation of health and safety best practices.
vi. 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;
All Nevada LEAs accomplished a safe re-opening of schools during the 2020-21 school year
and will continue in-person instruction with the option of full-time or hybrid distance
education for the 2021-22 school year. The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) issued
Guidance Memo #21-02, which sets expectations for instructional methodologies and options for
the 2021-22 school year.
In providing a distance education option, districts must ensure the following (and each LEA leader
must sign a certification agreeing to uphold these requirements):
• A licensed teacher or substitute teacher must attempt to contact each student via
electronic means or by telephone at least once per instructional day; if a student’s lack of
access to a telephone or internet service results in an inability to be contacted, a licensed
teacher or licensed substitute teacher must attempt contact via other means (e.g., home visit)
once per week and maintain a record of attempts.
• The program of instruction must provide appropriate education for English Learners, students
with Individualized Education Programs, and students with 504 Plans.
• Licensed teachers and/or licensed substitutes must be accessible to students through the
internet or by telephone during the school’s regularly scheduled instructional hours.
• Students participating in distance education must receive access to the nutrition services to
which they are entitled.
• Districts and schools must use a consistent method in Infinite Campus (Nevada’s statewide
student information system) for recording contact with students participating in distance
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education, which may include students demonstrating regular weekly progress in their
classwork that can be verified through a learning management system.
To support LEAs in maximizing available funding for recovery and renewal of our Pre-K-12
education system, NDE will be hiring contract staff to ensure the implementation of the fiscal,
programmatic, and health and safety expectations of the ARP ESSER grant.
vii. 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
The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) will ensure that the LEAs periodically review
by requesting that plans are resubmitting to NDE at minimum every six months and at most
whenever they are substantially updated. As required by federal guidance, LEAs will also be
posting and maintaining updated plans on their respective websites. In addition, as part of their
application for ARP ESSER funds, LEAs must indicate the stakeholders with whom they
consulted in the development of their plan. NDE released its ARP ESSER State Plan stakeholder
engagement protocol and staff training materials to LEAs as an exemplar for stakeholder
engagement.
The above requirements will also be a part of NDE’s ARP ESSER monitoring of LEAs.
viii. 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.
The Nevada Department of Education does not collect specific information about LEA
implementation of each element of the CDC guidance. Such information should be
addressed in LEA reopening plans due July 14, 2021. Plans for the 2020-21 school year are
available on NDE’s website. Nevada LEAs are supported by NDE, in partnership with State and
local public health officials, in implementing CDC guidance and have not at this time expressed a
need for further support nor technical assistance.
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;
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.
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2. 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.
The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) sought input from diverse stakeholders to
develop the SEA’s ARP ESSER State Plan through a process of mobilizing its stakeholders,
aligned to the groups listed in subsections i-ix, deploying a facilitation protocol aligned to
the sections of the SEA’s ARP ESSER State Plan, summarizing feedback, and using the
feedback to inform the responses in the ARP ESSER State Plan. The Nevada Department of
Education relied on its staff who serve as stakeholder liaisons to the groups listed in subsections
i-ix to deploy the facilitation protocol to over 30 stakeholder groups who participated the ARP
ESSER stakeholder feedback sessions. The groups invited reflect the stakeholder groups reflected
in Table A1 of the ARP ESSER State Plan and include:
• LGBTQ+ Youth
• Children’s Advocacy Alliance
• Native American Youth
• Native American Tribal Representatives
• LEA Tribal Liaisons
• State Public Charter School Authority
• Charter school leaders
• Multi-tiered Systems of Supports State Team
• Special Education Directors Association
• Special Education Advisory Committee
• Nevada Hands and Voices (civil rights advocacy group)
• Title I, D coordinators
• Title I Committee of Practitioners
• My Brother’s Keeper, Las Vegas Chapter
• LEA McKinney-Vento Liaisons
• LEA Foster Care Liaisons
• Advisory Council for Family Engagement
• District Parental Involvement and Family Engagement Liaisons
• Superintendent’s Teacher Advisory Council
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• Superintendent’s Principal Advisory Council
• TeachPLUS (teacher-informed education policy advocacy group)
• Private School Educators
• English Mastery Council (State-appointed English Learner advocacy group)
• LEA Title III Directors
• Children’s Cabinet
• LEA Early Childhood Education District Coordinators/Administrators
• LEA Chief Nurses
• Social, Emotional, Academic Supports and Restorative Practices Workgroup
• School Bus Transportation Directors
• SafeVoice Liaisons (K-12 school safety anonymous tip hotline)
• Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission
• School Mental Health Providers
• Nevada Medicaid
• Nevada Division of Children and Family Services
• Nevada Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
• Nevada Association of School Superintendents
In addition to sessions planned with various partner and advocacy groups, NDE hosted two
feedback “make-up” sessions to provide opportunities for those who could not attend with their
stakeholder group to participate in the consultation process.
Finally, NDE created and posted to our website an ARP ESSER Planning Guide for LEAs to
support them in their planning and stakeholder engagement efforts.
The facilitation protocol was so successful, LEAs requested the protocol and staff training
materials to guide LEA stakeholder engagement as required for the ARP ESSER Use of Funds
application. The input received has been incorporated throughout NDE’s ARP ESSER State Plan,
including the needs listed in Section A1 and table A1. A list of key aspects of stakeholder
feedback are summarized as follows:
• Increase in social, emotional, and mental health supports for both students and educators,
including the hiring of fully-licensed behavioral health professionals including school social
workers, counselors and psychologists,
• Enhance and encourage summer and after-school programs,
• Equity and diversity training and professional development for school staff,
• Support for educators and teachers such as mentor teachers,
• Recruitment and retention efforts for effective teachers,
• Opportunities for socialization and connection in school communities,
• Evaluation and assessment of student needs,
• Maintenance of the 1:1 device and connectivity infrastructure created during COVID-19,
• Increase inclusion programs for students with disabilities, especially in early childhood
education, and
• Interventions to address the impact of interrupted learning experienced during COVID- 19.
The facilitation protocol included a list of potential projects to be funded by the SEA’s ARP
ESSER allocation. Stakeholders were overwhelmingly in support of NDE’s priorities and
proposed projects. One critical piece of feedback received was the need to focus not just on
making up for learning loss but using this as a turning point to propel Nevada’s students forward.
Finally, the Nevada Department of Education made its draft ARP ESSER State Plan available
publicly on its website for public comment.
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3. 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);
All Nevada LEAs accomplished a safe re-opening of schools during the 2020-21 school year
and will continue in-person instruction with the option of full-time or hybrid distance
education for the 2021-22 school year. Thanks to a highly coordinated Statewide effort and with
the support of public-private partnerships, the majority of costs related to safe reopening –
including personal protective equipment, testing, sanitizer, contact tracing, etc. – were born by
other funding sources. While LEAs certainly used some federal relief funding to ensure health and
safety protocols were being met, the majority of education funding has been able to be reserved
for educational services and wraparound supports to expand equitable access to high-quality
learning opportunities.
In addition, NDE used SEA funds and partnered with the Governor’s Office to access GEER funds
to support Statewide initiatives that advanced student learning during school building closures and
beyond including the Nevada Digital Learning Collaborative and Digital Engineers, READ
Nevada with myON, Discovery Education Experience, Canvas Learning Management System,
and funding for Pre-Kindergarten seats.
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) – As detailed in Section C
Subsection 2 ii below, the Nevada Department of Education awarded $11 million in Statewide
activities funding through a competitive grant process. LEAs’ CARES Act ESSER Funding grant
applications can be viewed on NDE’s grants management system. Use the “Search” menu, select
“Grants,” select fiscal year “2020,” then select “CARES Act ESSER Funding” and click “Search”
to view a list of LEA grant applications.
Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA) – LEAs’
CRRSA Act ESSER II Funding grant applications can be viewed on NDE’s grants management
system. Use the “Search” menu, select “Grants,” select fiscal year “2021,” then select “CRRSA
ESSER II” and click “Search” to view a list of LEA grant applications. As of the publication of
this document, not all LEA applications have been submitted and approved by NDE. Key projects
undertaken by NDE using CRRSA funds are detailed in Appendix A of Supporting Students
Through Federal Relief Funding: ARP ESSER Planning Guide for LEAs and included here:
System Priority: Closing opportunity gaps for students who have been traditionally underserved
Project Overview
High School $4.2 million to design programming and implement incentives to support students
Graduation who did not graduate high school with their cohort due to circumstances created by
COVID-19. Programming will support “fifth-year seniors” in meeting the graduation
requirements for a high school diploma and concluding their K-12
education experience ready for college or careers.
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Project Overview
Incentivizing $20.7 million to fund stipends for pre-service teachers completing their student
Pathways to teaching or final semesters in educator preparation programs will strengthen the
Teaching pipeline and retain/support students in their progress to on-time completion.
Ensuring that qualified candidates complete ready to obtain their professional license as
a K-12 educator in Nevada will expand Nevada’s teacher workforce and
help ensure equitable access to effective teachers for all students.
Expanding $1.6 million to expand equitable access to dual enrollment coursework for all
Access to Nevada students. Despite broad opportunities for dual enrollment in Nevada, there
College-Level are critical gaps in enrollment, specifically for low-income, first generation, and
Coursework underrepresented students. Access to dual enrollment must be available to all Nevada
high school students, regardless of their zip code or socio-economic
background.
Strategic School $1.0 million to purchase or build out a Statewide digital platform for school
Improvement performance plans, district performance plans, and comprehensive needs
Planning Platform assessments which inform those plans. NDE is currently working with districts in the
pilot phase of implementing updated performance plans and have identified an
opportunity to create a single platform that will streamline improvement planning for
districts and schools and make it easier to ensure alignment of improvement plans to
the Statewide Plan for the Improvement of Pupils as well as local
priorities.
Pre-Kindergarten $5.0 million to maintain and expand State-funded pre-Kindergarten seats for
Access Nevada’s most vulnerable children and support NDE’s goal of all children having
access to quality early care and education. Nevada Ready! State Pre-K served 3,094
in the 2019-20 school year which is approximately 20% of all eligible 4-year-olds.
System Priority: Safe, efficient, and equitable re-opening of school buildings
Project Overview
Uniform Financial $6.0 million to develop a uniform financial management system to enhance
Management System transparency and improve the accuracy and timeliness of financial accounting and
budgeting.
System Priority: Social and emotional support of students in response to COVID-19
Project Overview
School-Based Mental $7.5 million to support districts and charter schools in hiring 100 school-based mental
Health Professionals health professionals. These additional licensed providers are needed to support staff
and student populations with ongoing recovery from the pandemic and
its effects.
