Tech & Learning.com - Future Proofing Your District Plan - June 2020

JUNE 2020 TECHLEARNING.COM

FUTURE-PROOFING YOUR DISTRICT PLAN

HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR

SUPPORTING THE CHANGING ROLE OF THE EDUCATORS USING DATA TO FUTURE-PROOF YOUR DISTRICT PLAN SUPPORTING ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ENGAGING WITH YOUR ENTIRE SCHOOL COMMUNITY

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MAXIMIZING YOUR FUNDING SP IFF Y/ GE TT Y

FUTURE-PROOFING YOUR DISTRICT PLAN: HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR

CONTENTS

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LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

5 STEPS TO DESIGN INSTRUCTION FOR BLENDED LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

By Ray Bendici Advice for educators on how to create a blended environment

10 WHAT’S NEXT? MODERN LEARNING SYSTEMS FOR LEARNERS AND LEADERS

By Sascha Zuger Five steps for supporting your school communities

18 SUPPORTING TEACHERS: A THREE-PRONGED APPROACH

By Carl Hooker Giving teachers space to create while also being “rigidly flexible” around certain tools can help improve remote instruction

22 5 WAYS A SCHOOL BOARD CAN ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY DURING A CRISIS

By Tara Smith Taking time to communicate with and listen to the community is critical—especially during a crisis

25 CARES ACT FUNDING: A STIMULUS PRIMER FOR DISTRICTS

By Annie Galvin Teich What districts need to know about accessing CARES Act funding

Group Publisher Christine Weiser christine.weiser@futurenet.com CONTENT Managing Editor Ray Bendici ray.bendici@futurenet.com

Production Manager Heather Tatrow heather.tatrow@futurenet.com

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Christine Weiser

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Senior Design Director Lisa McIntosh VISIT US www.techlearning.com

In our many conversations with readers and advisors about planning for next school year, one thing is abundantly clear: there are far more questions than answers.

How will schools adhere to CDC recommendations while still delivering effective instruction? How can they train every teacher to be ready for hybrid teaching environments before school re-opens? How do you decide which students and teachers remain online, and which ones return to school buildings? Every question seems to lead to more questions.

At our recent “Future-Proofing Your District” conference, hosted in partnership with K20Connect, we tackled some of these questions for 1200+ attendees through 65 live sessions and 10,000 live chats. We’ve captured highlights from these sessions in this issue, from Dr. Kecia Ray’s “5 Steps to Design Instruction for Blended Learning” to funding advice from policy expert Susan Gentz and an exploration of what new learning systems might look like next year from former LAUSD CAO Dr. Frances Gipson.

These are just some of the highlights of this robust day of professional development. You can access recordings of these and 60 other live sessions on our conference hub here.

Tech & Learning will continue to share the tips, tools, and ideas you can use as you plan for next year. Have a story to share? Email me at Christine.weiser@futurenet.com.

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STEPS TO DESIGN INSTRUCTION FOR BLENDED LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS Advice for educators on how to create a blended environment

By Ray Bendici

Click here to watch the video recording of this session

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Blended Learning Process

Districts have quickly shifted to virtual learning environments, but these spaces are anything but “normal.” The question becomes: how do we take the positive lessons learned from this shift to develop meaningful teaching and learning in any learning environment, whether in person, online, or a combination of both? How do we differentiate through blended learning programs?

“Last fall, teachers began their class by saying, ‘Good morning students, open your books to page x,”’ said education author and consultant Dr. Kecia Ray during Tech & Learning’s “2020 Future-Proofing Your District Plan” virtual conference. “This year, it’s going to be, ‘Good morning, login into Google Classroom and look at this document.’ And creating this consistency will provide the normalcy that students need in their learning.”

For blended learning, a student-centered approach is key. Flexible learning spaces, computer-mediated instruction, formative assessments, and clear teacher instructions are all critical.

