Education Department to Commissioner Russell-Tucker on Connecticut's ARP ESSER State Plan (August 27, 2021)

Summary

Connecticut Commissioner of Education Charlene Russell-Tucker receives an August 27, 2021 approval of the state's ARP ESSER plan, signed by Ian Rosenblum, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Program in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, who holds delegated authority for the Assistant Secretary. The approval carries a condition: Connecticut had identified some evidence-based interventions but not all that it will fund from its section 2001(f) reservations, so it must amend the plan and report on progress within 30 days. The Department says it will immediately release the remaining one-third of the allocation. It also asks for URLs for the public data on instruction mode and enrollment and for local plans.

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Full text

                       UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


                                         August 27, 2021


The Honorable Charlene Russell-Tucker
Commissioner of Education
Connecticut Department of Education
450 Columbus Boulevard
Hartford, CT 06103

Dear Commissioner Russell-Tucker:

I am pleased to approve Connecticut’s American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School
Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) State plan. This plan, together with the unprecedented funding
available under ARP ESSER, will help ensure that districts and schools in your State can
continue to reopen safely; support sustained access to in-person instruction throughout the
summer and into next school year; and address the social, emotional, mental health, and
academic needs of students due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19),
particularly those students most impacted by the pandemic.

Except as described below, Connecticut’s plan is consistent with all ARP ESSER statutory and
regulatory requirements and addresses all of the ARP ESSER State plan elements. This letter,
along with Connecticut’s approved ARP ESSER State plan, will be posted on the U.S.
Department of Education’s (Department’s) website, and the Department will immediately release
the remaining one-third of your State’s ARP ESSER allocation for your use.

In its ARP ESSER State plan, a State educational agency (SEA) must describe how it will use
the funds it reserves under sections 2001(f)(1)-(3) of the ARP Act on evidence-based
interventions to address: (1) the academic impact of lost instructional time, (2) summer learning
and enrichment programs, and (3) comprehensive afterschool programs; and must describe how
the interventions it identifies will address the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on certain
groups of students. In its ARP ESSER State plan, Connecticut indicated that although it has
identified some evidence-based interventions, it has not yet identified all of the interventions it
will fund with these reservations. As a result, this approval is conditioned on Connecticut
amending its ARP ESSER State plan to provide the requisite descriptions to meet the
requirements in section D.1.i-iii, D.2.i-iii, and D.3.i-iii of the ARP ESSER State plan template.
In addition, Connecticut must provide an update on its progress selecting evidence-based
interventions to meet these requirements within 30 days of receipt of this letter, and additional
updates as required by the Department.

As part of the ARP ESSER State plan, each State assured that it would provide the
Department the URLs for information related to ARP ESSER requirements. First, by June 21,
2021, each State was required to post publicly on its website, for the most recent time
period available, data on mode of instruction and enrollment for all students, disaggregated
by student subgroups. The State assured that it would provide to the Department the URL(s)
where the public can readily find this data. The Department will follow up separately with you
Page 2 – The Honorable Charlene Russell-Tucker


regarding this requirement, if necessary. Second, your State assured that it would provide to the
Department the URL(s) for the SEA and/or local educational agency (LEA) websites where the
public can find the LEA plans for: (a) the safe return to in-person instruction and continuity of
services; and (b) use of ARP ESSER funds. Please submit the URL or URLs to the Department
via email to your State mailbox at Connecticut.OESE@ed.gov.

Please be aware that approval of Connecticut’s ARP ESSER State plan is not a determination
that all the information included in the State plan complies with Federal civil rights
requirements, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education
Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title II of the Americans
with Disabilities Act, and requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
It is Connecticut’s responsibility to comply with these civil rights requirements.

The Department is committed to working in partnership with your State so that your ARP
ESSER funds are quickly put to work to ensure students have sustained access to in-person
instruction as well as the comprehensive supports they need to recover fully from the impacts of
the COVID-19 pandemic. As you implement this plan, we expect you to continue meaningfully
engaging with stakeholders and the public and revising your plan, as necessary, to best meet the
needs of students, parents, and educators. Ongoing engagement with all stakeholders is vital to
ensuring that implementation of your plan is transparent, effective, equitable, inclusive, and best
meets the needs of your State. The thoughtful, evidence-based, and timely use of ARP ESSER
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.


                                      Sincerely,

                                      /s/

                                      Ian Rosenblum
                                      Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Program
                                      Delegated the Authority to Perform the Functions and
                                      Duties of the Assistant Secretary
                                      Office of Elementary and Secondary Education


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