ARP ESSER State Plan - Nebraska
Summary
This is Nebraska's State Plan, Planning for Renewal and Acceleration, for the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) Fund. The cover page lists Jen Utemark, Office of Budget & Grants Management, as the SEA contact and prints Deborah A. Frison as the authorized representative. The plan says four priorities emerged across 14 ESSER roundtable discussions, a survey of stakeholders, and quantitative data analysis, starting with access to comprehensive mental health services. Table A1 lists key data points, including a 2019-20 graduation rate of 71% for Native American Students (All Students: 88%).
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Cite this document
“ARP ESSER State Plan - Nebraska.”
Original at www.ed.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/department-of-education-pdf-www-ed-gov-7fc57ef726/
, SHA-256 65343585a2a5ec262755fa176ba9cac7080f2c2aa092370b59035c781dd5638f.Full text
NEBRASKA'S STATE PLAN
Planning for Renewal and Acceleration
American Rescue Plan and Elementary and
Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund
Introduction
The American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (“ARP
ESSER”) Fund, authorized under the American Rescue Plan (“ARP”) Act of 2021, provides
nearly $122 billion to States to support the Nation’s schools in safely reopening and sustaining
safe operations of schools while meeting the academic, social, emotional, and mental health
needs of students resulting from the coronavirus disease 2019 (“COVID-19”) pandemic. It is
particularly important that ARP ESSER funding will enable States and local educational
agencies (“LEAs”), and more directly schools, to support students who have been most severely
impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and are likely to have suffered the most because of
longstanding inequities in our communities and schools that have been exacerbated by the
COVID-19 pandemic.
The U.S. Department of Education (“Department”) is committed to working in partnership with
States so that these unprecedented resources are quickly put to work to ensure students have
sustained access to in-person instruction and that the resources are used to provide the effective
support students need as they persist through and recover from the impacts of the COVID-19
pandemic. The thoughtful and timely use of these funds will have a lasting impact on our
Nation’s schools and help to address the inequities in resources, services, and opportunities
available to our students.
This template presents an opportunity for States to share their plans for the use of ARP ESSER
funds with the public. The Department must approve a State educational agency’s (“SEA’s”)
plan in order to make the State’s remaining ARP ESSER allocation available for use. Please note
that the Department intends to issue ARP ESSER reporting requirements separately.
Instructions
Each SEA must provide descriptions and other information that address each requirement listed
below. An SEA may use this template or another format as long as every item and element is
addressed in the SEA’s response. Throughout this document, questions that refer to an SEA’s
ARP ESSER funding are referencing the total allocation to be received by the SEA, including
that which it allocates to its LEAs.
Each SEA must submit to the Department by June 7, 2021, either: (1) its ARP ESSER plan or
(2) the State requirements that preclude submission of the plan by that date and a date by which
it will be able to submit its complete ARP ESSER plan.
To submit the SEA’s plan, please email the plan to your Program Officer at
[State].OESE@ed.gov (e.g., Alabama.OESE@ed.gov).
In order to ensure transparency, the Department will post each plan on the Department’s website
when it is received and will indicate each plan’s approval status.
This template also allows States to fulfill the requirement of the Coronavirus Response and
Relief Supplemental Appropriations (“CRRSA”) Act ESSER II 6-month reporting requirement
in section 313(f) of the CRRSA Act.
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Cover Page
Grantee and Contact Information
ARP ESSER PR Award Number (e.g., S425U2100XX): S425U210048
SEA Contact: Jen Utemark, Office of Budget & Grants Management
Telephone: 402.471.4313
Email address: jen.utemark@nebraska.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)
Deborah A. Frison, Ed.D.
Signature of Authorized SEA Representative Date:
1/11/
2023
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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.
Nebraska stands out as a state that supported in-person learning for the vast majority of
students for the entire 2020-21 school year. This accomplishment is a testament to the
hard work and perseverance of the state’s educators, resiliency of our learners, family and
community engagement and support, and partnerships among national, state, and local
public health officials.
The Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) supported the continuity of learning and
safe return to school through the following strategies:
First, the NDE served as a convener and communicator. NDE hosted weekly, then
twice per month, meetings with superintendents and other staff, bringing together local
and state public health officials and the governor to share the state of the state. These
meetings provided clear, consistent communication focused on health and well-being,
mitigation strategies, and continuity of learning. The NDE, in collaboration with myriad
partners, developed Launch Nebraska, a comprehensive guide to leadership and systems
work, continuity of learning, and conditions for learning necessary to make the 2020-21
school year safe and productive for students. The resource has now pivoted to the key
actions necessary for Renewal and Acceleration.
Second, from the beginning of the pandemic, the NDE emphasized the critical need to
support marginalized student groups in their continuity of learning. School districts
were required to submit “Continuity of Learning Plans” which asked specifically about
strategies to serve students with disabilities and English learners. Responses informed
supports to schools, professional learning offerings, and flexibilities in rules and
regulations. Digital equity gaps were also addressed through early and coordinated focus
on the hierarchy of technology needs. A significant investment was made in bridging the
digital divide through both the NDE’s CARES Act set aside and the governor’s
investment of GEER dollars.
Finally, over the past year, the NDE has curated over 30 hours of professional learning
opportunities targeted toward the varied needs of schools, subject area, and student
needs. These resources, which are still accessible, allow districts to choose the learning
and resources that best fit the needs of their staff and students.
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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.
Across 14 ESSER roundtable discussions, a survey of stakeholders, and quantitative data
analysis, the following four priorities have emerged:
• Access to comprehensive mental health services for students, staff, and
communities. The psychological toll of the pandemic may not be fully understood
yet, but access to mental healthcare providers pre-pandemic was already scarce,
particularly in rural communities.
• Authentic and reimagined family and community engagement. Parents,
guardians, and families have played an invaluable role supporting the safety and
learning of students over this past year. Trust, relationships, and two-way
communication must be prioritized this summer and throughout the next school
year.
• Teachers and leaders with the requisite high-quality professional learning and
resources to address the full spectrum of students’ academic needs with an
explicit focus on the unfinished learning of historically marginalized students.
This priority also emphasizes bolstering the teacher pipeline. Shortages in
critical teaching positions existed pre-pandemic (detailed further below) and have
further been exacerbated. Particular attention must be paid to attracting, retaining,
upskilling, and elevating educators, with particular attention increasing the racial
parity of the teaching force.
• Ensure students have equitable access to grade-level instruction to address
unfinished learning and support learning acceleration. Students had differing
experiences during the pandemic, and many, especially the historically
marginalized, were performing below grade level before the pandemic. That said,
educators must not turn solely to remediation to approach the unfinished teaching
and learning of students, instead focusing on the acceleration necessary to meet
the needs of each student.
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,
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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.
NOTE: Many 2020-21 data collections, including cohort graduation rate, statewide
summative assessment scores, membership, and teacher/personnel data, will not be
available until Fall 2021. The NDE has endeavored to detail specific needs for student
groups given qualitative input from myriad stakeholders and available quantitative data.
Additionally, Nebraska had a high statewide summative assessment participation rate,
positioning the state well for data analysis.
Many needs facing specific student groups were present before the pandemic, and while
new data may not be currently, the NDE acknowledges the disparate effect of COVID-19
on some communities, which could lead to the widening of these opportunity and
achievement gaps. As Commissioner of Education, Dr. Matthew Blomstedt noted, “The
collective failure as a nation to successfully confront the pandemics of poverty, racism,
and injustice left us more vulnerable to the pandemic of COVID-19 and the consequences
it will have for generations.”
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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.
Student group Highest priority needs
Students from low- Key Data Point(s):
income families • 2018-19 Chronic Absenteeism: 21% (All Students: 13%)
• 2019-20 Graduation Rate: 79.7% (All Students: 88%)
1) While a small percentage of students in Nebraska learned
remotely this year, economically disadvantaged students in our
largest districts were more likely to have started the year in this
learning modality.
2) Consistent, reliable, high speed internet and broadband access
continue to be a challenge for economically disadvantaged students
in Nebraska
Students from each Key Data Point(s):
racial or ethnic • 2019-20 Graduation Rate for Native American Students:
background used 71% (All Students: 88%)
by the State for • 2018-19 English Language Arts for Black or African
reporting purposes
American Students: 27% Proficient (All Students: 52%)
(e.g., identifying
disparities and • 2018-19 Chronic Absenteeism for Hispanic/Latinx Students:
focusing on 19% (All Students: 13%)
underserved
student groups by 1) In addition to the pandemic, which disproportionately affected
race/ethnicity) families of color, the twin pandemic of racial injustice came to a
head with the murder of George Floyd. Trauma, disproportionate
rates of discipline, disproportionality in identification for special
education and many other inequities continue to affect learners of
color at higher rates than their White peers.
2) Significant opportunity gaps existed before the pandemic, with
each racial and ethnic group scoring below the White student group
in ELA, math, and graduation rates.
3) Educators across the state need continued support to ensure
culturally relevant/sustaining pedagogy and materials are meeting
the needs of all learners and implemented with fidelity.
Students by gender Key Data Point(s):
– please add a row • 2018-19 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) – 43% of
for each gender high school girls reported feeling “Sad or Hopeless”
(e.g., identifying compared to 21.1% of boys
disparities and
focusing on • 2018-29 YRBS – 22.8% of girls considered attempting
underserved suicide, compared to 12.7% for boys
student groups by • 2018-19 suspension and expulsion data: African American
gender) girls represent only 7% of the student population but over
23% of the expulsions
1) Prior to COVID-19, data from the YRBS suggest girls need
additional social emotional and mental health supports.