In addition, educators need to consider student voice, including all aspects of socialization, mental health, and communication, as well as social-emotional learning and competencies. In a virtual environment, these aspects may be harder to track and monitor.

To create a successful blended learning, Ray recommended educators consider the following.

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BLENDED LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

1. Identify an instruction model For blended learning, there are five primary models of instruction.

The rotation model can be good for special populations as it accommodates small-group instruction, computer instruction, and intermediated instruction. The face-to-face model allows students and teachers to be together, which includes video conferencing. Virtual/online is totally online, and focuses on students working independently. Self-blend builds on face-to-face by allowing students to take on extra work independently. And flex is a blend of many styles, and essentially what educators have been working in during this time of extended remote learning.

“Face to face is where we like to be, but online is where we’re at,” said Ray. In fact, we’re currently more in an “enhanced hybrid” model, added Ray. Whatever model that is chosen needs to be more responsive than ever before, to students, teachers, and parents. It also needs to involve more inclusivity, particularly in dealing with special populations, and requires a dynamic framework.

The TPACK model (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) supports blended learning in terms of accessing knowledge and engaging learners.

2. Develop a learning platform Combining content and tech is at the core of blended learning.

“Tech is the doughnut but content is the blueberry,” said Ray. In essence, these aspects need to blend well for students to access content and learn effectively.

A learning platform should look to include various aspects, such as student information and learning management.

Fortunately, there are various flavors of LMS and SIS systems, so the challenge for educators is finding the one that best fits their school and district goals.

Once platforms and software have been vetted, selected, and piloted, the challenge then becomes to create a comprehensive blended learning program.

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BLENDED LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS 3. Modify the learning environment For blended learning post-pandemic, we have to think differently about how we’re designing spaces for our students. Social distancing guidelines, such as keeping desks 6 feet apart, need to be accommodated.

Making students comfortable with these new learning spaces is key. At right is an example from Australia of introducing students to these new environments and practices.

“We also have to keep our frustrations regarding these efforts out of the mix,” said Ray. “We want to model positively for students.” Being positive and embracing change, as difficult as it can be, can go a long way in boosting students’ confidence and comfort, which is conducive to learning.

4. Select instructional materials “Content is king,” said Ray. When moving to digital content, make sure you have the right people in the room, are adopting content that is compatible with your district platforms, and that you have a PD plan to match. All content should also be able to run on whatever devices your district is currently using or planning on purchasing.

Lots of supplemental digital content is available, so do your research. Think about what you have in your curriculum repository and concentrate on filling the gaps going forward.

Librarians and media specialists can be crucial in the process of selecting digital content. “They can be the most powerful search engines available to the district,” said Ray. “Use them.”

How you integrate instructional designers is key, and they are vital in developing engaging virtual learning environments. Many media specialists and librarians often have a background in instructional design, so again, include them in your process.

When vetting “free” resources, be aware of copyright laws. For example, on Google, images can be searched by usage rights. OER Commons (Open Educational Resources) is a curated library of lessons, curriculum, and other digital tools available to all educators. It’s also good practice to vet resources for FERPA and COPPA compliance, using resources such as Student Privacy Compass and the Federal Trade Commission.

COSN’s Guide to Choosing Digital Content and Curriculum is a good resource when it comes time to select materials.

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5. Offer continual PD The recent abrupt shift to remote learning has underscored how lacking many district professional development programs are, particularly when it comes to blended learning.

Numerous paid PD programs, platforms, and services are available. Many districts also develop their own training programs, often designed specifically for the tools and systems that are used.

Technology coaches and trainers are also a great resource, if possible. If a district doesn’t have the capacity for such positions, leaders may need to get creative, such as using media specialists to help provide tech training.

Teachers like to learn about tech from other teachers, so peer coaching and collaboration should also be encouraged as much as possible.

Ultimately, there are many factors that go into creating a blended learning environment, and each one will look different based on what the students at a particular school require. Remember to stay flexible, open-minded, and cognizant of the student (and family!) perspective.

