District Name: Oscoda Area Schools, Iosco and Alcona Counties, Michigan

Date: October 9, 2023

Revision History: The following information provides an overview of the various plans developed and disseminated by Oscoda Area Schools in regard to the safe operation of our schools since the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Copies of each of these plans are available on the District's website at www.oscodaschools.org.

• Oscoda Area Schools Continuity of Learning Plan - Approved 4/10/2020

• Oscoda Area Schools Continuity of Learning and Covid-19 Response Plan - Updated 6/25/20

• Oscoda Area Schools Extended COVID-19 Learning Plan - Approved 8/10/20

• Oscoda Area Schools Extended COVID-19 Learning Plan - Updated 9/17/20

• Oscoda Area Schools Extended Continuity of Learning Plan 2021-2022 School Year - Approved 8/9/21

• Oscoda Area Schools Return to Learn and Continuity of Service Plan - Completed 10/12/22

• Oscoda Area Schools Return to Learn & Continuity of Service Plan - ESSER III Justification 1/25/23.

• OAS Return to Learn and Continuity of Service Plan Update to Board of Education 4/10/2023

• OAS Return to Learn and Continuity of Service Plan Update to Board of Education 10/9/23

Introduction and Background:On March 22, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021, Public Law 117-2. The ARP Act includes nearly $122 billion for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER III) Fund that allows state and local education agencies (LEAs) to take additional steps for continued safe in-person instruction and to addressed unfinished teaching and learning to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Section 2001(i)(1) of the ARP Act requires each LEA that receives ARP ESSER funds to develop and make publicly available on the LEA’s website, no later than 30 days after receiving ARP ESSER funds, a plan for the safe return to in-person instruction and continuity of services for all school (Safe Return Plan) A Safe Return Plan is required of all fund recipients, including those that have already returned to in-person instruction. Section 2001(i)(2) of the ARP Act further requires that the LEA seek public comment on the Safe Return Plan and take those comments into account in finalization of the Safe Return Plan.

Executive Summary: Oscoda Area Schools (OAS) would like to thank our entire community for the efforts and support as we have navigated the pandemic to this juncture. We have all had to demonstrate resilience to overcome the countless challenges that the pandemic provided for us. The growth in our students, staff, and community has been enormous as we have had to practice all five of our pillars of being positive, hard-working, skilled, resilient, and compassionate. We remain committed to these values as we approach this school year. Despite the obstacles that were presented, there have been some key positive takeaways that have been recognized as a result of each of us digging deep to overcome hurdles that we felt, at one time, could be insurmountable. It is our hope and intent to take these positive pieces we have learned and build on them as we continue and more traditional approach to schooling on campus for the 2022-2023 school year.

Oscoda Area Schools will continue to prioritize full, in-person teaching and learning which provides the greatest benefit to students. Ensuring that this can happen both consistently and safely during the upcoming school year, the 2022-2023 Return to Learn Plan provides detailed guidance to ensure that COVID-19 prevention and mitigation measures are implemented in a way that fosters optimal learning environments while simultaneously ensuring the health and safety for students and staff in Iosco County. This plan developed by Oscoda Area Schools and supported by information from the Health Department No. #2 to ensure that our school district has a detailed plan for a successful and safe return to school and learning environment.

Please Note: This plan may change and evolve as knowledge changes surrounding current and potential variants or if the risks of severe disease, hospitalizations, or death increase. The plan may also need to vary based on in-school COVID-19 activity and outbreaks. If such changes are necessary, transition time may be needed to allow the district or building to adjust mitigation strategies. Periodically, but not more than every six months during the life of the grant, the plan will be reviewed, and updates will be completed, if deemed necessary

Supporting Documents: MDE and MDHHS "Managing Communicable Diseases in Schools," MDHHS Readiness, Response, Recovery Cycle, CDC Community Levels, Mi Safe Start Map

The CDC will determine the COVID-19 community level for the county. Based on the community COVID-19 level, in consultation with the Health Department No. 2, the District will determine the number of mitigation strategies to implement to foster optimal learning environments while simultaneously ensuring the health and safety of students and staff.

The Board of Education recognized through unanimous resolution in August of 2022 that the goal of offering a guaranteed and viable curriculum is defined by the State of Michigan Revised School Code (Excerpt) pursuant to Section 380.1278 Act 451 of 1976 as: “The core academic curriculum shall define academic objectives to be achieved by all pupils and shall be based upon the school district's educational mission, long-range pupil goals, and pupil performance objectives.”

Development, integration, evaluation along with the adjustment of curriculum is a constant and unending professional process conducted by the staff in partnership with the home and community. The Board of Education authorizes the principal at each building to determine the appropriate curriculum resources within the Board approved course offerings. Staff have a responsibility to teach the standards adopted by the state of Michigan and this District in an appropriate manner and consistent with the mission statement of this District absent of personal or political bias. The Board of Education authorizes District administration to utilize the platform of Curriculum Works to store the appropriate curriculum approved by each building principal for delivery of instruction to students.

