Impacts of COVID. 19 on your LEA: Please describe the areas that have been most impacted by the coronavirus on your LEA. What has been done to determine the strategies that are needed to mitigate the effects of the pandemic? Please provide any baseline data and stakeholder feedback collected to show the impacts of COVID-19. Merit has been affected by the coronavirus in a variety of significant ways. It has become necessary to provide online instruction to our students. Even students who attend classes in-person have needed online support when they have become sick or required to quarantine. Many students have missed classroom time due to illness and quarantine requirements. It has been challenging to keep the school sanitized and up to CDC and local health department recommendations. Transportation has also been affected, as it has been difficult to keep students socially distanced. Finally, Covid-19 has been a significant emotional and mental strain on students and staff alike. We have had many discussions with board members, staff, parents, and the local health department to consider how best to approach these challenges. We have reviewed guidelines and requirements from USBE, the CDC, and the local health department. Merit had 89 students taking online courses last school year. These students made up 20% of our student population this past school year. We had never previously offered online courses to students, and this has been a major challenge for our students and staff to adapt to. After conversations with our custodial team, we determined that a big challenge in keeping the school clean and sanitized was our school’s carpets. Presently, all of the hallways and most classrooms are carpeted. They are old carpets and they are difficult to clean. This has made it difficult for us to keep the school sanitized, and it has become a health hazard for our staff and students. The school board has repeatedly voiced concerns to the school administration regarding technology supported learning and providing sufficient support to staff and students. After consulting with H-Wire, a third party IT group, we have come up with potential solutions to address online learning. Merit will be purchasing new computers, Chromebooks to achieve a 1:1 student to Chromebook ratio, and Audio Enhancement technology to communicate with classrooms to enhance social distancing practices. With many students online and many students missing classes, we have also identified a need to purchase a better Student Information System to track attendance, behavior, and student progress. This system will also help us ensure that students are not missing instruction and that they receive additional support when they are unable to attend due to effects of the coronavirus. This system will also better collect and analyze student data to help drive decision making by the school administration going forward. The school transportation team recommended purchasing an additional bus to be able to adequately address the transportation needs of our students. We have a growing school population and an increased demand for buses. By purchasing an additional bus, we will be able to maintain school operations and more adequately distance our students while riding the buses.
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Samples: Funding Agreement
Impacts of COVID. 19 on your LEA: Please describe the areas that have been most impacted by the coronavirus on your LEA. What has been done to determine the strategies that are needed to mitigate the effects of the pandemic? Please provide any baseline data and stakeholder feedback collected to show the impacts of COVID-19. Merit has been affected In light of the monumental task that teachers had with the obstacles to learning that students faced during the past couple of years with COVID-19, it is no surprise that there are deficits in learning that we are working to correct. This is evidenced by a reduction in proficiency in most grade levels in math from the coronavirus previous year to the 2020-2021 school year. For example, the change in proficiency based on our EOY benchmarks (MyMath K-5, Glencoe Math 6-8) from the 2019-2020 school year to the 2020-2021 school year shows a shift from an average of 66% proficiency to 58% proficiency. In the area of literacy, while we saw some growth in most grades, our XXX to EOY data comparison from both school years showed that we need to refocus on foundational skills in a variety way that we teach critical skills in the correct order (for example: Accuracy before Fluency) to strengthen our emerging readers in a way that they are ready to handle more difficult text. The reading gets more complex beginning in 2nd grade so providing as solid a foundation as early as possible (K-1 grades) is critical. Many of significant ways. It has become necessary to provide online instruction to our students. Even students who attend classes in-person are currently K-1, have needed online support when they have become sick or required minimal “usual” experience in a school setting and are therefore in need of better targeted exposure to quarantinereading. Many students have missed classroom time due Our current efforts to illness mitigate the academic impacts of the pandemic are centered around our staff becoming experts at differentiation so that teachers are able to quickly identify discrepancies and quarantine requirements. It has been challenging know how best to keep meet the school sanitized and up to CDC and local health department recommendations. Transportation has also been affected, as it has been difficult to keep students socially distanced. Finally, Covid-19 has been a significant emotional and mental strain on students and staff alikeneeds of each individual student. We have had many discussions with board members, staff, parents, and the local health department will continue to consider how best to approach these challenges. We have reviewed guidelines host professional development opportunities and requirements from USBE, the CDC, and the local health department. Merit had 89 students taking online courses last school year. These students made up 20% of our student population this past school year. We had never previously offered online courses to students, and this has been a major challenge provide outlets for our students and staff to adapt to. After conversations with our custodial team, we determined that a big challenge in keeping the school clean and sanitized was our school’s carpets. Presently, all of the hallways and most classrooms are carpeted. They are old carpets and they are difficult to clean. This has made it difficult for us to keep the school sanitized, and it has become a health hazard collaboration for our staff so they have what they need to become expert at this. We are mindful that the impacts of our work to minimize the spread of COVID-19 and studentskeep kids in school is worth every effort. The We will continue to put our best efforts toward creating a school board has repeatedly voiced concerns where our students feel safe, are able to the school administration regarding technology supported learning thrive socially and providing sufficient support to staff and students. After consulting with H-Wire, a third party IT group, we have come up with potential solutions to address online learning. Merit will be purchasing new computers, Chromebooks to achieve a 1:1 student to Chromebook ratioemotionally, and Audio Enhancement technology to communicate with classrooms to enhance social distancing practices. With many students online and many students missing classes, we have also identified a need to purchase a better Student Information System to track attendance, behavior, and student progress. This system will also help us ensure that students are not missing instruction and that they receive additional support when they are unable to attend due to effects of the coronavirus. This system will also better collect and analyze student data to help drive decision making by the school administration going forward. The school transportation team recommended purchasing an additional bus every opportunity to be able to adequately address the transportation needs of our students. We have a growing school population and an increased demand for buses. By purchasing an additional bus, we will be able to maintain school operations and more adequately distance our students while riding the busesacademically successful.