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BLENDED LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

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WHAT’S NEXT?

MODERN LEARNING SYSTEMS FOR LEARNERS AND LEADERS Five steps to support your communities

By Sascha Zuger

Click here to watch the video recording of this session

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“My background has traversed from working with our earliest learners to heading innovative coaching teams performing impressive turnarounds at K-12 districts to my current position as Urban Leadership Director preparing the next generation of superintendents,” said Associate Professor Frances Gipson of Claremont University in her presentation during Tech & Learning’s recent “Future-Proofing Your District” virtual conference. “But above all, I am Team Kid. If it helps kids learn, I am all about it. One of the things I have stayed keenly aware of throughout my different roles is that the school is really the heart of the community.”

So what happens when that very heart of the community faces unprecedented challenges and suddenly skips a beat? Or when newly formed robust learning centers and support systems holding together precarious educator-learner relationships are broken and forced into a new remote reality?

“This is where we can think beyond the brick and mortar,” said Gipson. “When you think of the concept of community, with the right technical supports, it can really morph into a wraparound offering connectivity, becoming a more dynamic system that can truly support our learners as they become the next group of leaders in our country.”

Gipson recommends these five steps for district leaders to support their communities:

1. Move from existing state to desired state When forging a modern learning system, a futuristic leader is not afraid of breaking through the walls of the past. They need to become a change agent and create disruptive learning opportunities, and opt for a catalytic way of reflecting, resourcing, and developing the knowledge, skills, and dispositions for a learning system. Adaptivity and flexibility are at the core mindset for these leaders, and essential for their learners’ mindsets.

One way leaders create inclusive and collaborative spaces is by increasing voice and agency. Agency helps learners to meaningfully change conditions in their lives and community. It provides purposeful initiative.

Schools can serve as models of equity to assure that every student will have a positive and empowering learning environment. Both capacity and conviction for “living in the system” and “disturbing the system” are critical to ensure that our communities are at the center of all decisions.

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EMBRACE POSITIVE CHANGE Sanford Programs at National University System is thrilled to take part in the virtual Tech & Learning Conference in partnership with K20Connect. We invite you to schedule a time to talk with one of our ambassadors about social emotional learning for classroom and remote learning environments.

Social emotional learning is a vital tool for supporting student success and well-

being as we look to a new cultural and educational landscape. Sanford Programs is committed to supporting students and educators with innovative online SEL

curriculum and professional development at no cost. Engage with our esteemed

academic partners, in insightful sessions that will challenge the boundaries of conventional teaching and inspire new

solutions for the next chapter in learning with technology.

Š 2020 Sanford Programs | www.sanfordprograms.org

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MODERN LEARNING SYSTEMS 2. Advocate and propel policies with personalizing features for the learning environment Future ready education leaders will find ways to provide a personalized learning experience for students at every age. These leaders will do the same for all stakeholders in education, providing customized training and learning opportunities. They’ll also do the same thing for themselves. Using research and promising practices, they will invite curiosity and create rigorous learning environments suited to the authentic interests of students.

These leaders need to become equity champions.

They should take active steps to dismantle the deeply ingrained structure of inequitable schooling, keeping a mind to elements of access and opportunities for acceleration. We must attend to the nuances of learning and leading, and be prepared to be nimble in meeting the needs of today’s learners in a rapidly changing knowledge economy.

3. Connect, design, and lead One can’t underestimate the importance of adaptivity and leading with love when it comes to creating the ideal modern learning system. Complex problems don’t offer simple solutions, so polarity management is key to meeting and adjusting. Connecting with the community in order to design a learning setting for success is crucial.

With ever-evolving innovations in edtech, our system has become more data rich than ever—a natural edge in designing a personalized modern learning system. Precision and resourcing is more readily available than ever before so we can better differentiate to address the needs of the “whole.” Schools and communities can be informed by voice, as well as by accompanying “big data” systems that merge sources for data-influenced action. Breaking predictable patterns and relying on personalized innovation can keep a “Team Kid” approach with students firmly at the center of the design.

