Activities and interventions may include and must be evidence-based interventions:

How PXU will spend the 80% discretionary funds

LEAs must engage in meaningful consultation with stakeholders and provide the public the opportunity to provide input and take such input into account in the development of their plan

Stakeholders must include:

The LEA’s plan must also be:

LEA's have until 2024 to obligate newest federal funds:

• $123B ARP ESSER III. LEA's must obligate by 9/2024. ~$2,400 per pupil (20% must be used for learning loss)
• $54B CRSSA ESSER II. SEA's must obligate by 9/2023. ~$1,100 per pupil (Broadly flexible. DoED: expenses must relate to COVID)
• $13B CARES ESSER I. LEA's must obligate by 9/2022. ~$250 per pupil

PXU recognizes the need for expanded learning opportunities to build upon existing knowledge and help students connect conceptually to their new learning. With the pandemic interrupting traditional scope and sequence in the Spring of 2020, many students need additional instruction, support, and exposure to essential learning standards and opportunities to demonstrate competency in any gaps or areas needing more reinforcement or practice. With this in mind, PXU is committed to expanding opportunities for high-dose tutoring, ongoing assistance, support, and opportunities for students to accelerate their learning.  Investments in Unfinished Learning will include strategies such as:

• Increased tutoring opportunities in all contents on Saturdays, evenings, weekends, and breaks
• Curricular adjustment cadres
• Evidence-based grading professional development and expansion
• Learning spaces for students to study, get support or work collaboratively after school and into the evening
• Nationally recognized benchmark assessments to monitor student growth
• Redesign of reading and other academic intervention programs

PXU is committed to strengthening the transition from elementary to high school through stronger articulation efforts in our system, seamless enrollment experiences, and increased opportunities for future and current freshmen entering our system.  All future and incoming freshmen will have dedicated, intentional support provided to ensure a successful transition.  Now more than ever, students also need early exposure, ongoing assistance, and direct, intentional support with their post-secondary goals and aspirations. PXU will build upon our post-secondary transition practices and work hand in hand with post-secondary institutions through increased dual enrollment opportunities while in high school as well as financial assistance to support the transition to college/university for our students and families.

Lastly, we know the pandemic placed incredible stress on our urban communities resulting in many students simply disengaging from school. Whether it is because of family financial obligations, frustration with virtual learning, or disconnection from the community, many students dropped out as a result of the pandemic. PXU is committed to identifying and outreaching to these students and families and re-engaging our youth. By strengthening innovative and flexible learning opportunities, PXU is committed to providing more options and opportunities for disengaged youth to reengage in learning, complete their diploma and explore post-secondary options in a more personalized, relevant way. Investments in transitions in out and back will include strategies such as:

• Additional articulation efforts, professional development, and outside partnership opportunities within our feeder system to strengthen transitions for our incoming students and families
• Launch and manage a City Year Program focused specifically on grades 7-9 to strengthen transition and support
• Financial incentives to our teachers for increased dual enrollment opportunities
• Additional assistance and support to our students to assist with transitions to college/university
• Enhanced efforts to outreach to and re-engage our disconnected youth through innovative, flexible learning models.

Teachers and students have experienced a drastic change in how instruction has been provided over the last two years. From quickly transitioning to online learning, and then slowly returning to in-person classrooms once again, the practices for delivering instruction have changed. Teachers and students have had to rely on technology and instructional delivery in a much different way. It is crucial for PXU to develop a strong and foundational understanding of what research-based practices continue to be effective, and which strategies are not as relevant or helpful to teaching and learning as a result of the shifts in learning methods that the pandemic has caused. PXU will continue to imbed sound research-based instructional methods in our Teaching & Learning Professional Development Framework for all certified staff, while also including new or evolved teaching methods that are effective for our students’ post-pandemic. Investments in Teaching and Learning will include strategies such as:

• Professional development on research-based teaching practices on effective technology use
• Supporting teachers with identification of learning loss with individual students
• Adjusting curriculum and instructional materials to address identified learning gaps as a result of disrupted learning
• Training for teachers on the necessary balance of social-emotional learning supports with academic recovery strategies
• Intentional embedded strategies in the PXU Teaching & Learning Framework for addressing disrupted learning and how to maximize learning recovery

