ARP ESSER LEA Plan

 (Revision as of July 2022) 

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Part 1

The Oldham County Public School District will use the ESSERIII funds to ensure compliance with the CDC Guidelines for reopening schools in the following ways:

Oldham County Schools is in compliance with CDC guidance on safely returning to school. A link to our 2020-2021 / REV 2022-23 Return to School Plan can be found here. We are in the process of finalizing our 2021-2022 Return to School Plan based on updated guidance from the CDC, the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) and our local health department. The updated plan will be finalized on August 1st and will not use ESSER III funds.

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Part 2

The Oldham County Public School District will use the ESSERIII funds to address the academic impact of lost instructional time through the implementation of evidence-based interventions.

• Aims Web, a high- quality assessment was selected, purchased, and will be implemented to determine student’s academic needs and give feedback about student learning and growth over time. This progress monitoring tool will be utilized by Recovery and Retention Intervention Teachers that were hired with these same funds. This will be discussed in a later bullet.
• Teacher training will be provided in the use of highly effective intervention activities to be used with our most struggling of learners, as identified by data analysis. The training is not limited to the ones listed below, however. Other training, for the same purpose was provided using CCEIS funding. Evidence related to the training paid for with ESSERIII funds is included below. 

Overview of Academic Interventions (Recovery Focused)

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Part 3

The Oldham County Public School District will use the remainder of its ESSERIII funds in the following ways:

• Because we recognize that a larger percent of students will require more intensive intervention, the district has formed a Recovery Task Force that will address intervention and learning loss at both the CORE level of instruction and through more intensive intervention models. The implementation of this task force included hiring several “temporary”, two-year positions, in an effort, to accelerate the recovery of lost or missed skills. The ESSERIII related costs supporting the task force includes:

⇒ ONE Recovery and Retention Specialist – This role was created to oversee the effective professional learning, in evidence-based programs that are to be utilized by the Recovery and Retention Intervention Teachers. Additionally, this position will coach and support the work of these teachers throughout the year to ensure fidelity of implementation and high quality, disaggregated data analysis of student progress and program effectiveness. The position will work collaboratively will school leaders at all elementary and middle schools to ensure improvement in current MTSS models and sustainability once the grant has terminated. This is a two-year, “Temporary” position designed to accelerate learning loss recovery.

⇒ FOURTEEN Recovery and Retention Intervention Teachers – These teachers will be trained in highly effective, evidence-based programs to ensure accelerated intervention for our most struggling students. One teacher will be placed in each elementary and middle school to provide this in-depth support. Teachers will have on-going professional learning specific to the area of intervention, including training on the use of evidence-based program, and fidelity of implementation and action research. There is a large data analysis component with progress monitoring. All teachers will be trained in evidence-based programs in Math, Reading and Writing, to ensure they have the necessary skills to meet the needs of students and are flexible in their content expertise to meet the needs of the school to which they are assigned. These are supplemental intervention positions in addition to intervention staff already employed at the schools. These are two-year “Temporary” positions designed to accelerate learning loss recovery.

⇒ Technology and Materials – computers will be purchased along with necessary general and curricular materials for each of these staff members as these are new positions.

• Because we recognize that all students were impacted by school closures, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and because we recognize the need to ensure acceleration in terms of mitigating for the learning loss (including not just declines, but actual lack of projected growth), the district has determined additional support is necessary to address MATH deficits at the elementary and middle school levels. Additionally, we had several schools who had unique intervention needs (outside the scope of the work of the taskforce) that would need to be met to ensure the successful recovery for high school students in terms of social emotional support and academic credit and learning recovery. The ESSERIII related costs supporting these initiatives includes:

⇒ THREE Math Recovery and Specialists – These positions will consist of two specialists to support our nine elementary schools and one specialist to support our four middle schools. Among these duties will include ensuring the effective implementation of professional learning and fidelity of implementation with the new math curriculum to be used at the elementary schools. Much work will need to be done to ensure students are able to access grade level material but also be provided with any missed learning identified at the CORE level due to learning loss, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic (GAP RECOVERY). These positions were budgeted for two years with the second year of funding contingent upon need and effectiveness from year one of the grant (FY 2122).

 ⇒ Three High School Intervention Teachers and 1.5 Middle School Intervention Teachers – These teachers will work directly with students intervening for missed skills and or necessary credit recovery at the high school level. These are two-year positions, however three of the positions are funded through ESSERII funds for year one. ESSERIII funds cover year two for 2 out of the 3 positions and years 1 and 2 for the additional position. These are supplemental intervention positions in addition to intervention staff already employed at the schools.

Additional part time intervention staff to support learning recovery in several schools.