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Student group Highest priority needs
2) At the intersection of gender and race/ethnicity, prior to the
pandemic, Black girls were far more likely than their White peers to
be suspended and expelled at significantly disproportionate rates.
English learners Key data point(s):
• 2019-20 Graduation Rate: 52% (All Students: 88%)
• 2018-19 Chronic Absenteeism: 18% (All Students: 13%)
• 2020-21 ELPA 21 Participation Rate: 96%
1) Like students with disabilities, the English learner student
group is nuanced and complex. In Nebraska, 110 languages are
spoken in our schools, and one of the greatest challenges is
increasing the capacity of general education teachers to
effectively support the English language acquisition of ELs
across content areas.
2) An additional priority for English learners is authentic and
meaningful engagement of parents and guardians of English
learners.
Children with Key data point(s):
disabilities • 2019-20 Graduation Rate: 68.9% (All Students: 88%)
• 2018-19 Math for Students with Disabilities: 22% Proficient
(All Students: 52%)
1) When Nebraska designated schools for targeted support and
improvement and additional targeted support and improvement
for the first time in 2019, the students with disabilities group
had the most school identifications. One of the greatest needs
is a collective responsibility and accountability for students
with disabilities in general education classrooms and
strengthening Tier 1 core instruction.
2) Nebraska must continue to pursue explicit supports for
students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who
were often unable to receive the same type of intensive
supports necessary and guaranteed to them.
3) Building parent and guardian capacity for support and
advocacy. Parents, guardians, and families serve as the primary
teachers of students. A specific need is continued
empowerment of families to serve as advocates and partners in
students with disabilities in reaching the goals outlined in
IEPs.
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Student group Highest priority needs
Students Key data point(s):
experiencing • 2019-20 Graduation Rate: 59.9% (All Students: 88%)
homelessness
1) Students experiencing homelessness often struggle to
participate in virtual or online learning. Schools often serve as
the most stable structures for this student group, so disruptions
created significant barriers to their learning and access to
supports.
2) While Nebraska’s data systems and governance make it
virtually impossible for a student to be disenrolled without
accounting for their movement, tracking and accounting for
students experiencing homelessness continues to be a
challenge.
3) While all students benefit from wrap around services,
students experiencing homelessness specifically gain when the
school addresses whole child needs.
Children and youth Key data point(s):
in foster care and • December 2020: 3,965 Systems-Involved Youth, 3%
those involved in increase from 2019
the justice system • 2019-20 Graduation Rate: 51.2% (All Students: 88%)
1) Students who are systems involved, including those in the
foster care or juvenile justice systems, require specific
attention to transitions among facilities, when they age out, or
from grade to grade.
2) Students who are systems involved require more
personalized attention through educational advocates, mentors,
or liaisons, and a coordinated cross-sector collaboration. In
Nebraska, this relationship is developing, but with greater
numbers of students, further work must be done.
Migratory students Key data point(s):
• 2019-20 Graduation Rate: 84.7% (All Students: 88%)
1) Students who are migratory often lack stable and consistent
transportation. This challenge was especially acute during the
pandemic with loss of jobs and housing instability.
2) Migratory students and families benefit from two-
generational approaches like family literacy, parenting classes,
and parent and child together time. These strategies empower
parents to support their own learning and that of their children.
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Student group Highest priority needs
3) As students move from place to place, rapid placement in
appropriate courses is often lost or the process prolonged. This
means that specific strategies for credit recovery must be
pursued for migratory students.
Other groups of Key data point(s):
students identified
by the State (e.g., There are several student groups considered “at risk” before the
youth involved in pandemic, as measured by both the Youth Risk Behavior Survey
the criminal justice (YRBS) and academic outcomes. In addition to those student groups
system, students above, the NDE also is monitoring the needs of:
who have missed
the most in-person • LGBTQ+ Youth (2018-19 YRBS)
instruction during o 34.4% of LGBTQ+ students reported being
the 2019-2020 and
2020-2021 school
bullied
years, students who o 59.4% of LGBTQ+ students reported feeling
did not consistently sad or hopeless
participate in o 41% of LGBTQ+ students reported seriously
remote instruction considering attempting suicide
when offered
during school
1) According to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey from 2018-
building closures,
LGBTQ+ students)
19, LGBTQ+ youth are far more likely to experience sadness,
depression, and bullying at schools in Nebraska. Among the
highest needs from the ARP survey and stakeholder input,
mental health supports for all students, including, but not
limited to LGBTQ+ students, must be prioritized and provided
across the state.
• Students who are Highly Mobile
o 2018-19 English Language Arts: 30% Proficient
(All Students: 51%)
o 2018-19 Math: 26% Proficient (All Students:
52%)
1) Students who are highly mobile often struggle to participate
in virtual or online learning. Schools often serve as the most
stable structures for this student group, so disruptions created
significant barriers to their learning and access to supports
2) Strong structures must be implemented to support continuity
of services for students who are highly mobile, especially for
mobile students that are also English learners and/or have
disabilities.
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Student group Highest priority needs
• Children with a Parent in the Military
o 2018-19 English Language Arts: 66% Proficient
(All Students: 51%)
o 2018-19 Math: 64% Proficient (All Students:
52%)
1) Children with a parent in the military, while often
performing higher than their peers on academic assessments,
often need additional support for their transitions to and from
new bases or assignments. The patterns and needs of students
with parents in the military often mirror those of highly mobile
students.
2) Additionally, students with a parent in the military often
require additional social emotional supports as a result of their
movement from place to place.
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 NDE will support LEAs in unearthing the impact of COVID-19 on students
through multiple strategies. First, the NDE will elevate messages developed through
its own research on the impact. For example, the NDE has developed a map
triangulating the CDC’s social vulnerability index, COVID-19 cases per hundred
thousand, and our TSI, CSI, ATSI schools. This has enabled the NDE to target funds
and strategies and can be replicated at the local level.
Additionally, the NDE will assist districts in inventorying and using their own local
data like attendance, interim assessments, classroom assessments, digital equity, and
perceptual data. Technical assistance sessions will be held throughout the summer to
assist schools in examining available data, triangulating it, and pivoting into action.
Finally, the NDE will assist schools to approach disparate impacts through a multi-
tiered systems approach, ensuring tier one academic, social, emotional and mental
health needs are met for all, and more intensive supports pursued for those students
most affected.
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
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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 NDE made a conscious effort to reduce data burdens on schools during this
year so districts could focus all efforts on the unique learning environment and
safety protocols. Districts self-reported mode of instruction to the NDE.
Additionally:
• Enrollment data is submitted and validated in October of each year
• Attendance data flows to the NDE each day, but is officially validated at the end
of the year.
• Mode of instruction was informally collected through Launch NE Learning
Status page.
Beginning in the 2021-22 school year, the NDE will include enhanced tracking
for Learning Modality, through specific student-level data elements for in person,
remote, or hybrid learning. Additional absence codes to capture the reason for
absences will provide more specific analytic opportunities to evaluate and identify
supports needed for students as well.
ii. The data described in A.5.i.a. and b. using the template in Appendix
A (and to the extent available, the data described in A.5.i.c.) for the
most recent time period available. Please note that this data can be
submitted separately within 14 calendar days after a State submits
this plan. The SEA must also make this data publicly available on its
website as soon as possible but no later than June 21, 2021, and
regularly provide updated available information on its website. The
Department will periodically review data listed in A.5.i on SEA
websites.
See Appendix A for more details.
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iii. To the extent available, a description of the planned operational
status and mode of instruction for the State and its LEAs for Summer
2021 and for the 2021-2022 school year.
The NDE will continue to support local decisions around offerings for the fall,
however, the NDE believes like this year, the vast majority of students will be
learning in-person this summer and in the fall of 2021. Additionally, the NDE will
enhance its data collections to include more clear measures of remote learning,
reasons for absences, and other key indicators of student access and success.
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;
Nebraska has prioritized and supported in-person instruction from before the
beginning of this year. Planning and support began in late spring 2020 with the
development of Launch Nebraska and the NDE’s Planning a Safe Return to
School in Nebraska guidance developed by local, state, and national public health
and education experts. Through the development of this document the NDE
communicated the following foundational values which drove the state to a
successful school year:
• Equity: We must ensure our students, especially those who have been
historically underserved, maintain access to high quality teaching.
• Quality: While flexibility and innovation must be pursued, we must not back
down from our standards for quality.
• Flexibility: We must pursue flexibilities in regulations and innovations to
ensure students have access to high quality teaching.
• Safety: Learning cannot occur if the school community does not feel safe in
their environment.
• Decisive: Given the size and scope of the challenge, we must move
deliberately and make tough choices. We will make mistakes, and we will
adapt quickly as variables on the ground change.
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In sum, Nebraska schools have already safely returned to in-person learning
through the commitment of educators, resiliency of students and staff,
partnerships with local health departments and the Nebraska Department of
Health and Human Services, and clear guidance and communication. This
same commitment to student and staff safety continues into summer 2021 and the
2021-22 school year.
For summer and into next school year, the NDE will insist upon consultation with
local health departments in designing safety protocols aligned with the CDC and
emerging best practices.
Additionally, the NDE has developed a template plan to guide district leaders in
easily aligning their return to learning plans to the most recent CDC guidelines.
Table B1.
