Ohio — State Plan for the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund

Summary

Ohio's State Plan for the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund on the U.S. Department of Education template issued April 21, 2021, marked as a draft submitted to the Department on June 7, 2021 with redlined edits reflecting stakeholder consultation and public feedback. The executive summary says the Ohio Department of Education has worked with stakeholders and names effective strategies including partnerships, whole child supports and high-quality instructional practices. It states Ohio's key priorities as supporting the academic, social and emotional needs of students and educators and investing in the future of education, including connectivity and in-person, remote, hybrid and blended opportunities. The Department describes the application as a living document.

Summary drafted by a model from the document's text below and checked by script against that text before publication. It is a navigation aid, not a reading of what the document proves. Where AI is used

Full text

State Plan for the
American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund

U.S. Department of Education

Issued: April 21, 2021

DRAFT SUBMITTED TO U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION: June 7, 2021

Note: Redlined edits reflect revisions based on stakeholder consultation and public feedback.

OMB Number: 1810-
Expiration Date:

Paperwork Burden Statement 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. The valid OMB
control number for this information collection is 1810-XXXX. Public reporting burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average 100 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 under Section 2001 of
the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP Act). If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time
estimate, suggestions for improving this individual collection, or if you have comments or concerns regarding the
status of your individual form, application or survey, please contact Britt Jung, Office of State and Grantee
Relations, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue,
SW, Washington, DC 20202-6450, email: SGR@ed.gov directly.
Executive summary

Throughout the pandemic, the Ohio Department of Education has been working closely with
stakeholders to understand districts’ and students’ needs and provide relevant supports. The
following strategies have been particularly effective at supporting students:

1. Engaging in partnerships;

2. Whole child supports; and

3. High-quality instructional practices and systems.

The initial funding provided by Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES)
Act/Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER I) supported these key
strategies. This work will continue and improve with support from Coronavirus Response and
Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSS, aka “ESSER II”) and the American Rescue Plan
(ARP, aka “ESSER III”).

The pandemic ushered in a set of challenging learning conditions across Ohio, the nation and
the world. These circumstances created unique needs for educators and students, while
exacerbating existing inequalities. Ohio has identified key priorities based on feedback from
stakeholders:
1. Supporting the academic, social and emotional needs of students and educators; and
2. Investing in the future of education including academic resources, connectivity and
enhancing in-person, remote, hybrid and blended education opportunities.

This application details Ohio’s approach to these key priorities. The Department considers this
application to be a living document as needs and priorities may evolve over the lifespan of the
ARP.

Table of Contents page
A. Describing the State’s Current Status and Needs .............cecccereeeees 5
B. Safely Reopening Schools and Sustaining their Safe Operations... 31
C. Planning for the Use and Coordination of ARP ESSER Fund............. 37
D. Maximizing State-Level Funds to Support Students..............ceseeees 58
E. Supporting LEAs in Planning for and Meeting Students’ Needs...... 67
F. Supporting the Educator WorkfOorce.........ccccccsccesscsstecettertsestscensessseeees 74
G. Monitoring and Measuring Progress. .......sssccsscessesstecsterssseteceressteens 81

ADDCNCICES............ccssssccssssssscessssscesessessossssssesessssse ces sssssesesssssessssssssessssesesssaaes 91

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.
Cover Page

Grantee and Contact Information

ARP ESSER PR Award Number (e.g., S425U2100XX):
SEA Contact: Chris Woolard
Telephone: 614-387-7574

Email address: Christopher.woolard@education.ohio.gov

further assure that:

are true and correct.

By signing this document, I agree to each of the assurances listed in Appendix C and

To the best of my knowledge and belief, all information and data included in this plan

Chief State School Officer or Authorized Representative (Printed
Name)

Paolo DeMaria

Signature of Authorized SEA Representative

“Vind, oe.

Date:
6/7/21

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.

Top strategies. Each Child, Our Future is Ohio’s shared strategic plan for ensuring
that each student is challenged, prepared and empowered for his or her future
by way of an excellent prekindergarten through grade 12 (preK-12) education.
The three core principles of that plan are equity, partnerships and quality
schools. These principles served as critical foundations for Ohio’s educators and
students as they rose to the challenges faced during the 2020-2021 school year
and will only increase in importance as the state shifts to recovery. In Ohio, the
following strategies have been particularly effective at supporting students:

1) Engaging in Partnerships. At both the state and district level, there was a
clear recognition that the education community’s response to the
pandemic would be stronger if done together. The Ohio Department of
Education (the Department), for example, worked with numerous
partners, including Educational Service Centers (ESCs), Information
Technology Centers (ITCs), Ohio’s major educational associations and
district administrators to respond to the evolving situation in the field.
These partners advised and supported the state on activities such as:

e Data collection and needs assessments;

e Communication strategies;

e Dissemination of material support (e.g., PPE and COVID-19 tests,

increased internet access, access to trainings); and

e Identification of lessons learned and best practices.
LEAs also engaged in partnerships designed to maximize resources and
knowledge about best practices. For example, in the spring of 2020,
several ESCs came together to create the Remote Learning Alliance, a
collaboration designed to provide collective, coordinated support to
districts in remote learning. Members of the Remote Learning Alliance
are key partners in Ohio’s RemotEDx Coordinating Council, a state level
effort to maximize knowledge and resources about remote learning, as
well as ensure coherent messaging and resource development in Ohio.

2) Whole Child Supports. In alignment with Ohio’s strategic plan for
education, Ohio released its Whole Child Framework in fall 2020, which is
an acknowledgement that when students are healthy, feel safe, have
strong supportive relationships, are challenged and experience success,
and are engaged in learning that is relevant and meaningful, they are
more likely to enjoy learning, develop positive social skills and achieve
greater academic success. Students experienced unprecedented
challenges throughout this pandemic. Data shared within this document
shows that Ohio’s most vulnerable students have been most impacted.

In response, the state and districts have increased the focus on whole
child supports. The state increased its use of non-education data to
inform needs assessments and supports, including district-level data on
neglect and abuse reporting, unemployment claims and physical and
mental health. The state produced new resources such as Promoting a
Positive and Equitable School Climate During the Pandemic.

Districts ramped up their focus on whole child supports, including an
increased awareness of students’ opportunity to learn. One urban district
dedicated a team of five staff to identifying students with no internet
connectivity and ensuring that need was met. Rural districts engaging in
Harvard University’s Proving Ground program expanded their focus on
attendance to include family and student engagement, implementing and
testing new strategies for engagement.

3) High quality instructional practices and systems. The educational
landscape shifted when schools closed in March 2020. Schools quickly
adapted to remote, and later hybrid, models of learning. Ohio’s
stakeholders quickly mobilized to support that work and to find ways to
share best practices. For example, in spring of 2020, the state began
coordinating peer-to-peer opportunities to discuss shared challenges and
solutions. A network of ESC personnel created Reframing Education to
support districts as they consider best practices, have authentic
conversations about instructional expectations and make plans to
reframe education. Additionally, the state developed Student Readiness
Toolkits to help districts understand gaps in instruction and use data to
identify where students were in their learning process.

While the goal is to safely reopen schools in person, Ohio’s districts and students
will continue to benefit from the work noted above. The initial funding support
provided by Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES)
Act/Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER I) supported
these key strategies. This work will continue and improve with support from
Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSS, aka
“ESSER II”) and the American Rescue Plan (ARP, aka “ESSER III”).

Specific details of these top strategies, the state’s priorities and related
initiatives will be detailed throughout relevant sections of this application.

Lessons learned and best practices. Throughout the pandemic, the Department
has been working closely with stakeholders to understand districts’ and
students’ needs and provide relevant supports. Ohio is a diverse state with
diverse schools. While not all schools have the same needs, many similar themes
arise. These key priorities are outlined below in Section A.2.

At the same time, the Department will continue to work with partners to
understand needs and best practices. For example, through Ohio’s RemotEDx
initiative, the Department is working with the PAST Foundation to collect
qualitative information from educators, students and families on both the
challenges of 2020-2021, as well as the practices that worked well and should be
carried into the future.

The state will combine information about what districts are doing and where
they are experiencing success with its commitment to the implementation of
evidence-based practices. Together, and along with evaluation of resource
investments, this information will help shape the future of education in Ohio.
Specifically, Ohio will:

e Provide general communications and guidance to encourage LEAs to visit
and engage with the Safer Schools and Campuses Best Practices
Clearinghouse;

e Build on the evaluation processes started with projects funded by ESSER |
state activities,

e Expand the state’s learning agendas and leverage ARP ESSER state
activities for external evaluation(s) of related projects so that learnings
can inform future work and be disseminated to public audiences; and

e Develop and incentivize opportunities for Ohio’s districts to collaborate
with the state in networked improvement communities that inform state
guidance and policies, as well as local decision-making about
interventions.

Many of these details are embedded throughout this narrative.

The Ohio Department of Education considers this application to be a living
document as needs and priorities may evolve over the lifespan of the
American Rescue Plan.
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.

Key priorities. The pandemic ushered in a set of challenging learning conditions
across Ohio, the nation and the world. These circumstances created unique
needs for educators and students, while exacerbating existing inequalities. Ohio
has identified key priorities based on feedback from stakeholders:
1. Supporting the academic, social and emotional needs of students
and educators; and
2. Investing in the future of education including academic resources,
connectivity and enhancing in-person, remote, hybrid and blended
education opportunities.

The state built supports around these needs using ESSER | state activities funds
by:
e Working with stakeholders to identify needs of students, teachers,
schools and districts;
e Engaging partners in a co-design approach to strategy and initiative
development; and
e Collaboratively implementing state activities through key partnerships.

Ohio intends to expand on these critical supports with additional rounds of
federal funding. Many of these crucial activities are described in this plan. Ohio
recognizes that as needs continue to evolve, some of the activities will be more
fully developed in the coming year.

State-level data insights. The Ohio Department of Education recently published
“Data Insights: How the Pandemic is Affecting the 2020-2021 School Year.” This
webpage includes fall 2020 student enrollment and assessment data, as well as
multiple resources educators and families can use to support students. The
following information highlights state-level data points. Several key

themes emerge from early data about the 2020-2021 school year:

e Education delivery models. From early September through early
November, more school districts offered in-person learning than remote
or hybrid learning. That changed in mid-November when more districts
began relying on remote or hybrid learning. By May, the majority of
districts had returned to five-day, in-person learning.

e Internet connectivity and technology needs. In some cases, a student’s
opportunity to learn has been hampered by limited access to internet
connectivity and technology devices. Persistent gaps in Ohio students’

connectivity are documented in the Department’s report on Data
Insights; Ohio Students’ Connectivity and Technology Access.

Student enrollment. Total enrollment in preK-12 public schools

decreased by 53,000 students—or 3%—between fall 2019 and fall 2020.
By comparison, decreases in the prior three years ranged from 0.03% to
0.4%.
o Community school e-school enrollment grew by just more than
50% (approximately 13,000 more students).
Student attendance. Ohio does not yet have statewide data on

attendance, although local data indicates that, in some cases, chronic
absenteeism is a continuing concern.
Fall assessments.

o Test taking. The vast majority of eligible students took the fall
2020 Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) and third grade
English language arts tests, but many of the state’s most
vulnerable students did not.

o Lower scores. Scores generally are lower than past years,
especially for Black, Hispanic and economically disadvantaged
students.

o Remote education models. The decrease in the rate of fall third
grade proficiency generally was more marked among students
learning in districts using a fully remote education delivery model.

o Equity Implications. These preliminary data suggest the state’s
most vulnerable students generally also have been the most
affected. Local data should help tell a more nuanced story about
these impacts and inform decisions about addressing the needs of
each child.

Mental health, youth behavior and abuse and neglect. As children are exposed
to risk factors and potential increases in adverse childhood experiences, the risk
of developing behavioral health concerns and risk behaviors are likely to follow
suit. Children depend on others to have basic needs met. When all are ina
vulnerable situation like a pandemic, risks of not meeting these needs are
heightened. Additionally, mental health concerns can put children at higher risk
for risky behaviors. In surveys conducted prior to the pandemic, between 12%
and 14% of adolescents aged 12 to 17 were estimated to have anxiety and
depression or to use illicit drugs, putting them at higher risk for negative impacts
related to pandemic.

Ohio Healthy Youth Environments Survey (OHYES!). This annual survey
was most recently completed in 2019-2020. There were 35,123 Ohio
students ages 12 years or older in the sample.
o Among these, 26.9% reported anxiety issues, 19.2% reported
depression issues and 19.4% reported mental health issues
warranting further exploration by a mental health
professional.

o The report indicates that 25.9% indicated that they felt sad or
hopeless almost every day for two weeks or more in a row
during the past year.

o In response to whether they seriously considered attempting
suicide during the past 12 months, 13.1% of respondents
indicated “yes.”

o Among those who seriously considered attempting suicide in
the past 12 months, 24.8% attempted suicide one time over
the past 12 months, 14.5% attempted suicide two to three
times.

The 2021 OHYES! is currently being administered in Ohio’s schools and is
likely to discover increased mental health concerns.

OHYES! survey. The 2019-2020 OHYES! survey identified mental health
concerns for male, female and transgender and gender-nonconforming
students, especially when compared to prior data from 2015-2016. Key
findings include:

o More transgender and gender-nonconforming students
reported “feeling depressed and sad or hopeless” than in
previous years.

o Transgender and gender-nonconforming students (61.6%) and
female students (35.8%) were more likely to report “feeling
anxious” than male students (16.6%).

o Transgender and gender-nonconforming (55.9%) and female
students (23.9%) were much more likely to indicate “feeling
depressed in the last two weeks” than male students (13.1%).

o Transgender and gender-nonconforming (62.9%) and female
students (33%) were much more likely than male students
(17.5%) to report “feeling sad or hopeless in the last two
weeks.

o Transgender and gender-nonconforming (46.4%) and female
students (16.4%) were also more likely to have reported
“seriously considered attempting suicide” than male students
(8.6%).

Suicide awareness and prevention. Suicide is the 11 leading cause of
death in Ohio and the second leading cause of death for those ages 10-
34. Every 34 hours one person ages 10-24 dies by suicide. Sixteen of the
17 counties with the highest suicide rates were in rural areas. In the
spring of 2019, 1,263 students responded to the Youth Risk Behavior
Survey (YRBS) from 36 public and private high schools across Ohio. The
survey results show 33% of students reported in the 12 months prior
feeling so sad or hopeless, almost every day, for two weeks or more ina
row and that they stopped doing some usual activities. Roughly one in
seven Ohio students has seriously considered suicide and one in 15
attempt it. Although 2020 YRBS data is not yet available, it is possible that
needs for student supports around suicide awareness and prevention
have increased due to increased risk factors during the pandemic.

YRBS gender data. The 2019 YRBS indicates that 43.8% of high school
female students and 22.4% of high school male students felt so sad or
hopeless almost every day, for two or more weeks in a row, that they
stopped doing some usual activities during the 12 months before the
survey. The prevalence is significantly higher for female students than
male students. 11.6% of male high school students and 19.7% of female
high school students seriously considered attempting suicide during the
12 months before the survey.

The 2019 YRBS indicates that 36% of middle school female students and
18.9% of middle school male students felt sad or hopeless during the 12
months before the survey. The prevalence is significantly higher for
female students than male students. 11.1% of male middle school
students and 20.2% of female middle school students seriously
considered attempting suicide during the 12 months before the survey.

Student abuse and neglect safety. At the onset of the pandemic, the
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services had a 50% reduction in child
abuse and neglect reports, and subsequently partnered with the
Department of Education to provide resources to help educators and
school personnel identify safety concerns through remote learning.
Information and best practices were shared on modifying school safety
protocols to remote learning. The Department engaged ESCs in
identifying ways to support their districts’ student safety needs. In
February 2021, the decrease in abuse reports was close to 20%. The need
to provide related supports will continue in the coming months and
years.

Plans for additional Data Insights analyses. The Department intends to continue

studying the impact and recovery from the pandemic. This includes, but is not

limited to, the following planned studies:

Healthy Students. The “Healthy Students” Data Insights report will look at
the impact of the pandemic on Ohio students’ health. The analyses will
use statewide data from Ohio’s Healthy Student Profiles project, as well
as additional data from the Ohio Department of Medicaid, the Ohio

3.

Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, the Ohio
Department of Health and Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

Spring Assessments. The Department will have preliminary (i.e., vendor)
results from Ohio’s Spring 2021 assessments in late June. Partnering with
researchers at Ohio State University, analyses will explore changes in
participation and performance between the Spring 2019 assessments and
Spring 2021 assessments, as well as changes between the Fall 2020 and
Spring 2021 third grade English language arts assessment. As was the
case with the original Data Insights report, one goal will be to isolate the
impact of the pandemic on student outcomes.

Workforce shortages. Additional analysis of workforce shortages,
including the impact of retirements, will be conducted as new data is
collected.

Additional studies may focus on aspects of students’ educational
experience such as attendance, post-secondary readiness and course-
taking patterns, including, for example, the use of Ohio’s Arts Education
Data Dashboard to look at changes in students’ access to arts education.
Information on additional analyses, including evaluations in Section D,
are discussed throughout this plan.

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
groups:
i.
ii.

11.

Iv.

V1.
Vil.
Viil.
ix.

to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on each of the following student

Students from low-income families,

Students from each racial or ethnic group (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 (including infants, toddlers, children, and
youth with disabilities eligible under the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (“IDEA”’)),

Students experiencing homelessness,

Children and youth in foster care,

Migratory students, and

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,! chronic
absenteeism, student engagement, and social-emotional well-being.

Complete the table below, adding rows as necessary, or provide a narrative
description.