District Goals Referenced from Michigan Continuous Improvement Process (MICIP) and District School Improvement Team (DSIT) for 2023-2024:

Goal (1): The District will improve efficiency and effectiveness of operations by communicating and integrating systems and processes with annual review of implementations and revisions as measured by the District School Improvement Team through the Michigan Continuous Improvement Process (MICIP).

Goal (2): The District will enhance, deploy, evaluate and adjust programs designed to improve student services through offering a guaranteed and viable curriculum designed for improvement of academic and social functioning by utilizing multiple measures through the District School Improvement Team and Michigan Continuous Improvement Process (MICIP) in relation to what was utilized from 2021-22.

Funds will be utilized for new security cameras, PA systems, key fobs, emergency lighting and bi-directional amplifiers designed to aid first responders on our campus and promote safe and healthy environments. The district will purchase progressive curriculum pieces for content that is designed to meet the unique needs of diverse learning groups. OAS has a district that exceeds 400 square miles and due to the transportation difficulties associated with long student-travel times, introducing WIFI capable buses will provide additional time on task for learners. This approach is consistent with The Correlates of Effective Schools Lezotte (1991): "7 Correlates of Effective Schools":

1. Instructional leadership

2. Clear and focused mission

3. Safe & orderly environment

4. Climate of high expectations

5. Frequent monitoring of student progress

6. Positive home-school relations

7. Opportunity to learn and student time on task

Prevention/Mitigation Strategies for Maintaining Health and Safety: The district will comply with any and all local, state, and federal mandates/orders.

The following plan outlines measures for the CDC COVID-19 Community Levels of low, medium, and high. The levels do not apply in situations of COVID-19 outbreaks in schools, classrooms, or athletics.

Ensuring Approval, Justification, & Continuity of Services (ESSER III): While Oscoda Area Schools intends to maintain in-person learning as the primary mode of instruction during the 2022-2023 school year, it is understood that unforeseen circumstances related to the pandemic may result in required changes to various offerings of the district. As such, the following has been developed to plan for unforeseen changes to various services offered by Oscoda Area Schools.

Academic Services - In the event that in-person learning is required to be suspended, Oscoda Area Schools will move classes to the Google Classroom virtual platform. This may be done on a class by class basis, a building level basis, or a district wide basis. Students will be expected to engage in synchronous learning schedules that mirror their current in-person class schedules. To help facilitate this, all students have been issued a wi-fi enabled laptop computer which is available to access their classes. In addition, Oscoda Area Schools may offer mobile internet connectivity devices to families on an as needed basis, if connectivity is not available. Further, Oscoda Area Schools fleet of school buses has been equipped with mobile internet connectivity technology which can be deployed to provide remote hot-spot internet access to large groups of students simultaneously. In the event that classes are required to be moved to a virtual format, all pertinent laws, including pupil accounting requirements will be followed to ensure the best possible educational environment. Some of the academic service plans with justification have been integrated into planning and are highlighted below:

A) Additional Classroom Teachers: Inclusion of additional teachers to provide Tier I and II instruction and address potential learning loss as a result of COVID 19 as projected for 2022-23 & 2023-24. Having certified instructors can assist in multiple ways. OAS has received approval to utilize ESSER funds to procure highly qualified staff to provide direct instruction to our students and this can be accomplished through procuring educators to service students through differentiated instruction . At its most basic level, differentiation consists of the efforts of teachers to respond to variances among learners in the classroom. Whenever a teacher reaches out to an individual or small group to vary his or her teaching in order to create the best learning experience possible, that teacher is differentiating instruction. Teachers can differentiate at least four classroom elements based on student readiness , interest, or learning profile:

Content – what the student needs to learn or how the student will get access to the information;

Process – activities in which the student engages in order to make sense of or master the content;

Products – culminating projects that ask the student to rehearse, apply, and extend what he or she has learned in a unit; and Learning environment – the way the classroom works and feels.

OAS will provide specific programs for students within the framework above. This includes summer learning/enrichment, extended day, comprehensive after-school programs, access to technology and ensuring that we have a safe learning environment or all of our learners. OAS will also work to get highly qualified staff endorsed in areas of need to address the teacher shortage and pandemic learning loss.

Supports for Justification Item (A): Student success data (academics, behavior & attendance), posted weekly and reviewed bi-weekly with Plan-Do-check-Act processes and systems, OHS Staff review of EXCEL Academic (support/enrichment) placements, end of marking period review, graduation rate and other qualitative and quantitative measures as is appropriate through evaluation by District School Improvement Team.

B) Additional Teacher Certifications: Agreements with seven staff members (previously approved in ESSER II) to achieve additional certifications to provide additional support to students and staff based on learning loss due to COVID 19.

Supports for Justification Item (B): Student success data (academics, behavior & attendance), posted weekly and reviewed bi-weekly with Plan-Do-check-Act processes and systems, OHS Staff review of EXCEL Academic (support/enrichment) placements, end of marking period review, graduation rate and other qualitative measures as is appropriate.