Mitigation strategy SEA response
Universal and correct The NDE has led statewide efforts and partnerships to
wearing of masks message the continued need for safety, masking,
Physical distancing vaccinations, and mental health through its sponsorship in
(e.g., including use of the Do Right, Right Now campaign.
cohorts/podding)
Handwashing and Additionally, guidance was provided for schools in the
respiratory etiquette NDE’s Planning a Safe Return to School in Nebraska, and
Cleaning and through continued evolution of guidance on the Launch NE
maintaining healthy website.
facilities, including
improving ventilation The NDE has also worked closely with the Nebraska
Contact tracing in Association of Local Health Departments and the Nebraska
combination with Department of Health and Human Services to share
isolation and consistent messages every other week through joint
quarantine, in webinars with education leaders.
collaboration with the
State, local, territorial, The NDE coordinated the distribution of hand sanitizer and
or Tribal health face masks at the beginning of the 2020-21 school year, and
departments continues to closely monitor PPE needs for districts.
Diagnostic and
screening testing The NDE worked closely with the Nebraska Department of
Health and Human Services to pilot COVID-19 screening
tests to 2,500 students statewide through two separate
rounds.
Finally, the NDE has developed and executed professional
learning webinars for school nurses and other school health
personnel through a partnership with Nebraska Children’s
Hospital and their Project ECHO.
Efforts to provide The Do Right, Right Now campaign pivoted from mitigation
vaccinations to efforts to vaccination efforts beginning in January 2021. The
educators, other staff, NDE has also elevated district efforts for staff and student
and students, if vaccination.
eligible
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Mitigation strategy SEA response
Appropriate The NDE Office of Special Education developed guidelines
accommodations for aligned to CDC and local, state, and national public health
children with officials accommodating for the unique needs of students
disabilities with with disabilities. This included proper alternatives to health
respect to the health and safety protocols.
and safety policies
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;
Every Nebraska school district has provided in-person instruction in the 2020-21
school year. The NDE has been tracking districts that have offered remote or
hybrid options.
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
Central to the success of this year has been the partnerships with public health
officials at all levels. The NDE has partnered with the University of Nebraska
Medical Center (UNMC), national partners, the Nebraska Department of Health
and Human Services, and the Nebraska Association of Local Health Directors
(NALHD).
The NDE hosted weekly meetings with education stakeholders from March 2020
through March 2021. Each week, the governor, DHHS, and at least one
representative from local health departments (LHDs) have presented relevant data
and guidance to school leaders, and allowed significant dialogue and questions
and answer time.
Additionally, NDE staff met weekly with the chief medical officer and state
epidemiologist to collaborate and create a strategy for LEA COVID-19 screening,
distribution of PPE, and virus mitigation in school settings.
Finally, districts bolstered relationships with LHDs and the NDE, and worked
collaboratively to develop plans for school operations. Local health departments
provided the following services to LEAS:
• Consulted with superintendents.
• Provided guidance and technical assistance to local schools.
• Determined consistent protocols for when cases occurred within schools.
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• Quarantined and isolated school staff and students based upon COVID-19 cases
and/or exposure.
• Regularly communicated local COVID-19 status – including via risk dial.
iv. Any guidance, professional learning, and technical assistance
opportunities the SEA will make available to its LEAs.
The NDE provided guidance on Launch NE distilling CDC guidance for facilities,
lunchroom settings, fine arts, in career and technical education classrooms, and
extracurricular activities. The NDE worked collaboratively with DHHS and local
health departments to disseminate and update these documents regularly, and shared
the resources weekly with superintendents and other school leaders.
The NDE also participated in Project ECHO professional learning opportunities for
school nurses.
2. Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plans: Describe
how the SEA will ensure that its LEAs that receive ARP ESSER funds meet the
requirements in section 2001(i) of the ARP Act and the requirements relating to
the ARP ESSER funds published in the Federal Register and available at
https://oese.ed.gov/offices/american-rescue-plan/american-rescue-plan-
elementary-and-secondary-school-emergency-relief/ (ARP ESSER requirements)
to either: (a) within 30 days of receipt of the funds, develop and make publicly
available on the LEA’s website a plan for the safe return to in-person instruction
and continuity of services, or (b) have developed and made publicly available on
the LEA’s website such a plan that meets statutory requirements before the
enactment of the ARP Act, including:
i. How the SEA will ensure that each LEA plan includes, or will be
modified to include, the extent to which it has adopted policies and a
description of any such policies on each of the strategies listed in
table B1;
ii. How the SEA will ensure that each LEA plan describes how it will
ensure continuity of services including but not limited to services to
address the students’ academic needs, and students’ and staff social,
emotional, mental health, and other needs, which may include
student health and food services;
iii. How the SEA will ensure that the LEA periodically reviews, no less
frequently than every six months for the duration of the ARP ESSER
grant period (i.e., through September 30, 2023),2 and revises as
appropriate, its plan, and how the SEA will ensure that the LEA
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.il
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seeks public input, and takes such input into account on (1) whether
revisions are necessary and, if so, (2) the revisions to the plan; and
iv. Describe, to the extent the SEA collects it, information about LEA
implementation, to the greatest extent practicable, of each element of
the most up-to-date CDC guidance listed in table B1 and its LEAs’
needs for support and technical assistance to implement strategies
consistent, to the greatest extent practicable, with relevant CDC
guidance.
See responses below:
i. Since all Nebraska schools were already providing in-person instruction in the
2020-21 school year, the NDE has created a simple template to capture district
best practices, ensure required consultation with local health departments, and
guarantee alignment with CDC guidelines.
ii. In the spring of 2020, the NDE required “Continuity of Learning Plans” which
can serve as models for this year’s version. In the template for the Safe Return to
In-Person Learning, districts will detail their plans for continuity of learning,
including services for specific student groups, and their plan for providing
nutritional services and other students support if disruptions should occur this
year. The NDE will collect this response through the grants management system.
iii. The NDE will provide technical assistance and consultation during the
summer of 2021 including support with the template for a safe return, grants
management assistance, etc. These plans will be periodically reviewed by both
programmatic and fiscal staff throughout 2021-22 and beyond at six-month
intervals.
iv. The NDE does not collect these data.
C. Planning for the Use and Coordination of ARP ESSER Funds
The Department recognizes that seeking input from diverse stakeholders is essential to
developing plans for the use of ARP ESSER funds that are responsive to the needs of
students, families, and educators. In this section, SEAs will describe their plans for
consultation and for coordinating the use of ARP ESSER funds with other resources to meet
the needs of students.
1. SEA Consultation: Consistent with the ARP ESSER requirements, describe how
the SEA engaged in meaningful consultation with stakeholders, and incorporated
input into its plan, including, but not limited to:
i. students;
ii. families;
iii. Tribes (if applicable);
iv. civil rights organizations (including disability rights organizations);
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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.
NDE is committed to meaningful consultation with stakeholders, and modeled this
engagement for districts by taking time to intentionally meet with a broad set of voices
representing multiple communities and stakeholder groups. Throughout May and into
early June, the NDE met with 14 stakeholder groups in round table discussions focused
on determining the greatest needs facing students and families, and priorities for
investments of ARP funds. These groups include the following:
i. Students
• Career and Technical Student Organization Executive Leaders –
June 2, 2021
• Nebraska Youth Leadership Council – June 3, 2021
ii. Families
• Special Education Advisory Committee – May 6, 2021
• Parents and Families (Translation services provided) – May 27,
2021
iii. Tribes (if applicable);
• Commissioner’s Native American Advisory Committee – May 19,
2021
• Nebraska Commission on Indian Affairs – May 19, 2021
iv. Civil rights organizations (including disability rights organizations);
• Equity Committee – (Urban League, Latino American
Commission, Nebraska Commission for Indian Affairs,
OutNebraska, Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired,
Commission for Deaf and Hard of Hearing) – May 26, 2021
• Nebraska NAACP – May 20, 2021
• Statewide Facilities-Based Schools Administrators – May 26, 2021
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v. School and district administrators (including special education
administrators);
• Nebraska Council of School Administrators Executive Team –
May 18, 2021
• Commissioner’s Superintendents Advisory Committee – May 12,
2021
vi. Superintendents;
• Commissioner’s Superintendents Advisory Committee – May 12,
2021
vii. Charter school leaders (if applicable);
• Not Applicable
viii. Teachers, principals, school leaders, other educators, school staff, and
their unions; and
• Commissioner’s Teacher Advisory Group – April 8, 2021
• Nebraska Council of School Administrators Executive Team –
May 18, 2021
• Commissioner’s Superintendents Advisory Committee – May 12,
2021
• Nebraska State Education Association – May 19, 2021
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.
• Special Education Advisory Committee – May 6, 2021
• Statewide Facilities-Based Schools Administrators – May 26, 2021
• Omaha Education Partners – May 21, 2021
The following six questions were posed to all stakeholder groups. Responses in the tables
represent consistent or recurring themes across all groups.
What have been the greatest needs facing students and communities during the COVID-19
pandemic?
Mental Health; Social-Emotional Supports; Increased mental health crises; Trauma across
multiple crises (ex. COVID, Racial Reckoning in Summer 2020, etc)
Staff burnout, mental health, engagement, professional learning needs
Technology; Gaps in infrastructure and connectivity
Engagement, re-engagement, and connection for students who learned remotely
Holistic needs of children: nutritional, physical health, housing insecurity, family crises
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If money weren’t a barrier, what investments would you make in your school and
community to transform education?
Offer Universal pre-K for all
Increase family and community engagement; parent education and two-generational
approach
Focus on equitable learning strategies such as restorative practices; explicit strategies for
SPED, EL, and students of color; Support for culturally relevant pedagogy
Focus on the teacher pipeline - recruitment, retention, elevation of educators. Intensive
professional learning now and into next year; focus on remote learning
Implement a Community schools model and wrap around services; integration of services
with DHHS, etc.
What state and local investments should be made to prioritize students who have been
historically marginalized?
