Addressing Disrupted Learning

Imagine Schools' teachers continue to provide instruction and learning experiences for students temporarily out of school because of quarantine/close contact or when COVID positive - remotely, as appropriate. Details for providing these interim instructional experiences in the most simple means possible for students/families and teachers can be found in our Imagine Instructional Time model, linked here.

Additional measures we provide to meet the academic needs of students include:
- Increased RTI support for students during the regular school day (including opportunities for targeted support during small group instruction).
- Frequent administering and analysis of assessments to monitor progress of students, inform instruction and identify students that need additional supports/interventions during and beyond the regular school day. (Assessments include: STAR benchmark assessments and quarterly ATI benchmarks in ELA and math, Phonics screeners, EL proficiency assessments, curriculum based assessments specific to each site, and ongoing formative observations on the part of teachers.)
- Embedded time for collaboration for teachers to review Imagine AZ pacing guides to identify most important "priority" standards, engage in instructional conversations, and review student learning data with colleagues and members of site leaders Research based curriculum, "Wonders "to Accelerate Reading with the students due to learning gain loss due to COVID19.
- Hiring additional para professionals who can support teachers by providing interventions and support
- Caring School Community SEL Program Caring School Community is a comprehensive, research-based social and emotional learning (SEL) program that builds school-wide community, develops students' social skills and SEL competencies, and enables a transformative stance on discipline.
- To purchase a research based curriculum , "Into to Math " to help accelerate Math learning for the students due to learning loss during COVID 19. Each major racial and ethnic group, poor students, children with disabilities, English learners, gender and migrant status; students experiencing homelessness; and children and youth in foster care will be part of the program.

Imagine Schools' teachers continue to provide instruction and learning experiences for students temporarily out of school because of quarantine/close contact or when COVID positive - remotely, as appropriate. Details for providing these interim instructional experiences in the most simple means possible for students/families and teachers can be found in our Imagine Instructional Time model, linked here.

Additional measures we provide to meet the academic needs of students include:
- Increased RTI support for students during the regular school day (including opportunities for targeted support during small group instruction).
- Frequent administering and analysis of assessments to monitor progress of students, inform instruction and identify students that need additional supports/interventions during and beyond the regular school day. (Assessments include: STAR benchmark assessments and quarterly ATI benchmarks in ELA and math, Phonics screeners, EL proficiency assessments, curriculum based assessments specific to each site, and ongoing formative observations on the part of teachers.)
- Embedded time for collaboration for teachers to review Imagine AZ pacing guides to identify most important "priority" standards, engage in instructional conversations, and review student learning data with colleagues and members of site leadership teams.
- Professional Development and onsite coaching and support to better equip teachers to use effective instructional strategies.
- Extended learning opportunities for students including tutoring services available before or after school and Summer School intervention and enrichment (including credit recovery options at grades 9-12).
- Resources (including instructional materials and technology tools) are made available to students to ensure learning from home continues during short term disruptions to in-person learning.

Imagine Schools provides the following measures to meet the social, emotional and mental health needs of students in this context:
- Teachers routinely check in with students and facilitate lessons or experiences to support students' overall social/emotional well-being. Teachers have participated in Social Emotional Learning professional development across the network over the last 20 months.
- Site leadership team members work with SST teams, Gen Ed and SPED teachers, and counselors/social workers to analyze trends in student data/behaviors - and secure additional supports for teachers and classified staff members from our Regional Behavioral Specialist (or others) to positively address and support students demonstrating concerning behaviors.
- Additional supports or services are provided or recommended to students identified as in need (in collaboration and coordination with families, site base counselors, or other community agencies). Services include virtual counseling support available for students at home due to quarantine or illness through the AZ Dept of Education School Safety Grant, which funds school counselors and social workers at many of our Imagine schools.
- School leadership teams promote the importance of social/emotional and mental health - and provide families with resources and contact information to access additional supports for students as may be necessary.
- Newsela Pro: This resource received the Research-Based Design product certificaton from Digital Promise to "Confirm a link between research on how students learn and it's product design..."
- he math specialist work to support students in small groups using the schoolwide evidence based math curriculum, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2 (AGA), hosted but the EdLearning platform to increase low learning gain lost due to COVID 19.
- School counselor will implement SEL lessons using the Student Success 2.0 curriculum in small groups and or one on one setting as needed by students stuggeling through school due to COVID 19.

