Jenkins Independent School District understands the importance of in-person instruction and our goal is to provide in-person instruction for all students. We plan to use ARP ESSER funds to ensure that we can do that safely, while addressing learning loss caused by the pandemic. We strive to be transparent and value the input of all stakeholders, including students, parents, community partners, and community members. With that in mind, we developed a survey to gain feedback from our stakeholders about how to best use these funds. This survey was distributed to all JISD employees. It was also shared through our social media outlets to get input from students, parents, and our community. In addition, the survey was sent directly to the Kentucky River District Health Department, Kentucky River Community Care, Mountain Comprehensive Care Corporation, Mountain Comprehensive Health Care, and our KEA representative to solicit input from their providers who work directly in our schools with our students. The survey was administered through a Google Form and the results will be kept for documentation. Our district leadership team analyzed the result and the input helped us to create this plan. The plan will be revisited frequently throughout the school year and adjustments will be made readily available on our school website.
The extent to which and how funds will be used to implement prevention and mitigation strategies consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance on reopening schools.
The Jenkins Independent School District will use the ARP ESSER funds to ensure compliance with CDC Guidelines for reopening schools in the following ways:
Any costs associated with promoting and offering vaccinations to help increase the proportion of students, teachers, staff, and family members who are vaccinated by:
Encouraging teachers, staff, and family members to get vaccinated.
Providing on-site vaccination or hosting vaccination clinics at schools.
Working with local partners to offer vaccination to eligible students and family members.
Providing information to families about vaccine safety and availability in the community.
Improve facility ventilation to the greatest extent possible to increase circulation of outdoor air and increase delivery of clean air. Utilize outdoor spaces, where possible.
The district will conduct inspections, test, and repair the HVAC systems.
The district will order air purifier machines for classrooms, offices, cafeterias, libraries, and gymnasiums.
The district will purchase dividers for desks and tables to help ensure the safety of students and staff.
The district will have sanitizing equipment on each bus so drivers can properly sanitize after each run.
The district will purchase school buses that are equipped with Air Conditioners.
The district will provide masks, sanitizer, and other equipment to ensure safety of students and employees.
Additional staff as needed to Improve facility cleaning to the greatest extent possible. In general, cleaning once a day is enough to sufficiently remove potential virus that may be on surfaces. High-touch, shared surfaces will be cleaned more frequently.
Layered prevention strategies for school-sponsored sports and extracurricular activities should be implemented and continued from the 2020-21 school year based on guidance from the KHSAA. The district will purchase any necessary PPE, cleaning materials, and equipment for events.
How the local education agency (LEA) will use funds to address the academic impact of lost instructional time through the implementation of evidence-based interventions:
JISD will address learning loss through learning acceleration. Learning acceleration is an ongoing instructional process by which educators engage in formative practices to improve students’ access to and mastery of grade-level standards.
The goal of learning acceleration extends beyond recovering the ground lost to COVID-19; it is viewed as a long-term, comprehensive framework that anchors academic, social, and behavioral interventions to the common purpose of promoting global competitiveness for all students.
Four principles will guide our approach to Learning Acceleration:
Provide conditions of learning that will foster social and emotional well-being of students, families, and educators.
Improve equitable access to grade level content and high-quality resources for each student.
Prioritize content and learning by focusing on the depth of instruction, rather than the pace.
Implement a K-12 accelerated learning cycle to identify gaps and scaffold as needed.
It is our collective responsibility to ensure all students regardless of zip code or circumstance, receive a high-quality education that empowers them to compete for educational and work opportunities in the increasingly global marketplace.
To make this a reality for all students requires recognition of the fact that a history of inequitable access to opportunity has put students of several demographic groups (low-income, students with disabilities, English language learners, students of color, etc.) on the downside of long standing achievement gaps; accelerating learning requires policymakers and educators to reaffirm their commitment to advancing equity for all.
Accelerating learning involves examining and improving every component of the instructional cycle. Jenkins Independent Schools will continue to ensure educators possess an advanced understanding of the Kentucky Academic Standards and implement those standards through high-quality, engaging lesson plans for all students. TNTP’s Learning Acceleration Guide will help inform this process.
Our district will establish learning conditions, depth of instruction, scaffolding, and progress monitoring that improve students’ access to and mastery of those standards:
Step 1: With input and guidance from stakeholders, JISD will support schools to develop a short-term implementation plan, setting goals to increase student access and success on grade appropriate assignments. This plan will meet criteria and will include:
Clear goals regarding Learning Acceleration and the expectation that assignments students experience are grade appropriate.
Clear expectations for materials usage, regardless of whether students are in-person or remote.
A plan for ongoing curriculum-based professional learning and supports for teachers to understand how to effectively implement the materials.
