Dear Superintendent Hoffman — ARP ESSER State Plan, Arizona (October 7, 2021)

Summary

An October 7, 2021 letter on Secretary of Education letterhead to Kathy Hoffman, Superintendent of Public Instruction at the Arizona Department of Education, approving Arizona's ARP ESSER State plan and stating that the remaining one-third of the State's allocation will be released immediately. It says the approval is conditioned on Arizona amending the plan to describe evidence-based interventions, with an update on progress within 30 days of receipt of the letter. It states that Arizona describes in its plan a state law that prohibits local educational agencies from mandating universal indoor masking, and that approval in no way reflects a determination that the state law complies with Federal civil rights requirements or any other applicable laws.

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Issuer: Congressional materials
Document type: Department Of Education Pdf Www Ed Gov 6Cfbd48657
Case: Department Of Education Pdf Www Ed Gov 6Cfbd48657

Cite this document

“Dear Superintendent Hoffman — ARP ESSER State Plan, Arizona (October 7, 2021).” Original at www.ed.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/department-of-education-pdf-www-ed-gov-6cfbd48657/, SHA-256 63d36844caed6dc3b65ef545b7a77b6c8530ca1ba23739027e7278837682705f.

Full text

                                       THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION
                                             WASHINGTON, DC 20202




                                             October 7, 2021


The Honorable Kathy Hoffman
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Arizona Department of Education
1535 West Jefferson Street
Phoenix, AZ 85007-3209

Dear Superintendent Hoffman:

I am pleased to approve Arizona’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; 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, Arizona’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 Arizona’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, Arizona indicated that it has not yet identified
its interventions. As a result, this approval is conditioned on Arizona 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, Arizona 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
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
Page 2 – The Honorable Kathy Hoffman


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 Arizona.OESE@ed.gov.

Please be aware that approval of Arizona’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 Arizona’s
responsibility to comply with these civil rights requirements. Additionally, Arizona describes in
its ARP ESSER State plan a state law that prohibits local educational agencies from mandating
universal indoor masking. Approval of Arizona’s State plan in no way reflects a determination
that the state law complies with Federal civil rights requirements or any other applicable laws.

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/

                                      Miguel A. Cardona, Ed.D.

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SHA-256: 63d36844caed6dc3b65ef545b7a77b6c8530ca1ba23739027e7278837682705f
Our copy: department-of-education-pdf-www-ed-gov-6cfbd48657.pdf
Original: www.ed.gov