Multi-Tiered Systems $1.7 million to hire a Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) coach to assist each
of Support district in meeting the immediate needs for additional interventions to support students
throughout the recovery phase of the pandemic. MTSS helps schools to identify
struggling students early so that they may receive assistance quickly and includes
strong universal teaching approaches to reduce the amount of students needing
interventions. MTSS is also a systematic, continuous improvement framework in
which data-based problem-solving and decision making is practiced across all levels of
the educational system for supporting students.
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Project Overview
Infinite Campus $150,000 to build out reporting features in the Statewide student information system
Expansion for Social- related to specialized instructional support personnel (SISP - school counselors,
Emotional Support nurses, psychologists, social workers, and library media specialists). This enhanced
capability will support the successful implementation of the Lifeline project currently
being developed and implemented throughout Clark County School District as a pilot
for all other districts.
Coordinating School- $260,000 for costs related to contractors to support districts and schools in ensuring
Based Behavioral equitable access to behavioral health services during the COVID-19 recovery.
Health Included in this amount is $50,000 for billing contractors PCG and Accilfy to build
out new school-based services so that LEAs using these contractors will be able to bill
Medicaid for additional services by September 2021.
Sustaining SafeVoice $333,000 including a subgrant to the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to continue
to provide the necessary level of 24/7 staffing for the SafeVoice tip platform. In
addition, funds are needed to fund the maintenance of the SafeVoice platform.
Restorative Justice $380,000 for a national provider to provide evidence-based trainings and coaching
for district and school staff and school resource officers across the State. The goal is
to create a cadre of 20 trained trainers in the area of restorative justice/practices to
assist district/school staff and students through the recovery and renewal phases of
the pandemic. As of now, this expertise is a significant gap in Nevada, which
hampers our efforts to advance equity and to decrease disproportionality in student
discipline.
System Priority: Access to high-quality professional development
Project Overview
Science of Literacy $1.0 million to partner with an external expert in the areas of early literacy and the
Professional science of reading to support resources for the implementation of a statewide
Development professional learning opportunity at no cost to educators for the 2021-22 school year.
The professional learning experience would take place in a cohort model
where educators are learning how to apply the work to daily instructional practice.
System Priority: Access to high-quality instructional materials
Project Overview
Canvas Learning $2.0 million to extend the existing contract beyond its expiration of September 30,
Management System 2022 to September 30, 2023. Canvas is designed to simplify teaching and elevate
learning. It provides professional development as well as high-quality pre-K-12
curriculum and courses developed by Nevada Digital Engineers and other educators
across the State. One key benefit is it provides the ability to access multiple sources
through a single sign-on. Currently, 551,506 users are active in
Canvas across the state. This includes educators and students from Churchill, Clark,
Elko, Eureka, Nye, and Storey School Districts and 17 charter schools.
Available to districts and charter schools on an opt-in basis.
myON $1.5 million to extend the existing contract beyond its expiration of June 30, 2021 to
June 30, 2022 at a cost of $1,500,000. In partnership with Renaissance and the
Nevada State Library, Public Records, and Archive, NDE launched summer reading
with myON during May 2020. Nevada students have read 6,434,814 digital
books and more than 58 million minutes using myON since May 2020.
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Project Overview
Discovery Education $2.2 million to extend the existing contract beyond its expiration of September 30,
Experience 2022 to September 30, 2024. The flexible K-12 Experience platform keeps students
connected to learning whether at home or at school. It covers a wide array of
academic subjects including math, science, social studies, and more, and offers
resources for families on how to support students in online environments as well as
social-emotional supports. In addition, Experience offers multimedia activities for
students, like hands-on laboratory activities, and on-demand virtual field trips that
will take them around the world. As of June 30, 2021, 730 schools, 221,350 students,
and 15,867 had used the Experience platform. Available to districts and
charter schools on an opt-in basis.
System Priority: Support of parents, families, and communities
Project Overview
Translation Services $2.0 million to contract for translation services to allow us to prioritize public-
facing documents for translation into multiple languages, including but not limited to
Spanish and Tagalog.
Integrate and $799,000 to hire a contractor to conduct an audit of our public-facing resources that
Increase Accessibility will help us develop a Request for Proposals for a website redesign. NDE’s website
of Web Resources layout is not public-friendly or easily navigated by individuals who do not use it
every day. In addition, the Nevada Digital Learning Collaborative website launched in
April 2020 is entirely separate from NDE’s general website and we would
endeavor to create seamless integration across web resources.
Nevada Digital $855,070 to hire staff work full-time on sustaining the Nevada Digital Learning
Learning Collaborative (NvDLC) as well as stipends for Digital Engineers, soon to be known as
Collaborative “Digital Ambassadors.” The Digital Ambassadors are educators and administrators
with “superpowers” related to digital learning who are responsible for building
capacity across the field and curating content for the NvDLC. From July 2020
through May 2021, 14,822 distinct users have visited the NvDLC
website, accumulating 50,542 views across 71 countries.
System Priority: Access to adult education and workforce development opportunities
Project Overview
Youth Career $450,000 to develop an education-focused labor market data dashboard with
Pathways Platform accompanying professional development training for educators. This data
dashboard will function specifically for Nevada to align Career and Technical
Education (CTE) courses and pathways to their local labor market to assist students in
finding employment opportunities due to jobs lost during COVID-
19. Furthermore, the Pathway2Careers math curricula for Algebra I and Geometry
will be provided to support career exposure and preparation within high-value career
pathways for students.
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.
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All ESSER I and ESSER II funds have been obligated based on the State’s definition and we
will continue to track LEA obligations in alignment with our standing monitoring protocols
and procedures. Subgrant agreements between NDE and each subrecipient, including LEAs,
allow subrecipients the full grant period to expend funds. Subrecipients are reimbursed for
expenses incurred and request reimbursement monthly as a condition of the subgrant agreement.
Reimbursement for programs and services cannot be requested until the programs and services
have been provided. Reimbursement for purchased items is provided upon receipt of the items.
Some LEAs have experienced supply chain and shipping delays due to unprecedented demand for
certain goods (like technology devices) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For ESSER I funds a total of $105,466,541 was awarded to LEAs. In addition, NDE made
available a portion of its ESSER I State-level activities funding available to LEAs and other
entities providing educational supports to students across the State, such as community-based
organizations which totaled $11,132,580 that was sub-granted in a competitive application
process. Of the $11,132,580 in competitive grants a total of $5,493,276 was awarded to LEAs.
The competitive grant process allocated funding across three focus areas:
• Wrap around services for students and families,
• High-quality professional development, and
• High-quality digital instruction materials.
From ESSER II, LEAs received a total of $429,590,194, which is the amount of the mandatory
90% LEA allocation for ESSER II.
The Nevada Department of Education tracks expenditures for all federally funded grants,
including ESSER I and ESSER II. This tracking is conducted in alignment with the Nevada
Department of Education’s internal controls. Additionally, NDE has encouraged subrecipients,
specifically LEAs, to expend federal relief dollars in the order received, with the understanding
that each federal relief grant has a different grant period.
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
The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) continues to support LEAs in identifying
federal funding that could be applied toward COVID-19 response and recovery. For
example, Title IV-B 21st Century Federal funding was used by some LEAs to purchase 1:1
devices. Similarly, LEAs were able to purchase career and technical education equipment using
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.
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Perkins funding until supplies were 1:1 (each student using their own assigned equipment) to
reduce shared surfaces and maintain physical distancing. For example, Washoe County School
District purchased additional welding gloves, jackets, and shaded goggles to support their students
in the metalworking program of study at Incline High School.
NDE also worked with LEAs to apply Title IV-B 21st Century Funds to improve early literacy in
conjunction with the State’s Read by Grade 3 program. This literacy partnership project between
21st Century funds and Read by Grade 3 establishes research-based summer school pilot
opportunities for elementary school students who struggled to demonstrate proficiency in literacy
during the past school year. Four elementary school sites that were awarded 21st Century funds
will operate a Summer Lit Camp over a six-week period during the summer of 2021. All Lit
Camp teachers will use a common framework, a common pacing schedule, and a common
professional learning guide. NDE’s Read by Grade 3 team will provide literacy support
throughout the experience and staff from both the Read by Grade 3 and 21st Century programs
will monitor the project.
The Nevada School Climate / Social Emotional Learning (NV-SCSEL) survey and Nevada
School Wellbeing Survey were funded through a combination of State and federal dollars
from the School Climate Transformation Grant. Data from both surveys has been used to
inform funding priorities as we continue our recovery from COVID-19. Further, three
federally funded grants for mental health that were used to support students during the
COVID-19 pandemic include the School-Based Mental Health Services (SBMHS) grant, the
Trauma Recovery Demonstration Grant (TRDG), and Project AWARE Grant.
• The School-Based Mental Health Services (SBMHS) Grant is a five-year, $10 million
award to increase mental health professionals in high-need schools as defined by
inclusion in opportunity zones and / or located in frontier and rural settings through
Recruitment, Retention, and Respecialization strategies.
• The Trauma Recovery Demonstration Grant (TRDG) is a five-year, $5 million award to
provide trauma specific interventions to pre-K-12 students impacted by trauma.
• The Project AWARE Grant is a five-year, $10 million award to increase mental health
awareness, screenings, and connections to community-based mental health services.
• The School-Based Mental Health Services (SBMHS) Grant is a five-year, $10 million
award to increase mental health professionals in high-need schools as defined by
inclusion in opportunity zones and / or located in frontier and rural settings through
Recruitment, Retention, and Respecialization strategies.
• The Trauma Recovery Demonstration Grant (TRDG) is a five-year, $5 million award to
provide trauma specific interventions to pre-K-12 students impacted by trauma.
• The Project AWARE Grant is a five-year, $10 million award to increase mental health
awareness, screenings, and connections to community-based mental health services.
NDE will use its State activities funds under ARP Homeless to support LEAs and their students
experiencing homelessness. NDE will partner with community-based organizations throughout
the State to assist LEAs with the identification and support of youth experiencing homelessness.
In addition, NDE will partner with a national organization to provide technical assistance and
capacity building on identifying and supporting youth and families experiencing homelessness.
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
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summer learning and enrichment programs, and provide comprehensive afterschool programs. In
this section, SEAs will describe their evidence-based strategies for these resources.
4. 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;
The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) will ensure that the SEA-selected evidence-
based interventions to recovery any interrupted learning [learning loss] experienced by
students are evaluated for impact through its existing monitoring and internal controls. The
Nevada Department of Education (NDE) Office of Student and School Supports is working in
partnership with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in reviewing of evidence-based providers.