All student success rates will be monitored by school staff and if progress is not seen, adjustments will be made to instruction and interventions as needed per individual student in order to increase academic achievement All student behavior referral rates will be monitored by school staff, and if needs arise, new Social Emotional supports will be given to reduce behavior incidents and increase academic achievement in classes.

Setaside funds will be used to provide summer enrichment activities, specials activities, school counseling, and Thrively software in order to assist with academic and social emotional learning loss experienced due to COVID pandemic. All students will receive these services including but not limited to those disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 such as low-income families, students of all races and genders, children with disabilities, English learners, migratory students, students experiencing homelessness, and children and youth in foster care.

Remaining funds will be used to provide technology-enhanced instruction (ScreenCastify, laptops, i-Ready software, NWEA professional development), supplemental instructional materials (books), and mitigation of COVID spread (outdoor space, tables).

Teachers to provide interventions to work with students addressing learning loss through implementation of evidence-based interventions before school to ensure that such interventions respond to students' academic disproportionate impact of the coronavirus on the student subgroups. Reading and math teachers effectively analyze and utilize all benchmark assessments to identify targeted students, inform intervention, and instruction. Identify specific learning gaps and then organize targeted students' intervention groups for each grade level based on findings, develop a student-centered data informed system of intervention to support at-risk students in meeting the State's Academic Standards. Maryvale will focus on students who receive and require specialized services including students that are not meeting state standards and falling below grade level. This includes students who are identified as needing special education services and English language learners who have not yet developed English language proficiency along with each major racial ethic groups, children from low income, gender, migrant students, students experiencing homelessness and children in foster care. The student to teacher ratio for reading is 1:5 and the frequency is 4 days a week 1 hour each day plus one hour for lesson planning. We are also focusing on the bottom 25% of students who struggle to demonstrate grade level proficiency in mathematics and reading and require strategic interventional student performance and progress regardless of grade level or individual capability are measured and monitored formatively using quarterly benchmark assessments. The LEA will be using Singapore Math and Spalding to implement in the interventions and funding extra work pay for teachers to provide the interventions. Student progress reports are uploaded regularly, so parents can monitor learning development, growth, and progress. All teachers administer in-class assessments once a week to once a month and conduct daily quick checks that serves as formal and informal checks for understanding.
Two full time interventionists to provide interventions to work with students addressing learning loss through implementation of evidence-based interventions during the day to ensure that such interventions respond to student's needs. Reading interventionists effectively analyze and utilize all benchmark assessments to identify targeted students, inform intervention, and instruction. Identify specific learning gaps and then organize targeted students' intervention groups for each grade level based on findings, develop a student-centered data informed system of intervention to support at-risk students in meeting the State's Academic Standards. Maryvale will focus on students who receive and require specialized services including students that are not meeting state standards and falling below grade level. This includes students who are identified as needing special education services and English language learners who have not yet developed English language proficiency along with each major racial ethic groups, children from low income, gender, migrant students, students experiencing homelessness and children in foster care. Read naturally and (Revision 1: 05/23/22 added) IXL interventions happen five days per week-three of them are instruction, two are assessment/progress monitoring. Average ratio is 1:5 but varies based on students' levels/needs and is fluid based on data. We are also focusing on the bottom 25% of students who struggle to demonstrate grade level proficiency in mathematics and reading and require strategic interventional student performance and progress regardless of grade level or individual capability are measured and monitored formatively using quarterly benchmark assessments. The LEA will be using Read Naturally to implement in the interventions and funding salaries for two interventionists to provide the interventions. Student progress reports are uploaded regularly, so parents can monitor learning development, growth, and progress. All teachers administer in-class assessments once a week to once a month and conduct daily quick checks that serves as formal and informal checks for understanding.
