ESSER funds have been released under three different acts. In March of 2020, the first set of ESSER funds were disbursed under the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid Relief & Economic Security Act). In January of 2020 ESSER II funds were released under the CRSSA Act (Coronavirus Response & Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act) and ESSSER III funds were disbursed under the ARPA Act (American Rescue Pan Act) in December of 2021. In total, emergency allocations made under all three ESSER funds total almost $192 Billion dollars. In order to secure the funds, local education agencies (LEAs) must apply to the State Education Agency (SEA). All state education agencies must offer local education agencies 90% of the funds allocated. The remaining 10% can be retained by the State Education Agency to address emergency needs. The ESSER fund allocations made to each state are based on Title I (part A) funds. Title I schools will have more funds available to them than non Title I schools. So what can these funds be used for? ESSER I Training to address changes to instruction Access to high quality instructional resources Address supplemental learning needs Addressing needs of students at rick Addressing needs of low income, foster, and homeless students Summer learning Purchasing of educational technology to support student achievement and interaction ESSER II High quality assessments High quality literacy initiatives Evidence based activities Parental support Distance Learning Addressing learning loss High impact activities ESSER III Everything under I & II Reserves 5% for evidence-based activities tied to learning loss 1% set aside to implement summer enrichment programs .05% set aside for administrative costs Districts have a lot on their plates as they navigate all that COVID has brought. Data aggregation and assessing student learning losses are high on the list. Districts also now have the need to access data quickly and remotely when needed. The tracking and spending of ESSER funds make multi-year educational technology contracts possible. Many ed tech companies are offering discounts to assist districts in setting these multiyear contracts up. It makes the decision making process not so stressful with the ESSER I funds available for spend through September 30, 2022 and ESSER II & III funds available for spend until September of 2023. What is your State Doing? Use this tracker to find out how much your state has been awarded as well as how much has been spent and where. Check out this fact sheet to understand the differences between the ESSER Fund (CARES Act) and ESSER II Fund (CRRSA Act). Do you have additional questions? Contact me at mkinley@silverbacklearning.com.

What does it mean being comfortable in an uncomfortable situation? It means when you intentionally place yourself in situations of discomfort, in an effort to increase your comfort range. Embracing situations of speaking about unconscious biases we face each day and how to have authentic conversations regarding biases toward racism. It starts by having a “Brave” community in which individuals feel comfortable in an uncomfortable situation. Knowing no one is being judged or labeled a racist for trying to understand how words and body expressions impact our lives each day. The main question to answer is, how do we start and/or create the “Brave” community where everyone feels comfortable being uncomfortable. It starts with colleagues who know they are safe and will not be scrutinized for speaking about their biases and how these biases impact other people. I have been part of creating these communities in schools, communities, and higher education classes by helping individuals feel safe in their environment as well as helping them see how their words have impacted others, maybe unintentionally or intentionally; thus, creating a “Brave” community interwoven into the DNA fabric of what we do each day. This is only a start to a deeper conversation of how we can displace biases, no matter if unconscious (illicit) or explicit. One of the aspects I have noticed during my 26-year career, is the increasing focus on what’s next for students after high school, in other words their destination. Questions like, What do you want to be when you grow up? Where are you going after high school? Although these questions are not bad questions, I do wonder if we put too much pressure on students to have it figured out. With students facing so much pressure from school as well as dealing with the evolving landscape of matriculation to adulthood, have we determined how these pressure points are impacting the student’s social-emotional wellbeing? What are we doing to have systems in place to address the pressure students are feeling regarding the question of “What’s Next”? Are we creating systems that are interwoven into the fabric of our schools and curriculum to address this need? This is the question I continue to ask myself as well as my colleagues each day. Why? To find a solution on relieving the student’s pressure valve so they can function on what they can control as well as dealing with the social emotional draws, which impact their daily lives. Until the next time, be safe, healthy, and well!