Increase racial diversity among the teaching force
Provide training on inclusion and inclusionary practices: ex. Universal design for learning,
restorative practices, cultural competence and culturally relevant pedagogy and materials.
Elevate student and family voice, specifically students and families of color
Rethink school schedules
Implement project based learning and invest in CTE
What are the most important strategies local school districts could implement as part of
their investments?
Summer and enhanced program offerings, ex. Tutoring and expanded learning
Summer learning for educators
Early interventions for struggling readers
Full-time nurses, school counselors and/or mental health counselors, social workers,
behavioral coaches, etc.
Substitute teachers, and teacher pipeline
What statewide supports could/should NDE provide through our investments?
Statewide strategy for mental health access; Tier one supports for SEL
Summer school supports and programming
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Incentives or investments for HQIM
Not choosing cookie cutter projects, but allowing for the customization at the district level
Strategies for parent and community engagement and full-scale community schools models
In what ways can we better recruit, support, and retain teachers and leaders during this
time?
Offer and accept micro-credentialing
Remove the Praxis as a requirement
Create teacher pipeline support: Mentor teaching, Paid teacher residency programs,
instructional coaches; Develop EdRising statewide
Provide teacher mental health supports
Clearly communicate recertification processes, invest in additional certification for teachers,
or upskill paraeducators and teachers
Additionally, the NDE provided a public survey from May 21 to June 7 and received 543
responses. Trends from the survey reiterate themes from roundtables and include the
following:
Question 1: Please select the 3 greatest needs facing students during the COVID-19
pandemic from the list below.
Student Need Number of
Responses
Social emotional supports for all students 245
Mental health supports for students 204
Unfinished teaching and learning resulting 181
from closures
Supports for wraparound services at schools 176
(i.e supports for physical, emotional,
nutritional, and health supports)
Barriers to learning remotely (eg. lack of 153
internet, devices)
Question 8: Please select the 3 most important strategies local school districts could
implement as part of their investments.
Strategies Number of
Responses
Reduced class sizes 185
Mental health training and support 174
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Professional learning to support the 145
implementation of high-quality instructional
materials
Purchase high-quality instructional 139
materials
Short-term mental health practitioners, 137
psychologists, social workers
Question 9: Please select up to 3 statewide supports that NDE could/should provide
through their investments.
Strategies Number of
Responses
Mental health training and support 171
Reduce class sizes 146
Short-term mental health practitioners, 145
psychologists, social workers
Purchase/leverage educational technology 143
investments
Professional learning networks to support 143
the implementation of high-quality
instructional materials
The listening sessions and survey reiterate the priority areas and strategies identified by the NDE
and written into this plan in Section A2 and D1i.
2. Coordinating Funds: Describe to what extent the SEA has and will coordinate
Federal COVID-19 pandemic funding and other Federal funding. This description
must include:
i. How the SEA and its LEAs 1) are using or have used prior to the
submission of this plan and 2) plan to use following submission of
this plan, Federal COVID-19 funding under the Coronavirus Aid,
Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act and the CRRSA Act
to support a safe return to and safely maximize in-person instruction,
sustain these operations safely, and address the disproportionate
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on individual student groups
(including students from low-income families, children with
disabilities, English learners, racial or ethnic minorities, students
experiencing homelessness, children and youth in foster care, and
migratory students);
Complete the table below or provide a narrative description.
Table C1.
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Funding source Prior/current SEA and Planned SEA and LEA
LEA uses (including uses (including funding
funding amounts, if amounts, if applicable)
applicable)
ESSER I (CARES Act)
GEER I (CARES Act) See screenshots below. More details at
ESSER II (CRRSA Act) https://www.education.ne.gov/cares-act/
GEER II (CRRSA Act)
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24
25
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.
See above graphics.
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 NDE has supported districts in the blending and braiding of other federal funds in
two ways:
• CRRSA Guidance Letter – Provides example scenarios for school leaders to
consider when budgeting over the next year.
• NDE’s Renewal and Acceleration Budget Roadmap (In development) – Provides
a budgeting tool to inventory all federal and state funds, and prompts schools in
their strategic allocation.
D. Maximizing State-Level Funds to Support Students
The Department recognizes that States have an extraordinary opportunity to address the
disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on underserved students through the
ARP Act’s required State set-asides to address the academic impact of lost instructional time,
provide summer learning and enrichment programs, and provide comprehensive afterschool
programs. In this section, SEAs will describe their evidence-based strategies for these
resources.
1. Academic Impact of Lost Instructional Time: Describe how the SEA will use the
funds it reserves under section 2001(f)(1) of the ARP Act (totaling not less than 5
percent of the State’s total allocation of ARP ESSER funds) on evidence-based
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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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 following four themes were consistently noted in consultation sessions and
survey results as priorities. The NDE will pursue the following evidence-based
interventions to address these priorities, and ensure systems and infrastructure are
present to carry them out successfully.
• Interventions to support student and staff social emotional wellbeing
and mental health – This may include Social and Emotional Learning
(SEL) curricula and training for teachers, Mental Health First Aid
Training, and expanding access to mental health practitioners, social
workers, school psychologists, school counselors, and tele-health
opportunities.
• Initiatives to reimagine family and community engagement – This may
include dual capacity frameworks to systematize family-school-student
partnerships, resources to support in-person communication with families
linked to learning goals, expanding access to community school models,
and strategies that provide the opportunity for parents and children to
interact together.
• Investment in teacher professional development, upskilling, and the
teacher and leader pipeline – This may include providing professional
learning to improve culturally relevant teaching and learning, building
teacher content knowledge, supporting the implementation of high-quality
instructional materials, and investing in the teacher and school leader
pipeline by creating opportunities to upskill credentials, certifications, etc.
• Ensure students have equitable access to grade-level instruction to
address unfinished learning and support learning acceleration – This
may include supporting learning acceleration anchored in high-quality
instructional materials, evidence-based interventions and assessments, and
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high-quality professional learning to support equitable teaching and
learning for all students, with particular attention to student most impacted
by COVID-19.
Following intensive stakeholder feedback to develop the four investment focus areas, the
NDE has continued to engage stakeholders in the ESSER state set aside investment
process. This has included intentional outreach to state partners like the NAACP of
Nebraska, Nebraska Commission on Indian Affairs, Nebraska State Education
Association, and Council of School Administrators. Additionally, the commissioner and
staff have visited several schools in the fall and spring to engage not only in discussions
of uses of local funds, but how to better target and invest set aside funds.
Internally, the NDE has developed a process whereby initiatives and new contracts are
vetted for their evidence basis, target school audience and population, and evaluation
options. Finally, all expenditures over $50,000 are approved by the Nebraska State Board
of Education.
Below is a description of the distribution of ESSER III set aside funds by priority area.
• Interventions to support student and staff social emotional wellbeing and mental
health
o Nearly 19% of the set aside funds for evidence-based practices have been
allocated for mental health supports.
o Mental Health Support Grant ($5.1 million)
Partnerships through Nebraska’s intermediary agencies, Educational
Service Units (ESUs), have created regional systems to maximize mental
health supports.
Providing training in mental health first aid to districts
Increasing access to licensed mental health practitioners
Creating tele-mental health opportunities
This discretionary grant was in two parts and available to all 17 ESUs and
244 public school districts:
• ESUs completed an action plan describing their ability and
capacity to support regional mental health institutes for their
educators.
• LEAs applied for funds to support plans which emerged as a result
of a needs assessment and required training at regional mental
health institutes. Districts were eligible for funding to support a
menu of options.
• Initiatives to reimagine family and community engagement
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o Around 11% of funds are supporting outreach, education, and support to families
and communities.
o Strategies have included contracted services supporting LEAs which include the
use of an evidence-based early childhood family engagement and literacy tool,
expanding and deepening family literacy centers, translation services, and
expanded support for systems-involved youth.
• Investment in teacher professional development, upskilling, and the teacher and
leader pipeline
o 13% of evidence-based set aside funds have been allocated for high-quality
professional learning opportunities and strategies to address the teacher shortage.
o Intensive support (training, materials, and collaboration) to schools designated for
ATSI for the students with disability group and those that are also identified for
disproportionality for SPED.
o Educator Shortage Call for Proposals ($1.5 million)
In April, the NDE worked with stakeholders to better understand potential
responses to the state’s educator shortage. The NDE designed a call for
proposals for higher education, districts, ESUs, and others to share ideas
for immediate relief of critical shortage areas.
Higher education institutions, ESUs, and school districts were eligible to
apply. A rubric was created and scored applicants on their identification of
partnerships, focus on immediate needs, engagement of stakeholders,
ESSA evidence level, inclusion of evaluation processes, and focus on
identified shortage areas.
• Ensure students have equitable access to grade-level instruction to address
unfinished learning and support learning acceleration
o This strategy represents the bulk of the investments of these funds, constituting
roughly 41% of investments. Notably, many strategies in this category are also
high-quality professional learning, and therefore cross-cut to the focus area above.
o Supports include investments in leadership development for schools identified as
CSI, funding to districts that were ineligible for ESSER funds, math-specific
professional learning, and funding to support career and technical education.
• Modernizing Information, Data, and Technology, and Process Systems
o 13% of set aside funds are being used in this strategy area
o After continued stakeholder feedback, the NDE added a fifth priority area focused
on modernization of systems. As early as 2014, the Nebraska Legislature called
upon the NDE to study the impact of discordant data systems on teaching and
learning. A lack of modern data systems at the state level creates inefficiencies
29
and burden on schools and districts. Additional feedback from users, and first
hand experience during the pandemic further demonstrated the need to focus on
this area.
o These set of strategies represent Tier 4 evidence, and the NDE has created a logic
model and plans to study these investments further.