PXU's strategies to address the needs of our most vulnerable student populations are embedded within and throughout the District Strategic Plan and 10 Commitments.  Given this, we believe that even more emphasis should be focused on some of our more vulnerable students. Because of this, we have set aside additional budget capacity through ESSER III funding to provide differentiated support to meet the academic, social-emotional, and mental health needs of our Unique Populations.  Investments will include strategies such as:

• Additional support for compensatory educational minutes
• Differentiated academic and social-emotional supports for specific populations such as Exceptional Students, English Learners, McKinney Vento, Foster Youth, and Unaccompanied Minors
• Staff professional development related to differentiated issues that may disrupt learning
• Professional development and curriculum design to provide culturally relevant and responsive curriculum and instruction

The COVID Pandemic has had a significant impact on the health and well-being of our students. Our students have suffered from months of isolation. The lack of meaningful social interactions outside of home and family has harmed students socially, emotionally, and academically. The social, emotional, and mental health and well-being of our students are amongst our top priorities. Along with our many COVID mitigation strategies, PXU will expand strategies to support students in this area, as well as strengthen existing and offer new opportunities for students to connect to one another and to teachers, staff, and administrators. Investments will include strategies such as:

• COVID vaccination clinics, testing, and vaccine incentives
• Partnerships to provide on-campus or near-campus general health clinics for students and their families
• Additional health and wellness support staff to address student needs
• Additional opportunities for students to connect with their peers (clubs, sports, activities) and a caring adult
• Awareness and supports to address bullying, restorative practices, and general health and wellness
• Fun and inviting indoor and outdoor areas for lunch, appropriately distanced gatherings, games, recreation, etc.
• Free healthy meals to all students

From the onset of COVID, PXU has been committed to keeping our students and staff as safe as possible.  The District has and continues to align all COVID mitigation policies and practices to the latest CDC guidance. Phoenix Union is a community leader in providing vaccination clinics at each campus and now offers COVID testing at all sites.  We have incorporated financial incentives for students and staff to encourage vaccination. Continued investments in COVID Safety will include strategies such as:

• Mitigation strategies aligned to the latest CDC guidance
• Personal Protective Equipment, cleaner, and hand sanitizer at all locations for students and staff
• Improvements to air quality through ventilation systems and filters
• Contract tracing processes and procedures for students and staff who are exposed or contract COVID
• Staffing to support enhanced safety requirements
• Designed communications to build awareness and outreach around COVID related items

The COVID Pandemic has taken a tremendous toll on our staff, and workforce shortages are approaching crisis levels in many categories both within the District and at the National level. Overwhelmingly, staff mental health and well-being is a growing area of concern and need. Along with our many COVID mitigation strategies, PXU will expand our newly formed Staff Wellness Department as well as the supports and resources available to assist our staff both professionally and personally. Investments will include strategies such as:    

• Extension of FFCRA leave for staff
• COVID vaccination clinics, testing, and vaccine incentives
• Additional health and wellness support staff to address staff needs
• Expansion of health and wellness program offerings
• Support structures for new staff and staff affinity groups

PXU teachers, staff, and leaders are highly committed to our students. The onset of COVID triggered long and exhaustive workdays for all staff. This was necessary to create plans and provide the required protection to continue instruction and implement mitigation strategies. While students have largely returned to in-person learning, the continued need for planning, professional development, and providing the additional supports needed by students still places a significant demand on staff time, roles and responsibilities. This sustained level of intense work has and continues to impact staff health and well-being. We understood that relief is needed and worked to identify creative solutions to assist staff with managing their workload as well as identifying individuals to provide additional capacity. Investments in human capacity will include strategies such as:

• Additional staff, temporary staff, and overtime to support contact tracing, FFCRA, and other needed functions
• Project management services to plan and launch new initiatives and program changes
• Purchase technologies and tools to simplify and create efficiency
• Provide training and/or consulting services to support increased effectiveness and efficiency
• Provide cross-training for major functions to ensure functionality during staff quarantines and other extended absences

