Educational Disparities and Teacher Development

Overview

The U.S. Department of Treasury Final Rule for ARPA/SLFRF provides greater flexibility and simplicity than the previous Interim Rule for ARPA/SLFRF funding recipients to fight the pandemic and support families and businesses struggling with its impacts, maintain vital services amid revenue shortfalls, and build a strong, resilient, and equitable recovery. Expenditure Category 2.25, Negative Economic Impacts: Addressing Educational Disparities: Academic, Social, and Emotional Services provides for general interpretation for remediation due to the COVID-19 impacts and applicants responding to this published RFGA opportunity are encouraged to present applications to address the impact of lost learning time for K-12 students, including programs to provide high-quality tutoring and personalized learning, childcare and early learning services, home visiting programs, services for child welfare-involved families and children and youth in foster care. Preference will be given to eligible applicants proposing evidence-based educational programming to address student academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs.

Education providers for the K-12 population who desire to address their teacher education workforce, including teacher paraprofessionals, specifically to develop evidence-based professional development programming are eligible and encouraged to apply for this published RFGA funding opportunity.  The emergence and continued presence of COVID-19 increases the need for K-12 teachers and teacher paraprofessionals to receive professional development programming to not only increase their knowledge, skills, and abilities but also to demonstrate a positive impact upon the student.

In one research study about teacher professional development, it was noted that “Teachers have historically participated in professional development activities inside and outside schools. These activities have been sponsored by a variety of organizations, including schools, school districts, a consortia of districts, professional organizations, teacher associations, state departments of education, private consultants, and institutions of higher education. They have most typically taken the form of in-service training, workshops, conferences, summer institutes, and graduate courses." (Ganser, 2000, p.11).

Applicants submitting a proposal for teacher professional development programming are encouraged to present innovative approaches that incorporate either evidence-based, evidence-informed, or emerging practice models. Proposed programming can be either established or a pilot phase of a larger project. Grant awards to eligible and qualified applicants who are selected for an award will generally identify in one of the following segments; applicants with proposed projects that address all three segments are highly encouraged to apply: 

• Applicants focused upon mitigation of COVID-19 negative impact with projects that address academic learning loss;
• Applicants focused upon mitigation of COVID-19 negative impact with projects that address social and emotional services needed;
• Applicants focused upon mitigation of COVID-19 negative impact with projects that address teacher and teacher paraprofessional professional development and demonstrates support to teacher and teacher paraprofessional retention efforts.
• Applicants who present professional development projects that have a demonstrated correlation to mitigation of learning loss are preferred and will receive consideration for higher scoring (but does not imply a guarantee of funding).

Eligibility
The following Arizona entities are eligible to apply for the ARPA/SLFRF 032823-AEDTPD Grant Program:

• Arizona Local Education Agencies (LEAs), which are public school districts and public charter schools, recognized and overseen by the Arizona Department of Education and Arizona State Board for Charter Schools, respectively
• Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations serving the Kindergarten through Grade 12 population; Kindergarten refers to students who will be entering kindergarten in Fall 2023
• Education-related nonprofit community organizations and community centers serving the Kindergarten through Grade 12 population; Kindergarten refers to students who will be entering kindergarten in Fall 2023
• Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs), which are accredited, legally authorized postsecondary institutions in the State and recognized by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education

Eligible expenses must be justified as: Expenses directly related to the mitigation of the negative economic impacts of the COVID-19 public health pandemic through re-engaging students in learning by meeting academic, social, and emotional needs and/or engaging in teacher professional development activities.

Non-Exhaustive Examples List of Allowable Expenses: 

• Academic and Learning Loss 
• COVID-19 related classroom expenses such as: 
  • Materials, textbooks, curriculum costs, and supplies  
  • Teacher premium pay 
  • Student support 
  • Hiring additional teachers 
  • Substitute teacher costs 
  • Before/After school programs
  • Programs for English as a Second Language (ESL) designated students
  • College application assistance 
  • Social and Emotional Services
  • Counseling services
  • Increased number of counselors
  • Mental health/wellness programs
  • Increased number of school psychologists
  • Increased number of social workers
  • Online counseling services
  • School nurses
  • Teacher and Teacher Paraprofessionals Professional Development
  • Training and professional development for teacher education workforce (inclusive of teacher paraprofessionals), i.e. in-service training, workshops, conferences, summer institutes, and graduate courses

Cost Share: There is no required cost share (match) associated with this program.

Grant funds must be used in accordance with the U.S. Department of Treasury ARPA/SLFRF Expenditure Category 2.25 Addressing Educational Disparities: Academic, Social, and Emotional Services and focused upon demonstrated financial need. Funding awarded from the published RFGA must not supplant federal, state, local, or non-federal federal funds. Eligible and allowable expenses for this RFGA are restricted to expenses incurred during the grant period of July 1, 2023 through August 1, 2024.

For purposes in this published RFGA, no single grantee will receive an award of more than $5,000,000.00. 

The purpose of the funding described in this RFGA is to aid in the mitigation of negative economic impacts of COVID-19 in addressing learning loss arising from educational disparities, inclusive of academic, social, and emotional services and programs provided to the Kindergarten through Grade 12 population.

Funding is made available through Arizona's distributed share of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) and is competitive, with specific program and financial application requirements. The CFDA Number for ARPA/SLFRF funds is 21.027. The U.S. Department of Treasury (“Treasury”) ARPA/SLFRF Expenditure Category associated with this RFGA is 2.25 Addressing Educational Disparities: Academic, Social, and Emotional Services. 

OSPB will allocate funds in accordance with a competitive grant process for interested parties that meet the eligibility requirements. It is anticipated (but not guaranteed) that the total funds available will be approximately $50,000,000.00. The grant term is from July 1, 2023 through August 1, 2024. Proposed projects may not be fully funded; applicants are encouraged to develop project budgets that demonstrate diverse streams of revenue. Funding for approved activities and allowable costs is on a cost-reimbursement basis.