For a more detailed look at the NDE’s statewide investments, please visit
https://www.education.ne.gov/esser/esser-iii-arp/ndes-esser-iii-application/
Evaluation of Strategies:
The NDE is evaluating evidence-based strategies in many ways. First, almost all specific
investments include an independent or built-in evaluation by the contractor, vendor, or
third-party provider. Additionally, the NDE is using its internal research capacity to
monitor and evaluate investments for both formative and summative purposes. Finally,
the NDE created theories of action surrounding each of the five investment priority areas.
These have then been turned into specific short and long term expected outcomes which
provide a road map for adjustments of investments if needed.
ii. How the evidence-based interventions will specifically address the
disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on certain groups of students,
including each of the student groups listed in question A.3.i.-viii.
When possible, please indicate which data sources the SEA will use
to determine the impact of lost instructional time; and
Most Nebraska schools have served students through in-person learning this school
year. Given that unique context, Nebraska schools should consider using ESSER III
funds to support students most impacted by COVID-19 disruptions, including but not
limited to:
• Those students who attended the majority or even part of their year
remotely. While some students excelled during remote learning space, other
remote learners may have found challenges. It is critical to determine the
content remote learners may have not been taught in order to prepare them for
learning acceleration.
• Those students who were disengaged or did not participate when learning
remotely. While great efforts were made to serve students through any
modality this year, remote learning provided its own set of challenges. The
NDE is aware of and understands that some students were hard to reach, did
not participate, and/or did not have the tools necessary to succeed.
Determining some of the reasons why these students were disengaged and
applying the most appropriate intervention will support these students upon
return to school buildings and should remain an area of focus.
• Those learners who were below grade level before the pandemic.
Disaggregate data from before the pandemic to better understand the student
30
groups or specific students that were struggling and consider how the
pandemic may have disproportionately affected them.
• Students who have been historically marginalized, including students of
color, students with disabilities, English learners, and the economically
disadvantaged. Specifically, schools that are identified for targeted support
and improvement or additional targeted support and improvement for one of
these groups had opportunity gaps before COVID-19 which could have been
widened during the pandemic.
The NDE created an impact map which triangulated school designation data,
specifically TSI, ATSI, and CSI school identifications, with the CDC’s county-
level social vulnerability index, and COVID-19 case counts. This map shows the
schools and regions most impacted by COVID-19, and has enabled the NDE to
better target resources and interventions.
Additional data from summative and interim assessments, attendance and
graduation rate, and teacher shortage data have also been monitored to understand
better where schools need additional support from statewide investments.
Finally, the NDE has relied upon a partnership with the state’s 17 regional
Educational Service Units to identify schools for statewide activities and target
support. Sharing resources and investing in ESUs helps maximize reach
efficiently, and also identifies schools that are best poised to take up specific
interventions.
iii. The extent to which the SEA will use funds it reserves to identify
and engage 1) students who have missed the most in-person
instruction during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years; and 2)
students who did not consistently participate in remote instruction
when offered during school building closures.
See above.
2. Evidence-Based Summer Learning and Enrichment Programs: Describe how the
SEA will use the funds it reserves under section 2001(f)(2) of the ARP Act
(totaling not less than 1 percent of the State’s total allocation of ARP ESSER
funds) for evidence-based summer learning and enrichment programs, including
those that begin in Summer 2021, and ensure such programs respond to students’
academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs. The description must
include:
i. A description of the evidence-based programs that address the
academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs of students
(e.g., providing intensive or high-dosage tutoring, accelerating
learning) the SEA has selected, and the extent to which the SEA will
evaluate the impact of those programs;
31
The NDE is entering into a partnership with the Nebraska Children and Families
Foundation to manage, support, and monitor the implementation of expanded
learning programs throughout the state using ESSER III funds. These programs
will implement evidence-based enrichment activities consistent with the definition
and tiers of evidence outlined in ESSA.
Evidence-basis (After School Alliance, April 2021):
• Expanded learning and summer enrichment has been found to lead to successful
reengagement of learners.
• High-quality summer enrichment programs have been found to be particularly
effective in supporting math and reading gains for students. Similarly, high-
quality after school and summer enrichment programs yield improved grades.
• Expanded learning and summer enrichment leads to increased family and
community engagement, which is a strong predictor of student success.
• 21st Century Community Learning Centers and other such expanded learning
opportunities improve student attendance and decrease risky behaviors.
• Afterschool and summer school learning betters the overall health of vulnerable
youth.
• Programs will be evaluated using a similar evaluation plan developed for the
Nebraska 21st CCLC grant program by the University of Nebraska Medical
Center, Munroe-Meyer Institutes.
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 partnership detailed above will direct funds to schools serving the highest
proportions of underserved students, large numbers of historically marginalized
learners, and sites that experienced significant rates of COVID-19. Three types of
grants will be provided:
• Incubator – three-year grants to support for start-up programming in currently
underserved schools / communities
• Expansion – one to three-year grants to support for expanding quality and
capacity in existing programs serving historically underserved communities,
including support for summer programming strands
Incubator and Expansion grants will be prioritized for historically underserved
communities (students of color, students with disabilities, English learners and
economically disadvantaged students) and communities experiencing disproportionate
disruptions to in school learning due to the COVID pandemic during the 2019-21
pandemic. The selection process will prioritize applicants in all three areas who identify a
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balance of academic enrichment and engaging STEM-rich experiences, career
exploration, outdoor education, entrepreneurship, Social Emotional learning opportunities
and hands on engaged activities.
Data used to target resources will include educational data like enrollment,
designation data (CSI, TSI, ATSI), and achievement data, as well as data on
COVID-19 case counts.
iii. The extent to which the SEA will use funds it reserves to identify
and engage 1) students who have missed the most in-person
instruction during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years; and 2)
students who did not consistently participate in remote instruction
when offered during school building closures.
See 2.ii. above.
3. Evidence-Based Comprehensive Afterschool Programs: Describe how the SEA
will use the funds it reserves under section 2001(f)(3) of the ARP Act (totaling
not less than 1 percent of the State’s total allocation of ARP ESSER funds) for
evidence-based comprehensive afterschool programs (including, for example,
before-school programming), and ensure such programs respond to students’
academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs. The description must
include:
i. A description of the evidence-based programs (e.g., including
partnerships with community-based organizations) the SEA has
selected, and the extent to which the SEA will evaluate the impact of
those programs;
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
iii. the extent to which the SEA will use funds it reserves to identify and
engage 1) students who have missed the most in-person instruction
during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years; and 2) students
who did not consistently participate in remote instruction when
offered during school building closures.
See 2 above for details on partnerships, evidence-basis, and selection criteria.
Through its budget and accounting system, the NDE is tracking and ensuring the
separate use of the 1% allocation for summer programs and 1% for after school
programming. Selected schools are using funds to expand learning time, often
engaging in both summer and after school projects. Some schools are only using
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these funds to expand summer school offerings, while others invested in after
school. Across these varied and purposefully flexible opportunities for schools,
the NDE is carefully tracking budgets and expenditures to ensure not less than 1%
of the award will be used for after school programs and not less than 1% for
summer programming.
4. Emergency Needs: If the SEA plans to reserve funds for emergency needs under
section 2001(f)(4) of the ARP Act to address issues responding to the COVID-19
pandemic, describe the anticipated use of those funds, including the extent to
which these funds will build SEA and LEA capacity to ensure students’ and
staff’s health and safety; to meet students’ academic, social, emotional, and
mental health needs; and to use ARP ESSER funds to implement evidence-based
interventions.
The NDE will reserve 2.5% for “emergency needs.” These funds will be used to
bolster partnerships with community organizations, invest in liaison positions to serve
as direct lines to youth- and family-serving organizations, and improve internal
systems and infrastructure.
E. Supporting LEAs in Planning for and Meeting Students’ Needs
The Department recognizes that the safe return to in-person instruction must be accompanied
by a focus on meeting students’ academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs, and by
addressing the opportunity gaps that existed before – and were exacerbated by – the
pandemic. In this section, SEAs will describe how they will support their LEAs in
developing high-quality plans for LEAs’ use of ARP ESSER funds to achieve these
objectives.
1. LEA Plans for the Use of ARP ESSER Funds: Describe what the SEA will
require its LEAs to include in LEA plans consistent with the ARP ESSER
requirements for the use of ARP ESSER funds, how the SEA will require such
plans to be made available to the public, and the deadline by which the LEA must
submit its ARP ESSER plan (which must be a reasonable timeline and should be
within no later than 90 days after receiving its ARP ESSER allocation). The LEA
plans must include, at a minimum:
i. The extent to which and how the funds will be used to implement
prevention and mitigation strategies that are, to the greatest extent
practicable, in line with the most recent CDC guidance, in order to
continuously and safely operate schools for in-person learning;
ii. How the LEA will use the funds it reserves under section 2001(e)(1)
of the ARP Act (totaling not less than 20 percent of the LEA’s total
allocation of ARP ESSER funds) to address the academic impact of
lost instructional time through the implementation of evidence-based
interventions, such as summer learning or summer enrichment,
34
extended day, comprehensive afterschool programs, or extended
school year programs;
iii. How the LEA will spend its remaining ARP ESSER funds consistent
with section 2001(e)(2) of the ARP Act; and
iv. How the LEA will ensure that the interventions it implements,
including but not limited to the interventions under section
2001(e)(1) of the ARP Act to address the academic impact of lost
instructional time, will respond to the academic, social, emotional,
and mental health needs of all students, and particularly those
students disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,
including students from low-income families, students of color,
English learners, children with disabilities, students experiencing
homelessness, children and youth in foster care, and migratory
students.