Data themes. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all students. The Data
Insights themes above highlight the broad, state-level concerns. At the same
time, the pandemic’s impact has been different for different students, with
some experiencing greater challenges based on existing and exacerbated
vulnerabilities.

e Enrollment. Statewide, total enrollment in preK-grade 12 public schools
decreased by 53,000 students, or 3%, between fall 2019 and fall 2020. By
comparison, decreases in the prior three years ranged from 0.03% to
0.4%. Ohio’s underserved student subgroups are concentrated within
urban and major urban districts and these districts saw the greatest
percentage change in enrollment (4.8% and 4.3% respectively). This
translates to roughly 9,800 fewer students in urban districts and 8,000
fewer students in major urban districts. Although white students account
for the largest percentage share of the state’s overall enrollment
decrease, changes in enrollment disproportionately impacted
underserved subgroups. For example, between fall 2019 and fall 2020,
preschool enrollment decreased significantly more for Asian/Pacific
Islander, Black and Multiracial students than it did for white students
(42%, 32%, 31% and 25% respectively). This disparity in early childhood
education enrollment has important implications for students’ readiness
for kindergarten.

e Chronic Absence. Even before the pandemic, Ohio’s vulnerable students
were more likely to be chronically absent, a key risk factor in shaping
students’ opportunity to learn. For example, Ohio’s 2019-2020 “All
Students” absenteeism rate was 5.1%. Absenteeism rates for Black,
Hispanic, Students with Disabilities and Economically Disadvantaged
subgroups were higher (7.4%, 6.1%, 6.6.% and 6.6% respectively).
Absenteeism rates from 2019-2020 are likely underestimated because of
the challenges in tracking attendance during remote learning in spring
2020. Data from a sample of Ohio districts participating in Proving
Ground, a Harvard University program supporting districts’ efforts to
reduce absenteeism, suggests absenteeism gaps are only growing wider
during the pandemic. For example, among Proving Ground districts,
white students’ chronic absenteeism rates increased from 24% to 30%

' 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.
between 2019-2020 and 2020-2021. During the same time period, Black
students’ rates increased from 31% to 47% and Hispanic students’ rates
increased from 25% to 35%.

e Assessment participation. Ohio encourages districts, schools and
educators to use assessment data to understand where students are in
their learning and individualize instruction to meet students’ needs. For
Ohio’s underserved students, educators are likely to have less
information about students’ specific needs:

o Seventy-eight percent of enrolled kindergarten students
completed the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA),
compared to 93% last year. The students who did not complete
the KRA were more likely to be students with disabilities, English
learners, economically disadvantaged or non-white. For
example, economically disadvantaged students’ KRA participation
rate was 71% and Black students’ participation rate was 58%.

o Eighty-one percent of third-grade students took the third grade
English language arts test (compared to 95% last year). The
students who did not were more likely to be historically
underserved racial subgroups, economically disadvantaged
and/or reside in districts with low average achievement levels.
For example, Black, Hispanic and Asian students’ participation
decreased by approximately 29, 18, 14 percentage points
compared to white students, whose participation decreased by 10
percentage points. Participation rates for economically
disadvantaged students decreased by 19 percentage points,
compared to 8 percentage points for non-economically
disadvantaged students.

e Lower scores. Students’ lost opportunity to learn is reflected in Ohio’s
state assessment results and, again, Ohio’s historically underserved
student subgroups were disproportionately impacted. For example:

o Compared to the “All Students” subgroup, there were larger
declines in performance on the fall third grade English language
arts assessment between 2019 and 2020 for Black, Hispanic and
Economically Disadvantaged students. Specifically:

e Overall, fall third grade proficiency rates went from 45.1%
in fall 2019 to 37.1% in fall 2020.

e For Black students, fall third grade proficiency rates went
from 25% in fall 2019 to 15% in fall 2020.

e For Hispanic students, fall third grade proficiency rates
went from 31% in fall 2019 to 23% in fall 2020.

e For Economically Disadvantaged students, fall third grade
proficiency rates went from 31% in fall 2019 to 22% in fall
2020.
Student group priorities. The following narrative describes the needs and
priorities of underserved students in the state. Priorities are identified for
various groups of students as relevant, but many strategies (such as trauma-
informed practices) may apply to all students. The state recognizes that needs
may evolve and priorities may need revised accordingly.

Students from low-income families. Students from low-income families were
disproportionately impacted by the pandemic both economically and
academically. Students from low-income families had less access to high-speed
broadband and other technology required to engage in remote learning
opportunities. Low-income families were less likely to work from home during
the pandemic, thus creating additional barriers to remote learning for students
who needed to care for siblings as their parents worked. Prior to the pandemic,
these students may have relied on school to be a consistent environment
where they could count on consistency and stability in nutrition services,
relationships, academic support and transportation services. Accordingly, the
state has identified the following key priorities:

e Individualized instructional and social and emotional support.
Economic instability and lack of connectivity during a school year may
lead students from low-income families to experience lapses in
educational attainment and consistent school attendance. Students
from low-income families may have increased learning disruptions and
a need for social and emotional supports upon re-entry to the learning
environment. Ohio will prioritize students from low-income families for
learning-disruption recovery programs and summer learning initiatives.

e Professional development on trauma-informed and culturally
responsive practices. Ohio will prioritize trauma-informed and
culturally responsive practices to meet students’ academic, social and
emotional needs when they reengage in learning during the summer
months and the 2021-2022 school year.

Students by gender. Some data sources have indicated different impact on
students by gender. For example,

e More girls (46.4%) demonstrated readiness at kindergarten entry than
boys (38.1%) — which is consistent with pre-pandemic trends.

e Behavioral survey data also reports some differences as high school
(43.8%) and middle school (36%) girls were more likely than high school
(22.4%) and middle school (18.9%) boys to report feeling so sad and
hopeless almost every day, two weeks or more in a row, that they
stopped doing some usual activities.

e More high school (19.7%) and middle school (20.2%) girls seriously
considered attempting suicide than high school (11.6%) and middle
school (11.1%) boys.
More high school boys (7.4%) than girls (6.2%) attempted suicide one or
more times; while middle school girls (11.3%) were more likely than
middle school boys (7.9%) to have attempted suicide during the 12
months before the survey.

Relevant supports are listed throughout this plan. Data differences by gender
will inform implementation of these programs.

English learners. The pandemic has had a disproportionate impact upon
English learners and their families, especially those that are economically
disadvantaged and students with disabilities. Accordingly, the Department will
prioritize the following supports and resources:

Systemwide supports to ensure the delivery of effective language
instruction educational programs. The Department will promote the
use of Ohio’s English Language Proficiency Standards and effective
language instruction as part of Tier 1 Multi-tiered Systems of Supports.
Partnerships with regional networks will promote localized professional
learning that supports students’ access to equitable academic
experiences and effective English language programming. This includes
expanding with partners such as the English Language Proficiency
Assessment for the 21st Century (ELPA21) and Ohio Teachers of English
to Speaker of Other Languages (Ohio TESOL) to include training on the
use of formative assessments and differentiation strategies. The
Department also may expand current programs initially funded by Title
Ill state-level activity funds to make professional development and
coaching available to all general education teachers and instructional
staff. These offerings will support educators including those who work
in pre-kindergarten through grade 3, secondary and career technical
education and intervention programs that address the whole child.

Focus on kindergarten and early learning. Nearly 50% of Ohio's English
learners are in grades kindergarten through grade 3 and initial analysis
has indicated that enrollment was significantly affected by the
pandemic. Approximately 36% fewer English language proficiency
screeners were administered in 2020-2021 than in the previous year —
most notably in kindergarten. The Department expects that English
learner enrollment, especially in kindergarten, will rebound in 2021-
2022, which will require an intensive response from schools.
Accordingly, guidance will be developed to encourage districts to
bolster their capacity to serve English learners in kindergarten through
grade 3, with a focus upon literacy development and family
engagement. The Department will coordinate professional learning for
early learning educators, as well as promoting successful student and
family transition from preschool to the first years of schooling.

Partnerships, guidance and resources for English learners with
disabilities. English learners with disabilities and their families face
multiple challenges navigating both the English learner and
individualized education program (IEP) processes. The Department will
lead a statewide effort with stakeholders to unify guidance for schools,
students and families to ensure students receive the services they need
and are entitled to. For example, the Department will develop guidance
and resources on language-based learning disabilities, including
resources for families in the students’ native languages to complement
the release of Ohio’s new English Language Proficiency Standards-
Extended for students with significant cognitive disabilities. The
intensive, direct instruction that English learners need will be
emphasized through guidance developed collaboratively by
intervention and language development specialists. The Department’s
effort will aim to prevent the over-identification of English learners for
special education services.

Language assistance and communication supports to multilingual
families. English learners are at a disadvantage due to their families not
having equitable access to information such as school recovery plans,
revised student scheduling and school-based health programs. The
Department will work with educators to identify information that can
be prioritized for translation and will explore long-term language
assistance solutions to expand on existing supports. The Department
will provide guidance that identifies resources on improving
communication with multilingual families including the obligation to
provide translated print materials, access to interpretation services and
the integration of multilingual family liaisons. Stakeholders have
emphasized the need for the Department to translate important
education documents for families of English learners. The Department
currently contracts with a company for translation of materials and will
increase translation of key documents and resources.

Supporting multilingual educational programs. The Department will
promote the language and literacy development of English learners and
provide information on multilingual instructional and assessment
practices for schools that are ready to begin, expand or improve
multilingual programming. This support will build on the existing
linguistic assets such as the Ohio Seal of Biliteracy. Guidance will
emphasize the value of having multilingual student learning materials,
qualified multilingual teachers and instructional support staff and
robust professional learning on multilingual education.

Children with disabilities. The pandemic and ordered building closures
immediately impacted the ability to serve students with disabilities — especially
for students with the most complex needs. Since then, districts and teachers
have worked to focus instructional time to support each student where he or
she is academically including additional assessments to determine progress.
Accordingly, the state has identified key priorities to support the needs of
students with disabilities.

Each Child Means Each Child. This plan offers stakeholder-driven
recommendations, tactics and action steps to ensure Ohio’s 270,000
students currently enrolled in public schools who have been
identified with disabilities benefit from the vision and core principles
heralded in Ohio's strategic plan for education. Each Child Means
Each Child was under development before the pandemic. The
disruption of the past year has magnified the need for these supports.
This plan will be the basis of the Department’s priorities.

Each Child Means Each Child uses data to illustrate what education
looks like for Ohio’s students with disabilities. Additionally, it
organizes recommendations, tactics and actions to improve these
educational experiences into three major focus areas. These include:
e Getting to the Problem Early — Multi-Tiered System of Support
e Building Educators’ and Systemwide Capacity — Professional
Learning
e Educating for Living a Good Life — Postsecondary Readiness and
Planning
The plan also contains stories that demonstrate how student
outcomes might improve when the recommendations of the plan are
implemented.

Early childhood focus. Young children (Preschool — grade 3) need extra
learning opportunities to make up for lost or disrupted instruction,
services and supports toward IEP goals. Infants, toddlers and preschool-
age children with disabilities engaged with early intervention and
preschool special education at less frequent rates during the pandemic.

As detailed in the Data Insights analysis, the state’s Early Intervention

program had a cumulative 6% decrease while preschool special
education reported 10% fewer children enrolled between 2019 and
2020. Children with disabilities were also less likely to be enrolled in
kindergarten or complete Ohio’s Kindergarten Readiness Assessment in
fall 2020, when compared to the previous year.

Families of children with disabilities have shared positive feedback from
initial implementation of federal recovery funds, including Learning Aid
Ohio that provides tutoring support for students on Individualized
Education Plans. The Department will review this input in collaboration
with its partners at the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities to
consider possible expansion in future rounds of funding.

A few important procedural issues have also been identified. The
Department will work to support districts and families in the following
areas:

e Completion of Evaluation Team Reports. Statewide completion of
Evaluation Team Reports declined compared to previous years. These
reports are used to determine eligibility for special education services,
which led to a slight decline in the number of eligible students
identified. The immediate closure of buildings may have impacted the
ability to complete Evaluation Team Reports at the end of the 2019-
2020 school year. Districts have been working to catch up and complete
reports during the 2020-2021 school year, which requires many hours
of evaluation outside of the classroom and observation in the
classroom.

e Dispute resolution. The Department’s Dispute Resolution team has
received a high volume of parent complaints indicating allegations
ranging from no service, to limited support and service. Additionally,
the number of Free Appropriate Public Education Violations has
increased which cover a range of service delivery issues.

Students experiencing homelessness. Prior to the pandemic, students relied
on schools to be an environment where they could count on consistency and
stability in nutrition services, relationships, academic support and
transportation services. Ohio has seen an increase in homelessness due to the
economic impact on families, but expects a decrease in homeless identification
during remote learning for the 2020-2021 school year. Students experiencing
homelessness have incurred significant learning disruption and trauma. Many
students and families lived in “doubled up” situations or relied on shelters for
housing. Students living in shelters may have experienced lack of internet
connectivity. Some students may have been diverted to local hotels, due to the
health risks of being in a congregate setting. These barriers caused challenges
to maintaining connections to school as well as mental and emotional issues
caused from the isolated nature of such living. Accordingly, the state has
identified key priorities to support these students:

e Find, identify, enroll and reengage. Many students and families
experiencing housing instability have not been identified as homeless.
The Ohio Homeless Education Coordinator will support local homeless
liaisons to relocate, identify, determine eligibility and reenroll students.
Technical assistance and professional development opportunities for
the local liaisons will include training on connecting with community
partners to provide resources and expertise. The coordinator will
provide information to local liaisons about partnering with neighboring
districts to locate students and ensure homeless students are identified
and are receiving services.

e Professional development on trauma-informed and culturally
responsive practices. Ohio will prioritize trauma-informed and
culturally responsive practices to meet students’ academic, social and
emotional needs when they reengage in learning during the summer
and the 2021-2022 school year. Prioritizing the success of students
experiencing homelessness, including the disproportionately impacted
populations (Black, Latinx, Native American and Pacific Islander,
LGBTQ), will contribute to transformative practices that will support
educational equity.

Students experiencing homelessness often lack basic physiological and
psychological necessities. These must be met before students can fully
engage in learning and social activities. This priority focuses on the
whole child and ensures the five tenets are met. Students that are safe,
healthy, supported, engaged and challenged, have the optimal
conditions for success in life and learning. The state coordinator and
colleagues from the Office of Integrated Student Supports, who
specialize in positive behavior supports, school culture and climate and
adverse childhood effects, will provide regional trainings for local
liaisons and the current McKinney-Vento subgrantees that will ensure
this priority is met.

Children and youth in foster care. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
emphasizes the educational stability of vulnerable students, including those in
foster care. Children in foster care face many educational barriers, including
high mobility, increased incidences of trauma, and mental, behavioral and
physical health conditions. During Ohio’s ordered school-building closures and
subsequent disruptions, students in foster care experienced decreased access
to peers and trusted adults associated with in-person instruction. Accordingly,
Ohio will prioritize the following three areas:

20
Transportation services to and from the school of origin. ESSA requires
transportation services for students in foster care to and from the
school of origin, should it be determined in the student’s best interest
to remain there. Many students in foster care utilized remote education
options, rendering their short-term transportation needs void. Further,
local school districts implemented the Center for Disease Control’s
(CDC) transportation guidelines for social distancing, thus the capacity
of school busing was often limited. As more students return to 5-day in-
person instruction, the state will prioritize supports to ensure students
in foster care have access to transportation to and from their school of
origin. This will ensure educational stability and consistency, as well as
regular school attendance. Supports will include professional
development and updating guidance on intra-agency transportation
agreements.

Family engagement and foster caregiver support. Ohio has a shortage
of foster families and foster care placements. During the pandemic,
many caregivers experienced the unexpected responsibility of
supporting children and youth in foster care with remote learning,
while some navigated connectivity and device shortage. It became
essential that school officials were checking to ensure students had
access to devices and internet, as well as ensuring that families and
caregivers had the support they need to communicate with their
student’s teachers and school staff. The Department will provide
regional and local supports and professional development so that
schools and districts can conduct individualized outreach to foster
families and caregivers, as well as congregate care foster placements.

Migratory students. Migrant students, their families and entire school systems
are experiencing unprecedented changes as a result of the pandemic. Ohio has
identified the following priorities to meet the needs of these students:

Addressing academic needs. Due to limited access to online services
and resources, migratory students did not consistently connect
remotely with their summer migrant program teachers. However, all
five regional summer program sites are expected to address these
disruptions by teaching students in-person this summer while still
offering remote learning for those students who cannot attend a
summer school-building program.

Addressing health needs including social emotional needs. Previous
comprehensive needs assessments have identified health and social
service needs as critical for migratory students. Dental and vision
services will become a higher priority in Ohio as LEAs may not have
been able to coordinate dental and vision care. Additionally,

21
coordinating with mental health agencies for services and ensuring that
families have access to such services will be vital in 2021-2022.

Justice-Involved Youth. Ohio’s justice-involved youth are possibly the state’s
most vulnerable population. Over 60% of these students have school
performance challenges not related to learning disabilities. These students,
who are already behind educationally, were further delayed because staff
members were unable to provide face-to-face instruction as a result of
pandemic protocols at juvenile detention centers. The lack of direct contact
through meetings with family or counselors over an extended period of time
increased already elevated stress levels. Many justice-involved youth were
released back to their communities with no educational plan or goals in place.
Ohio has identified the following priorities to meet the needs of justice-
involved youth.

e Whole child transition planning. The Department will work with
juvenile detention facilities and school districts to develop best
practices for whole child transition plans. Sending juveniles back into
the community with no plan in place for success may lead to higher
recidivism rates. The Department will support districts and detention
facilities through guidance, professional development and sharing of
best practices.

e Collaboration for Student Success. Many justice-involved youth had
difficulty accessing their assignments. Facilities with students from
multiple school districts had to deal with varying protocols from the
students’ home districts, making the education process at the facilities
challenging. The Department will assist in developing collaboration
efforts between the juvenile detention facilities and the school districts
with the goal of creating working relationships. This will make records
procurement timelier and increase relevant data sharing.

e Community partnership for additional services and supports. Whole
child supports are equally important to meeting the needs of these
students. Some may be provided by professionals who specialize in
mental health, alcohol or drug addiction or other related needs. As
juveniles were released early, many were unable to continue the
services they had received during detention. The Department will work
to inform community organizations about the state’s justice-involved
youth and the services they require. Ohio conducted a survey in the fall
of 2020 that indicated agencies would like to collaborate with
detention facilities and school districts, however, they do not know
who to contact to start the process or how their services could be
utilized. The Department will act as a conduit for the process.

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Military-connected youth. Military service often results in the frequent
absence of a parent or caregiver, directly impacting academic outcomes and
the social, emotional and mental health of military-connected students.
Research by the Department of Defense shows that 54% of adolescents (ages
14-18) and 41% of school-age children (ages 6 to 13) demonstrated decreased
academic performance while a parent is deployed. The decline results from
family relationship changes, the disruption of routines important to young
children and increased responsibilities for teenagers. Students can experience
trauma due to parental separation. During the pandemic, the formal and
informal supports that military-connected students rely upon may have been
interrupted or become difficult to access. Teenage students could count on
face-to-face time with peers and school personal for support. At the same
time, younger students could look forward to similar support and the routines
and schedules of the school day. The Department has identified the following
priorities to meet the needs of military-connected students:

e Social-emotional learning. Support such as professional development
that aids LEAs in understanding the social emotional needs of military-
connected students is a key priority. The Department will encourage
districts to identify a staff person focused on helping schools identify,
assess and provide supports to military-connected youth.

e Access to mental health care services. Many National Guard and
Reserve families, particularly those in rural areas, must also overcome
limited access to mental health care services. Ohio has the seventh
largest National Guard and Reserve population in the United States,
and many families live far from any significant installation. The distance
from military health care providers combined with a lack of specialty
care providers has led to a nearly three-month waitlist for some
students to see a therapist or counselor.