This past weekend I was having a conversation with a special education teacher from Richmond, Virginia. She was explaining to me all of the issues she was having as a result of COVID achievement gaps. “Michelle, I started working as the school's interventionist with a group of Kindergarteners to help them on their reading journey. By the end of the year, many of them were just starting to identify their letters and letter sounds. During First grade they started the process of early literacy and then we went into COVID isolation. So now these students are in 2nd grade, and this year they have all been virtual all year. We closed down school this week and now it's not just the few I was working with, we now have classrooms of students that are not reading, or even reading at a very very basic level.” I had to stop and really think about that for a moment. I have been engaged in many meetings where “years of educational delay” has been commented on, but I don't think my brain actually connected to the implications until this conversation. We have so many states with 3rd grade reading guarantee laws on the books….and now we have classrooms of 2nd graders starting 3rd grade with little reading ability. The catch up that needs to take place, will take a lot of effort and a lot of funding. In light of the conversation I had about the literacy gaps, I was elated to see that the Department of Education has called for significant increases in federal support for education overall. President Biden’s 2022 proposed discretionary budget requests $103 billion for education. This would increase current funding thresholds from 2021 by almost $30 billion. A lot of eyes were raised when the proposal was released, but the administration recognized that funding for education has been in a deficit for a decade. The latest ed.gov memo states, “the underinvestment in K-12 education matters because of the dramatic and longstanding inequities in State and local education funding systems, which despite more than half a century of litigation and reform, too often continue to provide significantly less funding for high-poverty districts and schools, which are more likely to serve students of color, resulting in a disproportionate impact on these students. Reversing these funding inequities, as well as immediately addressing the negative impact of those inequities in service of students, are critical goals.” 1 Local Education Agencies will have access to $20 billion in Title I Equity Grants that will help address years of funding inequity helping to make sure that all students receive a high quality education. Civil rights was also not ignored with a 10% increase to protect students by advancing equity from PreK through higher education. There are major dollars earmarked for improving students' physical and mental health as well as providing community wrap-around services to students and families in underserved schools. For the first time in eight (8) years, a proposed 20% increase in special education dollars has been proposed with dollars earmarked for early intervention services for infants and toddlers. Other proposed items of note: $412 Million to address teaching shortages, improve training and supports for teachers, and boost teacher diversity $340 Million for special education preparation $60 Million o the Hawkins Centers of Excellence (increase quality and # if minority educators) $1.6 Billion to support new certifications in high need areas $200 Million to support opportunities for effective teachers to lead while having internal impact on their schools $108 Million increase in CTE programs nationwide $25 Million increase to expand college bridge programs $100 Million over 10 years to help connect adults to employment Pell Grant Increases for high education 2 Years FREE community college for first time students $10 Billion for school infrastructure $50 Billion over five (5) years for grants to update existing schools $12 Billion over five (5) years to invest in community college facilities $2.1 Billion for federal student aid No matter which political party you may align with, education needs this funding. I hope as a nation we can come together to make these historic investments to bridge the achievement gaps and lay the groundwork for sustainable equitable practices across every school in America! Please…Get involved and make a difference!

Over the last 90 days, educational leaders across the nation have worked tirelessly to make sure students have some semblance of a daily educational experience. Just as states start to somewhat get a handle on remote learning, educational reentry plans have to be organized with an overall level of commitment. Every state has their own specific nuance to deal with; be that equity issues, technology issues, bandwidth, internet, sanitization….but no matter the nuance, all states are truly trying and making progress! The next hurdle? Reopening Schools! The feds have structured a phased-in approach to reopening, and we are currently still in the first phase. For schools that means- CONTINUED CLOSURE. Phase two begins when there is a downward trajectory of positive COVID testing continued for 28 days. During this phase schools can begin to think about reopening Phase three begins when there is a downward trajectory of positive COVID testing continued for 42 days. Phase three is when life, as we once knew it, can begin to peek its head around the corner. Schools are able to reopen as well. One consistent measure is clear, that no matter what state or circumstance you are faced with, the need to know where students are academically on day one of their return is imperative. States are entertaining many different avenues to accomplish this: Retooling spring assessments for school opening to give a starting point for gauging student achievement gains Using the last assessment given pre-COVID as the point to start from Review data from all curriculum and vendors in use to construct learning plans Moving to grade free model so all just move at their own pace For more guidance on how you can structure your reopenings, please check out these roadmaps offered by the Opportunity Labs! According to the lab, the roadmaps are constructed on evidenced based operational plans and comprised of the essential actions designed to spur thinking, planning, and prioritization and likely to have the most significant impact with limited time and resources. Silverback is here for you too! We have embraced these challenges so check out the platforms we have to assist in your reopening! Tune in June 30th at 1pm est to hear from the experts! Dr. Judy Warden from Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence and National Equity expert Dr. Donna Elam will join us for a live chat on the nation returning to schools. Reserve Your Spot Today!