The NDE is dedicated to ensuring the responsible, accountable, focused, and
transparent use of federal funds at both the SEA and LEA level. Additionally, the
American Rescue Plan provides an opportunity of a lifetime to implement evidence-
based strategies that will close achievement gaps and advance the learning of all
students. The NDE is providing significant support up front, and taking a measured,
planful approach to providing resources, guidance, and technical assistance for
educators as they develop their ARP plans.
The NDE will use planning documents, the application process through the Grants
Management System, and the district-level monitoring to ensure districts meet the
requirements of ESSER III including consultation with stakeholders, publishing plans
for safe return and use of funds to their individual websites, reserving at minimum
20% of the funding to address needs associated with learning loss, and selecting
interventions that are evidence based to assure the quality of the interventions that
students are receiving.
See additional responses to specific questions below:
i. As mentioned above, the NDE has created a template for schools to complete as
they consider safety procedures for the summer, fall, and throughout the grant period.
Launch NE serves as a continued repository for best practices and guidance for safety
procedures. A draft of this safety plan will be posted on each of the LEA’s websites,
reviewed at the local level at a minimum of every six months, and all documentation
must be kept for auditing purposes. Documentation will include at minimum: who
was involved in the writing of the plan, how public input was gathered, and
screenshots of the plan posted on the LEA website. Safety plans are required to be
published on the District’s websites and during the monitoring documentation will be
required to prove this has occurred.
ii. Since Nebraska students have mostly been learning in-person, “learning loss”
has a different meaning. The NDE began by providing a consistent definition and
35
guidance for schools in understanding the disparate affect the pandemic has had on
some learners and their families.
The NDE has also developed a list of vetted evidence-based interventions and
considerations for schools to implement. LEAs will detail these evidence-based
interventions in their plan for use of funds.
iii. The NDE has developed budgeting and planning resources for districts, and
will host technical assistance sessions throughout the summer and early fall to
propose innovative, evidence-based, and transformational uses of funds. The NDE is
also emphasizing the alignment of ARP ESSER plans to other plans implemented by
the districts including improvement plans for designated schools, continuous
improvement plans, etc. Finally, the NDE will be providing support for the creation
of a theory of action for the strategic use of funds in an effort to ensure the tight
alignment and evidence-based focus and assure accountability.
iv. The budget roadmap and other previously developed resources consistently
require schools to consider the differential impact of COVID-19 on their varied
student groups through a data-informed approach, resources for selecting and
evaluating evidence-based interventions, and alignment to processes already in place
at their district.
2. LEA Consultation: Describe how the SEA will, in planning for the use of ARP
ESSER funds, ensure that, consistent with the ARP ESSER requirements], its
LEAs engage in meaningful consultation with stakeholders, including, but not
limited to:
i. students;
ii. families;
iii. school and district administrators (including special education
administrators); and
iv. teachers, principals, school leaders, other educators, school staff, and
their unions.
The LEA must also engage in meaningful consultation with each of the following
to the extent present in or served by the LEA:
i. Tribes;
ii. civil rights organizations (including disability rights organizations);
and
iii. stakeholders representing the interests of children with disabilities,
English learners, children experiencing homelessness, children and
youth in foster care, migratory students, children who are
incarcerated, and other underserved students.
The description must also include how the SEA will ensure that LEAs provide the
public the opportunity to provide input in the development of the LEA’s plan for
the use of ARP ESSER funds and take such input into account.
36
In every communication to districts about the use of their American Rescue Plan funds,
the NDE has stressed the requirement to consult with myriad stakeholders. Budget and
planning documents include draft communications, surveys which can be adapted by the
district, and other strategies for seeking input and feedback.
Districts signed assurance statements that indicated they will involve stakeholders in
required planning components. Additionally, the ARP grant that districts submit will
include a section specifically asking districts to detail who was consulted, when, and how
the input was incorporated into their planning documents. Failure to detail all necessary
stakeholders will result in the return of the application to the district until a time which
they can prove consultation meaningfully occurred.
3. Describe how the SEA will support and monitor its LEAs in using ARP ESSER
funds. The description must include:
i. How the SEA will support and monitor its LEAs’ implementation of
evidence-based interventions that respond to students’ academic,
social, emotional, and mental health needs, such as through summer
learning or summer enrichment, extended day, comprehensive
afterschool programs, or extended school year programs – including
the extent to which the SEA will collect evidence of the
effectiveness of interventions employed;
The NDE has supported schools and districts in the selection of evidence-based
interventions beginning with CSI and ATSI designations in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
This support has involved the clarification of definitions of evidence-based and
introduction to tiers of support as outlined in ESSA, as well as steering districts to
resources and tools that make the selection easier. It is upon this foundation that
continued support will be provided to districts.
The NDE will host a session on evidence-based interventions this summer, and provide
continued support and technical assistance in selection and evaluation of the appropriate
evidence-based interventions tailored to the unique needs of schools and students.
Finally, the ARP application will require districts to indicate the evidence level of each
selected interventions and investment. NDE staff will review, and, if necessary, return
applications to districts until the appropriate evidence level is selected or the intervention
is changed.
The NDE is developing further protocols for ensuring enhanced programmatic and fiscal
monitoring to include the use of evidence-based interventions and strategies.
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
37
The NDE will host several technical assistance sessions on inventorying and analyzing
available data to identify the students and student groups most needing focused attention
in summer 2021 and the 2021-22 school year. The NDE will also offer support for the
identification and selection of evidence-based interventions for addressing gaps in
achievement.
The NDE is developing further protocols for ensuring enhanced programmatic and fiscal
monitoring to include the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on specific student
groups.
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.
The Launch Nebraska webpage includes specific considerations for schools when
addressing the disproportionate affects of COVID-19 on students who missed the most
in-person learning or who did not consistently participate in remote instruction. These
considerations are also captured in Nebraska’s resources on learning loss, which were
created since the vast majority of students in the state learned in-person in 2020-21.
The NDE is developing further protocols for ensuring enhanced programmatic and fiscal
monitoring to include identifying, reengaging, and supporting students with lost
instructional time.
4. Describe the extent to which the SEA will support its LEAs in implementing
additional strategies for taking educational equity into account in expending ARP
ESSER funds, including but not limited to:
i. Allocating funding both to schools and for districtwide activities
based on student need, and
ii. Implementing an equitable and inclusive return to in-person
instruction. An inclusive return to in-person instruction includes, but
is not limited to, establishing policies and practices that avoid the
over-use of exclusionary discipline measures (including in- and out-
of-school suspensions) and creating a positive and supportive
learning environment for all students.
The NDE’s budget roadmap provides guidance to districts on the equitable investment of
funds. This begins with a clear definition of education equity, an emphasis on utilizing
disaggregated data to target specific students, and the sharing of strategies which are
evidence-based and lead to improved student achievement.
38
In addition to planning resources, the ARP application for LEAs will require attention to
and response for the distribution of funds for both schools and districtwide activities.
F. Supporting the Educator Workforce
The Department recognizes the toll that the COVID-19 pandemic has taken on the Nation’s
educators as well as students. In this section, SEAs will describe strategies for supporting and
stabilizing the educator workforce and for making staffing decisions that will support
students’ academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs.
1. Supporting and Stabilizing the Educator Workforce:
i. Describe the extent to which the State is facing shortages of
educators, education administration personnel, and other school
personnel involved in safely reopening schools, and the extent to
which they vary by region/type of school district and/or groups of
educators (e.g., special educators and related services personnel and
paraprofessionals; bilingual or English as a second language
educators; science, technology, engineering, and math (“STEM”)
educators; career and technical education (“CTE”) educators; early
childhood educators). Cite specific data on shortages and needs
where available.
Complete the table below, changing or adding additional rows as
needed, or provide a narrative description.
Nebraska public and non-public schools annually complete a Teacher Vacancy Survey
outlining specific shortage areas. Response rate for 2019-20 was 37%, however, trends
did emerge as high-need and shortage areas.
Table F1.
Area Data on Shortages and Needs
Special educators and 30.25% of the positions
related service
personnel and
unfilled by qualified personnel;
paraprofessionals 4 positions left vacant
Bilingual educators 0.42% of the positions unfilled
by qualified personnel; 0
positions left vacant
English as a second 2.52% of the positions unfilled
language educators by qualified personnel; 0
positions left vacant
STEM educators Science: 7.56% of positions
unfilled by qualified personnel;
7 positions left vacant
39
Area Data on Shortages and Needs
Math: 6.72% of positions
unfilled by qualified personnel;
10 positions left vacant
CTE educators 5.04% of the positions unfilled
by qualified personnel; 2.5
positions left vacant
Early childhood 2.94% of the positions unfilled
educators by qualified personnel; 3
positions left vacant
School counselors 2.10% of the positions unfilled
by qualified personnel; 0
positions left vacant
Social workers Data Not Collected
Nurses Data Not Collected
School psychologists 3.78% of the positions unfilled
by qualified personnel; 3
positions left vacant
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.
The NDE encouraged districts to utilize CARES Act funding for maintaining all staff,
including certified and non-certified personnel. Additionally, a Nebraska state statute
(NRS 79-8,106) written after the 1919 Spanish flu pandemic required that in case of
pandemics and when schools/districts are closed, “teachers shall be paid their usual
salaries in full for such time as the school or schools shall be closed.” The NDE reiterated
this requirement, and interpreted it to include administrators and all instructional staff.