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MODERN LEARNING SYSTEMS 4. Invite innovation, curiosity, and creativity Lead with instruction, lead with equity—it’s not just about leading with a tool. ISTE Standards, Linda Darling-Hammond’s Deeper Learning research, and Quaglia’s Voice and Aspirations Framework offer resources and practices to include in a modern holistic learning system.

Technology’s role in this change is to equalize the playing field in the classroom, giving every learner the opportunity to access individualized learning.

Technology is an accelerator, therefore we must first lead with the best instruction.

ISTE offers a roadmap for education with standards that are organized to rethink teaching and learning with a strong sense of agency for the learner.

5. Schools as the heart of the community We must be beacons of academic optimism, integrating community-aimed systems of support that include wellness and are trauma-informed. These systems should also offer multitiered accelerations and masterylearning options, include social-emotional learning for

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everyone in the nested learning community, and have a goal of economic connectivity for families, caretakers, and community partners.

The forward-thinking community school serves academic needs, with hubs for both learning and wellness—a model of schooling that address the whole child.

Frances Marie Gipson is a clinical associate professor of education in the School of Educational Studies at Claremont Graduate University, and also serves as director of the Urban Leadership program. Most recently, Gipson served as the Chief Academic Officer (CAO) for the second-largest school district in the nation, Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). As a leader of leaders, she oversaw the instructional plan and capacity building for more than 600,000 students in preschool through adult school programs – across over 20 departments.

10 Steps to Incorporating Student Voice into Remote Learning https://inservice.ascd.org/ensuring-student-voice-during-remote-learning

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Be creative in the box

Don’t hide

Grow bigger ears

Embrace the unknown

Become a Yoda

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Keep it Real

It’s okay to smile

“Won’t you be my neighbor?”

Unmask heroes

Don’t forget about you

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SUPPORTING TEACHERS:

A THREE-PRONGED APPROACH

By Carl Hooker Miami-Dade County Schools is the nation’s fourth-largest district. It serves an extremely diverse population of 348,000 learners and supports more than 20,000 teachers.

Marie Izquierdo (@miamiCAO) is Chief Academic Officer and has spent much of her career helping build a technology-rich program for the schools in her district. In 2012, the district passed a major referendum called “Digital Convergence” in an effort to provide more than 200,000 devices to teachers and students.

During her presentation during Tech & Learning’s recent “Future-Proofing Your District” virtual conference, Izquierdo outlined the district’s three-pronged approach to supporting teachers when the crisis hit.

1. Highlighting and expanding existing successes With the foundation having been laid in 2012 through the Digital Convergence plan, many teachers had already explored blended and flipped teaching concepts. When learning shifted to a remote environment, those who had established routines in these areas were encouraged to continue as students found comfort in what was familiar.

Bell ringers, warm-up exercises, exit slips, and other best practices needed to be maintained throughout this shift in teaching and learning.

While the district had no formal LMS, it did have a suite of tools that teachers were already familiar with and could build from after doors were shuttered on March 13.

Rather than forcing teachers to go to a single unlearned platform, leaders encouraged them to continue to use the communication tools they had established with their community and parents. Tools such as Zoom, Remind, and SeeSaw were already being utilized, and the district was empathetic to the needs of students and teachers during the transition. This did create some challenges in the first couple of weeks as parents of multiple students who were on different learning and communication platforms struggled. Some of the remote learning was consequently re-aligned via professional development.

2. Professional development for a community of learners

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District leaders were aware of some of the inadequacies happening in the initial weeks of remote learning and quickly designed a two-day online PD event for staff. Leveraging partnerships from companies such as Nearpod, Microsoft, and Discovery, a variety of online sessions were available to offer for staff support.

Creating a landing page for distance learning to help guide parents became another priority.

The district’s distance learning website became a remote learning center for students, teachers, and parents. The district’s Parent Academy website helped support parents and answer many of the frequently asked questions from the community.