Prior to expending federal relief funds, NDE must receive State Legislative approval for discrete
expenditures or initiatives. At the time of publication, NDE has a number of proposals being
prepared for review by the Legislature during a future meeting of the Interim Finance Committee.
NDE is working as quickly as possible to gain approval for the receipt and expenditure of federal
funds, which will be invested in alignment with NDE priorities for COVID-19 recovery and
renewal.
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;
The selected interventions were chosen based on stakeholder feedback, school climate and
wellbeing data, and student achievement data. The project descriptions above indicate how
these projects will benefit the students most adversely impacted by COVID-19.
iii. The extent to which the SEA will use funds it reserves to identify and
engage 1) students who have missed the most in-person instruction during
the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years; and 2) students who did not
consistently participate in remote instruction when offered during school
building closures.
The Nevada Department of Education will work with LEAs and stakeholders to identify
students and provide evidence-based interventions in the areas of social and emotional
supports, credit recovery, and instructional supports. In addition, NDE used federal funds to
develop a module in Infinite Campus (Nevada’s student information system used by all LEAs) for
use by school social workers, counselors, and other Specialized Instructional Support Personnel
(SISP). This module helps analyze equitable access to mental health and social emotional wellness
supports, as well as evaluate the effectiveness of those supports on academic indicators including
attendance, behavior, grades, and timely completion. SISP can use the module to input data on
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services that are provided to students, in both FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy
Act) and HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) compliant
mechanisms and metrics. Following development and testing, the SISP Module was linked to all
LEAs’ versions of Infinite Campus. The module includes reporting functionality at the level of the
student, cohort, school, district/charter, and State.
5. 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;
Given timing and capacity constraints, the Nevada Department of Education (NDE) will not
be using the State’s allocation of ARP ESSER funds to directly invest in summer learning
and enrichment in 2021. SEA activities that will indirectly support summer learning include
extending the academic supports for career and technical education, social and emotional learning
supports, access to high-quality instructional materials and professional learning, and extending
curriculum partnerships as detailed in Section D of the ARP ESSER State Plan.
In addition, Nevada Department of Education (NDE) is implementing new legislation passed
during the 2021 Legislative Session that outlines LEAs’ expectations for implementing and
reporting the outcomes of summer enrichment programs. The program requirements include
supporting students most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including English Learners,
students eligible for free-and-reduced-price lunch, and students in need of early literacy support.
The reporting requirements include data and the demonstration of learning growth during the
summer learning program.
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
The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) will specifically address the disproportionate
impact of COVID-19 on groups of students, inclusive of those listed in A.3.i—viii using
evidence-based programs responsive to both stakeholder engagement and data sources.
Table A1 reflects the needs of student groups as reported by Nevada’s stakeholders and Climate
Survey data and the summer learning interventions are in alignment with these recommendations.
Additional data sources NDE may use to identify students most in need of summer learning and
enrichment programs include (as repeated from ARP ESSER State Plan Section A4):
• Assessment results for elementary, middle, and high school English language arts,
mathematics, science, and English language proficiency - Academic achievement is used in
all three levels of school ratings in the Nevada School Performance Framework (NSPF):
elementary, middle, and high schools. Academic Achievement uses performance on state tests
for Math, English Language Arts (ELA), and Science. For Math and ELA, the Smarter
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Balanced Assessments are administered in grades 3 – 8 and the American College Test
(ACT) is administered in grade 11. The state science assessments are administered in grades
5, 8, and 10. The Nevada Alternative Assessment (NAA) is administered to students with
severe cognitive disabilities and these results are combined with Smarter Balanced, ACT, and
Science assessment results. Additionally, Nevada annually measures English proficiency for
ELs using the WIDA ACCESS assessment. The English Language Proficiency Indicator is
also included in all three levels (elementary, middle, and high school) of the school rating
system in the Nevada Performance Framework (NSPF).
• Academic growth using a skip-year analysis following guidelines from the National Center
for Assessment - Student growth is the amount of academic progress a student has made over
time in comparison with their academic peers. In Nevada, student growth is determined by
calculating Student Growth Percentiles (SGPs). Nevada measures student growth using
annual Smarter Balance assessments for: Mathematics 4th grade through 8th grade and ELA
4th grade through 8th grade. Nevada also measures growth for English Learners (ELs) by
administering the WIDA Access Assessment annually to students in 1st grade through 12th
grade. The WIDA assessment is administered to determine the English language proficiency
of students for whom English is not their first language. Since accountability and testing were
waived for school year 2019-20 in accordance with USED guidance, Nevada will implement
a skip-year growth analysis which shows student progress over two academic years combined
(i.e., school year 2018- 19 and school year 2020-21), rather than just a single year of learning.
At the school level, this means that skip-year growth measures will capture the collective
impact of two years of instruction on a cohort of students' learning trajectories.
• Graduation data (4-year and 5-year adjusted cohort graduation rate [ACGR]) - The four- year
cohort graduation rate measures the percent of students in a ninth-grade cohort who graduate
with a regular high school diploma within four years or less. The five-year ACGR measures
the percent of students in a ninth-grade cohort who graduate with a regular diploma in five
years or less. Both the four-year and five-year ACGR are used in the Nevada School
Performance Framework (NSPF) school accountability rating system.
• Closing opportunity gaps data – Closing opportunity gaps as defined in Nevada’s ESSA Plan
specifically focuses on elementary and middle school students who were previously not
proficient but are now on track to proficiency. Every year, all 3rd to 8th grade students in
Nevada participate in Math and ELA assessments. Growth, or progress, toward proficiency is
measured for each student that has at least two consecutive years of scores. This growth
determines whether a student is on track to reach proficiency in three years or by the end of
8th grade.
• Career and college readiness indicators - College and Career Readiness is included in the high
school rating system in the Nevada School Performance Framework (NSPF) and reflects the
State’s commitment to college and career readiness for all high school students. There are
many programs of college and career readiness coursework that prepare students for post-
secondary life. Some of these programs include Advanced Placement (AP), International
Baccalaureate (IB), Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment (DC/DE), and Career and Technical
Education (CTE). Students that participate in these programs may earn a Nevada College and
Career Ready (CCR) Diploma. To earn a CCR diploma, a student must meet the criteria for
an Advanced Diploma and also take additional classes and assessments.
• Chronic absenteeism and attendance collected and reported for EDFacts federal reporting
• Research shows that reducing chronic absenteeism is critical to improving student
achievement; therefore, many states include this measure in their accountability systems.
Chronic Absenteeism is a measure showing the percentage of students missing 10% or more
of school days enrolled for any reason, including excused, unexcused, and disciplinary
absences. Students who are absent due to school sponsored activities are not considered absent
for the purposes of this calculation.
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• Credit sufficiency and academic learning plans - The Student Engagement Indicator
(sometimes referred to as the Student Success or School Quality Indicator) satisfies the
requirement for inclusion of a school quality or school success Indicator in a state’s
accountability system. This Indicator includes Measures that vary across school levels. The
Chronic Absenteeism Measure applies to all three school levels (elementary, middle, and
high). In addition to the Chronic Absenteeism Measure, middle school Measures include
eighth grade credit requirements and Academic Learning Plans as required by State
regulations, while high school Measures include Ninth Grade Credit Sufficiency.
The Student Engagement Indicator contributes up to 10% to a school’s total index score at all
school levels.
• Enrollment - Nevada reports annual student enrollment counts disaggregated by race/ethnicity,
gender, special populations, and grade level. This validated collection occurs annually as of
October 1st and is reported on the NDE website and Nevada Report Card accountability portal.
• Retention - Nevada reports data on retention by grade for the State, districts, and schools on the
Nevada Report Card accountability portal.
• Teacher information - Nevada reports data on teachers at State, district, and school levels,
including the number of teachers, number of core classes not taught by highly qualified
teachers, teacher ADA, teacher average daily attendance, paraprofessional and substitute
teacher information, school administrators, and professional qualifications.
• Discipline and attendance data - Nevada reports data on pupil attendance and discipline,
including bullying and cyber bullying, for the State, districts, and schools. Per State law (NRS
385A.240 and NRS 385A.250), this data must be disaggregated by the student groups outlined
in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which includes pupils: who are economically
disadvantaged, from major racial and ethnic subgroups, with disabilities, who are English
learners, who are migratory children, who are homeless, who are in foster care, who are
military impacted, and by gender.
• School climate survey results - The Nevada School Climate/Social Emotional Learning (NV-
SCSEL) survey has been administered each school year since 2015 and includes questions on
students’ perceptions of their own social emotional competency as well students’ perceptions
of their school across four school climate constructs: Relationships, Cultural and Linguistic
Competency, Emotional Safety, and Physical Safety. An online Data Tool allows for the
results to be disaggregated whenever possible. Reports are provided in both English and
Spanish, and a Peer Matching Tool incorporates academic data from the State’s accountability
portal, as well. Results are reported according to national performance benchmarks established
by the U.S. Department of Education in 2017. Legislation passed during Nevada’s 2019 State
Legislative Session requires that the annual plans to improve the achievement of pupils include
these measures of school climate from students, family members/caregivers, and school staff.
A pilot school staff climate survey was administered in spring 2021, which will inform a
Statewide annual administration beginning in fall 2021, when the student survey will be
administered for the 2021-22 school year. The pilot will serve as a baseline for data and the
start of a longitudinal database for years to come.
• Financial information (per pupil spending) - Nevada provides data on per pupil spending,
remedial education funding, and legislative appropriations.
In addition, NDE required LEAs to complete or update their needs assessment in relation to
COVID-19 and planning for ESSER I funding. As part of their ESSER I application, each LEA
provided a summary of how their needs assessment was conducted, the extent to which
stakeholders were involved in the process, and a summary of the most critical prioritized needs.
LEAs used a variety of sources, such as assessment data and parent/community surveys, to
identify LEA and school needs. NDE also provided technical assistance to LEAs, reminding them
that their funding priorities should be responsive to the findings of their needs assessment. With
ESSER II and ARP ESSER funding, NDE is encouraging LEAs to review and update their
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existing needs assessment to continue to inform their spending.
iii. The extent to which the SEA will use funds it reserves to identify and
engage 1) students who have missed the most in-person instruction during
the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years; and 2) students who did not
consistently participate in remote instruction when offered during school
building closures.
The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) will use the SEA ARP ESSER funds to identify
and engage students who have missed the most in-person instruction during the 2019-20 and
2020-21 school years using the evidence-based interventions described in section D for
career and technical education, early learning, instructional supports, gifted and talented
education, social and emotional supports, and credit recovery.