Also, the implementation of enhanced safety protocols resulted in all 244 districts in
Nebraska providing in-person learning during the 2020-21 school year. These safety
protocols resulted in districts needing more staff to accommodate additional bus routes,
reduced class sizes, and additional support for cleaning.
What’s more, the NDE has consistently administered the annual Teacher Vacancy
Survey, providing data to higher education and state officials for the strategic deployment
of educators for high-need areas and subjects. These data are shared with districts and
Nebraska’s 17 intermediary agencies or Educational Service Units.
40
The NDE is providing technical assistance and professional development this summer
through the Budget Roadmap and through recorded sessions on talent acquisition,
retention, and elevation.
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).
As part of its stakeholder survey at the end of May, the NDE asked the following
question and received the subsequent responses from stakeholders on supporting the
educator workforce.
Question 10 – Please select up to 3 ways in which the NDE can better recruit,
support, and retain teachers during this time.
Support for Educators Number of
Responses
Provide scholarships for continued 212
education, additional certifications, proper
endorsements
Improve access to social, emotional, and 164
mental health resources for educators
Support alternate routes to certification 159
Build or deepen programs to encourage 135
students to become teachers for their own
schools (often called “grow your own”
programs)
Provide models or grant opportunities for 126
teacher mentoring programs
Create specific strategies to recruit and 126
retain racially and ethnically diverse
educators
In response to these needs, and even before, the NDE provided significant additional
flexibilities for provisional certifications of teachers and will continue to extend
flexibilities while ensuring quality.
Current rules regarding teacher certification are under review, with a specific emphasis
on eliminating barriers to entry and elevation in the field.
The NDE also used ESSER II investments in partnership with other stakeholders to hire
an “Educator Equity Specialist” tasked with:
41
• Rolling out elements of the new teacher and performance standards in Nebraska
with special attention to culturally responsive practices contained therein,
• Identification and selection supports for high quality instructional materials and
culturally relevant pedagogy,
• Specific supports for education preparation and certification to understand and
eliminate barriers to educators of color from entering the field, and
• An explicit focus on the recruitment and retention of educators of color.
As noted above, significant investments will be made in statewide strategies for mental
health and well-being, which must be accessible to educators as well.
Finally, the NDE continues to bolster its Educators Rising program to strengthen “grow
your own” initiatives across the state. Additionally, the NDE successfully received a
planning grant from AmeriCorps which will enable the development of a strategy for
deploying a corps of potential, current, and retired teachers to support communities most
impacted by the pandemic.
2. Staffing to Support Student Needs: Describe the extent to which the SEA has
developed or will develop strategies and will support its LEAs in increasing
student access to key support staff within school buildings, including school
counselors, special education personnel, nurses, social workers, and psychologists
(e.g., hiring additional personnel or freeing up these staff to focus on providing
services to students).
The NDE is elevating data on recommended student-to-support staff (ex. Counselors,
nurses, social workers, etc.) ratios, and providing additional support and incentives to
“grow your own” strategies for key support staff. The NDE will also be highlighting
innovative approaches to whole child models and full-scale community schools models
which schools can implement using their funding.
G. Monitoring and Measuring Progress
The Department recognizes that transparency on how ARP ESSER funds are used and their
impact on the Nation’s education system is a fundamental responsibility of Federal, State,
and local government. In this section, SEAs will describe how they are building capacity at
the SEA and LEA levels to ensure high-quality data collection and reporting and to safeguard
funds for their intended purposes.
1. Capacity for Data Collection and Reporting: It is important for an SEA to
continuously monitor progress and make adjustments to its strategies, as well as
to support its LEAs in making adjustments to LEA strategies, based on impact.
Describe how the SEA will ensure its capacity and the capacity of its LEAs to
collect data on reporting requirements, including but not limited to the examples
of reporting requirements described in the SEA’s Grant Award Notification (listed
in Appendix B). Describe the SEA’s capacity and strategy to collect data from its
42
LEAs (disaggregated by student group, where applicable), to the greatest extent
practicable, including any steps the SEA will take to build its capacity in the
future (which may include the use of ARP ESSER and other Federal COVID-19
pandemic funds at the SEA and LEA levels), on issues that may include the
following:
i. Student learning, including the academic impact of lost instructional
time during the COVID-19 pandemic;
ii. Opportunity to learn measures (e.g., chronic absenteeism; student
engagement; use of exclusionary discipline; access to and
participation in advanced coursework; access to technology,
including educator access to professional development on the
effective use of technology; access to high-quality educators; access
to school counselors, social workers, nurses, and school
psychologists; and results from student, parent, and/or educator
surveys);
iii. Fiscal data that is comparable across the State (e.g., per-pupil
expenditures at the LEA and school levels);
iv. Jobs created and retained (by position type);
v. Participation in programs funded by ARP ESSER resources (e.g.,
summer and afterschool programs); and
vi. Other reporting requirements reasonably required by the Secretary
(please refer to Appendix B of this template; final requirements will
be issued separately).
The NDE continues to invest and prioritize modernization of data collection and
use systems and approaches to inform teaching and learning, equity, and
continuous improvement. This includes prioritizing the use of ARP ESSER and
other Federal COVID-19 pandemic funds, leveraging Statewide Longitudinal
Data Systems (SLDS) resources, and leveraging other investments.
See specific responses to individual questions below:
i. Student learning, including the academic impact of lost instructional
time during the COVID-19 pandemic;
The robust nature of moving to the EdFi® data standard has enabled agility of
Nebraska to utilize data, provide near real time analytics tools, and ensure access
to a variety of both structured and unstructured data more effectively. Nebraska is
also focused on supporting “interoperability” capacity at the SEA and supporting
efforts at the LEA level as well. These intentional and strategic efforts to support
interoperability enable the capacity for insights among and across a variety of
systems to more effectively understand the impact of lost instructional time
among other topics.
ii. Opportunity to learn measures (e.g., chronic absenteeism; student
engagement; use of exclusionary discipline; access to and
43
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);
The opportunity to address these key measures and inputs is very solid in
Nebraska. Optional data elements have been available to support district
submission of Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) for a number of years along
with the continued addition of new timely and appropriate data elements, a
focused integration across systems (e.g., Health, Systems Involved Students, etc.),
and using tools and systems that support timely and secure perceptual data
collection all provide a value-added approach to addressing the opportunity to
learn measures.
iii. Fiscal data that is comparable across the State (e.g., per-pupil
expenditures at the LEA and school levels);
Nebraska has successfully implemented methodologies to collect and report
school level per pupil expenditures and is working through the approaches to
include the resources from Federal COVID-19 resources as well. A strong
commitment to the transparency and use of the funds is also in motion.
iv. Jobs created and retained (by position type);
Nebraska does collect staffing information, but has not identified the jobs created
or retained as part of ESSER investments. Work will need to be done to determine
the best approach to address this metric including the depth and type of job,
retained position definition, etc. See response in Section F1ii for more
information.
v. Participation in programs funded by ARP ESSER resources (e.g.,
summer and afterschool programs); and
Nebraska is working through the strategies to most effectively capture the
participation in the summer and afterschool programs that result from ARP
ESSER resources and effectively consider the long-term opportunities to ensure
the participation and impact data become a part of the information available for
SEA and LEA decisions. Connecting the work of the 21st Century program and
deep partnerships with Nebraska’s Beyond School Bells, and other programmatic
work continues and will be critical to ensure quality and useful data is collected.
44
vi. Other reporting requirements reasonably required by the Secretary
(please refer to Appendix B of this template; final requirements will
be issued separately).
As the reporting and accountability requirements emerge, Nebraska is positioned
well through to address and support the requirements. The targeted investments in
system modernization are enabling this to occur. Depending upon the types of
requirements, there may be a length of time to implement. The importance of
thoughtful data governance, coordination with vendor partners, and processes for
implementation, testing, validating, evaluating data quality, training, and other
required steps take time.
2. Monitoring and Internal Controls: Describe how the SEA will implement
appropriate fiscal monitoring of and internal controls for the ARP ESSER funds
(e.g., by updating the SEA’s plan for monitoring funds and internal controls under
the CARES and CRRSA Acts; addressing potential sources of waste, fraud, and
abuse; conducting random audits; or other tools). In this response, please describe
the SEA’s current capacity to monitor ARP ESSER; steps, if needed, to increase
capacity; and any foreseeable gaps in capacity, including how the SEA will
provide its LEAs with technical assistance in the anticipated areas of greatest
need.
The NDE relies on internal controls critical to the success in grants management,
illustrated by best practices to serve as a guide to prompt reflection, self-
assessment, and improve outcomes ensuring ESSER funds are expended for
allowable purposes and in accordance with cash management principles of 2 CFR,
Part 200, subpart E of the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles,
and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. These internal controls include, but
are not limited to using management systems, managing risk, understanding
federal and non-federal requirements, translating a proposed award in a program
plan, managing and administering sub-grants, managing budget and finances,
keeping records and documentation, and continuous review. Internal risks,
associated with implementing the program are based on past performance,
internal reviews, independent audits which include single audits of federal and
State, identifying strategies for mitigating such risks.
The Office of ESEA Programs has established a team of program managers
assigned to each district to manage the various grant application, provide
technical assistance to assigned districts, and programmatic monitoring activities
identified through the assurances of the ESSER LEA applications. The Grant
Management System (GMS) amendment process restricts districts’ ability to
move funds without the NDE program approval. The GMS provides multiple
grant management reports designed to assist program and fiscal monitoring
activities.
45
All subrecipients are required to submit adequate documentation for every
reimbursement request to ensure the existence of primary documentation
necessary to support fiscal reviews, including audits and improper payment
assessments, by the NDE. Entities submit an annual independent audit report,
which may include a single audit if those requirements were met.
