Update on ESSER III Funds and Resources

Dear District Administrators,

DPI knows that you are hard at work as you begin the 2021-22 school year, and we would like to provide you with an update on ESSER III funds and resources. This email contains the following:

• Overview of ESSER III
• Safe Return to In-person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan
• Stakeholder engagement requirements
• Using ESSER III funds for evidence-based improvement strategies (EBIS)
• Technical assistance regarding construction projects funded by ESSER III
• ESSER III LEA Plans
• Timelines

Overview of ESSER III

ESSER III is the third federal stimulus package to support LEAs in preventing, preparing for, or responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. There are unique requirements that come with ESSER III funds that did not exist for ESSER I (CARES) or ESSER II (CRRSA). These ESSER III requirements include:

• Each LEA creating and posting a Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan
• Each LEA conducting local stakeholder engagement on their planned use of ESSER III funds
• Each LEA reserving a minimum of 20 percent of ESSER III funds to address the impact of lost instructional time with evidence-based improvement strategies

Details for these requirements and allocations can be found at https://dpi.wi.gov/arp/esser-iii.

Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan

The purpose of the Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan is to provide details about how each LEA will keep its students and staff safe, and how they will continue to provide services in the event they need to pivot to remote instruction for some or all students. DPI recently posted updated guidance on infection control and mitigation strategies to assist with the development of your Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan. Find this guidance at https://dpi.wi.gov/sspw/2019-novel-coronavirus.

Stakeholder Engagement Requirements

LEAs must provide a means for local stakeholders to provide input on their Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan and their plan for use of ESSER III funds.

Conducting local stakeholder engagement is meant to provide LEAs with more information about the needs of their students and families to inform each LEA’s plan for spending these one-time federal funds and developing a plan for a safe return to school. Stakeholder engagement can take many forms, including face-to-face meetings held in conjunction with back-to-school events, virtual workshops or presentations, or information shared during home visits. DPI recently posted a slide deck that includes information on conducting stakeholder engagement meetings, as well as slides that can be modified by an LEA for their own local stakeholder engagement. The presentation is posted on https://dpi.wi.gov/arp/esser-iii under Required Consultation with Stakeholders. LEAs must provide a means for local stakeholders to share information about the academic, mental health, or social-emotional needs of students to inform local use of ESSER III funds, and a means of providing input on their proposed use of ESSER III funds.

Using ESSER III Funds for EBIS

More information will be forthcoming about evidence-based improvement strategies (EBIS), but here are a few key points to keep in mind:

• ESSER III funds offer a unique opportunity for districts and their schools to change the systems and practices needed to improve student learning. With 20 percent of LEA ESSER III funds earmarked for EBIS, LEAs can invest fully in successful implementation of new or current EBIS to ensure all students thrive.
• If your LEA is receiving additional ESSER III funds based on percentage and/or hours in-person instruction, all those additional funds (plus the 20 percent from your original allocation) must be used for EBIS. This requirement does not apply to additional ESSER II funds for hours of in-person instruction.
• An LEA makes decisions about which EBIS to implement based on student needs and the likelihood or evidence that the selected EBIS aligns with student needs and desired outcomes. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has identified four tiers of evidence. An EBIS implemented with ESSER III funds may meet any of the four tiers of evidence.  Find details about the tiers of evidence at https://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/essa/guidanceuseseinvestment.pdf.
• These funds can be spent on implementing EBIS, including the professional learning needed to implement the identified EBIS effectively.
• If your district or schools have federal identifications under ESSA and/or IDEA, you are already implementing EBIS as part of your continuous improvement requirements. Leverage what you are already doing and enhance it with your ESSER III funds to support training, coaching, and other resources your budget could not previously cover.  Systems investments made wisely will support sustained effective implementation of strategies far beyond the end of the three-year funding period.
• A few examples of EBIS include: Implementation of high-quality, standards-aligned (as verified by EdReports) instructional materials addressing the impact of lost instructional time through acceleration and “just-in-time” scaffolds as detailed in toolkits created by Instruction Partners; evidence-based after school learning opportunities; extended school day for specific groups of students; math or literacy practices identified in IES practice guides; practices identified in IES practice guides to support students who speak languages in addition to English; and some LEAs are already working on EBIS in DPI-sponsored cohorts such as the Research to Practice Inclusive Communities (RPIC) project, or working with the Wisconsin RtI Center to implement an equitable multi-level system of supports.

Technical Assistance Regarding Construction Projects Funded by ESSER III

Many LEAs have submitted questions regarding construction to prepare for, respond to, or prevent COVID-19. DPI now has guidance related to construction at https://dpi.wi.gov/arp/esser-iii in the “Allowed Activities and Costs” section.

ESSER III LEA Plans

WISEgrants will automatically create an LEA’s ESSER III plan that meets federal requirements. DPI developers are creating an ESSER III application in WISEgrants that will enable LEAs to input their budget items and answer a few multiple-choice questions. Once the application is approved by DPI staff, LEAs will receive a copy of their approved plan. LEAs will then need to take the ESSER III LEA plan report generated from WISEgrants and post it to their website. 

Timelines

DPI has submitted its state plan to ED and is awaiting approval. Once approved, DPI has 30 days to allocate funds to LEAs. After that, the applications will open in WISEgrants.  Once the applications are open, LEAs will have 90 days to complete the application, including the information on their Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan, ESSER III LEA Plan, and information about stakeholder engagement.

DPI staff continue to work to add to resources and information to support you in meeting the requirements of these funds, as well as to support you in using them to their full potential while making the process as streamlined as possible.