ESSER Newsletter - January 2022

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Happy new year, school leaders!

The final deadline to apply for your LEA’s eligible ESSER III Funds is fast approaching – February 1, 2022.

Our team is here to help you in the final stretch to the deadline. We know you have additional grants due this month and are juggling competing priorities.

We will be hosting an Office Hours session every week where you are free to ask questions, discuss potential uses of funds, and work with an ESSER director or specialist. You can pop in any time during the hour.

January ESSER Application Office Hours

Registration not required – simply join a session during the hours listed below.

• January 13, 2022 2:00-3:00
• January 18, 2022 11:00-12:00
• January 27, 2022 8:30-9:30 AM

You can reach an ESSER specialist directly by emailing [email protected]. Better yet, give us a call directly. We’d rather answer your questions up-front and make sure your application is as impactful as possible.

Devon Isherwood, Deputy Associate Superintendent of School Support & Improvement

(602) 364-0379

[email protected]

Allison Barbor, ESSER Director

(602) 542-3068

[email protected]

Creative Uses of ESSER Funds

Ahead of the February 1 deadline, we are featuring creative examples of how Arizona LEAs can leverage ESSER Funds. 

We know that each school community has unique contexts and needs – and ADE’s ESSER Team is available to discuss how to leverage your ESSER dollars to best to meet those needs.

ESSER funds can be used to improve sanitation, facilities, and policies that support safety & health in their school communities. Consider these ideas:

• Vape detectors that detect particles in the air and alert mobile phones, to keep air quality in the bathrooms or classrooms clean.
• Renovating bathrooms to be touchless (flushing, soap, water, hand dryers) to improve sanitation challenges.
• COVID-19 Sick Leave Pay. ESSER I, II, and III funds can be leveraged pay for sick leave for staff who have tested positive or were exposed to COVID-19.
• Sports, PE, and the Arts can all be supported using the 20% Set Aside for SEL. Learn more about integrating sports, PE, and the Arts by visiting our Title IV-A website.

In need of other ideas? Visit ADE’s Evidence-Based Clearing House.

If you are using a Tier 4 Evidence-Based resource, you can complete this Evidence Based Summary Form and upload it to the related documents section of your ESSER III application.

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Addressing Disrupted Learning

Curious what other districts and charters are doing to address Disrupted Learning? Review their submissions on our website to find out more.

Upcoming ESSER Set-Aside Opportunities for LEAs

Reminder: "ESSER Set-Aside" refers to federal dollars to spent by the Arizona Department of Education. These funds are separate than the ESSER funds allocated directly to LEAs. Learn more.

The following professional development opportunities are funded and supported by the Arizona Department of Education’s ESSER set aside investments:

Arizona SEL Course

The Arizona Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Course is a free online, self-paced, self-guided course that will focus on the development and understanding of the Arizona Department of Education adopted CASEL Competencies and how to develop a systemic implementation of the social emotional learning within their school or organization.

Note: This course is designed to be taken as a school team, leadership team, or district teams but individual educators may choose to take this course on their own as well. Please choose the class that best fits your needs

Discovery Ed Sessions

• Thursday, January 13, 2022, at 3:30 PM – Social Emotional Learning
• Thursday, January 20, at 3:30 PM - English Language Learners
• Thursday, January 27, 2022 at 3:30 PM – Career and Technical Education 

AzCAN College Access Professional (CAP) Training

AzCAN’s College Access Professional (CAP) Training will help professionals develop an understanding of their role in developing a college-going mission for all students, particularly students in poverty or facing other barriers in postsecondary planning. All the courses are designed for anyone who provides direct service to students, no matter what their role may be. Cohorts of staff are encouraged to participate in the courses together as creating an action plan is a course component.

Courses are self-paced, with a one-hour commitment a day! Initial courses include:

• Building a College Going Future for All Students
• Financial Aid & College Applications
• College & Career Advising in the Middle Grades
• College & Career Advising for Non-School Counselors

*See the full course list here.
 

ESSER Updates & Deadlines

Safe Return to In-Person Learning Plans: Spring 2022

Starting January 2022, Safe Return to In-Person Learning plans will be submitted via EMAC.

If you are not yet a part of EMAC, contact your ADEConnect Administrator and request to be added.

If you already have access to EMAC, perhaps through Title I or Title III, please reach out to your EMAC Admin to be added to the ESSER Group.

This quarter, you will receive an EMAC welcome email with set-up instructions and more information.

Resources:

• Contact [email protected] with any EMAC questions.
• How to add new users in EMAC (for ADEConnect Administrators)
• EMAC Portal User Guide

If you are not making any changes to your LEA’s Safe Return to In-Person Learning Plan this semester, please feel free to take the information from your previous approved plan and enter it into the new form in EMAC. You will complete this same form once every six months until September 30, 2023.

After you have submitted your plan, an ESSER Specialist will review your plan and then email you letting you know if it’s been approved or denied. Once approved, it will updated on the website.

NOTE: If you have not yet submitted your Fall 2021 Safe Return to In-Person Learning Plan, please do so immediately. You must complete this template and submit it to the online form (to be used for fall 2021 only. Spring 2022 plans must be submitted through EMAC).

Data Reporting

ADE continues to await new guidance from ED on the requirements for LEA ESSER Data Reporting requirements. We will email school leaders & federal programs contacts as soon as we learn more and have guidance and instructions to share.
 

ESSER Set Aside Update

The Arizona Department of Education received an incredible 130+ submissions for ESSER III Set-Aside dollars. Our team is reviewing submissions and plans to announce recipients by the spring.