Parents were surveyed the week before

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3. Models for instructional delivery When the district embarked on the Digital Convergence program, leaders had put into place an Instructional Continuity Plan (ICP) as a guide for staff around best practices in blended instruction. Now with the pandemic and rapid shift to remote learning, the ICP needed an update.

On April 3, just a few short weeks following closure, the district debuted ICP 2.0, a plan designed to use best practices in remote instructional delivery to support teachers, students, and families.

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closures, and plans were developed for getting devices to the community utilizing the asset management system, which also leveled out devices across campuses. On the day of closure, 32,000 students left with a device; now more than 115,000 devices have been deployed to the community, including more than 9,000 internet hotspots to provide connectivity.

One challenge immediately identified was the lack of a district-wide learning management system (LMS). A new platform was in the process of being onboarded when the pandemic hit, but was only in the initial phase.

With no formal LMS, leaders began to rely heavily on Microsoft Teams. The district used its federated Microsoft accounts to provide a safe and secure online place for teachers and students to have learning transactions. Izquierdo reported that prior to the pandemic, there were 18,000 users on Microsoft Teams; now there are more than 240,000 users as the platform has turned into an ad-hoc LMS. As many teachers were already using Zoom as their video conference platform of choice, the district purchased the enterprise edition and integrated it with Teams. As student data and rosters were already uploaded into Microsoft, this ensured greater security by limiting Zoom log-ins to district accounts. Utilizing Teams for grading, feedback, and scheduling of work also became invaluable for teachers and students alike.

Now with training and tools in place, the next challenge centered around how and what remote instruction should look like.

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Instruction was created using the models for design thinking (image above). Using this, they created “out-of-the-box” solutions that best suited the variety of student needs. Taking the many factors that might affect learning at home and the increase of screen time into account, remote instruction was designed in chunks. Knowing that you couldn’t teach the same content that you would in a traditional sense, and that students can’t be on a screen for six straight hours, teachers needed to be selective and prioritize essential standards to pare back the curriculum. Add to that the challenges of equitable access and limited printed materials, creating lessons with empathy in mind became key.

“How might we…” statements were used to tackle the two biggest challenges during this phase of ICP 2.0. Teachers worked in teams to ideate solutions for their teaching and began prototyping some of their existing lessons to better suit remote learning. Abandoning fixed mindsets and trying new things while also reflecting and adjusting when things didn’t go well was encouraged. The district highlighted best practices in pedagogy and remote learning that were born out of the creation of ICP 2.0.

This prototyping using design thinking will help set the stage for whatever the return of school looks like in the fall. Allowing teachers space to create while also being “rigidly flexible” around certain uniform tools, will help improve remote learning in the future.

Carl Hooker has been a part of a strong educational shift with technology integration since becoming an educator. As Director of Innovation & Digital Learning at Eanes ISD, he helped spearhead the LEAP program, which put one-to-one iPads in the hands of all K-12 students in his 8,000-student district. He’s also the author of the sixbook series titled Mobile Learning Mindset, a guide for teachers, administrators, parents and others to support and embrace mobile learning in our schools. Read more at Hooked on Innovation.

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a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.

5 WAYS A SCHOOL BOARD CAN ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY DURING A CRISIS Taking time to communicate with and listen to the community is critical—especially during a crisis

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Everybody has their own ideas about how to respond in a crisis, says K20Connect Senior Consultant Arati Nagaraj, and it’s important for a school board not only to provide forums where community members can air their concerns, but also to listen well.

Nagaraj, who has been a Trustee of the Saratoga (CA) Union School District Board since 2010 and has served as Board President for two years, shared from her experience in her session “Community Engagement During a Crisis” at Tech & Learning’s Future-Proofing Your District Plan conference.

Open communication builds a strong foundation of trust and also enables school board members to engage positively and correct any misperceptions, Nagaraj says. Part of a board’s responsibility is to have the big picture in view while the community sees only a sliver of that picture, but assuming positive intent on everyone’s part is key. “Our priority is the students and their learning, and we all want what’s best for them,” Nagaray said.