As districts get ready for schools to reopen, educators will be faced with the largest learning gaps they have experienced in years. Silverback Learning has worked to identify several solutions to help you meet these challenges head-on! Assessment edifyAssess is an assessment tool for educators to identify key learning gaps. During this time, edify is being used to leverage prior-year EOC assessments to level set the skills each student is entering the new school year with. Our partnership with Key Data Systems provides hundreds of assessments for ELA and Math in grades 3 through 11. Of particular interest in the Fall, are the EOC ELA and SBAC assessments. The end of course ELA assessments show where each student resides within the content correlated to standards they should have mastered the previous year; while SBAC shows where students are in terms of common core standards. Once the baseline is understood, strategic choices can be made around scaffolding prior-year content into the current year. Certainly, some students will require more intensive efforts like RTI/MTSS to ensure larger learning gaps are closed. edifyAssess can not only help with establishing the baseline, but it also contains interim assessments to help assess students throughout the year; helping drive instructional strategies and ensuring students are learning those core critical skills. For students struggling on certain concepts, mini strand-based assessments can be given to ensure skill gaps are adequately closed. District created and custom assessments based on Depth of Knowledge levels and standards can be disseminated too! Leveraging hundreds of prebuilt assessments in this way helps to turn gaps into gains! Equity is also addressed by having continuous knowledge of where each student resides academically. edifyAssess allows you to turn paper assessments into digital assessments that can be automatically scored and reported on by standard; providing a visual overview of standards-based performance for your entire class or classes. Powerful reporting capabilities at the student, class, building and district levels allow you to see gains and accomplishments. With the uncertainty of the new school year, and the potential for another online learning transition, edifyAssess can easily deliver digital assessments supporting your online learning strategies. edifyAssess can be a powerful and guiding platform, whether online or in person. Let us show you how to implement a comprehensive strategy to close the learning gaps, make gains on the new standards and help you address the inequity among your students by surfacing learning opportunities! Schedule a demo today to see how edifyAssess can help your district achieve positive gains!

Greetings! My name is Joe Wallace and I am the new CEO here at Silverback Learning Solutions. It is our mission to help all educators achieve extraordinary outcomes and measurable growth through the intuitively simple solutions we offer. We understand how important it is for you to have the ability to easily measure standards based competencies, so that instructional methodologies can be customized to help student achievement soar. Silverback’s platforms can serve as the ecosystem for any school or district to assess, diagnose, and track where students are academically; while helping educators evaluate pedagogical and professional development needs. edifyAssess is an intuitive and flexible assessment tool that streamlines instructional testing by delivering real-time analytics that quickly identify individualized learning needs. Mileposts is a revolutionary platform that provides a comprehensive view of every student. Collaborate and track progress on K-12 education plans and programs seamlessly. Teacher Vitae is designed to efficiently capture and organize feedback that can be tagged to frameworks through the use of personal portfolios and a customizable PD library Our team of dedicated professionals are passionate about achieving extraordinary student outcomes. Schedule a demo with us to understand how Silverback’s platforms can meet your needs and help you achieve your goals today! We look forward to helping you transform your educational system! Sincerely,

By Dr. Calvin Mackie, STEM NOLA Do you remember where you were on September 11, 2001? Do you remember the horrific images of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005? Do you remember the Banking crisis in 2008? Everyone suffers from storms that come into their lives. No one is immune from bad days, or months, or sometimes, years. Presently, America as a whole is experiencing an unprecedented storm. The Coronavirus pandemic poses an existential danger and is threatening to destroy our way of life. More than 100 million people have been ordered by states to shelter in place. The financial markets are crashing. Trillions of dollars have disappeared. Millions of people are filing for unemployment benefits. People fear losing their homes and jobs. Fifty three million kids and countless teachers are home-bound due to school closures. Sometimes, we look at the dark clouds of a storm and it seems as if they linger forever. The clouds and the rain seem like they will never end; however, the best thing we can do during times of trouble is remember that the storms never lasted. “This too shall pass.” If I didn’t already understand my grandma’s favorite proverb, “This Too Shall Pass,” the events of Hurricane Katrina made it crystal clear for me. There have been times in my life that have been very difficult for me, but nothing would compare to the financial, physical and psychological burden that mother nature imposed on my