Understanding the challenges that our students have faced over the last two years has driven the decision to budget $63,225.00 for the position of a School Counselor for the next three years. Maryvale recognizes the strong connection between a student's social and emotional status and the ability to learn. For many of our students their learning loss may be directly tied to the struggle of 2020 and beyond. This position will work with students to address the social and emotional needs of the students, work on and provide strategies to support students in unique living circumstances that impact their adjustment to school, develop and run counseling groups for students identified as having life circumstances that impact academic or social well-being within the educational environment, and work alongside other school mental health staff and school administration to provide crisis supports as deemed necessary at Maryvale in grades K-12. This includes students who are identified as needing special education services and English language learners who have not yet developed English language proficiency along with each major racial ethic groups, children from low income, gender, migrant students, students experiencing homelessness and children in foster care. The counseling sessions will be a student to counselor ratio of 1:1 and sessions usually run for 1 hour. The students will be selected through a referral basis targeting students that are experiencing high anxiety and depression.
Summer school program implemented by teachers for one month to work with students addressing learning loss through implementation of evidence-based interventions throughout the summer and ensure that such interventions respond to students' academic disproportionate impact of the coronavirus on the student subgroups. Lead teachers to over see summer school program to help close the learning gap that was caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Maryvale Prep is a K-12 school, enrollment is expected to be approximately 290-300 students as a result, 2 coordinators are needed. Our staff effectively analyzes and utilize all benchmark assessments to identify targeted students, inform intervention, and instruction. Identify specific learning gaps and then organize targeted students' intervention groups for each grade level based on findings, develop a student-centered data informed system of intervention to support at-risk students in meeting the State's Academic Standards. Maryvale Preparatory will focus on students who receive and require specialized services including students that are not meeting state standards and falling below grade level. This includes students who are identified as needing special education services and English language learners who have not yet developed English language proficiency along with each major racial ethic groups, children from low income, gender, migrant students, students experiencing homelessness and children in foster care. We are also focusing on the bottom 25% of students who struggle to demonstrate grade level proficiency in reading and require strategic interventional student performance and progress regardless of grade level or individual capability are measured and monitored formatively using quarterly benchmark assessments. The LEA will be implementing a reading intervention using Read Naturally as their evidence-based program. Extra pay will be paid out to 19 teachers in FY21-FY22, 21 teachers in FY22-FY23 and 23 teachers in FY23-FY24. Student progress reports are uploaded regularly, so parents can monitor learning development, growth, and progress. All teachers administer in-class assessments once a week and conduct daily quick checks that serves as formal and informal checks for understanding.

We will use the set aside funds for two different reasons. We will use the set aside funds to pay salary/benefits of a social worker and salary/benefits of four FT summer school credit recovery instructors.

Hiring a school social worker will strengthen support in school settings; provide advice and support to students, parents and staff; support earlier identification of children requiring social work intervention; and through this, facilitate better relationships and improve outcomes. Offering credit recovery classes to our high school students, permits students to make up courses that they have previously failed due to excessive absences, inability to grasp the content, or other factors associated with academic failure (Evidence Review and Effective Practices Briefs - https://live-az-ade.pantheonsite.io/sites/default/files/media/Evidence%2...). The expected outcome of the part-time social worker is to oversee family-school relationships and help parents to be better equipped to support their student's learning at home.