Maintaining constructive and honest channels of communication with the community starts with A, B, C: Acknowledge, Bridge, and Convert. When someone states an opinion, for example, a board member can acknowledge it by using active listening and summarizing: “I heard you say that these old textbooks will never be replaced.” The next step is to bridge, by sharing the facts: “But the fact is, we’re in the midst of looking at options for replacement.”

And finally, convert, by helping the person see a different point of view so they will join you on the

journey: “Would you like to be part of the working group looking at this issue?”

Nagaraj suggests five ways to solicit community input. The success of each of these methods depends on assuming positive intent and implementing this A, B, C approach as appropriate.

1. Forums Forums can be educational and informative; having a skilled moderator and a set agenda is key. Nagaraj suggests soliciting questions on notecards, which avoids rambling assertion of opinions and helps people to think through and frame their questions. Cards can then be sorted and given to the best person for each answer. Cards can also be kept as a helpful record of community concerns and to inform future district communication.

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ENGAGING COMMUNITY 2. Board office hours

5. Social media

Regular open-door meetings build trust, Nagaraj says, and this approach has been successful in her district. “Community members may be intimidated by speaking at board meetings,” she said. “Constructive dialogue can happen during office hours, and sometimes issues can be solved before they even come up. No decisions are made—it’s a conversation, a time to share thoughts. It’s a very positive method of interaction and building trust.”

Remember to send reminders including the date, time, location, and names of the board members who will be present. In Nagaraj’s district, these office hours are often on-site at a school. Having someone on hand in case crowd control is needed is a good precaution.

Saratoga Union School District has developed this protocol to establish clear guidelines and expectations to avoid common pitfalls.

“Social media is both a friend and a foe,” said Nagaraj. It’s imperative for school board members to be vigilant when it comes to social media, and not to engage in discussions.

“Board members are the eyes and ears in the community, but it’s critical that they let the district be the disseminator of information,” Nagaraj said.

When a board member becomes aware of inaccurate information being broadcast on social media, their role is to inform the superintendent so the district can respond properly with the facts. Board members then can share messages from the district—without personal comment.

3. Study groups and committees.

During a crisis, these groups will be task-focused, and after the crisis is over, it’s important to evaluate, monitor, and plan—taking what’s been learned into consideration in order to be better prepared going forward.

4. Surveys Surveys are a great way of getting lots of information, Nagaraj says. Surveys can be used at different points during a crisis to get a “pulse check” on the community.

EVALUATION Don’t overlook the evaluation of your engagement techniques, particularly after a crisis, to make sure you’re prepared as well as you can be for the future. Consider whether all voices are being heard, and if there’s a group that has not been engaged by your methods.

A lot depends on your local situation, Nagaraj says, and different methods of engagement will work well in different communities and even with different constituencies within a community. Sharing community feedback and input at board meetings helps to ensure transparency and sends the clear message that community input is important and valued.

“Community engagement is very important but can be very difficult to manage, and I’ve developed a thick skin over my ten years as a school board member,” Nagaraj said. “Respecting the community’s role in the system is absolutely essential to providing the best learning environment possible for our students.”

Acknowledge. Bridge. Convert.

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CARES ACT FUNDING: A STIMULUS PRIMER FOR DISTRICTS What districts need to know about accessing CARES Act funding.

By Annie Galvin Teich In late March, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Securities Act (CARES Act) was signed into law. The stimulus bill earmarked $30.7 billion for states to spend on K-12 education.

As with any education funding legislation, there are many nuances for school administrators to navigate.

“Future funding for K-12 education depends, in part, on how well these first relief funding options are used,” said Susan Gentz, an expert on state and federal policy initiatives and senior consultant at K20Connect, during Tech & Learning’s recent Future Proofing Your District Plan virtual conference. “So be sure to use your funding sources for good purposes in your districts.”