Step 2: Communicate clear and actionable expectations for using materials in professional learning communities and networks for school leaders and teachers.
High-quality instructional materials will be considered as a tool and one component of a system that will support teachers to provide access to grade appropriate assignments.
Step 3: Develop teacher and school leader skills in the areas that have been prioritized. Execute the plan outlined in Step 1, providing teachers and leaders with the supports they need to provide access to grade appropriate assignments.
Step 4: Monitor the quality of assignments students are experiencing and adjust as needed.
PLCs will be trained in and use TNTP’s and KDE’s Student Experiences Assessment Guide and TNTP’s Assignment Review Protocols to evaluate the quality of assignments students are experiencing, considering whether the assignment addresses priority content as outlined by Achieve the Core and other sources.
Continue to triangulate data collected to classroom demographic data to determine if there are gaps in access by classroom demographics, and measure progress to improve implementation of high-quality instructional materials.
Jenkins Independent Schools will use the ARP-ESSER funds to address the academic impact of lost instructional time through the implementation of evidence-based interventions.
High quality diagnostic assessments (MAP, CERT, Transcend-Pearson) will be selected, purchased, and implemented to determine students’ academic needs, help determine group and individual academic plans, and give feedback about student learning and growth over time.
Summer camps will be provided for students from grades K-12. The components of these camps will be academic recovery/enrichment (reading and math), social-emotional learning, STEM/enrichment opportunities, and physical well-being. Transportation will be provided.
Increase in summer school opportunities for credit recovery. Additional summer school sessions for all students if deemed necessary (two sessions instead of one). Transportation will be provided.
The district will employ a full time credit recovery teacher to support and enhance individualized instruction to meet graduation requirements.
Increase in before/after school tutoring opportunities provided at each school. Teachers will be hired to work before/after school with students needing additional tutoring (individually and/or in small groups).
The district will purchase programs (IXL, Plato, Education Galaxy) that are linked to state standards that students can work on to attain standard proficiency in various subjects.
The district will purchase additional instructional materials and resources to accelerate learning and minimize learning loss.
Evidence Based Data:
Learning Acceleration
Key Report from TNTP:
TNTP. (2020). Learning acceleration guide: Planning for acceleration in the 2020-2021 school year. Retrieved from https://tntp.org/assets/covid-19-toolkit-resources/TNTP-Learning-Acceleration-Guide-Updated-Nov-2020.pdf
Allen, L., & Le, C. (2013). From remediation to acceleration: Early lessons from two Philadelphia Back on Track schools. Jobs for the Future. Retrieved from: https://www.jff.org/resources/remediation-acceleration-early-lessons-two-philadelphia-back-track-schools/
Ander, R., Guryan, J., & Ludwig, J. (2016). Improving academic outcomes for disadvantaged students: Scaling up individualized tutorials. Report prepared for the Brookings Institute. Brookings Institute. Retrieved from: https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Full-Paper-1.pdf
Cook, P. J., Dodge, K., Farkas, G., Fryer Jr, R. G., Guryan, J., Ludwig, J., ... & Steinberg, L. (2014). The (surprising) efficacy of academic and behavioral intervention with disadvantaged youth: Results from a randomized experiment in Chicago. (No. w19862) National Bureau of Economic Research. Retrieved from: https://www.nber.org/papers/w19862
Dorn, E., Hancock, B., Sarakatsannis, J., & Viruleg, E. (2020). COVID-19 and learning loss — disparities grow, and students need help. McKinsey & Company. Retrieved from: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/public-and-social-sector/our-insights/covid-19-and-learning-loss-disparities-grow-and-students-need-help
Edgecombe, N. (2011). Accelerating the academic achievement of students referred to developmental education. (CCRC Working Paper No. 30.) Community College Research Center, Columbia University. Retrieved from: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED516782.pdf
Levin, H. M. (1988). Accelerating elementary education for disadvantaged students. In: School Success for Students at Risk. Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 209–225. Retrieved from: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED305150.pdf#page=211
McLeskey, J., Council for Exceptional Children, & Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform. (2017). High-leverage practices in special education. Council for Exceptional Children. Retrieved from: https://systemimprovement.org/uploads/files/CEC-HLP-Web.pdf
National Center for Learning Disabilities (2020). Planning for equity and inclusion: A guide to reopening schools. Retrieved from: https://www.ncld.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/2020-NCLD-Reentry-Principles_v3.pdf
Curriculum work for learning acceleration:
Key Resources:
Achieve the Core (2021). Priority instructional content in ELA/Literacy and Mathematics. Retrieved from: https://achievethecore.org/content/upload/2020-21%20Priority%20Instructional%20Content%20in%20ELA%20Literacy%20and%20Mathematics_June%202020.pdf
The Opportunity Myth
TNTP. (2018). The opportunity myth: What students can show us about how school is letting them down — and how to fix it. Retrieved from: https://tntp.org/assets/documents/TNTP_The-Opportunity-Myth_Web.pdf
Ainsworth, L. (2003). Power standards: Identifying the standards that matter the most. Lead and Learn Press.