One strategy to address this need is a project in rural Southeast Ohio to
address student access to mental health services. In October 2020, the
Department received the School-Based Mental Health Services Grant
from the U.S. Department of Education to increase the number of
school-based mental health professionals providing services to students
and families in seven Appalachian counties (Belmont, Guernsey,
Harrison, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble and Tuscarawas). Many students
in this rural area, including military students, will have increased access
to mental health services as a result.

Table Al.

Student group Highest priority needs
Students from low-income families See narrative above.

23

Student group Highest priority needs
Students from each racial or ethnic See narrative above.
background used by the State for
reporting purposes — please add a row for
each racial or ethnic group (e.g.,
identifying disparities and focusing on
underserved student groups by
race/ethnicity)

Students by gender — please add a row See narrative above.
for each gender (e.g., identifying
disparities and focusing on underserved
student groups by gender)

English learners See narrative above.
Children with disabilities See narrative above.
Students experiencing homelessness See narrative above.
Children and youth in foster care See narrative above.
Migratory students See narrative above.
Other groups of students identified by See narrative above.

the State (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, LGBTQ+ students)

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.

As is best practice in continuous improvement science, the Department
encourages schools and districts to constantly consider effective ways to collect,
analyze and make sense of their data and use it to set goals and drive
improvement.

Student learning. While most state assessments were canceled in 2019-2020,
schools and districts have several sources of data on student learning. Locally
developed and vendor-based formative and interim assessments have been
utilized through the year. The Department has worked to build additional
resources and supports. State summative assessments will provide data for most
students at the end of the 2020-2021 school year.

24
Local assessments. During times of change and pandemic-related
uncertainties, reliable information and quality supports are more
important than ever. Districts and schools are using their own district-
level data and information to act on student-centric decisions to drive
continuous improvement. Districts determine the local assessments that
will best meet their needs, particularly in areas not covered by state
assessments.

Restart readiness assessments. The Department recognizes the
unprecedented effects on learning necessitate additional assessment
supports. In summer 2020, the Department released student readiness
toolkits that include curriculum and assessment materials that may help
identify instructional gaps and determine instructional priorities.

Additionally, the Department utilized ESSER | state activities resources to
provide a suite of optional online assessments for educators to use in
grades 3 through high school. The Restart Readiness Assessments,
available for English language arts, mathematics, science and social
studies, are designed to help schools and districts identify student
progress early and receive actionable performance data. These online
assessments, which may also be offered remotely, are machine-scored,
allowing for immediate scoring including student-constructed responses,
and providing teachers rapid access to results.

As of May 11, districts have administered approximately 265,000 Restart
Readiness Assessments: around 107,000 Benchmark Tests and 158,000
Checkpoint Assessments. The Benchmark Tests mirror the live state tests
in terms of difficulty and structure and therefore are predictive in nature.
Checkpoint Assessments are brief “testlets” that allow teachers to drill
down to the domain or reporting category to inform instruction. Ohio is
utilizing ESSER | funds to build training and support through the Regional
Data Leads. Ohio intends to extend and enhance these supports with
ESSER Il and ARP ESSER state activities resources. More information on
the Restart Readiness Assessments is available on the Reset and Restart
website.

State assessments. The Department and Ohio’s state legislature
extended spring test administration windows to allow as many students
as possible to be tested. As of May 11, districts have administered
approximately 2.2 million assessments online. The Department has
emphasized the diagnostic value of student data while working with
legislative partners to temporarily remove most accountability
requirements for the 2020-2021 school year. Based on state legislation,
Ohio sought and received a federal waiver from ESSA accountability and

25
school improvement identification requirements for the 2020-2021
school year.

e Regional Data Leads (RDLs). The Department utilized ESSER | funds to
work with the state’s regional ESCs to develop training and credentials
for RDLs to assist districts with gauging student readiness. This project
aims to build educators’ capacity to use multiple data points to assess
student readiness, including but not limited to instructional gaps, state
assessments, locally administered vendor assessments, locally developed
formative assessments, and other state and local data that can help
educators understand their students’ needs.

e Arts education data project. The arts are important to the development
and future success of Ohio’s children. The Department has teamed _ Ohio
Alliance for Arts Education, Ohio Arts Council and Ohio Department of
Education have developed an Arts Education Dashboard that enables
parents, educators, school administrators and policymakers to see what
arts education is being offered in the schools and districts in Ohio. The
arts support the academic, social and emotional needs of students. Data
in this dashboard and trends over time will be important in
understanding the impact of the pandemic.

Student well-being. The Department will support schools in identifying and
understanding the impact of the pandemic on student well-being by providing
information, guidance and tools to utilize state, regional and local data. This
aligns with Ohio’s Improvement Process which includes the initial step of
identifying critical needs by collecting and analyzing data, which encourages
impartial, nonjudgmental, decision making. Teams can pinpoint the areas of
greatest concern. Ohio’s One Needs Assessment launches the process and can
be expanded to include other district, school and classroom data. LEAs can work
with community partners to collect and analyze community and student data to
identify critical needs of students and families. There are several data sources
districts can examine including, but not limited to:
e Attendance, including chronic absenteeism;
e Course performance;
e School climate surveys;
e Discipline data;
e Internal and external health, mental and behavioral health referrals;
e Social, emotional, behavior and mental health screening and
assessment data; and
e Additional data sources collected by community partners (for
example Youth Risk Behavior Surveys; OHYES!; community trauma
rates; rates of homelessness among the student population; poverty
rates; child abuse and neglect rates; and the number of well-child
visits).

26
Once data sources have been analyzed and critical needs are identified, LEAs can
complete a districtwide environmental scan. Through this process, LEAs compare
the prioritized needs with the support services currently offered. This allows for
identification of any potential gaps, barriers or repetitions in services. Working
together, LEAs and community partners can then build comprehensive plans to
address the needs of the students most impacted by the pandemic. It is
important for teams to share data with staff, students, families and community
partners and actively seek feedback and input from these parties.

Multiple data sources, resources and initiatives will support this work.

Family and community partnership liaisons. The Department allocated
ESSER | funding to 51 regional ESCs to hire a Family and Community
Partnership Liaison. This regional staff member began in the role in
January 2020 and will stay through at least June 2022. The purpose is to
identify vulnerable youth populations most highly impacted, build a
regional coalition of professionals and identify supports to address the
emergent needs through the lens of effective family engagement. The 51
Family and Community Partnership Liaisons identified key staff members
in districts and community agencies to disseminate a needs assessment
regarding the needs and capacity of current staff to serve vulnerable
student populations. The liaisons then used the results to prioritize the
student population group to address in their regional coalition of
supports.

Student attendance. The Department is committed to prepare each
child by ensuring equity and supporting quality schools

through partnerships that maximize strengths to achieve collective
impact. This vision will only become a reality if Ohio’s students are active
and engaged learners, and active and engaged learning starts with
regular school attendance. The Cleveland Browns Foundation, Ohio
Department of Education and Harvard’s Proving Ground are deeply
committed to this mission and formed the Stay in the Game! Network to
reduce chronic absenteeism in Ohio by 50% in the next 10 years. The
mission of the Stay in the Game! Network is to prioritize attendance by
connecting families, schools and community partners to resources aimed
at tackling chronic absenteeism. This team of unique partners has a
singular aim: student success, which begins with engaged learners who
attend school every day, if possible, and fully participate and engage in
remote education. The more students attend school or fully engage in
remote education experiences, the more prepared they are for success
beyond school. The Network will accomplish its goal by working with
school districts and partners to prioritize attendance and engagement
and build capacity to address chronic absenteeism through a peer-to-
peer learning and action network. All Ohio school districts are invited to

27
join the Network at no cost. Network members will receive access to
attendance-related supports, tools and campaign materials.

Ten districts have been identified as Action Districts in the Network to
receive additional supports and resources to:

e Launch comprehensive community campaigns to raise awareness
of the importance of school attendance and engagement;

e Use data to target specific, attendance-related intervention
efforts for maximum impact;

e Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of specific, attendance-
related interventions to determine impact and success; and

e Implement and refine attendance-related solutions across these
school districts.

OHYES! In March 2021, Ohio’s Departments of Education, Health and
Mental Health and Addiction Services partnered together to promote use
of the previously mentioned OHYES! This web-based survey can be used
with grades levels seven through 12 and takes approximately 30 minutes
for students to complete in school. The resulting data will be valuable in
guiding LEAs in identifying the social, emotional and behavioral health
needs of students.

Student assistance program. The state is utilizing Governor Emergency
Education Funds (GEER) to partner with Miami University to develop and
train a statewide model for a Student Assistance Program. The state
needs assessment includes two components: a supports and services
questionnaire and a staff well-being questionnaire. The supports and
services questionnaire will collect data and information about the mental
health, behavioral health and substance use needs of students following
the pandemic and the resources and supports available to students as
well as the LEA’s ability to implement such services. The staff well-being
questionnaire will collect data on the impacts on staff wellness. Miami
University will subsequently plan and provide training and resources to
schools. Regional reports from the questionnaire will be shared with LEAs
and can be used as an additional data source.

The Student Assistance Program model will guide LEAs through the
valuable process of completing a needs assessment to identify critical
student needs, an environmental scan to identify existing resources and
supports and gaps in services and development of a plan for supports and
services. Schools may collect this through their own data systems and
may already be reviewing for improvement plans and positive behavioral
interventions and supports.

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School-Based Health Services. The Department is partnering with the

Governor’s Office and Ohio Departments of Medicaid, Health and Mental

Health and Addiction Services to increase behavioral and physical health

supports by expanding school-based services in Appalachian areas. The

pandemic has increased the need for schools to have physical and

behavioral health supports in schools to ensure that the most vulnerable

students have equitable access to critical services. The Department will
develop guidance on districts using their local ARP funds to include
establishing school-based health centers and hiring additional school
nurses.

5. School Operating Status: It is essential to have data on how students are learning

in order to support the goals of access and equity, especially for student groups
that have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Describe
the current status of data collection on operational status and mode of instruction
of all schools in your State. This description must include:

1.

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.3.1-
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.3.1-
viii for each mode of instruction.

Since the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year, the Department has
surveyed the state’s 51 ESCs on a weekly basis about their client districts’
instructional mode, referred to as “education delivery models.” ESCs
code their districts as 5-day in-person, fully remote or hybrid (no
information is gathered regarding individual student options for fully
remote learning, such as online academies). School and student-level
data (retrospective for the entire school year) are presently in process
through the administrative reporting system and will result in new
information to be released in October 2021.

Tables 1 and 2 in Appendix A have been adjusted to reflect the pertinent
data currently collected. Table 1 refers to the instructional mode as of
the week of May 12, 2021 for all traditional public districts. Table 2 refers

29
il.

il.

to fall headcount by student subgroup, aggregated by the instructional
mode of districts on May 12.

Mode of instruction. Among Ohio’s 609 traditional public districts, 530
(87.0%) are operating as fully in-person, 78 (12.8%) are hybrid and one
(0.2%) is fully remote. Additional data, including a map of Ohio districts, is
in Section B.

Enrollment. With less than 0.1% of traditional district students enrolled

in a district operating as fully remote, nearly all students have access to
some in-person learning each week. However, as displayed in more detail
in Table 2, some differences exist for student subgroups in the relative
percentage of student enrollment reported within fully in-person districts
versus hybrid districts. For instance, only 12.5% of white student
enrollment is within hybrid districts, compared to 46.4% of Black students
and 31.7% of English learners.

Attendance. Student attendance data will not be finalized by the state
for the 2020-2021 school year until early October.

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.5.1 0n SEA
websites.

The weekly statuses for all traditional public school districts are
updated in spreadsheet and map form on the Department’s Reset
and Restart Education webpage.

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.

LEAs retain the discretion to use the mode of instruction deemed
appropriate by their leadership and community. With the vast
majority of districts closing out the 2020-2021 school year as fully
in-person, and many others announcing their intention to go fully
in-person in the fall or for summer enrichment opportunities, the
Department anticipates continued innovation and efforts from the

30
state’s LEAs toward offering safe, fully in-person learning to all
students who desire it.

Planning for blended or remote learning. Multiple stakeholders
emphasized the importance of ongoing innovation and options for
students such as blended or remote learning approaches. While this
application describes Ohio’s plans to support in-person learning to
all students who desire it, the Department has received a significant
amount of interest in remote learning approaches (including
blended learning) and the compliance requirements for using such
approaches. Accordingly, the Department published guidance on
Planning for Blended or Remote Learning. Additional supports
available through the RemotEDx initiative are described throughout
this application.

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:

1.

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;

Complete the table below, adding rows as necessary, or provide a
narrative description.

Collaboration and guidance. The Ohio Department of Education has

collaborated with the Ohio Department of Health to provide

resources for the safe operations of schools across the state. This

includes communications and guidance, utilizing the Reset and

Restart web page. Some key examples include:

e Information on mitigation strategies including updated

guidance specific to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention recommendations.

3]
e The K-12 School Staff Vaccination Program prioritized
teacher access to vaccines.

Critical supplies. Eight ESCs received ESSER | funding ($21,998.55)
to distribute masks, cleaning supplies, hand sanitizers and the
BinaxNOW home tests to schools and districts.

Vaccines. Ohio is focused on vaccinating children ages 12 to 18
through several key channels including pediatricians, school
partnerships and summer food service program sites. Schools will
be encouraged to offer vaccine opportunities to children through
vaccine providers during their extended or summer learning
opportunities, as well as during the fall. Ohio has approximately 750
summer food service program sponsors with over 3,000 sites that
will be encouraged to partner with vaccine providers to ensure
children have access to both nutritious meals, as well to vaccines.
Ohio is also offering incentives by providing eligible Ohioans under
the age of 18 to enter a drawing for a four-year full scholarship to
any of Ohio’s state colleges and universities.

Child nutrition. Since March 2020, the Ohio Department of
Education has accepted all offered U.S. Department of Agriculture
waivers for the child nutrition programs. The waivers have allowed
schools and districts to offer no cost breakfasts and lunches to all
students regardless of income and to meals to students in the
school buildings and in a non-congregate manner and with parental
authorization for meal pick up for students in remote education.
Schools and districts can provide daily meal pick up or multiple meal
distribution depending on the model best suiting their students.
Schools and districts may continue no cost breakfasts and lunches
for students both in in-person learning and in remote education
during 2021-2022. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture
authorized all school sites the opportunity to offer afterschool
snacks and supper meals through the Child and Adult Care Food
Program, waiving the traditional poverty level requirements. This
waiver allows schools and districts to provide nutritious meals
afterschool to complement planned afterschool enrichment
activities.

Students with disabilities. Ohio schools may consider alternative
delivery models to safely meet the needs of students with
disabilities, such as remote learning, in-building learning with safety
protocols in place or a blended approach. Regardless of where the

32
il.

learning is happening, supports and services identified within a
student’s IEP or 504 Plan must be provided to the extent practicable
without putting the health and safety of students or staff at risk.
This might consist of phone calls or virtual conferences for direct
one-on-one interaction with a student. School teams also consider
the delivery of the related services that students with disabilities
receive, such as audiological services, orientation and mobility
services, school nursing services, speech-language pathology,
occupational and physical therapy and counseling services. For
health and safety reasons, related service providers may need to
serve students via telehealth. Service providers received guidance
on delivering telehealth services at Ohio Department of
Education’s Telehealth Guidelines for Service Providers.

Additionally, the state worked with partners to provide other
related supports to safely reopen schools. These efforts encompass
all the mitigation strategies included in Table B1 below.

Table B1.
Mitigation strategy SEA response
Universal and correct wearing of masks _| See narrative above
Physical distancing (e.g., including use See narrative above
of cohorts/podding)
Handwashing and respiratory etiquette See narrative above
Cleaning and maintaining healthy See narrative above
facilities, including improving
ventilation
Contact tracing in combination with See narrative above

isolation and quarantine, in collaboration
with the State, local, territorial, or Tribal
health departments

Diagnostic and screening testing See narrative above
Efforts to provide vaccinations to See narrative above
educators, other staff, and students, if

eligible

Appropriate accommodations for See narrative above

children with disabilities with respect to
the health and safety policies

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;

33
11.

The Department, in partnership with Ohio’s ESCs, collected data on
the status of districts through weekly updates. In the fall of 2020,
schools operated in three modes: 5-day in-person, full access to
hybrid or fully remote. These modes fluctuated weekly. Governor
Mike DeWine announced that vaccinations will be available for
personnel in Ohio schools starting the week of Feb. 1. For school
staff members to be prioritized to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at
that time, districts or schools must have alerted the Ohio
Department of Health of a commitment to return to 5-day in-
person or full access to hybrid education delivery models by March
1, 2021.

By May 5, 2021, most districts had returned to 5-day in-person
status (see map below). The Department will continue to collect
and report data on building status.

pot
aa ea

Education Delivery Model

|_| 5-Day In-Person (530)
Full Access to Hybrid (78)
Fully Remote (1)

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

34
The Ohio Department of Education collaborates with the Ohio
Department of Health, and where appropriate with local health
agencies, regarding mitigation strategies, vaccinations and school
safety. In April 2021, the Department provided support and
resources for the Ohio Department of Health, the Department of
Insurance and the Educational Service Center Association in the
distribution of the BinaxNOW Home Test kits to schools and
districts participating in the program.

IV. Any guidance, professional learning, and technical assistance
opportunities the SEA will make available to its LEAs.

Support and resources are located on the Ohio Department of
Education website. Documents and materials for guidance,
considerations, professional learning and technical assistance are
located on the Reset and Restart webpage. Updates to these
materials are communicated and posted in an ongoing basis.

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:

1. 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;

il. 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;

iil. 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),” 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.

35
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

Districts were notified of the Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and
Continuity of Services Plans requirement plan in the May 7, 2021
Comprehensive Continuous Improvement Plan (CCIP) note. Additional
guidance and practical advice on completion of the plans was posted to the
Reset and Restart webpage.