community. Beginning in 2005, the people of New Orleans took one gut punch after another. First, the hurricane. Then the flood. The government’s slow response, the loss of homes, lives, investments and our way of life. Years later, after the cameras had departed and the nation seemed to move on, the people of New Orleans -my people, me – were rebuilding our lives and city. The impact of Hurricane Katrina passed because we never lost hope that it would pass and life would go on. Hope is that little voice in your head that whispers “yes,” when the entire world is screaming “no.” After Hurricane Katrina, I lost a tenured professorship in the School of Engineering at Tulane University, when the president of the university decided to keep the football team and eliminate the engineering program. In March 2006, I lost my dad and stepmother six days apart when neither of them could receive the medical treatment they deserved in the challenged healthcare system of New Orleans. My childhood community, including my church, were destroyed by the hurricane. The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina gave me hope and three things that are important for us to consider during this global health crisis. 1. HOPE helped me find my Purpose and Passion. Use this time to look within and discover your purpose and passion “A passion is not friendly. It is arrogant, superbly contemptuous of all what is not itself, and, as the very definition of passion implies the impulse to freedom, it has a mighty intimidating power. It contains a challenge. It contains an unspeakable hope.” – James Baldwin The loss of my tenured faculty position at Tulane University was extremely difficult. For 11 years, I worked long hours writing numerous proposals, journal articles and conference papers. I spent numerous late nights grading papers and preparing lectures. At the most challenging moment in my life – when my community and childhood home were underwater and faculty members were displaced from their homes – Tulane University made the decision to shutter the entire engineering program, thus firing more than 60 faculty members. I was shocked and utterly upset. My entire world was turned upside down! This event caused me to found STEM NOLA, a community-based 501(c)3 nonprofit, to expose, inspire and engage communities in hands-on STEM activities. We have since engaged more than 40,000 K-12 kids and built a cradle to career STEM pipeline model for communities. Yes, I lost my tenured position, but I found my purpose and mission in life. I had been afraid to pursue other dreams I had because I was so comfortable in my position. The loss of my JOB, but never my HOPE, led me to find MY PURPOSE and PASSION! 2. HOPE helped me find Community. Use this time to discover new friends and colleagues in different arenas In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, my family lost 29 homes. I instantly lost 62 colleagues and a community of scholars at Tulane. The neighborhood where I grew up was destroyed and my church imploded. Everything that gave me social connection and communal identity were either gone or displaced. Hope helped me connect with a new community that helped me re-create myself. Understand your value proposition to the market and the world. You were previously successful with your school and organization. How can you now package your skills for yourself for the new world or new normal? COVID-19 is destroying our social connections and altering our relationships even with those closest to us. Take some time and do a self-inventory and be honest. Being really busy focusing on everything but ourselves, sometimes we forget what it is that we have to bring to the table, although we were delivering it all of the time. Start to look for communities to re-engage and discover what uniqueness you have to offer the new world. 3. HOPE helped me find ME. Use this time to look within and find your voice! I was a research scientist with a lab full of undergraduate and graduate research students. I spent years studying fluid mechanics and heat transfer as they relate to the manufacturing of advanced materials. I know, yes, I was an egg head. Late nights reading journals, writing proposals and grants to government agencies and foundations allowed me very little interaction with the larger community. Deep within me, however, was a desire to impact the community in which I lived, worked and played. I would drive to work and see kids walking to school down the same potholed-filled streets where I walked. I wondered how my work was impacting their lives. After losing my job, I found ME and my voice! I now advocate and work on behalf of the children who otherwise may not ever be exposed to STEM education. My work in the university and training as a scientist, coupled with finding a new community, gave birth to my true voice. My true voice, the one that emanates from my core, is the voice that speaks and advocates for our children. The voice that gives them and hopefully you HOPE. The HOPE to keep pushing forward in the face of crisis and uncertainty. All of us have that voice within us, listen! — If you are alive, with breath still in your body, you will continue to accumulate more losses and trials in your life. Losing, falling and failing are unavoidable, challenging, and painful parts of life, but you must never lose hope! Our children are watching us. They can sense our anxiety and hear our nervousness. It is paramount that we hold onto hope, knowing that collectively as a community and even a nation, there isn’t a challenge that we cannot conquer. Out of the mist and fog of this Coronavirus crisis, we will discover a brighter day!