PCPA will also use ESSER III funding to employ four certified PCPA teachers in order to provide summer school in person for 5 hours daily (4 days per week) to low-income students with failing grades which will address unfinished learning due to COVID-19. The available courses will be: two Math and two English. Teachers will use benchmark student assessment data (Using Student Achievement Data to Support Instructional Decision Making -What Works Clearing House) to develop their curriculum which will use evidence-based WICOR strategies of writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization, as well as the evidence-based IXL math program and Reading-Plus reading platforms. Curricula will also incorporate metacognitive self-assessment routines into their instruction to promote motivational competency as outlined by Vanderbilt University's various research-based practices (Bransford, John D., Brown Ann L., and Cocking Rodney R. (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.). Schoology will also be used as a digital learning platform to support blended learning with student's 1:1 devices (Evidence Review and Effective Practices Briefs - https://live-az ade.pantheonsite.io/sites/default/files/media/Evidence%20Review%20and%20Effective%20Practices%20Briefs_2.pdf). The expected outcome of the summer program will be to bridge the learning gap of students who have fallen far behind due to COVID-19.

98% of our children are the population disproportionately impacted by COVID. The entire plan/strategy revolves around recovering their lost instructional time. We have added 3 years with an additional Interventionist including additional space for that team to deliver to a high percentage of kids throughout the day. We have gotten reading & math curriculum that without the grant, we could not have afforded. We have streamlined our student delivery by adding additional assistants (Title I grant), added a daily tech class so a Data Meeting can occur for each teacher once/week (Title I grant). All teachers are tutoring, differentiating, building relationships and implementing PAX. This is a very successful plan and I hope I have succeeded at conveying it to you.
Who is teaching the tutoring groups? Each lead teacher and some highly qualified para pros
· What is the tutor to student ratio? Usually 1:1, 1:3 max
· When will tutoring take place? the tutoring is done either before or after school depending on student availability
· What is the frequency and session length? Tutoring is minimally scheduled1 day/week, sometimes 2 days for each grade. Students work with the teacher for about 20 minutes, 30 max.
· What evidence-based practices, program/curriculum is used? We use Acadience Reading/Math Assessments to deduce needs.
We use Go Math, and HMH resources to support students.
· How will equitable accessibility/attendance be ensured for all students needing learning support due to COVID? We schedule tutoring sessions around parent needs and also make use of after-school club time for tutoring. We also offer IXL and Moby Max for at-home practice if needed.

The COVID pandemic has made a significant and lasting impact on our society, particularly with our youth. The full extent of this impact is not even yet fully known, however, research and data show that the pandemic's effects include loss of learning, academics, social skills, emotional stability, and mental health. MVESD will apply the much-needed ESSER III funds to programs, innovations, and resources that will aid in closing the gaps experienced by our students.
MVSD has set aside funds to facilitate at least four years of Summer School for the district. This provides learning outside the regular calendar year to provide targeted instruction and assistance to continue closing learning gaps in perpetuity. Funds have also been set aside to upgrade our curriculum across the district to a current and research-based curriculum. This will ensure that students are receiving the most modern content to compliment best instructional practices. Further set asides, and funds within the budget, are being utilized to fund an Arizona-recognized online learning option through Mohave Valley Connections Academy as an alternative to students and families in Arizona who are not yet comfortable attending in-person instruction. The final amount of set aside is earmarked for a certified School Counselor and the programs that accompany the position. The scope of this role will be to provide ongoing support to the vast emotional and mental health needs of our youth that have been exacerbated by the COVID pandemic.
Closing gaps of learning loss caused by the COVID pandemic is at the forefront for MVESD. Experienced and highly qualified teachers and staff are the most effective instructional resources of a school district. In order to better ensure that these professionals stay with the district, ESSER funds will be utilized to provide three years of retention incentives to district employees. To supplement this objective MVESD will also apply these monies to the costs of hiring an additional certified teacher, as well as the cost of substitutes and substitute roles played by existing staff. As a measure to continuously improve and refine instructional practices, funds from ESSER III will be spent toward developing a teacher mentor system within the district. This includes a district level mentor leading mentors at each school site, who aid in supporting new teachers as well as refine the instruction of teachers equipped with all levels of experience.
Though learning loss and mental health are of critical importance to MVESD, student physical health and safety protocols are significant. The district has applied ESSER III funds to a certified HVAC technician to ensure reliable maintenance, repair, and replacement of HVAC units in an efficient and timely fashion. This will provide cleaner, better filtered air in conjunction with more comfortable room temperatures for learning and positioning. Along these lines, MVESD has also applied funding to three years of the costs of maintenance staff and PPE's recommended by the CDC. Included PPE's are thermometers, face masks, disinfectants, signage, and gloves. These efforts better ensure a safe, clean learning environment and mitigation of spreading COVID and other infectious pathogens.
The world is innovating at a rapid pace. In association, MVESD is innovating accordingly. As the district addresses innovation and a response to COVID, it is maintaining a 1:1 ratio of students equipped with a Chromebook. ESSER III assistance will provide protective cases and repair kits to ensure students may retain access to a Chromebook at all times. Beyond the hard technology, MVESD also utilized funds to purchase three years of the Google Suite. All this access to technology allows students to access lessons and academic content outside of their schools.
In respect to facilities, ESSER funds are assisting in the innovation of lighting, climate control, furniture, and security (i.e. cameras, vape sensors, alarms). Cameras on buses were also upgraded to improve student safety in transit. MVESD is also innovating the library at the junior high school by the way of transforming it into an Innovation Lab. Funds were spent here by adding interactivity through touch-screen televisions, robotics, video productions, 3-D printing, Egaming, and flexible seating. Current and interactive technology will increase student interest and participation in learning. As the district innovates space, MVJH will also be adding an outdoor learning space to catalyze additional learning opportunities and promote safe distancing and ventilation. A further space receiving innovation is the junior high school's gymnasium, which will be receiving an upgraded, wooden floor. This upgrade is expected to add interest and participation in physical activity and sports, which was significantly suppressed during the COVID pandemic.
Mohave Valley Elementary School District recognizes that the COVID pandemic had, and will continue to have, a momentous effect on our youth. In recognition that the impacts extend beyond academics, MVESD concentrated efforts on responding accordingly, by caring for the whole child.