Districts likely have existing plans that address many of the elements of the
federal requirements. This may include health and safety plans developed
in collaboration with local departments of health. Districts may have
existing remote learning plans, continuous improvement plans, strategic
plans or other similar plans that encompass aspects of these requirements.
Governor DeWine requested that districts submit extended learning plans
to the state by April 1. The state leveraged federal funding for ESCs to
support the development of those plans, which are posted on the
Department’s Reset and Restart website. Districts should consider using
those previously developed plans to meet relevant requirements of the
federal assurances and add additional elements as necessary to meet the
federal expectations.

The interim final rule clarifies that:

The requirement does not mandate that an LEA adopt the CDC guidance,
but only requires that the LEA describe in its plan the extent to which it has
adopted the key prevention and mitigation strategies identified in the
guidance.

The Department includes in the Local Education Association ARP ESSER
application an assurance that the LEA will have a Safe Return to In-Person
Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan posted on its local website by
June 24, 2021. The application assurance also requires the LEA to
periodically review such a plan with its stakeholders. There is a Local
Education Agency ARP ESSER Application and CCIP Note 472 with steps and
instructions for addressing the plan requirements.

The Department will collect the website address for each LEA plan and post
links on the Department website.

Stakeholder feedback also emphasized the importance of contingency
plans for future learning disruptions. Districts should consider lessons
learned that could guide planning for future crises should they arise.

iv. Describe, to the extent the SEA collects it, information about LEA
implementation, to the greatest extent practicable, of each element of

36
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.

As mentioned in sections above, the Ohio Department of Education
collects some opportunity to learn data. However, the Department
does not collect data on most mitigation strategies as that is largely
the responsibility of local districts in collaboration with their local
health departments. The Ohio Department of Health is also
pursuing data based-mitigation strategies.

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:

1. students;
i. families;
lil. Tribes (if applicable);
IV. civil rights organizations (including disability rights organizations);
Vv. school and district administrators (including special education
administrators);
Vi. superintendents;
Vii. charter school leaders (if applicable);
Vill. 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.

Each Child, Our Future is Ohio’s strategic plan for education. This stakeholder-
driven plan includes three core principles, specifically emphasizing the
importance of partnerships. That foundational value is key to the state’s
approach to stakeholder engagement. Accordingly, the Ohio Department of

37
Education approached its plan for ESSER state activities (including ESSER I, ESSER
Il and ARP ESSER) in a collaborative, stakeholder-driven process by:
e Working with stakeholders to identify needs of students, teachers,
schools and districts;
e Engaging partners by in a co-design approach to strategy and initiative
development; and
e Collaboratively implementing state activities through key partnerships.

American Rescue Plan State Plan Development Stakeholder Engagement. The
Department engaged with stakeholders on the development of this state plan, in
its entirety, after the release of the template and before submission to the U.S.
Department of Education. This included engagements and discussions at the
following:
e 5/3: Major education associations monthly stakeholder meeting
e 5/7: Ohio Education Data Professionals Network Spring Convening
(Regional Data Leads)
e 5/10: State Board of Education Emerging Issues Committee discussion
e 5/12: Buckeye Association of School Administrators (BASA) State
Leadership Committee
e 5/13: State Education Stakeholders Committee
e 5/14: Wood County superintendents’ monthly meeting
e 5/20: State Support Team monthly meeting
e 5/20: Community school sponsors bi-weekly meeting
e 5/26: Committee of Practitioners special convening to discuss ARP

Public comment period. The draft state plan was posted for public comment
from May 25-June 1 and communicated through multiple channels including a
statewide GovDelivery message and on the Department’s social media feeds.

Multiple revisions were made based on stakeholder input and public comment.
These revisions are reflected as redlined text in this draft. Additionally, feedback
addressed ongoing implementation and guidance suggestions which will inform
ongoing work of this plan.

Student voice. Student voice is a crucial component to understand and address
the needs of the state education system. As part of the RemotEDx initiative, the
Department partnered with the PAST Foundation to conduct a series of virtual
Listening Sessions and surveys in community gathering places. These sessions
were designed to get feedback from students and families on their needs
regarding teaching and learning during the pandemic.

38
Stakeholders also have expressed the importance of engaging students beyond
the 2020-2021 school year to ensure student voice informs the work of recovery.
Accordingly, the Department plans to partner with the Ohio Association of
Student Leaders to create a Student Advisory Council. This council will be an
important conduit for student voice including informing the design and
implementation of extended learning supports in Section D.

Project specific stakeholder engagement and co-design. Additionally, significant
stakeholder engagement has occurred during the development of individual
aspects of this plan, many of which have been under development before the
release of the template. Brief summaries of these project-specific engagements
are below.

RemotEDx. RemotEDx is the state’s initiative to assist stakeholders in numerous
aspects of connectivity, technology and support for remote and hybrid learning.
This initiative was co-designed by education stakeholders and its ongoing work is
guided by that broad partnership. RemotEDx consists of four interlocked
components co-designed by its Coordinating Council. Members include
representatives from schools, districts, the State Board of Education, the
Governor’s Office, BroadbandOhio, ESCs, the Management Council, Information
Technology Centers, philanthropy, business, higher education, PBS stations and
libraries.

Each Child Means Each Child. Each Child Means Each Child is Ohio’s stakeholder-
driven plan aimed at improving learning experiences and outcomes for students
with disabilities. Targeted stakeholder engagement was accomplished through a
statewide survey, focus groups and family town hall meetings. The survey
reached over 7,000 educators across all 88 counties. Focus groups included 430
teachers representing pre-kindergarten-grade 12 and all county types (urban,
rural, small town, Appalachian). Thirteen family town hall meetings, with more
than 150 participants, were held to gain insights regarding their positive and
negative experiences during their time in school. Student voice meetings were
held with 33 students from across the state. This feedback directly informed the
plan to improve learning experiences and outcomes for students with
disabilities.

Ohio has subsequently engaged educational leaders in the formation of a guiding
coalition to assist the state in implementing the recommendations in Each Child
Means Each Child. These meetings are held quarterly and address the
establishment of an integrated statewide multi-tiered system of supports;
promotion of job-embedded professional learning for educators; and
advancement of postsecondary learning experiences and outcomes for students
with disabilities.

39
Ohio’s Plan to Raise Literacy Achievement. In 2017, Ohio convened a State
Literacy Team comprised of stakeholders involved with birth through grade 12
literacy. Its members, who have unique expertise in language and literacy
content, assessment, instruction, intervention, district and state professional
learning design and program evaluation, developed an updated state literacy
plan. The team recommended expanding the existing State Systemic
Improvement Plan (Ohio’s Early Literacy Plan) and capitalizing on Ohio’s regional
support system. The group’s recommendation to align state, regional and local
efforts for language and literacy development for all learners led to Ohio’s Plan
to Raise Literacy Achievement published in January 2018. The State Literacy
Team reconvened in June 2019 to reflect on the initial implementation, analyze
updated state data and offer revisions including:
e Focus on the need for differentiated core instruction across a multi-tiered
system of supports that aligns to the science of reading;
e Integrate Ohio’s K-12 Social and Emotional Learning Standards;
e Promote collaboration among educators, such as content area teachers
and intervention specialists; and
e Enhance the graphics and visualizations used throughout the document
to help bridge the gap between research, education jargon and
instructional practice.
The team will continue meeting to review and analyze state, regional and local
progress and revise the plan as needed to meet the needs of Ohio’s diverse
learners. The team will reconvene again in 2021 to discuss continued
implementation and connections to Ohio’s recently passed Dyslexia Supports
Laws.

Stay in the Game! attendance network. The Stay in the Game! network is Ohio’s
initiative to prioritize student attendance by connecting families, schools and
community resources to decrease chronic absenteeism (more information
above). This initiative was co-designed by the network partners — Ohio
Department of Education, Harvard University’s Proving Ground and the
Cleveland Browns Foundation. The work of the network is ongoing and is guided
by a broad group of state and national stakeholders, including Ohio Governor
Mike DeWine, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Ohio Department of
Mental Health and Addiction Services, the Supreme Court of Ohio and
Attendance Works.

Whole Child Advisory Group and Whole Child Framework. The Whole Child
Advisory Group met quarterly during 2020-2021 to develop Ohio’s Whole Child
Framework implementation plan. Educators, families and child-serving
community and state agencies and organizations identified district needs
including specific needs due to the pandemic. The advisory group developed

40
strategies to build regional, district, school and community capacity to increase
whole child supports.

Prevention/Mental Health. The Department meets with the Ohio Department of
Mental Health and Addiction Services bi-weekly to discuss cross-agency
prevention initiatives and determine needs and resources to support districts
and schools in meeting student mental and behavioral health needs.

Job and Family Services Safety Group. In response to a report of a 50% reduction
in child abuse and neglect reports at the onset of the pandemic, the Department
of Education and the Department of Job and Family Services partnered to co-
design resources to help educators and school personnel identify safety concerns
through remote learning. Information and best practices were shared on
modifying school safety protocols. The Department later engaged ESCs to
support their districts’ student safety needs. The Department encouraged
partnerships and highlighted best practices among local agencies that
collaborated to meet the safety needs of children. In February of 2021, the
decrease in abuse reports was close to 20%. Although the data improved, it is
likely the that needs around providing supports to educators and families to
prevent abuse and neglect and respond to trauma will continue. The
Department is currently working with local agencies in the Southwest region to
share how they collaborated to protect students, strengthen families and equip
educators during the pandemic.

Groundwork. The Department engaged Groundwork, an Ohio childcare advocacy
group, to collaborate on supports needed during the recovery. Center, home and
school-based providers offered ideas that would allow programs to fully reopen
and serve children at pre-pandemic levels.

Stakeholder engagement will continue. This section provided a summary of
some key stakeholder driven initiatives that are key to Ohio’s recovery. While
this list is not inclusive, engaging stakeholders is a key priority for Ohio, will
inform ongoing work to support the education system and will continue
throughout the cycle of the American Rescue Plan.

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:

1. 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

41
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.

State Activities. The American Rescue Plan provides parameters on
how states must use state activities funding. Accordingly, and
consistent with ARP requirements, Ohio will reserve 10% for state-
level activities. More specifically, at least 5% will be utilized for
evidence-based interventions to address learning loss, 1% for
evidence-based summer enrichment programs, 1% for evidence-
based comprehensive after-school programs, .5% for state
administrative costs and 2.5% for other relevant activities as
permitted under law.

As identified in Section A above, Ohio has identified two broad
categories of priorities to address the needs of the education
system. The following section will identify the specific projects that
have already been implemented (through ESSER I), general plans to
expand and enhance those projects (through ESSER II and ARP) and
identify additional needs that may need addressed, but have not
been fully developed (through ARP).

Ohio received an ESSER | allocation $489,205,200 to support
schools and districts. Of that amount, 90% ($440,284,680) was
allocated by formula to traditional districts and community schools.
The remaining 10% is available for the state education

agency. States may reserve 0.5% for administrative costs and the
remainder for emergency needs as determined by the state
educational agency to address issues responding to COVID-19,
which may be addressed through the use of grants or

contracts. Summaries of the key ESSER | initiatives are included in
this section. These stakeholder-driven initiatives will be key building
blocks for ESSER Il and ARP ESSER supports.

Priority Area: Supporting the academic, social and emotional
needs of students and educators.

ESSER | is supporting several key initiatives related to the academic,
social and emotional needs of students and educators. This section

42
will provide summaries of those projects, which will be the focus of
continued investment.

Family and Community Engagement Partnership. Approximately
$4.6 million of ESSER | funding is being utilized to staff each of the
state’s 51 ESCs with a Family and Community Partnership Liaison
from January 2021 through June 2022. These positions were
created to meet the increased needs of districts to address family
engagement of vulnerable youth (defined as students in foster care,
youth experiencing homelessness, justice-involved youth, English
Learners, military-connected students and students with
disabilities). The Department is building the capacity of the liaisons
through a grant to the Ohio State University, which will facilitate a
monthly community of practice and provide on-going technical
assistance and support in school-community planning and coalition
building. This work will continue through ESSER II and ARP ESSER
funding.

ESC-directed supports for extended learning and learning recovery
plans. Schools need support in developing and implementing
strategies to help students overcome pandemic-related learning
disruptions. Approximately $8.9 million of ESSER | funds were
provided to ESCs in supporting districts for planning for extended
learning plans. Supplemental funding in ESSER Il and ARP will
extend these efforts. The Department provided guidance to LEAs
that these extended learning plans should inform the ARP
continuity of service plans.

Restart Readiness assessments. As described above in Section A.4,
Benchmark Tests and Checkpoint Assessments comprise the Restart
Readiness Assessments. These assessments, funded by
approximately $806,000 in ESSER | state funds, are provided to
districts and schools free of charge. They complement a balanced
system of local and formative assessments, and most importantly,
are fully aligned with Ohio’s Learning Standards. Benchmark Tests
are full-length assessments utilizing released test items that mirror
content and test characteristics of Ohio’s State Tests in terms of
length, test specifications, blueprints and tools available to
students. The Checkpoint Assessments consist of 150 brief
assessments and provide actionable information for gauging
students’ knowledge and performance within each reporting
category assessed on the state’s operational tests. Items offer
varying levels of difficulty or complexity, as well as breadth and

43
depth of the state-adopted Learning Standards for the reporting
category.

Student results for the Restart Readiness Assessments are reported
in an innovative reporting system — the Centralized Reporting
System. This system provides familiar metrics such as performance
levels and item-level data but also employs new features that
include a view of students’ actual work and responses to each test
item, the ability to score items and access to data to pinpoint
improvement areas throughout the school year.

The Department plans to continue providing the Restart Readiness
Assessments. In addition, the system will be augmented with
another round of released test items and accessibility
accommodations features such as Text to Speech and Spanish
bilingual (toggle) functionality.

Regional Data Leads (RDLs). ESCs received $680,000 in ESSER |
funds to develop a training and credential for RDLs to assist districts
with gauging student readiness. This project aims to build
educators’ capacity to use multiple data points to assess student
readiness, including but not limited to Instructional gaps, state
assessments, locally administered vendor assessments, formative
assessments and other state and local data that can help educators
understand their students’ needs.

Additional supports. The following supports are also funded by
ESSER | state activities:

e Ohio High School Athletic Association. The Ohio High
School Athletic Association received $2.5 million in ESSER |
funds to support its health and safety efforts.

e Early Childhood Mental Health. The Ohio Department of
Mental Health and Addiction Services received $1.5 million
in ESSER | funds to help expand its capacity to support the
early childhood program consultants in each of
the 16 State Support Teams.

e School Age Remote Learning Support. The Ohio
Department of Job and Family Services received $5.3
million in ESSER | funds to support its shortfall in funding
for school-age childcare during remote learning.

e Pandemic Support Payment. The Ohio Department of Job
and Family Services received $500,000 in ESSER | funds to
provide grants to preschool and school-age childcare

44
programs made available between June and October 2020
for personal protective equipment, classroom needs and
extra personnel for smaller class sizes.

e Growth measure modeling. S890K in ESSER | funds was
used to enhanced and address student growth models.
Measuring growth is a key component of an equitable
accountability and improvement
system. Ongoing conversations about Report Card reform
require simulations and modeling for impact of missing
spring 2020 assessment results. This data will also be an
important component of ongoing efforts to support data-
informed continuous improvements for schools and
districts through the State Support Teams and RDLs.

e Project Evident. Project Evident ($675,000) provides
technical assistance focused on the strategic use of
funds, braiding of funding streams in order to know where
to target resources, how to align resources, monitor
implementation and make course corrections to evaluate
the effective use of the resources. The lessons learned
from the five pilot districts will allow for an expanded
future focus in more districts.

Future supports. A broad array of stakeholders and partnerships
exist to address educational needs in Ohio. Many of the needs
identified by stakeholders did not begin with the pandemic, but
rather were magnified by the recent events and circumstances.
Ohio intends to continue to build on these supports with ARP ESSER
resources. These services will be delivered through partnerships
with regional service providers. These efforts include, but are not
limited to:

e Dyslexia supports. The widening academic achievement gap,
exacerbated by the pandemic, largely affects struggling
readers, especially those who have dyslexia. The state will
provide professional learning opportunities for educators
aligned with Strategy 8 of Each Child, Our Future and
recently enacted dyslexia legislation so they can adequately
and appropriately support struggling readers.

e Literacy. ARP resources will be utilized to expand
professional learning and implementation of Ohio’s Plan to
Raise Literacy Achievement to enhance educators’ ability to
address learning expectations.

45
e High Quality Instructional Materials. Professional learning
opportunities and resources will support educators with
how to meet the individual student needs without sacrificing
the rigor and grade level content all students should be
engaged in with their learning. The state will expand
professional learning to support districts and educators in
the selection and implementation of high-quality
instructional materials. A priority focus will be on K-12
mathematics.

e Teacher clarity to identify critical areas of learning
standards. Students achieve more when learning
progressions and success criteria are clear. This indicates
teachers are intentional and students know both the why
and the how behind every instructional target. Teacher
Clarity is professional learning focused on identifying critical
areas of learning standards, supporting teacher
understanding in those areas and thus improving student
outcomes.

Priority Area: Investing in the future of education including
academic resources, connectivity and enhancing in-person,
remote, hybrid and blended education opportunities for
students.

ESSER | state activities funding is supporting several key initiatives
to invest in the future of education based on needs deriving from
the pandemic. This section will provide summaries of those
projects, which will be the focus of continued investment.

RemotEDx. RemotEDx is a state-level initiative that brings
together a unique mix of remote, hybrid and blended learning
partners from across the state to help schools and districts
enhance, expand and more effectively scale high-quality remote,
hybrid and blended education models. RemotEDx was supported
by approximately $20 million in ESSER | state activities funding.

RemotEDx consists of four interlocked components co-designed
by its Coordinating Council. Members include representatives
from schools, districts, the state Board of Education, the
Governor’s Office, BroadbandOhio, ESCs, the Management
Council, Information Technology Centers, philanthropy, business,
higher education, PBIS stations and libraries. The four interlocked
components co-designed by the Coordinating Council are:

46
Connectivity Champions provide the boots-on-the-ground
assistance to help schools overcome internet connectivity and
device barriers that limit remote, hybrid and blended
education experiences. The primary partners are the
Management Council and Ohio’s Information Technology
Centers.

The Exchange showcases high-quality remote education
platforms; standards-aligned instructional materials and
curricula; and use-case scenarios and professional learning
supports for remote, hybrid and blended education. The
primary partner is INFOhio, with input from ESCs.

The Support Squad is solutions-focused educational support
and high-quality, job-embedded professional learning
opportunities for remote, hybrid and blended education
approaches. The primary partners are Ohio’s ESCs.

