Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER III) Background

The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER III) is a federal grant which requires that spending be used in specific areas.  Part of the Fairfax County Public Schools spending plan identifies funding to be used for Unfinished Learning and Student Academic and Social, Emotional, Mental Health (Wellness) Needs.  Schools have been given funding allocations to support the academic and wellness needs of students.  Schools are required to create plans in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Wellness highlighting the strategies they will use to support these areas using their ESSER III funding.  These strategies are shown below.

English Language Arts Strategies

Outcome: Ensure students are making sufficient progress to be on grade level in English Language Arts.

1. Provide small group Tier 1  instruction based on assessment data and utilize core resources to differentiate and scaffold literacy instruction.
2. Provide small group targeted Tier 2 instruction to reteach essential standards.
3. Utilize the intervention spreadsheets to target specific literacy skills through Tier 3 instruction.  
4. Improve teachers’ knowledge of evidenced-based, multisensory instructional strategies for teaching reading and phonics instruction.

Mathematics Strategies

Outcome: Ensure students are making sufficient progress to be on grade level in Mathematics.

1. Provide small-group Tier 1 instruction based on assessment data and utilize core resources to differentiate and scaffold math instruction. 
2. Provide small-group, targeted Tier 2 instruction to reteach essential standards using the elementary mathematics progression.
3. Provide small group targeted Tier 3 instruction using Building Fact Fluency kits and AVMR resources and assessments.
4. Provide before school targeted instruction using high leverage practices to reinforce grade-level standards.

Wellness Strategies

Outcome: Ensure students feel safe, included, and supported in the school environment.

1. Strengthen Tier 1 behavior management strategies.

2. Provide targeted student support.

3. Provide opportunities for teacher/family relationship building.

School Innovation & Improvement Plan (SIIP) Background

All Fairfax County schools are also required to complete an access and opportunity goal as part of their School Innovation and Improvement Plan (SIIP) and can also capture additional goals.  These are shown below.

Access & Opportunity End of Year SMARTR Outcome

Goal: All Kindergarten through sixth grade students will receive access to rigorous instruction utilized through weekly applications of the Advanced Academics Program (AAP) Tier 1 Access to Rigor opportunities noted in the Planning and Pacing Guides.

1. Collaborative teams will plan on a weekly basis with rigor in mind.

2. Access to rigor and AAP strategies will be modeled for teachers in a variety of ways.