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Impacts of COVID. 19 on your LEA: Please describe the areas that have been most impacted by the coronavirus on your LEA. What has been done to determine the strategies that are needed to mitigate the effects of the pandemic? Please provide any baseline data and stakeholder feedback collected to show the impacts of COVID-19. Merit has been affected by Even though we were able to hold school through the coronavirus in a variety entire 20-21 school year, there were noticeable losses. Student absenteeism was extremely high because of significant waysquarantines and encouraged absence for other illnesses. It has become necessary Though we were able to provide online instruction for all students whose situations necessitated it, many students struggled. Failing grades skyrocketed and we implemented several measures to assist these students with XXXXX II funds. Remediation during and after the school day through the final quarter of 20-21, extended and expanded summer school, and additional planning time for teachers have all had a positive impact on student outcomes. As we initiated discussions for XXXXX III funds, these rose to the top of the list of measures that have made a difference for student outcomes. Using these we were able to raise several hundred grades to a passing level. With the planning time, teachers were tasked with evaluating student data for their 20-21 students as well as their 21-22 students. They then were able to meet with the students’ former or future teachers to prepare a plan for their instruction in the current year. We have also used these funds to provide professional development into effective collaboration to better assist our students. Even Again, the feedback was to use these tools as we move forward, and they are listed as priorities. Social Emotional health of students who attend classes in-person have needed online support when they have become sick or required continues to quarantinebe a major focus. Many students have missed classroom time due to illness and quarantine requirements. It has been challenging to keep the school sanitized and up to CDC and local health department recommendations. Transportation has also been affected, as it has been difficult to keep students socially distanced. Finally, Covid-19 has been a significant emotional and mental strain on students and staff alike. We have had many discussions with board members, staffOur administrators, parents, and board have seen the local health department need to consider how best to approach these challengesassist families and students through this difficult time and beyond. We have reviewed guidelines and requirements from USBEprioritized social workers/mental health monitors with a portion of the funds to work with students, the CDCstaff, and families who have been adversely affected by the local health departmentpandemic. Merit had 89 students taking online courses last school yearTechnology is an ongoing concern. These students made up 20% The pandemic has taken a toll on our devices and it has been readily apparent to our education community that we need an ongoing supply of devices coming into our student population system. Chromebooks and protective cases are the result of this past school yearneed. We had never previously offered online courses to have struggled with quality of instruction for at-home students, and this has been with the requirements of social spacing in the schools and classrooms. Contact tracing is also a major challenge concern for our schools and the wellness of our students and staff staff. We are upgrading two technology systems that will help with tracing, with lesson delivery to adapt to. After conversations with our custodial team, we determined that a big challenge in keeping the school clean and sanitized was our school’s carpets. Presently, all of the hallways and most classrooms are carpeted. They are old carpets and they are difficult to clean. This has made it difficult for us to keep the school sanitizedon-line students, and it has become a health hazard with communication to students in our socially distanced and often masked classrooms. Cameras on our schools and grounds with tracing capabilities, cameras and sound systems in our classrooms that will aid in lesson delivery for in-class and on-line instruction came out of our staff discussions and studentsare on our priorities. The school board has repeatedly voiced concerns to the school administration regarding technology supported learning and providing sufficient support to staff and students. After consulting with H-Wire, a third party IT groupFinally, we have determined to purchase touchless bottle refilling stations so students do not have to come up in contact with potential solutions a fountain. These items have come through school level discussions in the spring with faculty, student and parent groups, they moved to address online learning. Merit will be purchasing new computersour board meetings with public comment opportunities given on possible priorities, Chromebooks they were reported in our local newspapers with an invitation to achieve a 1:1 student to Chromebook ratiomake suggestions and comments, and Audio Enhancement technology to communicate with classrooms to enhance social distancing practices. With many students online have been reviewed by administrators and many students missing classes, we have also identified a need to purchase a better Student Information System to track attendance, behavior, and student progress. This system will also help us ensure that students are not missing instruction and that they receive additional support when they are unable to attend due to effects of the coronavirus. This system will also better collect and analyze student data to help drive decision making by the school administration going forward. The school transportation team recommended purchasing an additional bus to be able to adequately address the transportation needs of our students. We have a growing school population and an increased demand board members for buses. By purchasing an additional bus, we will be able to maintain school operations and more adequately distance our students while riding the busesprioritization.
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Samples: Funding Agreement