The Networked Learning Community is a professional
learning community aiming to transform education
opportunities for students by harnessing the power of its
partners to innovate and apply best practices. Primary
partners include Information Technology Centers, ESCs,
INFOhio and remote education partners/grantees.

In addition to co-designing these four components, the Council’s
work includes:

e Development and approval of criteria for high-quality
remote education models included in the RemotEDx
Exchange;

e Facilitating discussion to better align and coordinate
remote education activity in Ohio;

e Through an external facilitator, conducting virtual listening
sessions with students, parents and educators to capture
their voices about experiences specific to remote learning;
and

e Reviewing project status updates, outcomes, feedback and
proposed improvements to project activities.

Building on the RemotEDx initiative, the Department will continue
to prioritize and expand personalized learning for students. This
includes STEM/STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts
and Mathematics) education, numerous high school graduation
options and the earning of industry recognized credentials.

Learning Aid Ohio. Over 1,200 families with children on IEPs
accessed a virtual, personalized tutoring service of education

47
professionals. Using GEER funds, the Ohio Department of
Developmental Disabilities launched the online program in fall
2020 and will continue it through fall 2021. Data collected from
family members and educators show that participation has
resulted in a 237% increase in perceived level of student
educational success.

Future supports. A broad array of stakeholders and partnerships
exists to address educational needs in Ohio. Many of the needs
identified by stakeholders did not begin with the pandemic, but
rather were magnified by these events and circumstances. Ohio
intends to continue to build on these supports with ARP ESSER
resources including, but not limited to:

e Enhance educator learning management system to deliver
professional learning to educators. Programs and tools to
support enhanced course development in the educator
learning management system will be developed and
disseminated.

e Work-Based Learning Incentive Grant. This program will
focus on awarding grants to local Workforce Development
Boards to incentivize employers to develop high school on-
the-job internship, pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship
opportunities for students. This grant will use the High
School Tech Internship Pilot structure to co-design an
employer incentive approach with other agency partners.

e Diversifying business-education partnerships and
optimizing equitable opportunities for historically
underserved students. The purpose of this three-phase
initiative is to provide more diverse representation on
school advisory boards and equitable post-high
school opportunities through increased earnings of
industry-recognized credentials, college credit attainment
and high-quality mentorship participation for historically
underserved students.

e Career counseling and advising partnership. This project
will be focused on awarding grants to local
OhioMeansJobs Centers to develop their career counselors
and build partnerships with local schools to expand
services and opportunities for in-school youth. This project
will by co-designed with other agency partners.

e World Languages and Cultures Professional Learning.
World Languages and Cultures Professional Development

48
will be provided to address the needs of world language
educators in Ohio.

e Fine Arts Professional Learning. Funds will support
collaboration with external experts, contributors and
facilitators to create and conduct innovative professional
learning opportunities for fine arts educators in order to
overall foster student success.

GEER funding. Additional supports have been provided through GEER
funds for both K-12 and higher education including:

Learning Aid Ohio ($2.2 million). As described (above).

Center of Science and Industry (COSI!) ($1.2 million). COSI
partnered with museums, science centers and cultural institutions
across the state to create and distribute “Learning Lunchboxes,”
which provided engaging and informative educational material for
students to access in remote learning environments.
Pandemic-related support for other education organizations
($26.6 million). ESCs, County Boards of Development Disabilities,
Joint Vocational Schools Districts, the Ohio School for the Blind,
and the Ohio School for the Deaf are not LEAs and did not receive
ESSER funding. These educational entities received GEER funds to
support student needs and pandemic-related expenses.

Ohio History Connection ($1.2 million). Funding was used to
create and deliver virtual field trips for Ohio students and families
to enrich history education.

K-12 Mental Health Supports ($6 million). A portion of the GEER
funding was used to support K-12 Mental Health (see Section D).
Funding supported capacity development, connection to
community resources and implementation. Funds were provided
in response to the rise in demand for mental health and
counseling support services as students and families continue to
be impacted by the pandemic.

Publicly funded childcare supports ($9 million). As a result of
hybrid or remote learning, more families relied on the publicly
funded childcare system in Ohio. Funding was used to cover the
increased costs associated with children spending additional time
in publicly funded childcare programs as a result of remote or
hybrid learning.

This section provides a broad overview of the key, stakeholder-driven
initiatives supported by ESSER I, which is the foundation for ESSER II and
ARP. The Ohio Department of Education considers this a living document

49
as needs evolve during the pandemic and specific projects are developed
and/or supported to meet the needs of students and educators.

Table C1.

Funding source Prior/current SEA Planned SEA and
and LEA uses LEA uses (including
(including funding funding amounts, if
amounts, if applicable)
applicable)

ESSER I(CARES | See narrative above. See narrative above.

Act)

GEER I (CARES See narrative above. See narrative above.

Act)

ESSER II (CRRSA | See narrative above. See narrative above.

Act)

GEER II (CRRSA _ | See narrative above. See narrative above.

Act)

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.

Extent of ESSER | and ESSER II awards. The Department took an
aggressive approach to provide the emergency funds as quickly as
possible. The state provided draft application templates to LEAs
while hard-coded the application into the state’s e-grant system
called the CCIP and provided regular guidance and trainings to
districts. All eligible LEAs are assigned an education program
specialist from the Office of Federal Programs to support, review
and approve the LEA funding applications and plans for using the
COVID-19 relief resources. All ESSER | and II funds have been
obligated to LEAs and the LEA applications are approved as they are
submitted with the required information. The ARP ESSER funds will
be obligated to LEAs on or before May 24, 2021.

LEA funds that have been obligated but not expended. The LEAs
regularly submit project cash requests (PCRs) for claims against the
ESSER | and II funds. The Office of Federal Programs can run reports
on the rates of spending and encourages the LEAs to spend their
ESSER | and II funds prior to requests for ARP ESSER. Federal

50
il.

Programs specialists work closely with the LEAs on allowable uses
and provide support on appropriate ways to spend their COVID-19
relief funds in an expeditious and appropriate manner.

As of May 12, 2021, LEAs have claimed approximately $240 million
of the $440 million available of ESSER funds. Only approximately $1
million of Ohio’s ESSER II allocations has been claimed by LEAs,
however since the period of availability is through Sept. 30, 2023 for
ESSER II funds, the Department encourages LEAs to spend their
ESSER | funds prior to ESSER II.

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.?

Federal programs support. The Department houses all pertinent
COVID-19 relief information, planning and guidance documentation
in the e-grant system library. Department staff provide trainings
and support to LEAs on the uses of funds and planning. The ED
STEPS project also supports LEAs in leveraging their resources to
support the whole child and the entire school, including using the
emergency COVID-19 relief funds.

The CCIP Document Library contains folders with important
guidance and training materials. Both the ESSER | and ESSER II
grants were hard-coded into the CCIP e-grant system and part of
the consolidated application process for LEAs to plan and request
other federal education funds.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA funding
sources supported expansion of statewide family and community
engagement activities in support of the academic, social, emotional

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.

51
and mental health needs of students resulting from the pandemic.
Six urban LEAs will hire Parent Mentors to support parents and
families of students with disabilities, and current LEAs with Parent
Mentors were provided the opportunity to apply for additional
funds to directly support students and families. The InspirED Virtual
Learning Series offered information and resources for professionals,
administrators and families with topics including Positive Behavior
Support Interventions, Universal Design for Learning and Wellness
and Self-Care. IDEA funds also support the Ohio School for the Deaf
and School for the Blind in development of resources and advocacy
opportunities for families of students with disabilities.

McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. The Department’s
McKinney-Vento Homeless Children and Youth Program guides
Ohio’s work to prioritize the needs of students experiencing
homelessness. The Department works with districts and schools to
meet the requirements of the McKinney-Vento Homeless
Assistance Act, which ensures all students who lack fixed, regular
and adequate nighttime residences receive access to the same free
and appropriate public education as provided to other students.
The purpose of the McKinney-Vento subgrant is to facilitate the
identification, enrollment, consistent attendance, social-emotional
and academic success for students experiencing homelessness.
Under ESSA, McKinney-Vento subgrantees must include supports
for public preschool students and unaccompanied youth. Ohio will
award $3,787,527.00 in McKinney Vento funds to schools, districts
and ESCs to meet the academic, social, emotional and mental
health needs of students experiencing homelessness by aligning
Ohio’s grant application to Ohio’s Whole Child Framework.

American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School
Emergency Relief Homeless Children and Youth (ARP-HCY). Ohio
received notice of funds to support the needs of students
experiencing homelessness. The disbursement of funds will occur in
two phases. The first phase allocation is $7,323,606. The state may
reserve up to 25% ($1,830,901) of the allocation for state level
activities and 75% ($5,492,705) will be awarded to local educational
agencies. State education agency funds will be used to support
training, technical assistance, capacity-building and

engagement. Ohio will distribute funds to districts and ESCs to
current and previous McKinney-Vento subgrants to reduce the
amount of training and technical assistance required to use the
funds. Ohio will use the first round of funding to target the
immediate needs of homeless students, including identification and

52
summer supports. Ohio will reserve 25% to increase the
Department’s capacity to provide technical assistance and training
to local homeless liaisons and community partners. Ohio will also
support vulnerable populations of students who are at-risk of being
or becoming homeless. These populations include rural children and
youth, Tribal children and youth, students of color, children and
youth with disabilities, English learners, LGBTQ+ youth and
pregnant, parenting or caregiving students experiencing
homelessness. Further, Ohio will continue to provide whole child
supports, including summer programming, with the state
reservation funds.

Title III. In response to the pandemic, Title III consortium members
were provided with an additional one-time allocation of funds to
increase family engagement activities for English learners and their
families ($117,188 of Title III state activities funds). Twenty Title III
consortia each were awarded a Family Engagement Support
Activities grant.

Ohio utilized $416,000 of Title III funding to build capacity of
educational service centers to increase quality instruction for
English learners. Two educational service centers were awarded a
grant to provide support and coaching around evidence-based
instructional practices to educators. The project aims to support
English learners with quality instruction in the general education
classroom and to address the transition of English learners from
remote to face-to-face and hybrid learning. The project provides
funds to build the capacity of district and building-level coaches and
select staff to implement evidence-based practices that help ensure
systemic responses to English learner education.

School-based Mental Health Services Grant. In October 2020, the
Department received the School-Based Mental Health Services
Grant from the U.S. Department of Education to increase the
number of school-based mental health professionals providing
services to students and families in seven of Ohio’s Appalachian
counties (Belmont, Guernsey, Harrison, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble
and Tuscarawas). Ohio will implement key recruitment and
retention strategies.

e The recruitment strategies include providing hiring
bonuses for community behavioral health agencies to hire
school-based mental health providers, one-time hiring
supports for local education agencies to hire a mental

53
health provider directly and stipends for social work and
counseling graduate students that commit to a school-
based internship placement.

e The retention strategies include providing annual retention
bonuses for new staff, providing annual retention bonuses
for existing staff and establishing commitments from
interns to work for one year in the project area following
graduation. Through this initiative Ohio will increase the
number of school-based mental health professionals and
increase student access to mental health services.

GEER Funds. As mentioned above, GEER funds have provided
additional supports for students and educators. One specific
example is $6 million to boost mental health supports for K-12
students through the Ohio School Wellness Initiative. The intent is
to develop a statewide model for a Student Assistance Program to
include resources and tools to enhance multi-tiered systems of
support for mental health and substance use and build a staff
wellness model. Ohio’s Student Assistance Program will build off
the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s
(SAMHSA) guidance, align with the Ohio’s existing school
frameworks and include the following components:

e Education;

e Prevention;

e early identification;

e evidence-based intervention;

e referral processes; and

e guided support services for students in kindergarten
through grade 12 who are exhibiting a range of risk factors
that interfere with their educational success.

Student Assistance Programs integrate trained personnel into
schools to support and enhance the work of school faculty, as well
as provide direct intervention services to students. The initiative
will support LEAs with enhancing their multi-tiered systems of
support to include Tier II and Tier III mental health and substance
use interventions and supports.

The Ohio School Wellness Initiative will develop a staff wellness
model based on a needs assessment from staff. The model will
build off Ohio’s ABCs of Mental Health, a social media campaign
guiding school staff in the process of: Ask Yourself How You’re

54
Feeling; Be Aware of Mental Health Signs and Symptoms; and Care
for Yourself and Others.

Based on the rich history of collaboration between the Department
of Education and the Department of Mental Health and Addiction
Services, the two agencies will jointly lead and guide this effort.

School Climate Transformation Grant. In 2019, the Department
was awarded the U.S. Department of Education School Climate
Transformation Grant. Ohio’s “Conditions for Student Learning:
Supporting School Climate Transformation in Ohio Through
Effective Statewide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports
(PBIS) Implementation” includes five overarching goals focused on
building state and local capacity for PBIS incorporating opioid abuse
prevention and mitigation strategies (including trauma informed
practices) into the PBIS framework and increasing integration of
culturally responsive practices into PBIS implementation.

This grant put Ohio in a position to respond to school and district
needs through a multi-tiered system of support lens. The four
grant-funded regional field coordinators have created training and
coaching plans for the trainers within ESCs and state support teams.
The training and coaching supports shifted to virtual modes in
response to the pandemic. Resources were provided to trainers
around trauma practices and responding to Tier Ill needs.

The Department produced resources that include information
about trauma, staff self-care and behavioral implications of the
pandemic and updated these as the year progressed. National PBIS
resources were shared. Regional field coordinators will offer PBIS
Effective Classroom Practices training early in the 2021-2022 school
year as a preventative measure to support districts returning to
school in person as well as a menu of other trainings to respond to
their individual area needs. Additionally, resources are being
targeted to produce a series of training videos on expanding PBIS to
meet the needs of the whole child (including trauma informed
practices), using the Tiered Fidelity Inventory (TFI) and data
collection and analysis.

The Department worked with the U.S. Department of Education and
reallocated $11,000 of the state’s School Climate Transformation
Grant travel funds for the Department of Mental Health and
Addiction Service’s Trauma Informed Care Summit in May 2021.

55
Child nutrition. Since March 2020, the Department has accepted all
offered U.S. Department of Agriculture waivers for child nutrition
programs. The waivers have allowed schools and districts to offer
no cost breakfasts and lunches to all students regardless of income
and provide meals to students in the school buildings and in a non-
congregate manner and with parental authorization for meal pick
up for students in remote education. Schools and districts can
provide daily meal pick up or multiple meal distribution depending
on the model best suiting their students. For 2021-2022, schools
and districts may continue no cost breakfasts and lunches for
students both in in-person learning and in remote education.
Additionally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture authorized all
school sites the opportunity to offer afterschool snacks and supper
meals through the Child and Adult Care Food Program, waiving the
traditional poverty level requirements. This waiver allows schools
and districts to provide nutritious meals after school to complement
planned afterschool enrichment activities.

Ohio’s Plan to Raise Literacy Achievement and related federal
grants. Ohio’s Plan to Raise Literacy Achievement emphasizes the
need for professional learning and resources that deepen
educators’ understanding of how children learn to read, diagnose
why some children struggle to read and sharpen educators’ abilities
to implement reading instruction and intervention that is aligned to
the science of reading and is culturally responsive. Ohio is
committed to building educator capacity through embedded,
sustained professional development and coaching that focuses on
evidence-based language and literacy practices and interventions.
The state’s commitment to literacy has benefitted from multiple
grants. The work of these initiatives is even more critical as
educators work to address learning disruptions from the pandemic.

Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy grant. Ohio received a
competitive, three-year Striving Readers grant from the U.S.
Department of Education in October 2017. The program awarded
competitive subgrants to advance literacy skills and development
including pre-literacy skills, reading and writing for all children from
birth through grade 12. The grant specifically emphasized a focus
on disadvantaged children, including children living in poverty,
English learners, children with disabilities and those identified as
having reading difficulties. The Department was required to allocate
no less than 95% of funds received to eligible subgrantees. At least
15%of the grant funds served children from birth through age 5;

56
40% served students in kindergarten through grade 5; and 40%
served students in middle and high schools. This grant allowed 46
subgrantees to build foundational language and literacy practices
across these age bands. Lessons learned from these efforts
continue to build Ohio’s language and literacy improvement efforts
across all districts.

Comprehensive Literacy State Development grant. In 2019, the
Department received a five-year Comprehensive Literacy State
Development grant from the U.S. Department of Education to build
on ongoing work to improve language and literacy development.
Approximately 95% of the award was distributed directly to local
districts, community schools and early childhood education
programs to improve literacy outcomes for children from birth
through grade 12. Forty subgrants are focused on developing model
comprehensive literacy sites in early childhood education programs
and district preschools as well as elementary, middle and high
schools across the state. The partnership between the model sites
and the Department will allow early childhood education programs,
districts, schools and families to improve student literacy and
increase educational options available to students who have been
traditionally underserved.

Model Demonstration Projects for Early Identification of Students
with Dyslexia in Elementary Schools. The dyslexia project is
designed to address the literacy needs of students in three schools
(preschool through grade 1) by creating model demonstration sites
and building the capacity of teachers, coaches, principals and
regional supports to implement and support evidence-based
literacy instruction for all children. The purpose of this grant is to
build collaboration between Institutions of higher education and
the Ohio Department of Education to:

1. Support all students effectively through an understanding
of the science of reading and effective instructional
strategies within a Multi-Tiered System of Supports
framework, and

2. Accurately and efficiently identify students with dyslexia
through a combination of measures including indicators of
reading performance and progress over time within the
context of effective instruction and intervention.

Ohio will use this grant, in conjunction with newly passed Dyslexia
Supports laws, to build educator knowledge to ensure positive

57
outcomes for students and more accurately and effectively identify
students at risk for dyslexia.

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
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;

Ohio’s students and educators have been greatly impacted by the
pandemic and related events which have exacerbated existing
inequalities. This has been demonstrated by the data and needs
identified in previous sections of this plan. As Ohio turns to address
these issues, buttressed by support from the American Rescue Plan,
there is both a need for urgent action while also considering multi-
year plans and well-thought out approaches. Interventions should
be informed by data, based on evidence and evaluated for impact.
Accordingly, the plans described in Sections D.1, D.2 and D.3 include
current work, but also identify the need for coherent and evolving
approaches over the life of the ARP ESSER support (and beyond).
Accordingly, Ohio intends to:

e Reserve at least the respective amount of funding for each
intervention in the section including at least 5% of the state’s
total allocation of American Rescue Plan ESSER funds for
evidence-based interventions to address the academic impact
of lost instructional time;

58
e Target services for vulnerable students most impacted by the
pandemic;

e Develop coherent plans that build on existing work;

e Build coherence through partnerships as the work evolves;

e Work with ESCs and State Support Teams to develop and
implement related supports;

e Dedicate portions of state-activities funds to evaluate the
impact of the work; and

e Ensure the plans in this section will evolve and become more
detailed as the work progresses. Ohio views this application,
particularly this section, as a living document.