⇒ ONE Counselor at Arvin (Career/Tech Center) – additional needs around academic guidance and additional social-emotional support were identified at our career center. We recognize that recovery efforts cannot be fully realized in one school year, particularly during our transition back to “normal” year and so this position is a “temporary” position funded for two years with ESSERIII funds.

• Because we recognize that all students were impacted by school closures and disruptions to learning - due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and because we recognize the need to ensure acceleration in terms of mitigating for the learning loss particularly as it relates to our most vulnerable populations, including but not limited to our EL and students of poverty –

⇒ Professional Learning is necessary to equip our teachers and administrators with skills, strategies and resources necessary to address a diverse population of students.  Below is an excerpt of training targeted to meet the needs of these students via this year’s ESEA National Conference. It is our intention to send staff to the 2022 Conference where similar topics will be addressed. 

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Part 4

The Oldham County Public School District will use the ESSERIII funds to ensure that interventions address the academic impact of lost instructional time and respond to academic, social, emotional and mental health needs of all students in the following ways:

Parts 2&3 address all of these areas:

CORE Instructional Support 
Academic Intervention
Social Emotional Needs

However…

• The district has also created a task force that encompasses a focus on ALL of these areas and ensures continuity between needs and services, as well as monitors effectiveness of efforts in each of these areas. 
• Other funding sources, including local funds and ESSERII/State Set-Aside funds are being used to support areas of need in general health, social emotional (via SEL Curriculum), bilingual community support for English Language Learner students and families, and the funding for two additional social workers for the coming school year.
• Academic assessments and curricular support is provided through ESSERII and State Set-Aside funds, as well as local funds to address learning loss at the CORE. 
• Intensive data analysis has been conducted to create new benchmarks and protocols are in place for continuous monitoring during recovery.

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Part 5

The ESSERIII project budget is as follows: NOTE all spending is directly tied to Learning Loss (100%)

 

Part 6

A. While planning the budget for the use of ESSERIII funds, the Oldham County Public School District engaged in meaningful consultation with stakeholders to determine the focus of the plan and the expenditure of funds as follows:

• The district conducted two in-depth, FORMAL Needs Assessments prior to creating a spending plan for CARES and ESSERII funds. Because the district received very limited funding, most of our needs were not satisfied by those funding sources. The additional, unmet needs were re-considered for funding using ESSERIII. 
• Standing and adhoc committees were organized to support the on-going Needs Assessment process, as well as effective use of funds and initiative implementation. These committees met more frequently during the initial Needs Assessment process but reconvene as necessary to:

Approve and review budget and spending

Monitor effective use of resources to address needs within their area

Assess or discuss new needs within their area

• Forums and Needs Assessments included two forums conducted with parents and community members (virtual) as well as with school leadership. Various stakeholders were involved with the needs assessment process and were included on standing committees including representation from: English Language Learners, Gifted Learners, Preschool, Career Tech, Arts Programs, Building Leadership, counselors, psychologists, nurse, DPP, facilities, food service, logistical support, board attorney, Asst. Superintendents, Superintendent, Finance Staff, including the finance director, Human Resources, director of communications, Intervention Director, 504 and special education, district assessment and federal programs coordinator (including Title1 and 2), parents, teachers and other classified staff and other certified staff, community members, technology director etc.
• Our Needs Assessment and Budget Process is outlined in an internal Practices and Procedures Guidebook and available for review. This will include timelines for coordination of efforts, budget, and effectiveness reviews.
• Meeting with Oldham County Education Foundation President (UNION Consultation Requirement). 8/16/21 @ 10am at OC BOE
• There are no civil rights organizations in Oldham County.

B. The district used the feedback generated by stakeholder engagement in the following ways:

• All recommendations proposed by committees were reviewed by the primary committee. Priority needs were identified within each of the sub-committees for funding consideration. Unmet needs were reconsidered as additional funding sources became available.
• All feedback resulting from school leadership and parent/community forums was considered for funding and addressed as an identified need in the Needs Assessment. 
• Any stakeholder is able to propose a new need for consideration, at any point during the school year. At that time, the committee will reconvene in part or whole and with additional stakeholders, as needed relative to the stated need. A decision on how to best address the need and any budgetary concerns are addressed in a timely manner. 
• Committees are required to reconvene for the purpose of evaluation and to address new or changing needs at a minimum of twice per year. 
• A stakeholder survey was conducted and sent to staff, families, community members etc., to gain feedback specific to ARP ESSERIII funding. All feedback was considered.

 

LEA Points of Contact

Superintendent – Dr. Jason Radford

Deputy Superintendent - Sharla Six

Asst. Superintendent of Student Learning – Dr. Dylan Smith

Director of District-Wide Programs - Pabby Hayes

Finance Officer – Thomas Shelton