I was really happy to see billions of dollars allocated for K12 education budgets during December of 2020 and January of 2021. Here is the breakdown with some great resources if you follow this kind of thing! DECEMBER 2020 $54 billion were added to the (ESSER- Cares Act) Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund. This second round of funds are called ESSERII funds (CRRSA Act). The funds are available through September 30,2022 and can be RETROACTIVELY applied all the way back to March 13th 2020. Once the states (SEA) receive the funds, they must be awarded within one year. These funds need to be tracked separately and there are accountability measures with the funds including how the state is using the dollars to measure and address learning loss, including the amount of students affected by COVID and school closures. Did You Know? Funds can be used to address learning loss. Testing can be covered with these funds. JANUARY 2021 $4 billion were added to the (GEER) Governor's Emergency Education Relief Funds. These funds are to ensure continuous learning for students in all schools. $2.65 Billion of these dollars are earmarked for non public schools. The non public schools dollars are titled EANS funds (Emergency Assistance for Non Public Schools). EANS funds have to be applied for by the Governor. Did You Know? EANS funds can be used for: Professional Development Edtech Instructional Planning Supporting Remote and Hybrid Learning Remediating Learning Loss What is your State Doing? Use this tracker to find out how much your state has been awarded as well as how much has been spent and where. Check out this fact sheet to understand the differences between the ESSER Fund (CARES Act) and ESSER II Fund (CRRSA Act). Do you have additional questions? Send them on in to us at info@silverbacklearning.com and we will include the answers in our next blog!

August 2020 Dr. Joy Rapp Former Superintendent Sr. Account Executive No matter the state you reside in, the 2020-21 school year will offer some unique mix of remote learning experiences, and teachers will face students with various levels of mastery from prior coursework. The American Federation of Teachers recommends that “An extensive review of all assessment programs should be conducted to prioritize assessments that provide teachers with critical information and to decrease the amount of teaching/learning time lost to assessments. Ideally, diagnostics should be teacher-friendly and accompanied by access to relevant instructional resources and supports to fill gaps.” Silverback’s edifyAssess + KDS is here to help! Over the past few months, we have learned from Ed.Gov how important it is to use valid and reliable assessments. edifyAssess + KDS help schools quickly identify the summer slide and school closure learning gaps. With over 500 pre-built assessments designed to identify student progress, edifyAssess offers immediate reporting on student needs. The assessments were written specifically for each grade level using appropriate academic language and checked for validity and bias! This new unprecedented school year will have teachers needing targeted interventions and differentiated instruction online, and at their fingertips while in the classroom to help individual students reach their learning goals. edifyAsses + KDS targets instruction creating QUICK CHECKS to monitor progress on each student. When you need the option to go fully mobile in an instant, edifyAssess can serve as the central location for a district's assessments turning paper assessments into digital assessments that can be automatically scored and reported on by standard!