Arkansas ARP ESSER State Plan Highlights

Summary

Arkansas ARP ESSER State Plan Highlights says Arkansas's total ARP ESSER allocation is $1,254,119,960, with $835,485,222 released on March 24, 2021 and $418,634,738 released on July 7, 2021. It lists top priorities, addressing student mental and emotional health and addressing the loss of instructional time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The highlights say Arkansas returned to in-person instruction in August of 2020, that 262 local educational agencies will offer a full-time on-site option for the 2021-2022 school year, and that DESE created the Arkansas Tutoring Corps using American Rescue Plan funds.

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                            Arkansas ARP ESSER State Plan Highlights
Total ARP ESSER allocation for Arkansas: $1,254,119,960
ARP ESSER funding released to Arkansas on March 24, 2021: $835,485,222
ARP ESSER funding released to Arkansas on July 7, 2021: $418,634,738
2020-2021 Preliminary Statewide Enrollment: 486,305
Top Priorities within Arkansas’s plan:


   •   Addressing student mental and emotional health
   •   Addressing the loss of instructional time due to the COVID-19 pandemic


Highlights of Arkansas’ Plan:
   •   Returning to In Person Learning in 2021: Arkansas returned to in-person instruction in August
       of 2020. For the 2021-2022 school year, 262 local educational agencies (LEAs) will offer a full-
       time on-site option for students. .

   •   Safely Reopening Schools and Sustaining Safe Operations: The state was able to successfully
       reopen all schools to in-person learning during the 2020-2021 school year by working with the
       Arkansas Department of Health to establish and implement statewide guidance. Each LEA was
       required to create its own Ready for Learning plan that focused on the safe return to in-person
       instruction by outlining the LEA’s health and safety protocols and flexible options for student
       learning.

   •   Supporting Students Most Impacted by the Pandemic: Over the course of the pandemic,
       DESE has and will continue to identify and engage students, particularly those who have been
       disengaged in academic instruction, including by partnering with Engage Arkansas to identify
       students most at risk of failure or dropout. The DESE is also providing each LEA with access to a
       Smart Data dashboard, which will assist LEAs in identifying individual students who are in need
       of intervention.

   •   Addressing the Academic Impact of Lost Instructional Time: Using American Rescue Plan
       funds, DESE created the Arkansas Tutoring Corps, which includes recruitment, preparation,
       and support for candidates to become qualified tutors to provide instruction or intervention to meet
       the academic needs of at-risk learners or students most impacted by lost instructional time. A
       system will connect prepared candidates with organizations seeking support students’ academic
       needs. The Arkansas Tutoring Corps project will enhance learning experiences of students due
       to loss of instructional time and address gaps in foundational skills in mathematics and literacy.

   •   Investing in Summer Learning and Expanded Afterschool Programs: DESE will partner with
       Arkansas State University to support its Arkansas out-of-school network using ARP ESSER
       funds. This network will work to approve programs/activities that can include academic
       programs, specialty programs, social-emotional support programs, future-ready work
       opportunities, and multi-purpose programs that provide an array of activities this summer and
       afterschool. Additionally, the DESE partnered with Arkansas PBS at the end of the 2019-2020
       school year and into summer of 2020 to provide grade band content developed by previous
       Arkansas Teachers of the Year paired with learning guides, and quality programming. This
       partnership will continue into summer 2021 and is slated to provide educational programs for
       elementary aged students to help with lost instructional time. These programs include content
       standards in addition to social, emotional, and mental health material. Arkansas PBS will provide
       data regarding number of viewers and number of downloads of instructional materials for
       evaluation of the program.

   •   Supporting Students’ and Educators Social, Emotional, and Mental Health Needs: DESE is
       developing supports using ARP ESSER funds for school counselors and district teams on
       navigating grief and loss. DESE has hosted webinars with school counselors on grief basics and
       bi-monthly/ quarterly meetings for school counselors will be to address topics of concerns. DESE
       will follow up with live in-person sessions for schools to support the development of their own
       crisis intervention plan. Finally, AWARE also developed podcasts related to face masks,
       responding to grief, and supporting virtual students in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The
       SEA will continue to encourage LEAs to utilize COVID funds or find other ways to support
       students with appropriate wraparound services.

When Arkansas’s LEA Use of Funds Plans will be due: August


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