For credit recovery, the Nevada Department of Education (NDE) has contracted a consultant to
develop a Statewide plan that will identify and provide supports and credit recovery options for
students who did not graduate high school with their 4-year cohort during the COVID-19
pandemic. This would be inclusive of students who are currently considered at- risk of not
completing high school on-time due to missing in-person instruction or not consistently
participating in distance learning during the past two school years.
NDE’s statewide plan to support students at-risk for graduation, along with the instructional
supports detailed in Section D will be developed in consultation with LEAs. This will ensure the
students who missed the most in-person instruction and those who did not consistently participate
are being reached with equitable services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. For example,
the training provided by the National Equity Project to equip educators to respond to system
racism and inequities answers requests from LEAs to build their capacity in creating equitable
education systems. One the inequities the training intends to address is reaching students most
impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and social justice movements of the 2019-2020 and 2020-
2021 school years.
6. 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;
The Nevada Department of Education will use its SEA ARP ESSER funds toward
afterschool programs in response to stakeholder feedback and data identifying need for
programs in early learning, instructional support, credit recovery, Gifted and Talented
Education, and social and emotional supports.
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Career and Technical Student Organizations - All of Nevada’s Career and Technical Education
(CTE) programs of study are directly linked to at least one of six nationally and State recognized
Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs). CTSOs are co- curricular and enhance
student learning through contextual instruction, leadership and personal development, applied
learning, and real-world application. CTSOs work as an integral component of the classroom
curriculum and instruction as well as serving as an afterschool program to build upon
employability and career skills and concepts through the application and engagement of
students in hands-on demonstrations and real life and/or work experiences through a CTE
program. CTSOs help guide students in developing a career path, a program of study, and
provide opportunities in gaining the skills and abilities needed to be successful in those careers.
During the stakeholder engagement meetings with students, the students reported that CTSOs
assist with learning loss by providing additional resources, help prepare students for competitive,
hands-on events, learn terminology, and teach them to apply their knowledge and critical thinking
skills to be successful. CTSOs can provide students with opportunities to learn about their career
field that is not directly taught in the curriculum and allows them to expand on the content being
taught within the CTE standards.
Gifted and Talented Education - The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) will use funds to
reform Gifted education in Nevada by improving identification systems for effectiveness and
equity. The project will entail professional learning aimed to increase the capacity of school
districts to implement equity-focused gifted and talented identification methods, as well as to
increase the number of school districts offering gifted and talented services, both during and after
school. This project is a three-phase strategic planning and implementation process to take place
during the 2021 - 2022 and 2022 - 2023 school year. The first phase will involve a team of outside
experts working with NDE to identify places to improve policy, improve equity, and incorporate
additional resources for school districts. The second phase will involve working with Gifted
education directors from around the state to gather feedback on these resources and scale up best
practices to districts. Finally, in the third phase, staff from NDE and a team of external consulting
experts will deliver virtual and in- person professional development to Gifted education teachers
and support with a goal of implementing equitable practices in schools.
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
Data sources include Teacher survey data, parent survey data, behavior
data, academic data/interim assessment results (e.g., grades)
The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) will specifically address the disproportionate
impact of COVID-19 on groups of students, inclusive of those listed in A.3.i—viii using
evidence-based programs responsive to both stakeholder engagement and data sources.
Table A1 reflects the needs of student groups as reported by Nevada’s stakeholders and Climate
Survey data and the summer learning interventions are in alignment with these recommendations.
Additional data sources NDE may use to identify students most in need of summer learning and
enrichment programs include (as repeated from ARP ESSER State Plan Section A4):
The following data categories will be reported by NDE and available to LEAs to support their
efforts to address the needs of students most impacted by the pandemic, including the formulation
of their ARP ESSER plans:
• Assessment results for elementary, middle, and high school English language arts,
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mathematics, science, and English language proficiency - Academic achievement is used in all
three levels of school ratings in the Nevada School Performance Framework (NSPF):
elementary, middle, and high schools. Academic Achievement uses performance on state tests
for Math, English Language Arts (ELA), and Science. For Math and ELA, the Smarter
Balanced Assessments are administered in grades 3 – 8 and the American College Test (ACT)
is administered in grade 11. The state science assessments are administered in grades 5, 8, and
10. The Nevada Alternative Assessment (NAA) is administered to students with severe
cognitive disabilities and these results are combined with Smarter Balanced, ACT, and
Science assessment results. Additionally, Nevada annually measures English proficiency for
ELs using the WIDA ACCESS assessment. The English Language Proficiency Indicator is
also included in all three levels (elementary, middle, and high school) of the school rating
system in the Nevada Performance Framework (NSPF).
• Academic growth using a skip-year analysis following guidelines from the National Center for
Assessment - Student growth is the amount of academic progress a student has made over time
in comparison with their academic peers. In Nevada, student growth is determined by
calculating Student Growth Percentiles (SGPs). Nevada measures student growth using annual
Smarter Balance assessments for: Mathematics 4th grade through 8th grade and ELA 4th
grade through 8th grade. Nevada also measures growth for
English Learners (ELs) by administering the WIDA Access Assessment annually to students
in 1st grade through 12th grade. The WIDA assessment is administered to determine the
English language proficiency of students for whom English is not their first language. Since
accountability and testing were waived for school year 2019-20 in accordance with USED
guidance, Nevada will implement a skip-year growth analysis which shows student progress
over two academic years combined (i.e., school year 2018- 19 and school year 2020-21),
rather than just a single year of learning. At the school level, this means that skip-year growth
measures will capture the collective impact of two years of instruction on a cohort of students'
learning trajectories.
• Graduation data (4-year and 5-year adjusted cohort graduation rate [ACGR]) - The four- year
cohort graduation rate measures the percent of students in a ninth-grade cohort who graduate
with a regular high school diploma within four years or less. The five-year ACGR measures
the percent of students in a ninth-grade cohort who graduate with a regular diploma in five
years or less. Both the four-year and five-year ACGR are used in the Nevada School
Performance Framework (NSPF) school accountability rating system.
• Closing opportunity gaps data – Closing opportunity gaps as defined in Nevada’s ESSA Plan
specifically focuses on elementary and middle school students who were previously not
proficient but are now on track to proficiency. Every year, all 3rd to 8th grade students in
Nevada participate in Math and ELA assessments. Growth, or progress, toward proficiency is
measured for each student that has at least two consecutive years of scores. This growth
determines whether a student is on track to reach proficiency in three years or by the end of 8th
grade.
• Career and college readiness indicators - College and Career Readiness is included in the high
school rating system in the Nevada School Performance Framework (NSPF) and reflects the
State’s commitment to college and career readiness for all high school students. There are
many programs of college and career readiness coursework that prepare students for post-
secondary life. Some of these programs include Advanced Placement (AP), International
Baccalaureate (IB), Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment (DC/DE), and Career and Technical
Education (CTE). Students that participate in these programs may earn a Nevada College and
Career Ready (CCR) Diploma. To earn a CCR diploma, a student must meet the criteria for an
Advanced Diploma and also take additional classes and assessments.
• Chronic absenteeism and attendance collected and reported for EDFacts federal reporting
- Research shows that reducing chronic absenteeism is critical to improving student
Page 38 of 62
achievement; therefore, many states include this measure in their accountability systems.
Chronic Absenteeism is a measure showing the percentage of students missing 10% or more
of school days enrolled for any reason, including excused, unexcused, and disciplinary
absences. Students who are absent due to school sponsored activities are not considered absent
for the purposes of this calculation.
• Credit sufficiency and academic learning plans - The Student Engagement Indicator
(sometimes referred to as the Student Success or School Quality Indicator) satisfies the
requirement for inclusion of a school quality or school success Indicator in a state’s
accountability system. This Indicator includes Measures that vary across school levels. The
Chronic Absenteeism Measure applies to all three school levels (elementary, middle, and
high). In addition to the Chronic Absenteeism Measure, middle school Measures include
eighth grade credit requirements and Academic Learning Plans as required by State
regulations, while high school Measures include Ninth Grade Credit Sufficiency. The Student
Engagement Indicator contributes up to 10% to a school’s total index score at all school levels.
• Enrollment - Nevada reports annual student enrollment counts disaggregated by race/ethnicity,
gender, special populations, and grade level. This validated collection occurs annually as of
October 1st and is reported on the NDE website and Nevada Report Card accountability portal.
• Retention - Nevada reports data on retention by grade for the State, districts, and schools on the
Nevada Report Card accountability portal.
• Teacher information - Nevada reports data on teachers at State, district, and school levels,
including the number of teachers, number of core classes not taught by highly qualified
teachers, teacher ADA, teacher average daily attendance, paraprofessional and substitute
teacher information, school administrators, and professional qualifications.
• Discipline and attendance data - Nevada reports data on pupil attendance and discipline,
including bullying and cyber bullying, for the State, districts, and schools. Per State law (NRS
385A.240 and NRS 385A.250), this data must be disaggregated by the student groups outlined
in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which includes pupils: who are economically
disadvantaged, from major racial and ethnic subgroups, with disabilities, who are English
learners, who are migratory children, who are homeless, who are in foster care, who are
military impacted, and by gender.
• School climate survey results - The Nevada School Climate/Social Emotional Learning (NV-
SCSEL) survey has been administered each school year since 2015 and includes questions on
students’ perceptions of their own social emotional competency as well students’ perceptions
of their school across four school climate constructs: Relationships, Cultural and Linguistic
Competency, Emotional Safety, and Physical Safety. An online Data Tool allows for the
results to be disaggregated whenever possible. Reports are provided in both English and
Spanish, and a Peer Matching Tool incorporates academic data from the State’s accountability
portal, as well. Results are reported according to national performance benchmarks established
by the U.S. Department of Education in 2017. Legislation passed during Nevada’s 2019 State
Legislative Session requires that the annual plans to improve the achievement of pupils include
these measures of school climate from students, family members/caregivers, and school staff.
A pilot school staff climate survey was administered in spring 2021, which will inform a
Statewide annual administration beginning in fall 2021, when the student survey will be
administered for the 2021-22 school year. The pilot will serve as a baseline for data and the
start of a longitudinal database for years to come.
• Financial information (per pupil spending) - Nevada provides data on per pupil spending,
remedial education funding, and legislative appropriations.
Additional Data in Support of Career and Technical Education Afterschool Programs -
Nevada’s enrollment in secondary career and technical (CTE) programs of study generally mirrors
the State student population with some areas for improvement.
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• Black/African American secondary student population is 10.8% of high school enrollment and
is 9.8% of CTE enrollment.
• The Students with a Disability secondary student population is 10.8% of the high school
enrollment and is 8.4% of the CTE enrollment.
