American Rescue Plan
LEA Plan for Use of Funds
LEA Plan for Use of Funds
LEA Plan for Use Of Funds
1. The extent to which and how the funds will be used to implement prevention and mitigation strategies that are, to the greatest extent practicable, consistent with the most recent CDC guidance on reopening schools, in order to continuously and safely open and operate schools for in-person learning;
Reducing class sizes with the hiring of additional teachers for the 2021-2022 and the 2022-2023 school years. In addition to being able to provide targeted instruction to younger students in a smaller classroom setting, this also provides the district with the opportunity to space students apart in the classroom for safety and health reasons.
Updated and Unit ventilation systems for our schools - primarily in our more aged schools and those not being touched upon from our bond referendum. These include our four elementary and early childhood schools.
2. How the LEA will use the funds it reserves under section 2001(e)(1) of the ARP Act 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;
Summer learning program for the summer of 2021 for all interested general education students. Topics include: Mathematics, ELA, science, social studies, and physical education.
Extended school year (ESY) for all identified special education students.
Addition of an intervention teacher to middle school mathematics to support students in 7th and 8th grades for pre-algebra skills and standards support. This was an area identified as an area of need since many pre-algbera and algebra skills are required for students' success with the New Jersey Student Learning Standards and the Assessment in high school.
Increasing the hours of 13 of our part-time intervention teachers in grades K-6 and 9-12 in both mathematics and ELA to increase the amount of student contact time and support for more struggling learners due to loss of in-person instructional time over the COVID pandemic and summer slide.
Tutoring services for students identified in the intervention and referral (I&RS)/Multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) for identified students as a tiered intervention.
3. How the LEA will spend its remaining ARP ESSER funds consistent with section 2001(e)(2) of the ARP Act;
Additional guided reading resources and kits (Fountas and Pinnell - Leveled Literacy Intervention) for all grade levels K-6. Earlier and younger reading kits to be provided to teachers and intervention specialists to provide support to students reading below their current grade level.
Social-Emotional Learning district-wide committee and professional development. The committee develops digital resources for staff and students in self-care, personal and study habits, and behavior characteristics (as student behavior is "off" and as students adjust back to a structured learning environment). We have also noticed that our staff and teachers are "off" as well as they are adjusting back to the structured learning environment. Therefore, we are looking for resources and activities to support our staff with their self-care and to prepare for the needs of the students on a daily basis.
4. How the LEA will ensure that the interventions it implements, including but not limited to the interventions implemented 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 in foster care, and migratory students. Under this requirement, an LEA must engage in meaningful consultation with stakeholders and give the public an opportunity to provide input in the development of its plan. Specifically, an LEA must engage in meaningful consultation with students; families; school and district administrators (including special education administrators); and teachers, principals, school leaders, other educators, school staff, and their unions.
All students will be tracked through individualized learning plans. Student benchmark and achievement data are housed in our data warehousing program, LinkIt. Student data will be analyzed frequently (after unit tests, after benchmark tests, and standardized assessments) at the grade level, class/teacher level for trends in student performance based on gender, socioeconomic status level (F/R lunch), homelessness, ESL/migrant learners. Professional learning communities meet weekly to discuss student performance and different learning strategies to support struggling learners.
The district welcomes feedback from the entire school community through a public Google form, the monthly board of education meetings, through the schools' parent-teacher associations and organizations, and through school and community events. The Safe Return to School Plan has been updated and adjusted twice to reflect district community input and feedback.
5. Additionally, an LEA must engage in meaningful consultation with each of the following, to the extent present in or served by the LEA: Tribes; civil rights organizations (including disability rights organizations); and stakeholders representing the interests of children with disabilities, English learners, children experiencing homelessness, children in foster care, migratory students, children who are incarcerated, and other underserved students.
Our district participates in many local and state-level organizations. For instance, our McKinney-Vento Services in Gloucester County include tutoring, school supplies, advocacy, counseling, supplemental transportation, awareness sessions, parent activities, and health services. A "Needs Assessment" is completed by the student's counselor or classroom teacher. This is sent back to the McKinney-Vento program coordinator for Gloucester County.
For special education students and families, we participate in the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN), we host our own Special Education Parent Advocacy Group (SEPAG) where we have a network of consultants, specialists and support resources that work with families.
Our English as a Second Language (ESL) department hosts family events in both the fall and spring of each school year for our ELL and migratory families where they bring in different members and resources from the community and county to assist families with different courses for both the students and parents (to assist them in their English language and writing skills). Rowan College of South Jersey and Camden County College are strong supporters and attend our family nights to provide resources to families.
Our school counselors and student assistance counselors (SAC) reach out to families of students experiencing homelessness, scholars who are in unique circumstances (death of parents, parents incarcerated, students in foster situations) to provide school and county resources to students such as tutoring, additional targeted counseling services, student support groups, and donations of supplies, technology, and scholarships to ensure their success in school.