Risk is mitigated by conducting fiscal monitoring reviews which targets
accountability based on quantitative and then qualitative (sequential sampling,
risk assessment categories, and field/desk determination) identified through
subrecipient risk-based needs. The reviews focus on the financial management
systems’ internal controls developed and implemented by the subrecipient to
demonstrate compliance with applicable requirements, including organizational
operations, policies and procedures, financial reports, and record-keeping. The
review also tests the allowability of expenditures charged to the federal grant, as
well as compliance with federal program requirements. Ongoing financial and
administrative training and technical assistance is provided to all subrecipients
and independently as assessed to enable subrecipients to comply with grant
subaward requirements and maintain their funding. The NDE will utilize its
current Fiscal Monitoring Plan for LEAs and Subrecipients, revised and updated
to reflect the expanded risks and opportunities associated with the ESSER grant
program in July 2021.
Appendix A: School Operating Status and Instructional Mode Data Template
Indicate the date or time period represented by the following data.
46
The data provided represents the latest unvalidated numbers for the 2020-21 school year. The
learning modality and approach is not available at the student level on a comprehensive nature,
and thus is not provided. More detailed and specific information on learning modality will be
collected during the 2021-22 school year.
Table 1
In the most recent time period available, how many schools in your State offered each mode of
instruction or learning model described below? Each row should account for all schools in your
State, so that, for each row, the sum of the numbers in the “offered to all students,” “offered to
some students,” and “not offered” columns is equal to the number in the “all schools” column.
Add or change rows as needed
Number of All schools Offered to all Offered to Not offered
schools students some
students
Remote or # # #
7
online only
School # # #
buildings
open with
both
remote/onlin 88
e and in-
person
instruction
(hybrid)
School # # #
buildings
open with
941
full-time in-
person
instruction
To the extent data are available, please complete the above table for 1) all schools in the State,
and 2) separately for each instructional level (e.g., pre-kindergarten/elementary schools, middle
schools, high schools).
Table 2
In the most recent time period available, what was the enrollment and mode of instruction for the
schools in your State?
Add or change rows as needed
47
Number of Total Remote or Both Full-time in-
students enrollment online only remote/onlin person
e and in- instruction
person
instruction
(hybrid)
Students # # #
from low-
151,729
income
families
White, not # # #
210,541
Hispanic
Black or # # #
African
21,627
American,
not Hispanic
Hispanic, of # # #
64,566
any race
Asian, not # # #
9,511
Hispanic
American # # #
Indian or
Alaskan 4,189
Native, not
Hispanic
Native # # #
Hawaiian or
Pacific 481
Islander, not
Hispanic
Two or more # # #
races, not 13,670
Hispanic
Race/Ethnicit # # #
y information 0
not available
English # # #
22,322
learners
Children with # # #
52,375
disabilities
48
Number of Total Remote or Both Full-time in-
students enrollment online only remote/onlin person
e and in- instruction
person
instruction
(hybrid)
Students # # #
experiencing 2,318
homelessness
Children and # # #
youth in 2635
foster care
Migratory 3460 (2019- # # #
students 20 school
year)
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.
49
Appendix C: Assurances
By signing this document, the SEA assures all of the following:
• The SEA will conduct all its operations so that no person shall be excluded from
participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under the ARP
ESSER program or activity based on race, color, national origin, which includes a
person’s limited English proficiency or English learner status and a person’s actual or
perceived shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics; sex; age; or disability. These non-
discrimination obligations arise under Federal civil rights laws, including but not limited
to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of
1972, section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Age Discrimination Act of
1975. In addition, the SEA must comply with all regulations, guidelines, and standards
issued by the Department under any of these statutes;
• The SEA will comply with all ARP Act and other ARP ESSER requirements and all
requirements of its Grant Award Notification, including but not limited to:
o Complying with the maintenance of effort provision in section 2004(a)(1) of the
ARP Act, absent a waiver by the Secretary pursuant to section 2004(a)(2) of the
ARP Act; and
o Complying with the maintenance of equity provisions in section 2004(b) of the
ARP Act, and ensuring its LEAs comply with the maintenance of equity provision
in section 2004(c) of the ARP Act (please note that the Department will provide
additional guidance on maintenance of equity shortly);
• The SEA will allocate ARP ESSER funds to LEAs in an expedited and timely manner
and, to the extent practicable, not later than 60 days after the SEA receives ARP ESSER
funds (i.e., 60 days from the date the SEA receives each portion of its ARP ESSER
funds). An SEA that is not able to allocate such funds within 60 days because it is not
practicable (e.g., because of pre-existing State board approval requirements) will provide
an explanation to the Department within 30 days of receiving each portion of its ARP
ESSER funds (submitted via email to your Program Officer at [State].OESE@ed.gov
(e.g., Alabama.OESE@ed.gov)), including a description of specific actions the SEA is
taking to provide ARP ESSER funds to LEAs in an expedited and timely manner and the
SEA’s expected timeline for doing so;
• The SEA will implement evidence-based interventions as required under section 2001(f)
of the ARP Act and ensure its LEAs implement evidence-based interventions, as required
by section 2001(e)(1) of the ARP Act;
• The SEA will address the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on
underserved students (i.e., students from low-income families, students from racial or
ethnic groups (e.g., identifying disparities and focusing on underserved student groups by
race or ethnicity), gender (e.g., identifying disparities and focusing on underserved
student groups by gender), English learners, children with disabilities, students
experiencing homelessness, children and youth in foster care, and migratory students), as
required under section 2001(f) of the ARP Act, and ensure its LEAs address the
disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on underserved students (i.e.,
students from low-income families, students from racial or ethnic groups, gender, English
learners, children with disabilities, students experiencing homelessness, children and
youth in foster care, and migratory students), as required by section 2001(e)(1) of the
ARP Act; and
50
• The SEA will provide to the Department: (1) the URL(s) where the public can readily
find data on school operating status and (2) the URL(s) for the SEA and/or LEA websites
where the public can find the LEA plans for a) the safe return to in-person instruction and
continuity of services required under section 2001(i) of the ARP Act, and b) use of ARP
ESSER funds. SEAs should consider ensuring a standardized URL format in all cases
(e.g., xxx.gov/COVIDplan).
51
Appendix D
OMB Control No. 1894-0005 (Exp. 06/30/2023)
NOTICE TO ALL APPLICANTS
The purpose of this enclosure is to inform you or participation: gender, race, national origin,
about a new provision in the Department of color, disability, or age. Based on local
Education’s General Education Provisions circumstances, you should determine
Act ("GEPA") that applies to applicants for whether these or other barriers may prevent
new grant awards under Department your students, teachers, etc. from such access
programs. This provision is Section 427 of to, or participation in, the Federally-funded
GEPA, enacted as part of the Improving project or activity. The description in your
America's Schools Act of 1994 (Public Law application of steps to be taken to overcome
(P.L.) 103-382). these barriers need not be lengthy; you may
To Whom Does This Provision Apply? provide a clear and succinct description of
Section 427 of GEPA affects applicants for how you plan to address those barriers that
new grant awards under this program. ALL are applicable to your circumstances. In
APPLICANTS FOR NEW AWARDS addition, the information may be provided in
MUST INCLUDE INFORMATION IN a single narrative, or, if appropriate, may be
THEIR APPLICATIONS TO ADDRESS discussed in connection with related topics in
THIS NEW PROVISION IN ORDER TO the application.
RECEIVE FUNDING UNDER THIS Section 427 is not intended to duplicate the
PROGRAM. requirements of civil rights statutes, but
(If this program is a State-formula grant rather to ensure that, in designing their
program, a State needs to provide this projects, applicants for Federal funds address
description only for projects or activities that equity concerns that may affect the ability of
it carries out with funds reserved for State- certain potential beneficiaries to fully
level uses. In addition, local school districts participate in the project and to achieve high
or other eligible applicants that apply to the standards. Consistent with program
State for funding need to provide this requirements and its approved application, an
description in their applications to the State applicant may use the Federal funds awarded
for funding. The State would be responsible to it to eliminate barriers it identifies.
for ensuring that the school district or other What are Examples of How an Applicant
local entity has submitted a sufficient section Might Satisfy the Requirement of This
427 statement as described below.) Provision?
What Does This Provision Require? The following examples may help illustrate
Section 427 requires each applicant for funds how an applicant may comply with Section
(other than an individual person) to include in 427.
its application a description of the steps the (1) An applicant that proposes to carry
applicant proposes to take to ensure equitable out an adult literacy project serving,
access to, and participation in, its Federally- among others, adults with limited English
assisted program for students, teachers, and proficiency, might describe in its
other program beneficiaries with special application how it intends to distribute a
needs. This provision allows applicants brochure about the proposed project to
discretion in developing the required such potential participants in their native
description. The statute highlights six types language.
of barriers that can impede equitable access
52
(2) An applicant that proposes to develop
instructional materials for classroom use
might describe how it will make the
materials available on audio tape or in
braille for students who are blind.
(3) An applicant that proposes to carry
out a model science program for
secondary students and is concerned that
girls may be less likely than boys to enroll
in the course, might indicate how it
intends to conduct "outreach" efforts to
girls, to encourage their enrollment.
(4) An applicant that proposes a project to
increase school safety might describe the
special efforts it will take to address
concerns of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender students, and efforts to reach
out to and involve the families of LGBT
students.
We recognize that many applicants may
already be implementing effective steps to
ensure equity of access and participation in
their grant programs, and we appreciate your
cooperation in responding to the
requirements of this provision.
Click here to enter text.
53
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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