• The English Learner secondary student population is 11.9% of high school enrollment and is
10.5% of the CTE enrollment.
Through the planned expansion of CTE programs of study at the high school and middle school
level, all students will have access to the curriculum and afterschool programs that Career
Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs) provide.
Additional Data in Support of Gifted Education Afterschool Programs - According to the
U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights, in the 2017-18 school year, only 63% of
Nevada schools provided access to gifted and talented services. Even in those buildings that did
provide services, the percentage of students identified for Gifted education was relatively low -
4.6% of students in Nevada compared to Arizona’s 7.2%, California’s 7.4%, and Colorado’s
6.5%. Further, the students identified as gifted in Nevada do not represent the K-12 student
population as a whole. Black students are underrepresented by more than 50 percentage points,
Hispanic/Latino students by 30 percentage points, and English Learners by 67 percentage points.
This lack of representation demonstrates a clear need to approach Gifted education differently in
Nevada. The development of a customized data system will support NDE Gifted education
compliance monitoring, professional development, data quality, and results-based accountability.
NDE will focus on streamlining the collection, analysis, and communication with LEAs.
iii. the extent to which the SEA will use funds it reserves to identify and
engage 1) students who have missed the most in-person instruction during
the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years; and 2) students who did not
consistently participate in remote instruction when offered during school
building closures.
The Nevada Department of Education will work with LEAs and stakeholders to identify
students and provide evidence-based interventions in the areas of social and emotional
supports, credit recovery, and instructional supports.
7. 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.
At this time, the Nevada Department of Education (NDE) does not have any plans to reserve funds
for emergency needs of the ARP Act to address issues responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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.
8. LEA Plans for the Use of ARP ESSER Funds: Describe what the SEA will require
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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; an
iv. How the LEA will ensure that the interventions it implements, including
but not limited to the interventions under section 2001(e)(1) of the ARP
Act to address the academic impact of lost instructional time, will respond
to the academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs of all students,
and particularly those students disproportionately impacted by the
COVID-19 pandemic, including students from low-income families,
students of color, English learners, children with disabilities, students
experiencing homelessness, children and youth in foster care, and
migratory students.
The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) has created a document – Supporting Students
Through Federal Relief Funding: ARP ESSER Planning Guide for LEAs (Guide) – to ensure
LEAs meet the requirements of the American Rescue Plan Act. The Guide is a resource
document for LEAs and is available on NDE’s federal relief funding webpage. The document
details the available uses of ARP federal relief funds, planning best practices, and a toolkit for
NDE’s system priorities outlined by subject/content area. Page 48 of that document provides an
LEA Checklist, making it clear to LEAs what is required to complete within the ARP ESSER
ePAGE application before they submit to NDE for review.
NDE developed an LEA application for ARP ESSER within our electronic Plans, Applications,
Grants and Expenditures (ePAGE) grants management system. The ePAGE application was
intentionally designed to align with the different sections and requirements described above and in
the USED’s Interim Final Rule. In order to receive funds each LEA must completed the ePAGE
application detailing budget line items and tagging each line
item to one of NDE’s eight priorities as well as an allowable expenditure category as established
by USED. Each LEA must upload its ARP ESSER Use of Funds plan where they must respond to
numbers i-iv above and as outlined in USED’s Interim Final Rule.
LEAs will not be able to submit their ARP ESSER application without uploading their ARP
ESSER Use of Funds plan. Upon submission of an LEA’s ePAGE application, NDE program staff
experts will review the plan to ensure the LEA’s Use of Funds plan addresses all of the required
ARP components. If it does not, then the application will be returned to the LEA to adjust their
Use of Funds plan accordingly. An LEA’s ARP ESSER ePAGE application will not be approved
by NDE until all requirements in the Use of Funds are sufficiently addressed. Within the ePAGE
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application, there are instructions outlining that the LEA must make their Use of Funds plans
available to the public via their district website.
Further, NDE will also provide technical assistance (TA) in the form of webinars/office hours, and
individualized district TA to ensure each LEA has the supports it needs to successfully complete
the application, including the Use of Funds portion.
The LEA ePAGE application, including the LEA ARP Use of Funds plans are due to NDE by
September 10, 2021, which is slightly less than 90 days (accounting for weekends) from when the
ePAGE application and the ARP ESSER funds were made available to LEAs.
9. 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.
In planning for the use of ARP ESSER funds, NDE will ensure that, consistent with the ARP
ESSER requirements, LEAs engage in meaningful consultation with stakeholders. In the
ePAGE application, there is a section that outlines the meaningful consultation requirement that
LEAs must adhere to with these funds. In addition, that part of the application also includes a
section where LEAs must identify stakeholders from the list of ARP ESSER required stakeholders
that were consulted in the design and development of their ARP ESSER application. This is a
required section of the LEA application and LEAs are unable to submit their application to NDE
without this section completed. NDE will require during monitoring that each LEA to provide
supporting documentation and evidence to demonstrate that LEAs have met the ARP ESSER
meaningful stakeholder engagement requirement. NDE has also provided support in this area by
supplying LEAs with the facilitation protocol and staff training guide used for SEA stakeholder
engagement that LEAs can adopt for local context.
NDE will ensure LEAs provide the public the opportunity to provide input in the development of
an LEA’s plan for the use of ARP ESSER funds and take such input into account. This
requirement is included as an assurance that LEAs must agree to in order to submit their
application. NDE will address this requirement in its ARP ESSER TA and monitoring to be
conducted regularly throughout the ARP ESSER grant application and award period.
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10. 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;
The Nevada Department of Education will support and monitor 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.
NDE’s ARP ESSER Planning Guide for LEAs (Guide) has a section dedicated to evidence-
based interventions, strategies, and activities. Specifically, the section outlines what evidence-
based interventions are, the purpose of ensuring evidence-based interventions are implemented,
and various resources that can assist LEAs and their schools in monitoring the implementation of
evidence-based interventions. This supplements resources and professional development
opportunities regarding evidence-based interventions that NDE has made available to LEAs since
the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The Guide’s toolkit also links to NDE’s
Evidence-Based Interventions for School Transformation list, which is a list of evidence-based
interventions that have been rigorously vetted by partner researchers against the evidence-based
standards that LEAs have the option of using to meet their needs. Further, throughout the Guide
there are examples of evidence-based interventions that LEAs can implement to respond to students’
academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs. Additionally, the ARP ESSER ePAGE application
includes links to evidence-based interventions resources, such as What Works Clearinghouse. NDE has
also provided guidance on the steps to take to determine an intervention’s effectiveness and whether or not
it is in fact evidence-based, if an LEA chooses to select an intervention outside of the ones listed.
To support LEAs in maximizing available funding for recovery and renewal of our Pre-K-12
education system, NDE will be hiring contract staff to ensure the implementation of the fiscal,
programmatic, and health and safety expectations of the ARP ESSER grant.
Throughout the grant award period, NDE will conduct regular progress monitoring on the
implementation of evidence-based interventions. In addition, NDE will incorporate ARP ESSER
into its annual desktop / remote monitoring process through which NDE requires targeted
responses regarding implementation of LEAs’ evidence-based interventions and documentation to
ensure that each LEA is implementing evidence-based interventions in alignment with federal
requirements. If there is any indication during monitoring that an LEA is not meeting this
requirement, NDE will then conduct more intense and targeted monitoring which may result in on-
site monitoring in alignment with NDE’s risk assessment process.
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
NDE’s ARP ESSER Planning Guide for LEAs (Guide) addresses our first and foremost system
priority for recovery and renewal: closing opportunity gaps for students who have been traditionally
underserved. Beginning on page 16, there are resources identified that district administrators, school
leaders, and classroom teachers can use to support traditionally underserved students’ academic
success and development in an instructional context transformed by COVID-19.
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NDE defines educational equity to mean that the learning needs of every student are supported in
an environment where all students are valued, respected, and see themselves in their curriculum
and instructional materials while experiencing academic success without regard to differences in
age, gender, socio-economic status, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, ability, native
language, national origin, or citizenship status.
The Guide highlights for LEAs that ARP ESSER expectations address equity by asking LEAs in
their funding plans to ensure that the interventions it implements 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, students who are English learners, children with disabilities, students
experiencing homelessness, children in foster care, and migratory students. NDE will continue to
monitor student outcomes and progress on closing opportunity gaps through our State
accountability system.
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.
NDE will support and monitor 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. NDE’s ARP ESSER Planning Guide for LEAs includes guidance and best
practices on this topic.
11. 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.
The ARP ESSER Planning Guide for LEAs discusses strategies for ensuring “Equity is the
Focus” on page 9 when strategizing how to most efficiently and effectively spend ARP ESSER
funds. Moreover, within the LEA application, NDE prompts LEAs that spending must be aligned
to their district needs and what their students need. LEAs were required to complete a needs
assessment in their ESSER I application and are encouraged to revisit and revise that needs
assessment to inform their ARP ESSER Use of Funds plans. In addition, NDE’s technical
assistance (in the form of webinars, calls, emails, etc.), emphasizes the use of funding to advance
educational equity for all students.
Moreover, over the past year, NDE has collaborated with LEAs on redesigning our State’s
continuous improvement process for school improvement. This involved redesigning the school
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performance plan (SPP) and district performance plan (DPP) templates to ensure schools and
districts are creating plans that are based on students’ needs and are equity- driven and student-
centered. Using the redesigned SPP and DPP templates, schools and LEAs will conduct a
comprehensive needs assessment (which involves a rigorous root cause analysis) and clearly
outline action steps – inclusive of evidence-based interventions – on how the school and LEA will
meet those needs to improve student outcomes. One of the final steps in the redesigned continuous
improvement process is for schools and LEAs to align their funding (including ARP ESSER
funding) to their identified needs in order to effectively implement their plan.
In addition, numerous State reporting requirements include a focus on equity of access and
disproportional outcomes. For example, NDE is tasked with developing and implementing a
Statewide Restorative Justice/Practices framework, which includes mechanisms for identifying
and analyzing trends in disproportionate outcomes across the student characteristics required in
ESSA. Each LEA is also required to review and submit an annual Plan for Restorative Discipline,
which must be based on the Restorative Justice/Practices Statewide framework and which
supports regular review of data trends and outcomes in order to identify potential equity concerns.
The Statewide framework includes requirements for improving school climate, culture, and safety,
for example through multi-tiered systems of support, positive behavioral interventions and
supports, and trauma-informed practices.