Current initiatives. The Department prioritized the work on
evidence-based interventions to support the academic impact of
lost instructional time over this last year. Current work focuses on
professional learning highlighting evidence-based strategies to
support high-quality instruction in Ohio’s Learning Standards. The
Department commits to strong collaboration with business and
community organizations to support students. Some examples of
this collaboration are evident in the partnership with COSI,
www.schoolhouse.world and RemotEDx.

Using these strong examples to support student learning, the
Department commits to working with two national collaborative
networks to ensure evidence-based practices are prioritized in
this work:

e The Council of Chief State School Officers — State
Summer Learning Network which is a multi-state
network focusing on summer learning opportunities; and

e Results for America State Education Fellowship which is
a multi-state network focusing on the use and evaluation
of evidence-based educational practices.

Building a multi-year plan. Through both collaborative networks,
the Department will develop a coherent plan which focuses on
evidence-based interventions and extended learning
opportunities as a critical component of mitigating the negative
impact of the pandemic on students’ opportunities to learn. The
Department seeks to help ensure interventions and extended
learning is evidence-based; adequately supported (e.g., prioritized
in funding decision-making) and implemented with fidelity; and
designed for sustainability and long-term impact.

59
The Department will take both a short- and long-term approach to
build up the state’s capacity to support evidence-based extended
learning opportunities. Potential activities may include, but may
not be limited to:

e Identifying and communicating what “evidence-based
extended learning” looks like both internally and
externally;

e Building supports for the use of evidence-based extended
learning opportunities into the Ohio Improvement Process
and State Systems of Support; and

e Creating coherence between work on extended learning
opportunities and other state initiatives (e.g., Student
Engagement and Attendance; High-Quality Instruction).

Evaluation. The Department will take a two-pronged approach to
evaluating the use of evidence-based interventions to support
recovery. First, the Department will use state activities resources
to support state-level evaluation of the impact of activities,
programs or interventions supported by state activity funds. This
work will build on processes developed to evaluate the use of
ESSER | funds. Through this effort, all programs using ESSER funds
will develop tailored evaluation plans at the outset of their
projects. Using standardized tools and with support from the
Department’s Office of Research and Evaluation, programs will
develop scopes of work, identify internal and/or external
evaluation teams, execute formative and summative evaluation
plans and report on the impact of projects.

Second, all districts receiving ARP ESSER funds must use 20% of
those funds to measure and address the impact of lost
instructional time and ensure that their evidence-based
interventions respond to students’ academic, social, emotional
and mental health needs. The Department interprets this to mean
that districts must engage in evaluation to understand
interventions' ongoing impact. The Department will facilitate
these evaluation activities by using state activity funds to create
and support networked improvement communities which districts
can opt to participate in, thereby meeting their evaluation
expectations. Districts that opt into networked improvement
communities will work with an evaluation partner identified by
the state to support the effective implementation and evaluation
of shared evidence-based interventions. Stakeholder feedback

60
il.

emphasized the importance of input from educators in this
evaluation work, as well as transparency of results.

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.-viil.
When possible, please indicate which data sources the SEA will use
to determine the impact of lost instructional time; and

As noted in previous sections of this application, the Department
has already started using data to support and encourage the use of
evidence-based interventions in addressing the disproportionate
impact of COVID-19 on certain groups of students. Data from Ohio’s
Data Insights reports are intended to draw attention to the
pandemic’s disparate impact on certain student subgroups. Doing
so enables the state and districts alike to strategically target
professional learning resources and supports for academic, social,
emotional and mental health needs of students most adversely
affected by the pandemic.

Ohio will use state-level, disaggregated data on enrollment,
absenteeism, engagement in remote learning, access to internet
and technology resources, performance on state assessments and
other key opportunity to learn measures to continue assessing the
pandemic’s impact. These same data will serve as valuable
measures of the impact of evidence-based interventions on
students’ recovery. Additionally, Ohio has strong cross-agency data
collaborations, which means the state will continue to use non-
education data resources to inform state- and district-level
discussions about students’ needs. This data includes district-level
information on unemployment rates, physical and mental health for
Medicaid-participating students and data on neglect and abuse
reports. While these non-education data points are not available at
the subgroup level, they will inform robust Whole Child needs
assessments.

While analyzing state-level data to target support for evidence-
based interventions, the Department will continue to encourage
districts to use local data to understand their students’ needs so
that they can select evidence-based interventions designed to
support the students disproportionately impacted by the pandemic
in their districts.

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il.

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.

As discussed throughout this document, extended learning
strategies and interventions will be targeted to student needs and
informed by data with expectations of evaluation of impact. As Ohio
works with stakeholders to fully develops specifics, these priorities
will guide investments of SEA funds.

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 | 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;

As discussed in Section D.1.i, Ohio intends to:

e Reserve at least 1% of the state’s total allocation of ARP funds
for evidence-based summer learning and enrichment
programs;

e Target services for vulnerable students most impacted by the
pandemic;

e Develop coherent plans that build on existing work;

e Build coherence through partnerships as the work evolves;

e Work with ESCs and State Support Teams to develop and
implement related supports;

e Dedicate portions of state-activities funds to evaluate the
impact of the work; and

e Ensure the plans in the section will evolve and become more
detailed as the work progresses. Ohio views this application,
particularly this section, as a living document.

Evidence-based summer learning and enrichment programs are
critical to addressing learning loss due to the pandemic. Over the

62
il.

last year, the Department has worked to support LEAs with summer
learning and enrichment programs. There is a committed focus on
literacy, math, career and college readiness, STEAM and community
partnerships to respond to students’ academic, social, emotional
and mental health needs.

CCSSO Summer Learning Network. The Department is working with
nine other State Education Agencies, the National Summer Learning
Association and Council of Chief State School Officers ina
collaborative network. The goal of work is to:

e Use strong data to develop community system-wide strategies
for summer learning;

e Elevate exemplars of teaching practices in summer and
leverage summer for positive, effective teacher education and
induction experiences;

e Identify and disseminate guidance to districts and schools that
showcases instructional practices which supports the
academic, social, emotional and mental health needs of
students; and

e Advance summer quality program standards and positive
youth development practices that can be applied across
districts and integrated into the school year.

Outcomes from this network and related activities will help guide
Ohio’s targeted priorities for use of ARP funding for summer
enrichment activities.

Evaluation. As described above in section D.1.i, the Department will
use a two-pronged approach to engage in both state- and district-
level evaluation activities.

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. 1.--vili.
When possible, please indicate which data sources the SEA will use
to identify students most in need of summer learning and enrichment
programs; and

As described above in section D.1.ii, the Department will use a
range of state-level, disaggregated data points to target summer
learning and enrichment supports to those students most adversely
impacted by the pandemic. Additionally, the Department will
continue to support districts’ local use of data to identify students
in greatest need of support.

63
iil.

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.

As discussed throughout this document, extended learning
strategies and interventions will be targeted to student needs and
informed by data with expectations of evaluation of impact. As Ohio
works with stakeholders to fully develop specifics, these priorities
will guide investments of SEA funds.

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 | 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:
1.

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;

As discussed in Section D.1.i, Ohio intends to:

e Reserve at least 1% of the state’s total allocation of ARP ESSER
funds for evidence-based comprehensive afterschool
programs;

e Target services for vulnerable students most impacted by the
pandemic;

e Develop coherent plans that build on existing work;

e Build coherence through partnerships as the work evolves;

e Work with Education Service Centers and State Support Teams
to develop and implement related supports;

e Dedicate portions of state-activities funds to evaluate the
impact of the work; and

e Ensure the plans in the section will evolve and become more
detailed as the work progresses. Ohio views this application,
particularly this section, as a living document.

215t Century Community Learning Center grant program. The
Department has established a collaborative network to support
evidence-based comprehensive afterschool programs and ensure

64
il.

such programs respond to students’ academic, social, emotional
and mental health needs. The Nita M. Lowey 21st Century
Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) grant program provides
opportunities for children who come from economically
disadvantaged families and attend low-performing schools to
receive academic supports. In addition to this model program, the
Department proposes co-design of afterschool programs with
community partners. These efforts prioritize the use of high-quality
instructional materials for math and literacy; integration of career
and college readiness; STEAM related instructional practices; and a
focus on social, emotional and mental health.

Stakeholders emphasized the importance of coordination between
existing local 215t Century Community Learning Center grant
programs and plans for local use of ARP ESSER funds for afterschool
programs. The Department will share guidance with LEAs to
encourage expansion of existing programs when relevant to
leverage existing partnerships and avoiding duplicative services.

Ohio Afterschool Network (OAN) partnership. Community
partnerships are key to the success of expanded learning and out-
of-school time. The OAN is an invaluable partner providing ongoing
leadership, support and advocacy to help address the educational
and social emotional needs of students. This network serves on the
215 Century Community Stakeholder Committee and offers
professional development in expanded learning and out-of-school
time.

Evaluation. A long-term evaluation of Ohio’s 21°t Century Learning
Centers has been ongoing since 2003. This external evaluation
examines the impact of the grant program on student outcomes
and identifies continuous improvement opportunities. The
evaluation design will be updated to include research questions and
analytical methods to address student performance and pandemic-
related impacts during the most recent school years.

ARP ESSER funding may be used to support additional evaluation
activities and continuous improvement approaches as relevant.

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.-viil.
When possible, please indicate which data sources the SEA will use

65
to identify students most in need of comprehensive afterschool
programming; and

As described above in section D(1)(ii), the Department will use a
range of state-level, disaggregated data points to target afterschool
programming supports to those students most adversely impacted
by the pandemic. Additionally, the Department will continue to
support districts’ local use of data to identify students in greatest
need of support.

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.

As discussed throughout this document, extended learning
strategies and interventions will be targeted to student needs and
informed by data with expectations of evaluation of impact. As Ohio
works with stakeholders to fully develop specifics, these priorities
will guide investments of SEA funds.

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.

As described above, state activity funds to support emergency needs have been
used in ESSER | and II and will continue to be used to support student needs
based on stakeholder feedback and identified needs. Ohio plans to reserve the
full amount for emergency needs. Ohio will continue to enhance, amplify and
expand on the work started with the state activity funds described above. In
many cases, investments will allow for an extension of services through 2024.

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.

66
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:

1.

il.

il.

Iv.

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;

How the LEA will use the funds it reserves under section 2001(e)(1)
of the ARP Act (totaling not less than 20 percent of the LEA’s total
allocation of ARP ESSER funds) to address the academic impact of
lost instructional time through the implementation of evidence-based
interventions, such as summer learning or summer enrichment,
extended day, comprehensive afterschool programs, or extended
school year programs;

How the LEA will spend its remaining ARP ESSER funds consistent
with section 2001(e)(2) of the ARP Act; and

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.

Local plan submission and assurances. The Department has taken
the necessary actions to ensure the LEAs meet all the ARP ESSER
requirements, including developing an application, hard coding the
application into its existing e-grant system, requiring the LEAs
certify the ARP ESSER assurances and meet required deadlines and
timelines. The LEA ARP ESSER Application, CCIP Note 470 and CCIP
Note 472 provide helpful information and instructions on the
allocation process and required set aside amounts. The CCIP system
will automatically require the LEA allocation to budget for those set
aside purposes.

Networked improvement communities. As discussed in Section D,
all districts receiving ARP ESSER have specific requirements to use

67
relevant funds for extended learning opportunities to address
learning disruptions. The Department interprets those
requirements to mean that districts must engage in evaluation to
understand the interventions’ ongoing impact. The Department will
facilitate these evaluation activities by using state activity funds to
create and support networked improvement communities which
districts can opt to participate in, thereby meeting their evaluation
expectations. Districts that opt into networked improvement
communities will work with an evaluation partner identified by the
state to support the effective implementation and evaluation of
shared evidence-based interventions.

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;
il. families;
lil. 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:

1. Tribes;
il. civil rights organizations (including disability rights organizations);
and
lil. 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.

The Department has taken the necessary actions to ensure the LEAs meet all the
ARP ESSER requirements, including requiring meaningful consultation with all
stakeholders identified in this section. These requirements are part of the LEA
application assurances, part of the internal application review process and back-
end monitoring and compliance process. The Office of Federal Programs
provides trainings and guidance messages to LEAs throughout this process. The
Local Education Agency ARP ESSER Application, CCIP Note 470 and CCIP Note 472
provide helpful information and instructions on the required stakeholder
engagement.

68
3. Describe how the SEA will support and monitor its LEAs in using ARP ESSER
funds. The description must include:

1.

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;

Support and monitoring. The Department’s process of supporting
and monitoring LEAs is described in more detail in Section G below.
The Department provides LEAs with front-end supports, progress
support and back-end reviews to ensure all relevant requirements
of programs are met. As part of this support process, the
Department relies on cross offices to address relevant focus areas.
The Department will add specific questions requesting the LEAs
provide evidence of implementation of evidence-based strategies.

Evidence-based interventions. The Department is committed to
supporting the implementation of evidenced-based interventions,
as well as contributing to the growing evidence base for
interventions designed to respond to students’ academic, social,
emotional and mental health needs. The Department provides
resource on the meaning and use of evidence-based strategies on
its website here. Additionally, the Ohio Evidence-Based
Clearinghouse serves as a resource for educators seeking more
information about evidence-based strategies and their role in the
cycle of continuous improvement. The Department is currently
partnering with the Ohio Education Research Center to expand
Ohio’s Evidence-Based Clearinghouse to include additional
evidence-based strategies related to whole child supports. Based on
feedback from Ohio’s Whole Child Advisory council, this work will
include an emphasis on strategies that support students’ physical
and mental health, as well as strategies for family engagement.
Through the RemotEDx initiative, Ohio is collaborating with InfOhio
to curate evidence-based and best practices for high-quality
instruction in remote and in-person settings in the RemotEDX
Exchange. In addition, the Department’s Ideas for Innovation
include a collection of best practices and a webpage to showcase
districts’ implementation of whole child supports.

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il.

Networked improvement communities. as described in Section
D.1.i, the Department will develop and support networked
improvement communities to encourage districts implementing
similar interventions to engage collaboratively in evaluation
activities. By supporting these networked improvement
communities, the state will have the opportunity to give visibility to
the effectiveness of interventions that districts employ. The
Department will share learnings from these collaborative evaluation
efforts publicly to benefit the broader educational community.

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

Support and monitoring. The Department’s process of supporting
and monitoring LEAs is described in more detail in Section G below.
The Department provides LEAs with front-end supports, progress
support and back-end reviews to ensure all relevant requirements
of programs are met. As part of this support process, the
Department relies on cross offices to address relevant focus areas.

Disproportionate impact. As it relates to addressing the
disproportionate impact of the pandemic on certain groups of
students, the Department is approaching this from two vantage
points. First, state-level data can provide significant insights. The
Department is proactively analyzing state data and reporting on
trends through mechanisms such as its recent Data Insights series.
Second, the Department encourages schools and districts to
constantly consider effective ways to collect, analyze and make
sense of their data and use it to set goals and drive improvement.
The Ohio Improvement Process is Ohio’s structured improvement
process that goes beyond the traditional plan-do-study-act (PDSA)
cycle. This process is driven by data with support from Ohio’s
regional partners and is the foundation for Ohio’s Every Student
Succeeds Act Improvement activities. The disproportionate impact
on groups of students will be addressed through this continuous
improvement process.

In addition, the Department requires each LEA provide a description
of how it is addressing the impact of the pandemic on certain
groups of students in the application to for ARP ESSER funds. These
applications are reviewed by the Office of Federal Programs for
completeness. For the compliance monitoring process on LEAs, the

70
iil.

Department will add a specific question requesting the LEAs provide
evidence that they addressed this purpose.

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.

Support and monitoring. The Department’s process of supporting
and monitoring LEAs is described in more detail in Section G below.
The Department provides LEAs with front-end supports, progress
support and back-end reviews to ensure all relevant requirements
of programs are met. As part of this support process, the
Department relies on cross offices to address relevant focus areas.

The Department requires each LEA to provide a description of how
it is using ARP ESSER funds to identify, reengage and support
students in the application for ARP ESSER funds. These applications
are reviewed by the Office of Federal Programs for completeness.
For the compliance monitoring process, the Department will add a
specific question requesting the LEAs provide evidence that they
addressed this purpose.

Identify, reengage and support. As it relates to the use of funds to
identify, reengage and support students most likely to have
experienced the impact of lost instructional time on student
learning, the Department will be in a strong position to help
districts use data to target evidence-based interventions. The
Department will use existing and new data and data tools to
accomplish this goal, including the following:

e Data on students’ experiences. The Department is collecting
statewide data on districts’ and schools’ education delivery
models, as well as data on which students opted for remote
learning regardless of their district’s model. The Department
will analyze this data at the state level. Additionally, the
Department has the capacity to securely provide districts
with analyses that identify their students who missed the
most in-person instruction during 2019-2020 and 2020-
2021.

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State partnerships. Prior to the pandemic, Ohio created the
Ohio Attendance Network, which includes the Cleveland
Browns Foundation and Harvard University’s Proving Ground
program and is advised by AttendanceWorks. The Network’s
efforts to encourage student attendance, as well as efforts
to encourage and equip districts to look at and use data on
their students’ attendance ramped up in 2020-2021. The
Cleveland Browns Foundation is creating a Digital Playbook
which will provide districts with guidance on how to analyze
their data to understand which student were not fully
engaged in learning. Through a supplemental Statewide
Longitudinal Data System grant, the Department will partner
with a research institution to learn more about how
engagement was measured during 2020-2021 and
disseminate best practices for future attendance and
engagement measurement. Finally, the Department is
encouraging a focus on attendance and engagement
through new resources and webinars aimed at LEAs, State
Support Teams and other education partners.

Early warning system. Through Ohio’s 2019 Statewide
Longitudinal Data System (SLDS) grant, the Department will
release a new Early Warning System in Fall 2021. The Early
Warning System will be available to all districts at no cost
and will identify students most at-risk of dropping out of
school. Ohio is also using SLDS funds to train the state’s RDLs
on the new Early Warning System, to ensure districts have
support in using the new data tool.

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:

1.

il.

Allocating funding both to schools and for districtwide activities
based on student need, and

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.

Support and monitoring. The Department’sprocess of supporting and
monitoring LEAs is described in more detail in Section G below. The Department
provides LEAs with front-end supports, progress support and back-end reviews

72
to ensure all relevant requirements of programs are met. As part of this support
process, the Department relies on cross offices to address relevant focus areas.