Academic Interventions: Montessori Academy will identify gaps in student academics and provide intervention opportunities with research-based programs and evidence-based strategies to address the learning loss due to lost instructional time caused by the pandemic, especially for students most impacted by the pandemic including students from low-income families, students of color, English learners, children with disabilities, students experiencing homelessness, children in foster care, and migratory students.

Through our school day math tutoring program, we will ensure that our interventions address the learning loss by using our research-based math program, Dreambox Math. We will monitor the effectiveness of our tutoring interventions through benchmark testing, both formative and summative assessments, progress reports, grades, teacher input and regular meetings. Baseline data is collected and evaluated to assess instructional needs of students and to provide specific intervention strategies. Since our tutoring takes place during the school day, attendance can be ensured for all students identified in need of additional math assistance.  In addition, teachers and school leadership will stay connected with parents/guardians to address any concerns and provide progress reports for students receiving tutoring.

SEL Interventions: Montessori Academy will respond to the 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 in foster care, and migratory students. We will utilize our school counselor to identify students in need and help them address issues that arise during the school year including social withdrawal, overaggressive behaviors, rebelliousness, and the effects of special physical, emotional, and economic problems. School administrators will conduct an evaluation for the effectiveness of our project with the school planning team (Executive Team, Governing Board) on a semi-annual basis over the two-year period.

Parent and guardian involvement is critical to the overall success of our academic and SEL interventions and all applicable faculty, including administration, teachers, nurse and school counselor will be involved and in regular contact with the student's parent/guardian.

ESSER III funds are being used to pay for salary and benefits of highly qualified teachers for FY22 who are charged with raising the educational level of all our students who have been impacted by lost instruction time. Funds are also requested to pay a .25FTE school counselor in FY23 and for two passenger vans that allows students to participate in after school enrichment activities. The vast majority of our students (93%) are from low-income families, so transportation is a barrier. Our targeted population includes approximately 90% of students within a racial/ethnic minority group with the highest percentage being Hispanic (74%) African American (9%), and Native American (6%). In addition, approximately 14% of the student population are English learners and 11% are SPED students.