Finally, the Strategic Plan for the Improvement of Pupils (STIP, or strategic plan) which is an
annual plan to improve the performance of pupils must include measures of school climate; the
Nevada School Climate/Social Emotional Learning (NV-SCSEL) survey results are provided
publicly and in a way that support disaggregation by subgroups, allowing school and district teams
to more meaningfully consider that data when identifying school needs and appropriate
interventions and supports for their school communities. Each of these strategies reinforces
regular, transparent, and collaborative examination of outcomes through an equity lens and will
continue to be used to support decisions regarding the use of ARP ESSER funds.
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.
12. 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.
Nevada continues to experience ongoing educator shortage, a challenge that encompasses all
licensed educational professions. As shown in the table below, Nevada has significant shortages
including, but not limited to, special education, related services, elementary, and the core subjects
of science, math, and English language arts. Nevada Revised Statute (NRS) 286.523 provides for
the determination of critical labor shortages at the request of individual districts. This allows LEAs
to meet the needs of their region by filling vacancies with retired educators to teach in critical
shortage areas.
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The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) collects data on teacher shortages annually. The data
in Table F1(a), below, illustrates Teacher Shortages for 2021-22 in accordance with 34CFR
682.210(q)(6), which was submitted to the USED on December 21, 2020. The data are based on a
total FTE of 24,773.77 and are organized by assignment in order of highest vacancy percentage.
Nevada shortage data will be updated in December 2021.
Based on recommendations made by the School Safety Task Force in 2019 and formalized in NRS
through the passage of Senate Bill 89 (2019), the State Board of Education (SBE) adopted non-
binding recommended ratios for pupils to Specialized Instructional Support Personnel (SISP).
Data collected directly from districts and charter schools was used to project the number of
additional SISP that would need to be hired in order to meet nationally accepted best practice
ratios (see Table F1(b)), which the SBE adopted in April 2020. The total funding that would be
needed to meet those ratios, based on entry level salaries statewide, is over $234 million.
Table F1 (a).
Assignment # of Total FTEs Allocated Total %
Vacancies
Physical Therapist 14.82 14.82 100%
Hearing Impaired 13 8.4 65%
Occupational Therapist 122.5 70.87 58%
Autism 122 70 57%
Speech and Language Impaired 161.83 83.59 52%
Adapted Physical Education 15.5 7 45%
Visually Impaired 12.5 5.62 45%
Multiple/Diversely Impaired 3 1 33%
Early Childhood Develop Delayed 156 48 31%
Early Childhood Pre-K Only 46.5 13 28%
English as a Second Language 195.9 44 22%
Generalist 845.74 164 19%
Physical Science (Grades 6-8) 28.5 5 18%
Seriously Emotionally Disturbed 35 5 14%
Physical Science (Grades 9-12) 197 28 14%
Specific Learning Disabilities 59 8 14%
Social Worker 130.75 14 11%
Biological Science 233 22.5 10%
Math with Calculus 128.19 12 9%
School Psychologist 199.3 18.37 9%
Math 752.62 66.6 9%
Life Skills 91.25 8 9%
Combined Grades 85 7 8%
General Science 547.32 45 8%
Fourth Grade 1244.55 97 8%
Fifth Grade 1215.05 94 8%
School Nurse 250.2 18.82 8%
English Language Arts (Grades 9-12) 903.14 66.1 7%
Third Grade 1574.3 106 7%
English Language Arts (Grades 6-8) 890.22 55 6%
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Assignment # of Total FTEs Allocated Total %
Vacancies
Counselor K-12 53 2 4%
Art 502.77 16.57 3%
Music 734.84 12.51 2%
Total Vacancies 11,564.29 1237.77 5%
Table F1 (b).
Specialized Instructional Total number of Current Staffing Number of SISP
Support Personnel professionals estimated Levels (statewide) Needed to Meet Best
to meet best practice Practice Ratios
ratios based on student
enrollment
(2018-19 school year)
School Counselors 1,770 951 819
School Psychologists 888 239 649
School Social Workers 1,770 375 1,395
School Nurses 595 297 298
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.
To assist LEAs in identifying the most urgent areas of shortages or potential shortages, the
Nevada Department of Education (NDE) publicly shares annual data collected from districts
and educator preparation programs. In October of each year, NDE requires each district to
report all licensed personnel via the Online Portal for Application for Licensure (OPAL) system.
Educator preparation programs are also required to provide completer data as part of the Title II
report. Additionally, the Department has partnered with external data analysis experts to review
data on class sizes and student access to experienced teachers at different grade levels
disaggregated by race / ethnicity and Nevada School Performance Framework star ratings. The
key findings of Nevada’s Class Size and Educator Workforce Report have been published and
presented in multiple open meetings, including to the State Legislature.
To help LEA efforts in recruiting and retaining educators, NDE will continue to strengthen efforts
toward the recruitment and retention of qualified and diverse educators in alignment with goal 2 of
our strategic plan, also known as the Statewide Plan for the Improvement of Pupils (STIP): All
students have access to effective educators, are listed below:
Each goal in the STIP has specific implementation strategies. The strategies identified for goal 2
are as follows:
• NDE will lead and collaborate with public schools and districts to ensure the percentage of
effective and experienced educators is proportional across low- and high-performing schools.
• NDE will collaborate with public schools, districts, and Regional Professional Development
Programs to ensure that teachers are prepared to deliver effective, standards-aligned
instruction and are supported by a system of leaders, mentors, and administrators.
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• NDE will lead and collaborate with public schools and districts to establish and maintain a
system of recruitment, induction, recognition, professional learning, and support.
• NDE will provide educators and staff with professional learning and technical assistance in
evidence-based inclusive practices to achieve a long-term goal of 80% of differently abled
students educated in their Least Restrictive Environment.
• NDE will lead and collaborate with districts, institutions of higher education, and other
educator preparation partners to increase access, options, and enrollment of candidates across
the educator pipeline continuum by adding programs, identifying resources, supporting
recruitment efforts, increasing options for licensure reciprocity, and removing barriers.
• NDE will effectively communicate regarding programs, initiatives, and the work of its boards,
commissions, and councils through additions to the NDE website, public-facing data
dashboards, and visualization tools.
NDE collaborates with the Regional Professional Development Programs (RPDPs), districts,
educator associations, non-profit educational partners, and other educational stakeholders to
provide high-quality professional development aligned to the Nevada Professional Development
Standards. In May of 2021, NDE invited educators statewide to complete a Nevada Professional
Learning: Educator and Staff Survey to prioritize their professional learning needs from among a
wide range of topics. The results will help align Statewide professional development efforts to
those areas prioritized by survey participants and to determine the strategic allocation of Statewide
professional development resources to bolster retention efforts during the 2021–22 and 2022–23
school years.
NDE actively works to promote and support educator well-being through focused efforts on Adult
Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and Social Emotional Academic Development (SEAD)
instructional practices from within a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework. One
example is a survey of educator participants in the pilot phase of the SEAD Center, both in the
classroom and in leadership roles (fall 2020). The SEAD Center is a free virtual support system
and statewide community of educators developing social, emotional, and academic development
skills that reinforce equitable environments and student success. The Center provides free
professional development, on-going training & coaching, guest speakers, a statewide Community
of Practice, support groups, resource library, and daily wellness sessions. Survey responses affirm
NDE’s efforts to provide social, emotional, and mental health supports, resources, and
professional development opportunities is timely, immediately actionable, and valuable. Adult
SEL and SEAD content continues to be among the most frequently requested professional
development, training, and technical assistance topics.
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).
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic magnified the importance of Nevada Department of
Education (NDE) initiatives to remove barriers to licensure and to develop and implement
initiatives to build routes to licensure. The following initiatives are central to the
Department’s action plan to address educator shortages through scholarships, teacher
preparation, and student teaching:
Teach Nevada Scholarship (TNVS) - Created in 2015 via Senate Bill 511 and is codified in NRS
391A.550-590. The scholarship program was continued and slightly modified in 2019. The
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purpose of TNVS is to provide scholarships to new students pursuing initial teacher licensure
programs through state-approved universities, colleges, or alternative routes to licensure (ARL)
providers.
The Nevada Institute on Teaching & Educator Preparation (NITEP) - Aimed at enrolling new
students and aspiring scholars into teaching and preparing them for an environment that demands
constant innovation. NITEP was created in 2017 via Senate Bill 548, and the College of Education
at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas was selected to host the initial NITEP. Students
participating in this unique initiative are placed in an advanced study program and are trained to
serve as mentors and leaders in Nevada K-12 school systems.
Senate Bill 352 - Passed in 2021, empowers NDE to accept a student teaching experience
completed in another State or a foreign country if NDE determines that experience substantially
fulfills the requirements of a program of student teaching in this State. This will make it easier for
out-of-State/country applicants to secure a Nevada teaching license. In addition, expands pathways
to licensure for paraprofessionals. It requires the Commission on Professional Standards to adopt
regulations to allow a person who is currently employed as a paraprofessional and enrolled in a
program to become a teacher to complete an accelerated program of student teaching in the area in
which the person is currently employed as a paraprofessional. It also allows a person who is
currently employed by a public school to provide support or other services relating to school
psychology to simultaneously complete a program of internship in psychology. This bill directly
impacts student access to special education personnel as well as school psychologists.
Assembly Bill 225 – Passed in 2021, directs the Commission on Professional Standards in
Education to consider adopting regulations that allow prospective educators to demonstrate
academic competency through alternative means other than testing. The intent of this legislation is
to address the needs of individuals who may be otherwise qualified to serve as an educator but are
precluded from taking competency tests due to a medical condition or disability, and for whom
existing accommodations offered by testing vendors are not sufficient.
High-Quality Instructional Supports - A point of consensus across students, educators, staff,
administrators, families, elected officials, and community members Statewide is the need to
elevate high-quality professional learning opportunities, including efforts that address impact of
stress or trauma on educators. To this end, NDE continues to create structures that promote and
support the collaboration of educators. Collaborative structures facilitate work toward increased
capacity for:
• Embracing cultural and linguistic assets - The collaborative work of educators serves to build
the capacity to develop, disseminate, and implement high quality culturally responsive
instructional resources and professional development opportunities, and to apply and
demonstrate learned instructional practices.
• Effective use of technology - Collaboration significantly increases educator capacity for
technology embedded, high-quality instructional practice, and facilitated learning.
• Systemic high-quality mentoring - Designing a high-quality mentoring model to support new
and novice teachers in the learning and eventual mastery of effective instructional practices
bolsters the Department’s recruitment and retention efforts, particularly with initiatives aimed
to increase diversity. Ultimately, this benefits students as they have increased access to
effective educators.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic magnified the importance of Nevada initiatives to remove
barriers to licensure and to develop and implement initiatives to build routes to licensure.