SPECIFIC FUNDING STREAMS FOR K-12 DISTRICTS Four different funding programs from the CARES Act are intended specifically for K-12 school districts. These are separate programs but linked through the stimulus bill.

Elementary and Secondary Relief Fund (ESSER): $13.5 billion has been

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awarded to the states as formula grants based on the same proportion that each state receives under ESSA Title I-A. There are no requirements for how this money is spent. Districts are free to use these funds for whatever they think is best.

Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER): $3 billion for governors to allocate emergency support grants at their discretion to help those districts and institutions of higher education that are struggling the most with supporting students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

These funds will also be allocated by formulas. The U.S. Department of Education (USDE) will not micromanage how these funds are used, but districts are advised to consider changing their education models.

Microgrants: $180 million to Rethink K-12 School Models and Continue to Learn grants so states can ensure that students’ families have access to the technology and educational services they need to advance their learning. These competitive grants are controversial as they are like vouchers. But there are no caps on the individual grants.

Student-Centered Funding Pilot: $3 million is being made available by USDE, authorized by ESSA. It allows up to 50 districts to pool their federal, state, and local dollars to focus aid on low-income or other disadvantaged students.

Click here to watch the video recording of this session

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CARES ACT HOW TO APPLY FOR CARES ACT FUNDING

HOW TO USE CARRYOVER FUNDS

In order to get funds to districts as soon as possible, the application process has been streamlined. Nothing in the ESSER application requires districts to present a full, complete plan.

State Education Agencies (SEAs) have until July 1, 2020 to apply for ESSER funding.

USDE has also provided a state-by-state breakdown of the funds along with the minimum amounts a state can distribute to Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and maximums an SEA can reserve for statewide purchases and decisions. Funds are available until Fall 2022.

All school districts are allowed to carry over as much Title I money as they want from this academic year to the next. Administrators should think about developing strategies to bundle carryover funds with new stimulus money to maximize this year’s investment opportunities.

In addition to academic and technology funding, the coronavirus pandemic and the shift to learning from home has created stress and anxiety for students and teachers. Districts may want to consider support services they should offer to address these issues.

WAIVERS FROM U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

For this year only, there is a waiver on the restriction of carryover funds allowed from Title I, Part A of ESSA. This is a very important source of funding for districts. Be sure to use this before other funding sources or bundle it with your stimulus funds.

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U.S. Department of Education

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What Congressional COVID Funding Means for K-12 Schools

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CARES Act Stimulus Funds and Grants: What K-12 Districts Need to Know

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Alliance for Education CARES Act Summary of K-12 Education Provisions

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Susan Gentz Blog at K20 Connect

States need to apply for waivers from USDE, including: • Spending restrictions on technology infrastructure in Title IV, Part A • Content-specific spending requirements • The definition of professional development to help shift to new and different ways to train school leaders in effective learning techniques, such as through remote learning.

PARTNER RESOURCES CATCHON CatchOn is a user-friendly data analytics tool that compiles realtime data on every device at home and school, enabling school districts to make data-informed decisions about the apps and online tools their educators and students are using. In 2018, CatchOn joined forces with ENA, a leading provider of comprehensive technology solutions to education institutions and libraries across the nation. Collectively, CatchOn and ENA leverage their respective resources and expertise to deliver critical services and solutions that help school districts produce positive outcomes in the communities they serve.

CLASSCRAFT Classcraft motivates learners to reach their potential through sustainable, playful learning experiences that promote personal growth and human connection. With Classcraft,

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educators with tiered intervention initiatives can improve student behavior by fostering intrinsic motivation, keeping their implementation consistent, and identifying and supporting at-risk students.

FILEWAVE FileWave provides both “Unified Endpoint Management and Mobile Device Management” solutions.

FileWave’s Management Suite is built to empower IT teams throughout the entire device lifecycle process of imaging/ provisioning, deployment, management, maintenance, and security.