LEA budget applications. The Department requires the LEA to provide a budget
and description of how the district plans to use ARP ESSER funds. in the
application that is reviewed and approved. This description should include the
specific purpose as it relates to student needs at the school level. For the
compliance monitoring process, the Department will add a specific question
requesting the LEAs provide evidence that they are implementing strategies for
taking education equity into account including equitable and inclusive return to
in-person instruction and establishing policies and practices that avoid the over-
use of exclusionary discipline measures and creating a positive and supportive
learning environment for all students.

Spending guidance. The Department is drafting guidance for LEAs on spending
considerations for ARP ESSER funds that maximize supports for underserved
students to address their academic social, emotional and/or mental health
needs. This will include guidance to use funds for extended learning
opportunities, family supports, nutrition needs, professional development for
their staff, mental health partnerships, school-based health centers,
transportation for foster care and homeless youth and supporting the needs of
early learners transitioning from preschool to kindergarten. LEAs will benefit
from receiving concrete examples and resources available from a variety of
national organizations.

Reset/Restart Guidance. The Department released extensive Reset and Restart
guidance in fall 2020. Specific examples are referenced throughout this
document. This guidance includes considerations for underserved and vulnerable
student populations to address the academic, social, emotional, mental and
physical health needs of students. The Department will continue to update these
resources.

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:

1. 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

73
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.

Shortage areas. Ohio has identified multiple areas of shortages in
the educator workforce (teaching and student support) which are
identified in Table F1. For this analysis, shortage of full-time
equivalent (FTE) is defined as the number of educators whose
credentials are not aligned with their current placement.

To determine shortage areas, teaching areas are ranked by the
percentage of courses with teachers lacking aligned credentials to
the relevant subject area, grade level or student population.
Student support areas are ranked by the percent of the statewide
full-time equivalent positions currently filled without the
appropriate credential. In most cases, that person holds a substitute
or temporary license in the area such as a Temporary Intern School
Psychologist license that Ohio issues to trainees who can work
under the supervision of a fully licensed school psychologist.

The U.S. Department of Education allows states to identify shortage
areas where the combined shortage FTE adds up to no more than
5% of the total FTE for those positions in the state. The following
areas meet that threshold.

Table F1.
Percent courses or
positions filled by out- Shortage
Subject Area of-field educators FTE Note
*Registered Nurses 39.6 505.9
*Occupational Therapists 27.2 241.8 See narrative below
*Physical Therapists 11.2 32.0 See narrative below
Information Literacy 9.9 8.7
Computer Science 8.0 517.7
Technology Education 7.7 343.0
Theater 7.0 68.5
*School Counselors 6.5 258.7 See narrative below
*School Psychologists 6.5 125.2 See narrative below

74

TESOL 6.0 18.0
*Speech Pathologists 5.2 133.8
ROTC 5.1 1.5
Engineering & Science 3.8 384.2
Technology

Health Science 3.8 224.8
Family & Consumer Science 3.4 265.3
Business Education 3.4 240.3
Information Technology 3.0 347.3
Dance 2.7 9.0
Health Education 2.7 424.2
Law Enforcement 2.6 40.0
Construction Technologies 2.0 69.5
Arts & Communication 1.8 40.2
Education & Training 1.6 34.6
World Languages 1.5 136.5
Transportation Systems 1.5 66.1
Physical Education 1.4 312.9

* Student support area

The table above provides data on identified shortage areas.

Additional information on special educators and related personnel,
and non-teaching areas is described below to provide more context
on workforce needs and ongoing efforts to address those concerns.

Special educators and related service personnel and
paraprofessionals. Local education agencies have hired additional
special educators and related service personnel to address multiple
educational models. Some highly trained paraprofessionals were
laid off and sought other employment during building closures.
Some LEAs found other employment tasks for paraprofessionals
such as making materials and other administrative work. Now that
school buildings are open, LEAs some must hire and train new
paraprofessionals.

School psychologists. Many LEAs in rural areas faced a shortage of
school psychologists prior to the pandemic. Some school
psychologists resigned or retired early during the pandemic. Ohio
has an innovative program in which interns are placed for a year in
LEAs that have difficulty recruiting and retaining school
psychologists. Completions of intern requirements was more
difficult when buildings were closed. Universities had difficulty

75
placing school psychology students in schools for field experiences.
These all contribute to an ongoing shortage of school psychologists.

Mental health professionals. In October 2020, the Department was
awarded the School-based Mental Health Services grant from the
U.S. Department of Education to increase the number of school-
based mental health professionals in seven of Ohio’s Appalachian
counties. A needs assessment demonstrated high mental and
behavioral health needs but a low proportion of school-based
mental health professionals for the student population.

e Inthe seven counties, school-based mental health
professional ratios ranged from 0.35 providers per 1,000
enrolled students to 4.14 providers per 1,000 enrolled
students.

e Four of the 27 districts located within the seven counties had
less than 1.0 mental health professional per 1,000 enrolled
students.

e An additional six districts had between 1.0 and 1.5 mental
health professionals per 1,000 enrolled students.

e Within the 27 districts, there are 65 school counselors and 5
school social workers for the 43,286 enrolled students.

Accordingly, the Department and local partners will implement key
recruitment and retainment strategies.

e The recruitment strategies include providing hiring
bonuses for community behavioral health agencies to hire
providers, one-time supports for local education agencies
to hire a mental health provider directly and stipends for
social work and counseling graduate students that commit
to a school-based internship placement.

e The retainment strategies include providing annual
retention bonuses for new staff, retention bonuses for
existing staff and establishing commitments from interns
to work for one year following graduation.

Through this initiative the Department hopes to recruit 110 new

mental health providers in the 27 districts.

Related Services Workgroup report and recommendations. |n
2019, the Department established a stakeholder workgroup to
review and make recommendations about the causes and solutions
of related services personnel shortages. Data showed a continuing
need for more practitioners including school psychologists. The
workgroup issued a report that established goals to address the

76
il.

shortages and monitor progress. The workgroup identified various
reasons for the shortages:
e Difficulty attracting individuals to the field including because
of lower salaries;
e People leaving the profession or education settings;
e Intense competition between private and public settings;
and
e Limited pipeline and geographic constraints, including
isolation and long travel distances.
The workgroup provided the Department with recruitment and
retainment recommendations to address the shortages.

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 Department worked diligently to provides LEAs with as much
support and flexibility as possible. Several examples are below.

Licensure flexibility. To address staffing concerns and prevent
further educator shortages, the Office of Educator Licensure
provided the following flexibilities:

e Temporary Licenses. The pandemic forced the closure of
licensure testing sites and therefore the ability of educators
and administrators to sit for initial licensure exams. The
temporary license allowed educators and administrators to
serve in these roles on a temporary basis until the exams
can be completed safely.

e Grade band and subject flexibility. Licensure flexibility was
provided for teachers around approved grade band and
subject areas to reflect the unique learning environment
during 2020-2021 school year.

e Temporary substitute licenses. The temporary substitute
license allowed districts to meet increased demand for
substitute teachers.

e Extension of expiration dates. Expiration dates were
extended for credentials from July 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021.

77
This extension granted additional time to meet renewal
requirements to ensure licenses did not expire as a result of
the pandemic.

e Career-Technical Substitute License. This license allows
career-technical educators to substitute outside of their
licensure area.

e Temporary Military Duty License. This license allowed active
duty military members and their spouses to receive licenses
quickly upon moving to Ohio while they work to complete
licensure requirements.

e Pupil Services Registration. This allows for an increase in the
pool of available pupil service personnel (audiologists,
speech language pathologists, social workers, school nurses,
occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants,
and physical therapists and physical therapy assistants.)

The Department also seeks to add the following types of licenses:
e Student Teacher License. This license for student teachers
will continue to address the substitute teacher shortage.
e Reinstatement license. This license will help to ease the
transition to full licensure for individuals with lapsed
licenses.

Staff wellness. As discussed in Section A.4, the Department is
utilizing GEER funds to work with Miami University to develop and
train a statewide model for a Student Assistance Program and a
staff wellness model. As part of the development phase of this
project, Miami University is completing a needs assessment that
includes two components: a supports and services questionnaire
and a staff well-being questionnaire. The staff-well-being
questionnaire will collect data on the impacts on staff wellness and
areas of need. Miami University will subsequently plan and provide
training and resources to schools across Ohio. Regional reports from
the questionnaire will be shared with LEAs and can be used as an
additional data source.

Avoiding layoffs. The Department provides supports to LEAs on the
available uses of funds for all the COVID-19 relief funds. Each LEA is
assigned a federal programs consultant to address questions and
needs. The Department provides frequently asked questions and
guidance to LEAs on issues regarding using funds for preparing and
responding to the impact of COVID-19, including avoiding layoffs.
An example of the guidance for ESSER | is here. Similar guidance

78
documents for other COVID-19 programs is found in the CCIP
document library.

iil. 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).

Diversifying the Educator Workforce. To support strategy one of
Each Child, Our Future, the Department issued several grants to
districts to create or expand existing “grow-your-own” programs to
address locally determined teacher shortage areas. Local education
agencies also may receive funds to partner with institutions of
higher education to offer scholarships to students to encourage
completion of educator preparation programs. The state will also
provide funding for projects to support minority candidates who
wish to enter the teaching profession. Funding will support
programs that identify and support local academic
paraprofessionals or teacher aides who wish to complete educator
preparation programs either through traditional or alternative
pathways. For educators who wish to transition to administrative
roles, institutions of higher education, in partnership with districts,
will be provided funds to create an Aspiring Administrator Program.

Educators Rising. The Department will significantly expand the
number of Educators Rising Ohio chapters in middle schools, high
schools and career centers to promote teaching as a professional
pathway. Educators Rising Ohio chapters will be encouraged to
work collaboratively with local colleges and universities to support,
promote and encourage students of color and students in high
needs schools and districts to enter the teaching profession.

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).

79
School-based telehealth services pilot. The School-Based Telehealth Services in
Rural Ohio Project addresses the lack of high-speed internet across the
Switzerland of Ohio District by improving broadband connectivity and presenting
additional ways for students to utilize telehealth services. The project team
consists of representatives from the Ohio Department of Education, Ohio
Department of Medicaid, Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction
Services and the Governor’s Office along with district staff and consultants from
the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. As more students can be
reached through telehealth, more behavioral health services can be delivered.

School-based mental health services. As previously described in Section F.1.i,
the number of school-based mental health professionals will be increased in
seven Appalachian counties through the federally funded School-Based Mental
Health Services Grant. Ohio will implement key recruitment and retainment
strategies to address staff shortages and increase the ratio of mental health staff
to students.

Telehealth guidelines for service providers. In April 2020, the Department
launched the Telehealth Guidelines for Service Providers web resource. This
resource was developed to support personnel such as speech-language
pathologists, occupational and physical therapists, school psychologists, school
nurses, behavioral health specialists, school counselors and school social
workers. It offers answers to frequently asked questions, provides links to
resources and important information concerning compliance with Medicaid, the
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Health Insurance
Portability Accountability Act (HIPAA) and state laws. In addition, the
Department has provided information and resources to specialized instructional
support personnel for professional development in formal individual assessment
of students via telehealth. These resources and supports have increased the
capacity of LEAs to deliver telehealth services to students.

Remote learning for students with disabilities who have complex needs. The
Office for Exceptional Children in collaboration with the Ohio Department of
Developmental Disabilities and the Ohio Department of Medicaid, launched the
Remote Learning for Students with Disabilities Who Have Complex Needs web
resource. This website provides resources and guidance for personnel who are
providing services to students who may have difficulty using some types of
technology. Guidance is provided on innovative strategies for using technology,
efficiently coaching caregivers and using creative strategies for providing
services.

80
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
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;
il. 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);
lil. 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
V1. Other reporting requirements reasonably required by the Secretary

(please refer to Appendix B of this template; final requirements will
be issued separately).

Ohio’s state and education leaders recognize the importance of supporting a
high-functioning system for data collection and data use. As the result of a long
history of data infrastructure development, the state is well-positioned to work
with schools and districts to collect statewide data and encourage LEAs to use
data locally. The state’s strategy is multi-faceted:

Statewide data collection. Through the Education Management Information
System (EMIS), Ohio’s LEAs report a wide range of student, educator and

81
organizational data that can support the state’s resource prioritization,
monitoring and evaluation efforts. EMIS is robust and allows districts and schools
to submit data on:
e Student enrollment, attendance and absences;
e Performance on state assessments;
e Course-taking patterns;
e Discipline;
e  District- and building-level per-pupil expenditures;
e Student demographics;
e Intervention or enrichment services or special programs in which each
student participated, including extended-day and summer programs;
e Student graduation;
e Staff elements such as education levels, professional qualifications and
experience levels;
e The number and type of support staff (e.g., counselors, school nurses,
social workers, etc.) available to work with and support students.

In the cases of the student-level data above, the Department can disaggregate
the elements by student subgroup (e.g., race/ethnicity, economic disadvantage,
English learner, students with disabilities, homeless status, foster-care status,
mobility) to help address equity issues. Moreover, the reporting system includes
many years of data for most elements, which allows the Department to analyze
trends across time when supporting LEAs.

New data elements. In 2020-2021, Ohio added several new elements to its
statewide EMIS data collection in response to the COVID-19 pandemic:

e Education delivery model. Beginning this year, districts will report the
education delivery model used by each LEA to report how students were
receiving their education (e.g., 5-day, in-person; hybrid; fully remote).
Districts also can report data at the student level for cases where a
student is under a different model than the rest of the LEA (e.g., the LEA
is offering a 5-day, in-person model, but a student is fully remote).

e Student-level connectivity and hardware access. LEAs also will report
student-level internet connectivity (e.g., Broadband/DSL, hotspot/data
plan, no access) and student-level hardware access (e.g., tablet, desktop,
laptop, smartphone, no access).

Program data. Finally, Ohio has several mechanisms through which it can and
does collect participation in specific programs, which can include programs
funded by ARP ESSER (e.g., summer and afterschool programs). In cases where
the state anticipates the long-term and widespread implementation of
programs, it can expand upon existing EMIS program records to capture student
participation. Alternatively, the state may collect individual program

82
participation through the Ohio District Data Exchange (ODDEX), a system
especially suited for collecting data on limited subsets of students and/or for a
limited number of districts.

Building a culture of data literacy. Ohio has a long commitment to building a
culture of data literacy that has been bolstered by multiple State Longitudinal
Data System (SLDS) grants. The pandemic has only served to increase the
urgency of that work.

Regional Data Leads. To assist LEAs in using these data to support all students,
Ohio collaborated with data leaders across the state to create the Ohio
Education Data Professionals Network. The network includes over 200 general
members, with nearly half serving as officially trained Regional Data Leads. RDLs
are education professionals who are trained to promote the use of student
performance data among other educators regionally, both to strengthen
professional practice and improve learning for all students. RDLs have extensive
experience with Ohio’s student growth data, as well as a broad range of other
data topics and reports resulting from Ohio’s accountability system and educator
effectiveness program. They foster a culture of data reliance by promoting a
consistent understanding of education data. Moreover, they offer technical
assistance to school administrators and teachers to help them use data to drive
decisions on school improvement and instructional programming for individual
students or for groups of students.

Ohio currently has approximately 80 RDLs who are located at ESCs and State
Support Teams. At the State Support Team level, services from RDLs are
available primarily for schools labeled in need of comprehensive support
(priority schools). At ESCs, services from RDLs are available to all districts and
community schools based on partnerships between ESCs and local districts or
schools.

State Support Teams. Ohio’s Statewide System of Support includes the Ohio
Department of Education, State Support Teams, ESCs, Information Technology
Centers and professional associations and organizations. The State Support
Teams collaborate with schools, families, regional partners and the Department
through a continuous improvement process to ensure each child in Ohio has
access to a high-quality education.

State Support Team consultants assist districts and schools in improving
outcomes for each child with a focus on leadership, team development and
inclusive instructional practices.

State Support Team consultants are educators with expertise in Ohio’s
Improvement Process (OIP), Early Literacy, Early Learning and School Readiness,
PBIS Supports and Special Education. State Support Teams provide guidance to

83
build capacity in district personnel to support students with disabilities. Direct
supports include but are not limited to Universal Design for Learning, co-
planning to co-serve and the requirements of the IDEA.

The Department coordinates 16 regional teams to be agile and respond to a
district’s needs. There is no cost to use their services.

Long-term support to ensure equity for all students. In early 2020, Ohio
received a Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems grant through the U.S.
Department of Education to accelerate four projects focused on equity. Project
Outcome 4 calls for an ESC to create a formalized training program for RDLs
covering each of the topics listed below and that will become part of a
credentialing system created by the Department in partnership with the selected
contractor.

e Local Equitable Access to Excellent Educators and Analysis Tool

e Early Warning System;

e Progress Toward Graduation;

e Value-Added (EVAAS tool);

e Online Reporting System (ORS) & Assessment Data Usage;

e Data to Serve Exceptional Children; and

e Teacher Evaluation Data and Reporting (including High Quality Student
Data)

These credentials will build an even larger and more diverse group of RDLs who
will be able to provide technical assistance and support districts.

Cross-agency collaboration. In addition to education data, the Department has
fostered relationships with multiple state agencies to increase Ohio’s state and
LEA-level picture of students’ needs. As a result of these relationships, Ohio now
has district-level information on non-education factors such as mental and
physical health, unemployment and neglect and abuse reporting. The
Department uses these data resources to create supports for LEAs, including
data tools such as the Ohio Healthy Students Profiles.

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.

84
General statement. The Department will follow established internal controls and
monitoring procedures in accordance with the 2 CFR 200-Uniform Administrative
Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards for its
process of monitoring all related COVID-19 relief programs, including the ARP
ESSER programs.

All documents, materials and guidance information on the Department’s
implementation of the programs under the CARES, CRRSA and ARP are housed in
the Department’s CCIP. The CCIP is a unified grants application and verification
system that consists of several applications including a planning tool, funding
application, payment request system, final expenditure reports and document
repository (library). The CCIP Document Library may be found at the following
link:
https://ccip.ode.state.oh.us/documentlibrary/default.aspx?ccipSessionKey=6373
15366534518305.

The CCIP Document Library contains important documents outlining the
Department’s internal controls, compliance monitoring process and general
assurances. The General Assurances may be found at the following link:
https://ccip.ode.state.oh.us/documentlibrary/ViewDocument.aspx?DocumentKe

y=83791

The LEA applications are hard coded into the CCIP. Blank copies of the
applications are also found in the CCIP Document Library. The Department
makes regular updates to guidance information related to the CARES and CRRSA
Acts and will be doing the same for the ARP ESSER. The Department provides
webinars and training materials specific to the related programs.

