Whitney Fleenor

This document serves as an appendix guide for updating the ESSER 3.0 Public Plan for remaining funds. It outlines the strategic allocation of funds by Hancock County Schools to address academic achievement, student preparation, educator support, and fundamental structural needs. Key initiatives include providing academic interventions and tutoring programs, offering mental health counseling, implementing educator retention strategies, and upgrading technology, facilities, and safety systems. The plan also details mechanisms for active monitoring, auditing, reporting, and ensuring significant family and community engagement in the deployment of these federal relief funds to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

This document, the ESSER 3.0 Needs Assessment Plan for Hancock County Schools, provides a strategic framework for the effective allocation of ESSER 3.0 funds. It identifies critical areas requiring reinforcement due to the pandemic, encompassing academics, student readiness, and educator support. The plan outlines key investment priorities, including hiring specialized teachers and data advisors for academic improvement, preparing students for professional careers and supporting those with disabilities, providing mental health counselors, and investing in academic coaches, retention bonuses, and technology infrastructure to enhance student achievement and address pandemic-related challenges.

This document outlines the ESSER 3.0 Public Plan for Remaining Funds for Hancock County Schools for the 2023-2024 period. The plan details the allocation of funds across four key areas: Academics, Student Readiness, Educators, and Foundations. Strategic priorities include accelerating academic achievement and addressing learning loss through interventionists and tutoring programs; supporting student well-being with mental health counseling; recruiting, retaining, and supporting educators with bonuses; and strengthening structural expectations through technology upgrades, facility improvements, and enhanced safety and transportation. The overarching goal is to safely operate schools, mitigate the impact of the pandemic, and improve student outcomes.

The Hancock County Schools' RTI² District Plan outlines a comprehensive, multi-tiered instructional approach designed to address achievement gaps and provide high-quality differentiated instruction to all students. The plan is structured around seven key components: universal screening, progress monitoring, tiered service delivery (Tier I for core instruction, Tier II for targeted instruction, and Tier III for intensive instruction), data-based decision making, parent involvement, fidelity of implementation, and professional development. It aims to identify at-risk students, monitor their progress, provide evidence-based interventions tailored to individual needs, and ensure accurate identification of students with learning disabilities, including those with characteristics of dyslexia.

This plan outlines how Hancock County Schools will strategically allocate federal assistance funds (ESSER 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0) provided in response to COVID-19. The primary objective is to accelerate student achievement through targeted investments in academic interventions, student preparation, educator development and retention, and fundamental infrastructure. The plan aims to make high-impact, research-based investments to ensure long-term student success and transparency in reporting outcomes, aligning with the 'Best For All' strategic framework.