FileWave’s all-in-one, highly scalable software, (cloud and on-premise supported), solves the many challenges of managing a diverse and growing population of users, devices, and content by ensuring IT teams have a comprehensive solution that supports both client (desktop/ laptop) and mobile devices across all macOS, Windows, iPadOS/iOS, Android & ChromeOS., Windows, iOS and Android.

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PARTNER RESOURCES ❱ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26

GAGGLE

Gaggle is continuing to support its district partners through this complicated and challenging time. Our student safety tools keep a close eye on how students are doing in this ‘new normal’ of going to school from home, helping districts identify those who may be struggling with being isolated or the dramatic change in their daily routine. Gaggle can give you peace of mind knowing that your students’ mental health and safety are being monitored both during and after school hours in this new distance learning environment. Contact us to discuss how we can help your students stay safe.

GALE, A CENGAGE COMPANY

At Gale, a Cengage Company, we believe in the power and joy of learning. For schools, we help drive positive outcomes with essential, curriculum-aligned content that empowers educators to solve curriculum challenges and meet students where they are. Today, that includes supporting distance and social and emotional learning as well as equity and inclusion goals. Our offerings span educational databases and teacher-curated eBook collections to instructional tools and professional development resources. Together, we can help all learners thrive.

GLOBAL TELETHERAPY

Global Teletherapy provides remote therapeutic services through stateof-the-art video conferencing to schools across the country. This critical service connects students in K-12 schools with high-quality speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, and mental health professionals. Because of their responsive communication, personal attention, and concern for detail that ensure the success of the student and school communities, Global Teletherapy has become a leader in the industry. For more information visit www.globalteletherapy.com.

GRADECAM

GradeCam is a smart tech solution that simplifies and streamlines every step in the assessment process, without requiring any new equipment, proprietary forms, or special training.

Educators are able to customize assignments to accommodate handwritten answers, extended responses, rubrics, number grids, multiple choice, true/false, and more. Teacher-customized forms can be accessed online, printed on plain paper, or used in combination for hybrid learning environments. Student work can be scanned and scored using any mobile,

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desktop or document camera to generate instant, flexible, and actionable data – including state, common core, or custom standards and performance bands.

And teachers can automatically transfer grades into digital gradebooks, provide students with direct feedback, and share data with their PLCs.

POWERGISTICS

POWERGISTICS device charging and storage Towers’ intuitive design saves time, space, and money while effortlessly protecting users. Unlike cumbersome carts, cabinets, and basket systems, PowerGistics Towers allow technology to integrate in the classroom seamlessly, returning hours of wasted teaching time back to teachers and maintenance time back to IT staff. By enhancing the learning environment, PowerGistics delivers the measurable results administrators are looking for.

SANFORD HARMONY

Available at no cost, Sanford Harmony is a social emotional learning program for Pre-K-6 grade students designed to foster intergender communication and understanding, connection, and community both in and outside the classroom and develop boys and girls into compassionate and caring adults.

TYPING AGENT

Typing Agent offers a seamless learning experience for students and a sigh of relief for teachers.TA is the leading 100% online K-12 keyboarding and technology platform for schools and districts that seamlessly and securely moves from the classroom to remote learning environments or both, has engaging keyboarding curriculums for both K-2 and 3-12, is completely adaptive, and has exciting gamification features that boost students’ learning! Typing Agent offers a Digital Citizenship Curriculum aligned with ISTE standards, Type Code, Spanish, and has best in class reporting, ADA compliance and more. Typing Agent is a breeze to implement school or district wide. Click Here to try our full version Demo today.

VERNIER

Vernier empowers educators with worldclass data-collection technology so they can inspire the STEM leaders of tomorrow and instill a love of learning in students of all age levels. Teacher passion and dedication, along with the implementation of high-quality sensors, experiments, and resources in their classrooms or laboratories, enable students to explore science in new ways. Vernier’s mission is to provide educators with the tools they need to encourage scientific curiosity in all students.

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