Department initiatives will advance its efforts to ensure that qualified candidates complete
graduation/licensure requirements and expand Nevada’s teacher workforce to help ensure
equitable access to effective teachers.
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The Nevada Consortium on the Teacher Pipeline (2015) - was established to facilitate dialogue
and collaborative problem solving among education stakeholders and leaders in the community,
with the ultimate purpose of substantially improving the number, quality, and retention of
effective teachers in Southern Nevada. The Consortium published a second edition of The Nevada
Teacher Workforce Report in 2018.
The Teacher Recruitment and Retention Advisory Task Force (2019) - was established by the
2019 Legislative Session through Assembly Bill 276. The Task Force presented recommendations
to the Interim Legislative Committee on Education in July 2020 and released a report of
recommendations in February 2021.
Teacher Pay Raises (2019) - were included in the 2019 State budget, recognizing the critical need
to increase salaries for all teachers in the State, to both retain new teachers and to attract future
teachers to the profession.
An Emergency Substitute Regulation (2020) - was signed by Governor Steve Sisolak to make it
easier for Nevada’s school districts and charter schools to hire critically needed substitute teachers
during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Class Size and the Educator Workforce Report (2021) - authored by Data Insight Partners,
was released in February 2021 by the Nevada Department of Education (NDE) regarding class
sizes and the educator workforce. The report identified and provided evidence regarding some of
the key challenges to Nevada’s efforts to recruit and retain more experienced and effective
educators, including the teacher recruitment pipeline, Nevada’s relatively high ratio of non-
classroom personnel to classroom teachers, teacher retention, and teacher morale. This report has
been continuously cited by both NDE and LEAs when making decisions about ARP ESSER.
Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) Teacher Pathways Task Force - was established
to scale up and replicate teacher pipeline initiatives that have proven to be successful. By
identifying and preparing to implement solutions to barriers to locally growing and retaining
Nevada’s diverse teacher workforce, students’ critical needs will be
met for instruction by a highly-effective educator. The Task Force make recommendations to the
NSHE Chancellor and Superintendent of Public Instruction for improvement regarding current
State policy and practices that govern teacher preparation, licensure, and retention.
The Task Force also explores the role of educator preparation programs in supporting
districts’ and schools’ short- and long-term teacher retention efforts. In collaboration with the
Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE), the Task Force will compile data related to student
retention in preparation programs and challenge NSHE institutions to expand the number and
increasing the diversity of licensure-ready Pre-K-12 teachers who complete traditional and non-
traditional teacher preparation programs annually.
CRRSA Statewide Activities Project: Teacher Pipeline Incentives – This new project proposed
using CRRSA Statewide activities funding will strengthen the pipeline and help retain/support
students in their progress to completing educator preparation programs by funding stipends or
course work for pre-service teachers completing their student teaching or final three semesters at
Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) institutions and other approved educator preparation
programs. Providing funds to support pre-service teachers during student teaching removes the
financial burden placed on many pre-service teachers and in particular supports students who may
otherwise not have been able to afford to do so (for example, students may have to give up part-
time jobs to accommodate student teaching in their schedule or incur extra expenses associated
with traveling to student teaching sites). This also prioritizes equitable access to ensure a diverse
group of teacher candidates to bring the demographics of Nevada’s teaching workforce closer to
the demographics of our students.
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School-Based Mental Health Services (SBMHS) Grant - Nevada’s Department of Education
(NDE) was one of six states awarded funding from US ED’s School-Based Mental Health Services
(SBMHS) grant, which totals $10 million over a five-year award period. The strategies identified
in NDE’s application were built on nearly a decade of previous efforts to increase the workforce
capacity and pipeline for school-based mental health providers, including school social workers,
counselors, psychologists, and school mental health workers. Working in partnership with
universities and colleges in the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) as well as local
education agencies, allowable activities will support the state’s goal of meeting nationally
accepted best practice ratios for these vital educational support professionals through a focus on
Recruitment, Retention, and Re- specialization. Special emphasis is placed on identifying a
diverse set of professionals who better reflect the state’s student population as well as those that
are multi-lingual. The needs of rural, frontier, and tribal communities are also of special concern,
and the strategies utilized through this funding stream will support efforts to “grow our own.”
Specific activities and strategies include scholarships, stipends for student and clinical interns,
stipends for supervision of student and clinical interns, reimbursement for professional
development, signing and relocation bonuses, and the development of programs in higher
education that support a better prepared and more culturally and linguistically diverse workforce.
13. 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 Nevada Department of Education (NDE) has developed strategies to increase educator
personnel including Specialized Instructional Support Professionals (SISP) to students using
the strategies as described in Section F Subsection 1.
In response to indicators that Nevada’s teacher pipeline significantly lags national averages and
continues to shrink over time, the NDE’s action plan provides systemic structures and supports to
LEAs to ensure that students have increased access to staff who can provide a breadth of services
and supports. A number of the efforts described above are focused on the recruitment, retention,
and professional development of educators. NDE has expanded the use of the term educator to
encompass all licensed educational professions, such as teachers, school leaders, school
counselors, school psychologists, school social workers, school nurses, speech-language
pathologists, library-media specialists, and other professionals who provide essential student
support services. A central tenet of these efforts is that more, well-trained educators will
inherently increase every student’s access to effective educators across the learning context in
both academic and social emotional areas. In addition to the support referenced in detail in Section
F Subsection 1, significant recent efforts include:
Social Workers - Beginning in 2015, NDE began administering the Social Workers in Schools
(SWxS) state block grant, which increased the number of social workers or other mental health
workers in schools from the 29 that were serving the state’s two largest districts (Clark and
Washoe CSDs) during the 2015-16 school year to over 400 social workers or other mental health
workers in 14 school districts and 13 charter academies; this represents an over 1,200% increase
in just 3 school years. Since that time, districts and schools have identified other funding streams
that can be used to hire additional school mental health providers, including other state funds as
well as federal funding through ESSA.
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Nevada Medicaid – NDE also worked with Nevada Medicaid over a three-year period to
successfully amend the state’s Medicaid plan to allow school-based health services to be provided
to all Medicaid eligible students, and not just those that receive services from an Individualized
Education Program (IEP), pursuant to Medicaid’s Free-Care Expansion ruling in 2014. This will
allow local education agencies in Nevada to sustain and enhance the number of school-based
mental health providers as they receive reimbursement from eligible services provided by
Medicaid enrolled school-based providers, such as those social workers and other mental health
workers that have been added to schools throughout the state since 2015.
Initiatives to reinforce educator capacity and skills through digital means - The Nevada
Digital Learning Collaborative and the Nevada SEAD Center each redefined education and how to
improve instructional practices, with similar outcome goals to ensure that students are receiving
high-quality, culturally responsive, standards-aligned curriculum through strong social, emotional,
and academic development instructional practices. Through these initiatives, educators are
provided support, resources, and professional development opportunities that positively impact
education for every student, no matter the societal, environmental, and familial situation.
Initiatives that support educators to pursue and complete endorsements and/or advanced
degrees in high priority areas - such as efforts to establish a masters level program for speech
language pathologists, initiatives to increase educator interest in the SEAD endorsement, and
resources and supports for educators to bolster the use of strategies meant to increase parent and
family engagement.
Initiatives to promote and support educator well-being positively impact the school
experience for students and families – NDE has prioritized efforts to address educator morale,
as this has recently been highlighted as alarmingly low when compared to national peers. Several
of the strategies described above aim to increase positive systems of support for educators through
structures that include mentoring, collaboration, and access to resources designed to increase
educator and school leader skills and capacity in general and in specialized areas: teachers of
students who are learning English as a second language or who have individualized education
plans.
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.
14. Capacity for Data Collection and Reporting: It is important for an SEA to
continuously monitor progress and make adjustments to its strategies, as well as to
support its LEAs in making adjustments to LEA strategies, based on impact. Describe
how the SEA will ensure its capacity and the capacity of its LEAs to collect data on
reporting requirements, including but not limited to the examples of reporting
requirements described in the SEA’s Grant Award Notification (listed in Appendix B).
Describe the SEA’s capacity and strategy to collect data from its LEAs (disaggregated
by student group, where applicable), to the greatest extent practicable, including any
steps the SEA will take to build its capacity in the future (which may include the use of
ARP ESSER and other Federal COVID-19 pandemic funds at the SEA and LEA
levels), on issues that may include the following:
i. Student learning, including the academic impact of lost instructional time
during the COVID-19 pandemic;
ii. Opportunity to learn measures (e.g., chronic absenteeism; student
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engagement; use of exclusionary discipline; access to and participation in
advanced coursework; access to technology, including educator access to
professional development on the effective use of technology; access to
high-quality educators; access to school counselors, social workers,
nurses, and school psychologists; and results from student, parent, and/or
educator surveys);
iii. Fiscal data that is comparable across the State (e.g., per-pupil expenditures
at the LEA and school levels);
iv. Jobs created and retained (by position type);
v. Participation in programs funded by ARP ESSER resources (e.g., summer
and afterschool programs); and
vi. Other reporting requirements reasonably required by the Secretary (please
refer to Appendix B of this template; final requirements will be issued
separately).
NDE and its LEAs use a single student information system – Infinite Campus – which
enables us to uniformly and efficiently track data at the student, cohort, school, district, and
State level. NDE will also comply with other reporting requirements reasonably required by
the Secretary of Education as described in Appendix B and final requirements to be issued
separately.
Student Data Collection – 2020-21 assessment results will be reported for elementary, middle
school, and high school ELA, Math, Science, and English Language Proficiency. Additionally,
NDE will calculate and report academic growth using a skip-year analysis following guidelines
from the National Center for Assessment. Chronic absenteeism will be collected and reported for
State and EDFacts federal reporting. Furthermore, credit sufficiency, academic learning plans,
graduation rates, and college and career readiness data will be reported and made publicly
available as always through NevadaReportCard.com. All report card data in accordance with State
and federal requirements will be provided including student data (enrollment, attendance, retention
etc.), academic achievement (assessment results), teacher information, safety information
(discipline and school climate), financial information (per pupil spending), graduation data (4-year
and 5-year ACGR), and Civil Rights Data Collection. For the 2021-22 school year NDE plans on
returning to standardized data collections and reporting with the inclusion of more effectively
gauging student mode of instruction (in-person, hybrid, full-distance) as a component of
attendance.
Data on licensed personnel is collected via our Online Portal for Applications for Licensure
(OPAL). In October of each year, NDE requires each district to report all licensed personnel via
OPAL. Educator preparation programs are also required to provide completer data as part of the
Title II report.