SEL and Culturally Responsive Teaching:
Key Resource:
Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning. (2003). Save and sound: An educational leader’s guide to evidence-based social and emotional learning programs. Chicago, IL: Author. Retrieved from: https://casel.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/safe-and-sound.pdf
Aceves, T. C., & Orosco, M. J. (2014). Culturally responsive teaching. (Document No. IC-2). Retrieved from University of Florida, Collaboration for Effective Educator, Development, Accountability, and Reform Center website: http://ceedar.education.ufl.edu/tools/innovation-configurations/
Small group tutoring- https://beib228303049.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/elem-math-master-12-10-20.pdf
Summer School/Camp https://bestevidence.org/category/summer-school/
IXL https://www.ixl.com/membership/teachers/research
How the LEA will spend the remainder of its funds:
The Jenkins Independent School District will use the remainder of its ARP ESSER funds in the following ways:
We will purchase Packaged Thermal Air Conditioner (PTAC) Units to ensure that air circulation throughout our buildings is contained to each classroom. All heat pump type units will serve stand-alone common areas.
Jenkins Independent Schools will also look to improve and or replace existing cooling units in schools with outdated systems. This should improve air quality for our students and staff.
Jenkins Independent Schools will purchase new interior doors and hardware with built-in blinds for safety and security.
Jenkins Independent Schools will continue to implement a one-to-one ratio with chrome books. This will cut down on virus transmission with papers and pencils as the work will be scored and evaluated electronically. We will purchase additional chrome books and replacement parts to keep this project running at the level to be successful. This will also allow for a quick transition to virtual learning in case of surge of COVID 19 cases.
Jenkins Independent Schools will purchase enterprise-level workstations/laptops and other technology resources to ensure that teachers have the resources to deliver high quality instruction.
The district will retain purchase orders and invoices to document the purchase as well as work orders and the need for replacement of the items.
How the LEA will ensure that interventions address the academic impact of lost instructional time and respond to the academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs of all students:
Jenkins Independent Schools will engage in meaningful ongoing consultation with stakeholders and give the public the opportunity to provide input in the provision of services and supports. Based on guidance from TNTP, consultation with stakeholders will CONTINUE to include, but not limited to, students; families; mental health agencies, civil rights organizations; school and district administrators: superintendent, special education administrators, supervisors, teachers, principals, school leaders, other educators, guidance counselors, classified staff, school staff and their unions, etc.
TNTP. (2020). Learning acceleration guide: Planning for acceleration in the 2020-2021 school year. Retrieved from https://tntp.org/assets/covid-19-toolkit-resources/TNTP-Learning-Acceleration-Guide-Updated-Nov-2020.pdf
District and schools will determine most important educational needs as a result of COVID-19 by analyzing existing and future data from sources including screener assessments, diagnostic and interim benchmark assessments, formative assessment data from aligned instruction, grades, progress reports, attendance data, learning style inventories, career interest inventories, ILP’s, interviews, sessions with school counselors and mental health counselors, direct feedback from stakeholders, etc.
TNTP. (2020). Learning acceleration guide: Planning for acceleration in the 2020-2021 school year. Retrieved from https://tntp.org/assets/covid-19-toolkit-resources/TNTP-Learning-Acceleration-Guide-Updated-Nov-2020.pdf
Data will guide instructional practices within the classroom and learning acceleration/interventions will be provided for students identified as deficient in any content area, particularly reading and math.
Allen, L., & Le, C. (2013). From remediation to acceleration: Early lessons from two Philadelphia Back on Track schools. Jobs for the Future. Retrieved from: https://www.jff.org/resources/remediation-acceleration-early-lessons-two-philadelphia-back-track-schools/
Interventions, tutoring, and other supports for social and emotional needs will be made readily available to students, and progress will be tracked to ensure the effectiveness of the interventions in place.
Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning. (2003). Save and sound: An educational leader’s guide to evidence-based social and emotional learning programs. Chicago, IL: Author. Retrieved from: https://casel.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/safe-and-sound.pdf
The district will provide a series of professional learning experiences to support principals, counselors, interventionists, and teachers.
TNTP. (2018). The opportunity myth: What students can show us about how school is letting them down — and how to fix it. Retrieved from: https://tntp.org/assets/documents/TNTP_The-Opportunity-Myth_Web.pdf
Teaching for Deeper Learning: Tools to Engage Students in Meaning Making; Jay McTighe and Harvey F. Silver