The Department also has a dedicated website for grants management that
provide key information on established quality controls and effective fiscal
management. The website may be found at the following link:
http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Finance-and-Funding/Grants-Administration

Internal controls and grant management process. Over the years, the
Department has developed and implemented an internal control structure to
ensure all grants meet federal and state grant requirements. These controls
include both application and monitoring controls processes and extend into the
grant management process. As noted above, these general internal controls are
applicable to Department’s administration and implementation of CARES, CRRSA
and ARP ESSER.

85
Risk Identification and Mitigation. The Department understands that an
important part of implementing new grants requires significant planning and risk
identification. Since 2013, the Department began utilizing a risk assessment
process to identify high-risk grantees for each federal grant. The CARES Act and
ESSER Fund grant will be added to this process. With any new grant, there are
inherent challenges that the Department must address such as communication
and collaboration (both internally and externally) especially when information is
not available as quickly as subrecipients would like. The Department identified
known and potential risks associated with the ESSER below:

e The desire to provide emergency funds quickly to subrecipients while
ensuring compliance;

e Understanding all aspects of the law and regulations associated with a
broad-based grant;

e Receiving guidance from the U.S. Department of Education and
interpreting such guidance in a timely manner;

e Communicating internally and externally on a large and broad-based
grant;

e Building and developing necessary enhancements with the existing CCIP
e-grant system to support grant implementation;

e Different timelines and deadlines for parts of the CARES Act/ESSER Fund;

e Applying the New and Significant Expanded LEAs provisions to the new
grant;

e Process for determining LEAs that have closed or are suspended while
balancing the need to ensure funding is allocated and spent appropriately
and in a reasonable and necessary manner; and

e Nonpublic Equitable Services indecision.

The key to risk mitigation includes a sound internal controls process which the
Department has developed for all programming. The Department’s utilizes
existing systems such as the CCIP, Nonpublic Data System and Compliance
System to mitigate risks in administering and operating the ESSER programs.
Annually, these systems and the validations are tested by the Ohio Auditor of
State’s office to ensure they are performing as described. Parts of the
Department’s risk mitigation summary is below.

e Program Staff work closely with subgrantees with application questions
and submission;

e Applications (with budget) submitted into the CCIP, by LEA Executive
leadership, go through a series of validations before submitted by the LEA
(also establishes Substantially Approved date);

e Applications received by the CCIP go through a two-tier review process
(consultant and manager review and approvals)

86
e LEAs submit cash requests, document total expenses by fund and object
code, through the CCIP, which validates the expenses to the approved
budget;

e Final Expenditure Reports (FERs) are submitted at the end of the grant
period to close out the grant;

e Periodically during the fiscal year cash requests are selected for review;

e Asample of the FERs are selected for review; and

e Subrecipient Monitoring, both fiscal and programmatic, selects a sample
of grantees based on risk assessment.

General grants workflow. When implementing grant programs, the Department
utilizes a comprehensive process that involves collaboration across centers and
offices. These centers and offices are supported by grants administration and
management teams, communications and an implementation team. The general
steps that were undertaken with the ESSER programs, including the ARP ESSER,
are as follows:

Systems and Process for Administering Grants
Developing guidance
Process for responding to questions
Developing and submitting application to U.S. Department of Education
Receiving award from U.S. Department of Education
Developing Application to LEAs
Communicating to LEAs
Providing trainings to Subrecipients
Reviewing and Approving LEA Applications
. Developing award letter and submission to LEAs
. Review invoices received and processing payment
. Developing monitoring protocols embedded into annual comprehensive
reviews
13. Establishing monitoring schedule
14. Document and inventory management
15. Reporting
16. Returning Unclaimed Funds to US Treasury

WONAMNRPWNE

PPR
NF oO

The Department has check points and validations throughout the grant process,
including staff responsibilities and enhancements made to the technology
systems used. The Department staff and subrecipients must address these
validations within the CCIP prior to any approval of an application or request for
and release of federal resources.

87
Records to support fiscal reviews and audits. The Department maintains records
and documentation consistent with record retention requirements. The CARES
Act and ESSER Fund documentation necessary to support fiscal reviews,
including audits and improper payment assessments is captured in various
systems and formats depending on the subject. For instance, the CCIP captures
all subrecipient application and payment information such as project cash
requests (PCRs) and FERs. In the comprehensive compliance and monitoring
system, documentation and evidence to support appropriate uses of funds is
maintained. Furthermore, appropriate documentation to support the
Department’s management decisions and policies supporting the grant program
are maintained electronically.

Monitoring process. LEAs receive an ARP ESSER allocation based on the
prescribed Title | formula. Prior to any LEA receiving an award and receiving
access to the federal resources, the Department ensures that the LEA has
submitted a completed application including a detailed budget, connections to
allowable uses and providing written verification that they will comply with all
assurances and grant conditions. In addition, as noted in risk factors on the
internal controls description, the Department ensures the closed and suspended
charter (community) schools do not have access to the full amounts of funds
until appropriate justification is rendered.

The Department has a consolidated monitoring process involving significant
cross-office coordination and collaboration. Ohio’s consolidated compliance
monitoring format ranks and prioritizes LEAs and provides tiered supports based
on the grant program and those with the greatest need. For State Fiscal Year
2022, the Department’s Office of Federal Programs will update and revise the
risk factors used to prioritize LEAs for compliance desk reviews and on-site
monitoring to address the ARP ESSER plan requirements.

Revised monitoring protocols. Point values from the revised risk assessment will
be aggregated for each LEA receiving ARP ESSER Funds. The Office of Federal
Programs Operations Team will compile the data into a prioritized list of LEAs.
Those with the highest level of risk will receive onsite reviews, while those with a
moderate level of risk will receive desk reviews. LEAs at a lower level of risk will
receive self-surveys.

Onsite reviews consist of an onsite visit to an LEA from a team of Department
program specialists. The team reviews all supporting fiscal and programmatic
documentation, interviews LEA administrators and other relevant staff members
and reports to the LEA on its findings. The onsite review process also involves a
system of progressive sanctions and ongoing support for LEAs that are not found
to be in compliance.

88
Desk reviews consist of over-the-phone interviews and comprehensive
document review of supporting fiscal and programmatic ESSER documentation.
Desk reviews also involve progressive sanctions and ongoing support for LEAs
that are not found to be in compliance.

Self-surveys involve an online survey completed by the LEA. The LEA must review
a set of questions specific to the ESSER activities it conducted and certify that the
funds were used according to all grant assurances and conditions.

In addition to the review from the Department’s Office of Federal Programs,
additional offices will conduct an ESSER Compliance Review if the allowable
activities chosen are typically reviewed by that office within the compliance
system. For example, if an LEA chose a use of funds allowable under the IDEA,
the Department’s Office for Exceptional Children would conduct a compliance
review of the ESSER activities allowable under that act.

Schedule for subrecipient monitoring, including both programmatic and fiscal
issues, based upon the grantee’s revised risk assessment. The Department
conducts consolidated monitoring each state fiscal year. ESSER programs,
including ARP ESSER will be reviewed as a part of the state fiscal year
consolidated monitoring process. ESSER programs will subsequently be reviewed
each state fiscal year for the duration of the period of availability of the ESSER
programs. The Office of Federal Programs and other relevant offices will conduct
a review of both programmatic and fiscal issues in the process described above.

89
Appendix A: School Operating Status and Instructional Mode Data Template

NOTE: Adjustments to the structure of Tables 1 and 2 have been made to reflect the pertinent
data currently collected in Ohio.

Table 1 refers to the instructional mode as of the week of May 12, 2021 for all traditional public
school districts. Table 2 refers to fall headcount by student subgroup, aggregated by the
instructional mode of districts on May 12. Ohio has not collected data on instructional mode by
school building or grade level; however, school and student-level data (retrospective for the
entire school year) are presently incoming through Ohio’s Education Management Information
System (EMIS) and will result in new information to be released in October 2021.

Since the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year, the Ohio Department of Education has
surveyed the state’s 51 Educational Service Centers (ESCs) on a weekly basis about their client
districts’ instructional mode, referred to as “education delivery models.” ESCs code their
districts as 5-day in-person, fully remote, or hybrid. No information is gathered regarding
individual student options for fully remote learning, such as online academies, though this
information will be collected through the statewide EMIS collection described above. These
statuses are presented in spreadsheet and map form each week on the Department’s Reset and
Restart Education webpage.

As in many parts of the nation, Ohio’s 2020-2021 school year has been characterized by
multiple trend periods in response to COVID-19 case patterns, local adaptability and state
priorities. The Data Insights webpage includes a detailed analysis of these distinct trends. Of
note, while Ohio currently enjoys a high percentage of districts offering fully in-person learning,
it was a different picture in early January when 36% of districts were fully remote and another
24% were hybrid.

Table 1
Instructional mode Number of districts
Remote or online only 1
School districts open with both remote/online and 78
in-person instruction (hybrid)
School districts open with full-time in-person 530
instruction
Table 2
Student subgroup | Total Enrollment in Enrollment in district that | Enrollment in
enrollment* | district that is is both remote/online and | district that is full-
remote or online | in-person instruction time in-person
only (hybrid) instruction
Students from low- 678,532 102 213,730 464,700
income families

90
Student subgroup | Total Enrollment in Enrollment in district that | Enrollment in
enrollment* | district that is is both remote/online and | district that is full-
remote or online | in-person instruction time in-person
only (hybrid) instruction
White, not 1,064,366 38 133,061 931,267
Hispanic
Black or African 222,107 203 103,070 118,834
American, not
Hispanic
Hispanic, of any 98,281 18 26,560 71,703
race
Asian, not Hispanic 42,403 0) 7,193 35,210
American Indian or 1,716 <10 377 1,339
Alaskan Native, not
Hispanic
Native Hawaiian or 1,401 0 216 1,185
Pacific Islander,
not Hispanic
Two or more races, 86,983 11 19,368 67,604
not Hispanic
Race/Ethnicity - - - -
information not
available
English learners 53,221 <10 16,864 36,357
Children with 224,361 62 50,190 174,109
disabilities
Students 14,460 <10 4,323 10,137
experiencing
homelessness
Children and youth 17,294 14 3,969 13,311
in foster care
Migratory NA NA NA NA
students**

*Since only one district remains fully remote, the statewide total enrollment excludes that district’s subgroup
count if fewer than 10 students.

**Data on students who are dependents of migrant workers are not collected until a later reporting window in the

school year.

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Appendix B: Reporting Language Included in the Grant Award Notification (“GAN”)

As described in the Grant Award Notification (“GAN”), the SEA will comply with, and ensure
that its LEAs comply with, all reporting requirements at such time and in such manner and
containing such information as the Secretary may reasonably require, including on matters such
as:

e 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;

e 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;

e Data on each school’s mode of instruction (fully in-person, hybrid, and fully remote) and
conditions;

e 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;

e SEA and LEA uses of funds to sustain and support access to early childhood education
programs;

e 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);

e Student data (disaggregated by student subgroup) related to how the COVID-19
pandemic has affected instruction and learning;

e Requirements under the Federal Financial Accountability Transparency Act (““FFATA”);
and

e Additional reporting requirements as may be necessary to ensure accountability and
transparency of ARP ESSER funds.

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Appendix C: Assurances

By signing this document, the SEA assures all of the following:

The SEA will conduct all its operations so that no person shall be excluded from
participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under the ARP
ESSER program or activity based on race, color, national origin, which includes a
person’s limited English proficiency or English learner status and a person’s actual or
perceived shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics; sex; age; or disability. These non-
discrimination obligations arise under Federal civil rights laws, including but not limited
to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title [IX of the Education Amendments Act of
1972, section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Age Discrimination Act of
1975. In addition, the SEA must comply with all regulations, guidelines, and standards
issued by the Department under any of these statutes;
The SEA will comply with all ARP Act and other ARP ESSER requirements and all
requirements of its Grant Award Notification, including but not limited to:
o Complying with the maintenance of effort provision in section 2004(a)(1) of the
ARP Act, absent a waiver by the Secretary pursuant to section 2004(a)(2) of the
ARP Act; and
o Complying with the maintenance of equity provisions in section 2004(b) of the

ARP Act, and ensuring its LEAs comply with the maintenance of equity provision

in section 2004(c) of the ARP Act (please note that the Department will provide

additional guidance on maintenance of equity shortly);
The SEA will allocate ARP ESSER funds to LEAs in an expedited and timely manner
and, to the extent practicable, not later than 60 days after the SEA receives ARP ESSER
funds (i.e., 60 days from the date the SEA receives each portion of its ARP ESSER
funds). An SEA that is not able to allocate such funds within 60 days because it is not
practicable (e.g., because of pre-existing State board approval requirements) will provide
an explanation to the Department within 30 days of receiving each portion of its ARP
ESSER funds (submitted via email to your Program Officer at [State]. OESE@ed.gov
(e.g., Alabama. OESE@ed.gov)), including a description of specific actions the SEA is
taking to provide ARP ESSER funds to LEAs in an expedited and timely manner and the
SEA’s expected timeline for doing so;
The SEA will implement evidence-based interventions as required under section 2001(f)
of the ARP Act and ensure its LEAs implement evidence-based interventions, as required
by section 2001(e)(1) of the ARP Act;
The SEA will address the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on
underserved students (i.e., students from low-income families, students from racial or
ethnic groups (e.g., identifying disparities and focusing on underserved student groups by
race or ethnicity), gender (e.g., identifying disparities and focusing on underserved
student groups by gender), English learners, children with disabilities, students
experiencing homelessness, children and youth in foster care, and migratory students), as
required under section 2001(f) of the ARP Act, and ensure its LEAs address the
disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on underserved students (1.e.,
students from low-income families, students from racial or ethnic groups, gender, English
learners, children with disabilities, students experiencing homelessness, children and

93
youth in foster care, and migratory students), as required by section 2001(e)(1) of the
ARP Act; and

The SEA will provide to the Department: (1) the URL(s) where the public can readily
find data on school operating status and (2) the URL(s) for the SEA and/or LEA websites
where the public can find the LEA plans for a) the safe return to in-person instruction and
continuity of services required under section 2001(i) of the ARP Act, and b) use of ARP
ESSER funds. SEAs should consider ensuring a standardized URL format in all cases
(e.g., xxx.gov/COVIDplan).

94
Appendix D

OMB Control No. 1894-0005 (Exp. 06/30/2023)
NOTICE TO ALL APPLICANTS

95
The purpose of this enclosure is to inform you about a new provision in the Department of
Education’s General Education Provisions Act ("GEPA") that applies to applicants for new grant
awards under Department programs. This provision is Section 427 of GEPA, enacted as part of
the Improving America's Schools Act of 1994 (Public Law (P.L.) 103-382).

To Whom Does This Provision Apply?

Section 427 of GEPA affects applicants for new grant awards under this program. ALL
APPLICANTS FOR NEW AWARDS MUST INCLUDE INFORMATION IN THEIR
APPLICATIONS TO ADDRESS THIS NEW PROVISION IN ORDER TO RECEIVE
FUNDING UNDER THIS PROGRAM.

(if this program is a State-formula grant program, a State needs to provide this description only
for projects or activities that it carries out with funds reserved for State-level uses. In addition,
local school districts or other eligible applicants that apply to the State for funding need to provide
this description in their applications to the State for funding. The State would be responsible for
ensuring that the school district or other local entity has submitted a sufficient section 427
statement as described below.)

What Does This Provision Require?

Section 427 requires each applicant for funds (other than an individual person) to include in its
application a description of the steps the applicant proposes to take to ensure equitable access to,
and participation in, its Federally-assisted program for students, teachers, and other program
beneficiaries with special needs. This provision allows applicants discretion in developing the
required description. The statute highlights six types of barriers that can impede equitable access
or participation: gender, race, national origin, color, disability, or age. Based on local
circumstances, you should determine whether these or other barriers may prevent your students,
teachers, etc. from such access to, or participation in, the Federally-funded project or activity. The
description in your application of steps to be taken to overcome these barriers need not be lengthy;
you may provide a clear and succinct description of how you plan to address those barriers that
are applicable to your circumstances. In addition, the information may be provided in a single
natrative, or, if appropriate, may be discussed in connection with related topics in the application.

Section 427 is not intended to duplicate the requirements of civil rights statutes, but rather to ensure
that, in designing their projects, applicants for Federal funds address equity concerns that may
affect the ability of certain potential beneficiaries to fully participate in the project and to achieve
high standards. Consistent with program requirements and its approved application, an applicant
may use the Federal funds awarded to it to eliminate barriers it identifies.

What are Examples of How an Applicant Might Satisfy the Requirement of This
Provision?

The following examples may help illustrate how an applicant may comply with Section 427.

(1) An applicant that proposes to carry out an adult literacy project serving, among others,
adults with limited English proficiency, might describe in its application how it intends to
distribute a brochure about the proposed project to such potential participants in their native
language.

96
(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.

General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) Section 427

97
In compliance with section 427 of the U.S. Department of Education’s General Education
Provisions Act (GEPA), the plan for identifying, selecting, retaining and providing services to
participants will ensure equitable access to and participation in the ARP ESSER. The barriers of
gender, race, national origin, color and disability and age will be overcome through a
comprehensive plan for informing applicants for subgrants under the ARP ESSER of the
equitable access to, and participation in, this federally assisted program for students, teachers
and other program beneficiaries. Recipients awarded subgrants under ARP ESSER also must sign
a list of assurances in the application, including complying with section 427 of General
Education Provisions Act.

All documents, tools and resources used by the State, Ohio Department of Education, LEAs,
subgrantees and other involved participants will comply with all accessibility requirements. In
addition, projects will be evaluated to identify any potential barriers that may impede equitable
access and steps will be taken to overcome these barriers.

The Ohio Department of Education is committed to ensuring equitable access to, and
participation in, the COVID Relief programs, including ARP ESSER, for students, teachers, and
other program beneficiaries with special needs. The Department is focused on meeting the
needs of the whole child to ensure that each child is healthy, safe, engaged, supported and
challenged. Integral to this commitment in Ohio’s Strategic Plan for Education is equity so that
each child has access to the relevant and challenging academic experiences and resources
needed for success, regardless of barriers such as gender, ethnicity, disability, etc. Ohio is
committed to creating learning conditions that ensure each child acquires the knowledge and
skills across all learning domains in order to be successful.

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 [CDocketMgr@ed.gov and reference the OMB Control Number 1894-0005.

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