15. Monitoring and Internal Controls: Describe how the SEA will implement
appropriate fiscal monitoring of and internal controls for the ARP ESSER funds (e.g.,
by updating the SEA’s plan for monitoring funds and internal controls under the
CARES and CRRSA Acts; addressing potential sources of waste, fraud, and abuse;
conducting random audits; or other tools). In this response, please describe the SEA’s
current capacity to monitor ARP ESSER; steps, if needed, to increase capacity; and
any foreseeable gaps in capacity, including how the SEA will provide its LEAs with
technical assistance in the anticipated areas of greatest need.
The Nevada Department of Education (NDE) has internal control procedures and
documentation that detail the process by which reimbursement for expenditures will be
approved. These controls apply consistently to all State and federally funded grants, as well as all
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expenses incurred – by NDE, contractors, and subrecipients. Because internal controls are
universally applied to all federally funded grant programs, no additional revisions are anticipated
at this time. NDE reimburses contractors and subrecipients, which ensures all expenditures are
validated prior to the expenditure of state or federal funds. NDE is confident that its existing
internal controls are sufficient to continue to monitor state and federally funded grants, including
ARP ESSER. Due to the significant investment of COVID-19 funding and limited staffing
capacity, NDE is approved as of this publication to contract with an external audit firm. The audit
firm will audit contractors and subgrantees to ensure compliance with State and Federal
requirements specific to the COVID-19 related funding. This will allow NDE to ensure that the
audit process is robust, independent, and not reliant on the existing staff within NDE. Any audit
findings identified through this process will be resolved by NDE and the contractor and / or
subrecipient. In addition, NDE will use ARP ESSER administration funds to build NDE capacity
by adding additional staff to those teams respective to fiscal and auditing processes. NDE will also
provide regular technical assistance to LEAs on the fiscal and grants management aspects of these
funds in the form of webinars, phone calls, emails, etc.
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Appendix A: School Operating Status and Instructional Mode Data Template
Indicate the date or time period represented by the following data. Data in Table 1 and 2, below, were
collected as of May 1, 2021
Table 1
In the most recent time period available, how many schools in your State offered each mode of
instruction or learning model described below? Each row should account for all schools in your
State, so that, for each row, the sum of the numbers in the “offered to all students,” “offered to
some students,” and “not offered” columns is equal to the number in the “all schools” column.
Number of schools All schools Offered to all Offered to Not offered
students some students
Remote or online only 725 20 705
School buildings open 725 338 387
with both remote/
online and in-person
instruction (hybrid)
School buildings open 725 367 358
with full-time in-person
instruction
To the extent data are available, please complete the above table for 1) all schools in the State,
and 2) separately for each instructional level (e.g., pre-kindergarten/elementary schools, middle
schools, high schools).
Number of schools Pre-K Offered to all Offered to Not offered
students some students
Remote or online only 13 0 13
School buildings open 13 1 12
with both remote/online
and in-person
instruction (hybrid)
School buildings open 13 12 1
with full-time in-person
instruction
Number of schools Elementary Offered to all Offered to Not offered
students some students
Remote or online only 387 2 385
School buildings open 387 98 289
with both remote/
online and in-person
instruction (hybrid)
School buildings open 387 287 100
with full-time in-person
instruction
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Number of schools Middle Offered to all Offered to Not offered
Schools students some students
Remote or online only 108 2 106
School buildings open 108 82 26
with both remote/
online and in-person
instruction (hybrid)
School buildings open 108 24 84
with full-time in-person
instruction
Number of schools High schools Offered to all Offered to Not offered
students some students
Remote or online only 112 4 108
School buildings open 112 86 26
with both remote/
online and in-person
instruction (hybrid)
School buildings open 112 22 90
with full-time in-person
instruction
Number of schools Combination Offered to all Offered to Not offered
(K-8, 6-12, or students some students
K-12)
Remote or online only 105 12 93
School buildings open 105 71 34
with both
remote/online and in-
person instruction
(hybrid)
School buildings open 105 22 83
with full-time in-person
instruction
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Table 2
In the most recent time period available, what was the enrollment and mode of instruction for the
schools in your State?
Number of students Total Remote or Both Full-time in-
enrollment online only remote/online person
and in-person instruction
instruction
(hybrid)
Students from low- 332,103 1,896 191,914 138,293
income families
White, not Hispanic 139,499 3,280 86,775 49,444
Black or African 54,498 1,052 30,981 22,465
American, not Hispanic
Hispanic, of any race 202,879 2,215 125,612 75,052
Asian, not Hispanic 26,414 260 18,629 7,525
American Indian or 3,787 92 2,216 1,479
Alaskan Native, not
Hispanic
Native Hawaiian or 6,962 99 4,610 2,253
Pacific Islander, not
Hispanic
Two or more races, not 32,921 405 20,152 12,364
Hispanic
Race/Ethnicity 6 0 4 2
information not
available
English learners 50,627 323 30,548 19,756
Children with 57,882 702 32,392 24,788
disabilities
Students experiencing 12,321 68 6,880 5,373
homelessness
Children and youth in 2,299 23 1,080 1,196
foster care
Migratory students 17 0 0 17
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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.
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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
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).
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Appendix D
OMB Control No. 1894-0005 (Exp. 06/30/2023)
NOTICE TO ALL APPLICANTS
The purpose of this enclosure is to inform you assisted program for students, teachers, and
about a new provision in the Department of other program beneficiaries with special needs.
Education’s General Education Provisions Act This provision allows applicants discretion in
("GEPA") that applies to applicants for new developing the required description. The statute
grant awards under Department programs. This highlights six types of barriers that can impede
provision is Section 427 of GEPA, enacted as equitable access or participation: gender, race,
part of the Improving America's Schools Act of national origin, color, disability, or age. Based
1994 (Public Law (P.L.) 103-382). on local circumstances, you should determine
whether these or other barriers may prevent
To Whom Does This Provision Apply? your students, teachers, etc. from such access to,
or participation in, the Federally-funded project
Section 427 of GEPA affects applicants for new
or activity. The description in your application
grant awards under this program. ALL
of steps to be taken to overcome these barriers
APPLICANTS FOR NEW AWARDS MUST
need not be lengthy; you may provide a clear
INCLUDE INFORMATION IN THEIR
and succinct description of how you plan to
APPLICATIONS TO ADDRESS THIS
address those barriers that are applicable to your
NEW PROVISION IN ORDER TO
circumstances. In addition, the information may
RECEIVE FUNDING UNDER THIS
be provided in a single narrative, or, if
PROGRAM.
appropriate, may be discussed in connection
(If this program is a State-formula grant with related topics in the application.
program, a State needs to provide this
Section 427 is not intended to duplicate the
description only for projects or activities that it
requirements of civil rights statutes, but rather
carries out with funds reserved for State- level
to ensure that, in designing their projects,
uses. In addition, local school districts or other
applicants for Federal funds address equity
eligible applicants that apply to the State for
concerns that may affect the ability of certain
funding need to provide this description in their
potential beneficiaries to fully participate in the
applications to the State for funding. The State
project and to achieve high standards.
would be responsible for ensuring that the
Consistent with program requirements and its
school district or other local entity has
approved application, an applicant may use the
submitted a sufficient section 427 statement as
Federal funds awarded to it to eliminate barriers
described below.)
it identifies.
What Does This Provision Require?
Section 427 requires each applicant for funds
(other than an individual person) to include in its
application a description of the steps the
applicant proposes to take to ensure equitable
access to, and participation in, its Federally-
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What are Examples of How an Applicant Many of the strategies and activities described in
Might Satisfy the Requirement of This Sections C and D of this ARP ESSER state plan
Provision? speak to that commitment, including an emphasis
on identifying disproportionality to access and
The following examples may help illustrate positive outcomes across academics, school
how an applicant may comply with Section 427. climate and safety, college and career readiness,
and social, emotional, and mental health supports.
(1) An applicant that proposes to carry out The passage of Senate Bill 225 during the 2017
an adult literacy project serving, among Legislative Session added a requirement that the
others, adults with limited English Department include “requirements and methods
proficiency, might describe in its for addressing the rights and needs of persons with
application how it intends to distribute a diverse gender identities or expressions” to the
brochure about the proposed project to such state’s Model Plan for Safe and Respectful
potential participants in their native Learning Environments, which plan is codified in
language. Nevada Administrative Code. Department staff
were tasked with working with a broad array of
(2) An applicant that proposes to develop stakeholders throughout the regulatory process to
instructional materials for classroom use ensure that all voices were considered, including
might describe how it will make the family members and caregivers of sex/gender
materials available on audio tape or in diverse students as well as current and former
braille for students who are blind. students themselves. The process resulted in a
(3) An applicant that proposes to carry out comprehensive regulation that enumerates a host
a model science program for secondary of protections and rights that are afforded to
students and is concerned that girls may be sex/gender diverse students in Nevada. Specific
less likely than boys to enroll in the course, content areas include, among others, the use of
might indicate how it intends to conduct chosen names and pronouns, a right to academic
"outreach" efforts to girls, to encourage content that is gender affirming, that dress codes
their enrollment. and uniform requirements be gender neutral, that
students be allowed to wear the color of graduation
(4) An applicant that proposes a project to cap and gown that corresponds with their
increase school safety might describe the identified genders, and the right to take as a date
special efforts it will take to address any gendered individual to school sponsored
concerns of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and dances and other similar events. The regulations
transgender students, and efforts to reach further specify that an individualized plan be
out to and involve the families of LGBT created for each student by a support team made up
students. of school administrators, educators, and
Specialized Instructional Support Personnel (SISP,
We recognize that many applicants may already e.g. school social workers, counselors, and
be implementing effective steps to ensure psychologists), in addition to the student
equity of access and participation in their grant themselves (when age appropriate) and their
programs, and we appreciate your cooperation natural supports, including family members or
in responding to the requirements of this caregivers and advocates from the community,
provision. as chosen by the student or their family. Other
examples of the Nevada Department of Education
The Nevada Department of Education believes complying with this requirement includes using
that “all means all,” prioritizing Equity as one of earlier SEA ESSER allocations to pay for
the most central values in the state’s Strategic translation services to reach families in their
Improvement Plan (STIP). preferred language and providing wraparound
services to students who are at risk for grade-level
proficiency or graduation are receiving the primary
services they need to be successful in classrooms.
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Estimated Burden Statement for GEPA Requirements
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a
collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. Public
reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 3 hours per
response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering
and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.
The obligation to respond to this collection is required to obtain or retain benefit (Public Law
103-382). Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection
of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20210-4537 or email
ICDocketMgr@ed.gov and reference the OMB Control Number 1894-0005.
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