The COVID Pandemic has exasperated an already difficult staffing market for PXU. Arizona ranks near the bottom (49 out of 50) in-state school funding. The combined funding challenges along with the COVID Pandemic have created unprecedented staffing shortages in almost all job positions. PXU is not alone in this challenge. Districts across the nation are experiencing the same issues. To support and ensure the success of our students, it is crucial for PXU to identify and implement new, innovative and competitive models to recruit talented teachers, staff, and leaders, develop the skills and capacity of our current staff and provide a professional and inspiring working environment to retain the best and brightest team members. Investments in recruiting, developing, and retaining staff will include strategies such as:

• Develop and implement intentional teacher, staff, and leadership pathways and pipelines
• Retention bonuses and other opportunities for additional compensation
• Maintenance of health benefits
• Professional development opportunities for certified, classified, and administrative staff
• Additional temporary and part-time staff to reduce the very heavy workload burden
• Development of specific strategies to improve teacher retention, as well as to encourage multi-certification

Through the District's Title I Program, PXU has had an ongoing parent engagement model designed to support our parents' understanding of how to support and advocate for their student’s success. With the onset of the Pandemic, parents became teachers almost overnight, an experience that taught them more about the day in the life of a student than almost any district's previous efforts. We have an opportunity to build on that learning experience with parents by enhancing our current practices and finding new ways to engage them in our schools and in their student’s success in this new world of teaching and learning. Investments in human capacity will include strategies such as:

• Parent Liaisons at each campus to improve parent communication and create ongoing opportunities for parents to engage
• Expand PXU Resource Centers for students and families
• Parent workshops to build parent capacity to support student and family success (such as parent advocacy, technology training, English language classes, and GED classes)
• Develop partnerships to increase parent access to technology

When the COVID Pandemic forced districts to transition immediately to remote learning for all students and remote work for staff, it became even more apparent that access to reliable, dependable, flexible, and affordable technology devices and internet access was not only critical to reducing the opportunity gap for students but also essential for today’s learning environments. It also became clear that internet access was not always available, especially in our more remote areas.  The District did take measures to mitigate as many issues as possible. Still, we recognize that the long-term solution is to develop an accessible network throughout the city and district boundaries. PXU is partnering with both our City and County Governments and several of our elementary partner districts to design and create this network.  A network such as this will also provide greater flexibility in instruction and course offerings throughout the District. Investments will include strategies such as:

• Initial investment and ongoing resources to build and maintain a WIFI network to provide free internet access to Kindergarten through Community College students within Phoenix Union’s boundaries.
• Technology infrastructure to support our 1:1 student device environment
• Laptops for every student and technology to support flexible learning environments

Long-term inadequacies in state funding have made it much more challenging to grow and sustain some of the District's most critical instructional programs. This has also made it more difficult to maintain competitive salaries and benefits to attract and retain staff. The influx of one-time funding to address the impact of COVID on our students and staff is a critical component to returning to highly effective teaching and learning and strong academic outcomes, but recurring resources are required to sustain academic, social-emotional, and extracurricular programs and staffing long-term.

It is fiscally prudent to use one-time resources in some cases to pay down outstanding debt to free up annual, recurring resources.  Examples of the investments PXU has made include:

• Fully funding the District's post-employment benefits program for the grandfathered staff that qualify and Payoff of energy leases
• Additions to the District's self-insured medical insurance trust

PXU is committed to providing innovative learning environments that prepare our students for success in college careers and life. Every learner is different, and because of that, many learners thrive in different environments. The impact of COVID on our students is their greater understanding of the impact their education will have on their future success, their desire for flexible and innovative learning environments, and their increased demand for relevant curriculum aligned to careers that will support them and their families into the future. ESSER III funding will support innovation and flexibility in our current classrooms and the creation of new schools and school environments that meet these new demands. Investments in accelerated and innovative models will include strategies such as:

• Expansion of online learning environments including PXU Digital Academy, Phoenix Union’s online high school
• Launch of an innovative school that supports students need for flexibility in defining their high school experience
• Supporting Academy model schools to provide smaller learning communities on large campuses
• Providing professional development, supports, and resources for campuses to evolve to more flexible classrooms spaces, curriculum, and instruction