C) Summer Curriculum Work with Staff: As part of the MICIP (School Improvement process) Oscoda Area Schools are working to ensure that we offer a guaranteed viable curriculum (Marzano 2003). To that end, during the summer of 2022 staff worked on the following: Review of power standards at each grade level, Pacing/curriculum guides, Course overviews for all elementary classes. Summer of 2023 will see science, language arts and standards based assessments revised and developed where appropriate to ensure a guaranteed and viable curriculum.

Supports for Justification Item (C): Achievement measures such as local grades, graduation rates, state and national testing with other viable qualitative measures will lend justification for this service. This data will be reviewed daily, weekly, monthly and at other relevant intervals to ensure PDCA.

D) LETRS Training for Staff: The LETRS® (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) Suite is professional learning that provides educators and administrators with deep knowledge to be literacy and language experts in the science of reading. Developed by renowned literacy experts Dr. Louisa Moats, Dr. Carol Tolman, and Dr. Lucy Hart Paulson, it is a flexible literacy professional learning solution for educators and administrators. LETRS teaches the skills needed to master the fundamentals of reading instruction—phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, writing, and language.

Supports for Justification Item (D): Achievement measures such as local grades, graduation rates, state and national testing with other viable qualitative/quantitative measures will lend justification for this service as evaluated by the District School Improvement Team. This data will be reviewed daily, weekly, monthly and at other relevant intervals to ensure PDCA.

E) Reading Materials CKLA: Core Knowledge Language Arts® (CKLA) is a comprehensive program (Preschool–Grade 5) for teaching reading, writing, listening, and speaking while also building students’ vocabulary and knowledge across essential domains in literature, world and American history, and the sciences. The Core Knowledge Foundation has partnered with Amplify Education for nationwide distribution of professionally printed and packaged CKLA classroom materials.

Supports for Justification Item (E): Achievement measures such as local grades, graduation rates, state and national testing with other viable qualitative & quantitative measures will lend justification for this service as reviewed by District School Improvement Teams. This data will be reviewed daily, weekly, monthly and at other relevant intervals to ensure PDCA.

F) Early Middle College & Dual Enrollment: An early middle college (EMC) is a Michigan Department of Education approved five-year program of study. EMCs work closely with post-secondary partners to provide students with an opportunity earn a high school diploma and one or more of the following:

• 60 transferable college credits

• An associate degree

• A professional certification

• The Michigan Early Middle College Association (MEMCA) technical certificate

• Participation in a registered apprenticeship

A professional certification is any certificate or industry recognized credential in which the pupil prepared for by taking course work provided by a Michigan public or private college or university.

The Michigan State Legislature passed the Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act (1996 PA 160) and the Career and Technical Preparation Act (2000 PA 258) also known as the "Dual Enrollment" Bills. These Bills modify and expand on provisions of the State School Aid Act providing for students to earn college credit while in high school. The Bills also require that the Board of a school District or Public School Academy (PSA) ensure that each student in eighth grade or higher be given information about college course-taking opportunities. The classes that students are eligible for must not be offered by the high school or PSA and must lead towards postsecondary credit, accreditation, certification, and/or licensing.

Supports for Justification Item (F): Post graduate achievement measures along with monitoring the number of graduates leaving school with increased average college credits earned. Achievement measures such as local grades, graduation rates, state and national testing with other viable qualitative & quantitative/quantitative measures will lend justification for this service as reviewed by District School Improvement Teams. This data will be reviewed daily, weekly, monthly and at other relevant intervals to ensure PDCA.

G) Summer Learning/Credit Recovery & Enrichment: Pitcock & Boulay (2016) is an authoritative examination of summer learning loss, featuring original contributions by scholars and practitioners at the forefront of the movement to understand—and stem—the ‘summer slide.’ The contributors provide an up-to-date account of what research has to say about summer learning loss, the conditions in low-income children’s homes and communities that impede learning over the summer months, and best practices in summer programming with lessons on how to strengthen program evaluations. They also show how information on program costs can be combined with student outcome data to inform future planning and establish program cost-effectiveness. This work has helped us as school administrators, and teachers in our efforts to close academic achievement gaps and improve outcomes for all students.Research Features: (1) Empirical research on summer learning loss and efforts to counteract it; (2) Original contributions by leading authorities; and (3) Practical guidance on best practices for implementing and evaluating strong summer programs.

*Alexander, K., Pitcock, S., & Boulay, M. C. (Eds.) (2016). The summer slide: What we know and can do about summer learning loss. New York: Teachers College Press. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?&id=ED572666

Supports for Justification Item (G): Achievement measures such as local grades, graduation rates, state and national testing with other viable qualitative/quantitative measures will lend justification for this service as evaluated by the District School Improvement Team. This data will be reviewed daily, weekly, monthly and at other relevant intervals to ensure PDCA.

Supporting Social-Emotional Needs - In the event that in-person gatherings are restricted, Oscoda Area Schools will reassign our social emotional support team, consisting of two social workers and two school counselors, to provide remote based support to students and staff that identify the need for assistance. Further, the Owl Closest can be made available, on an as needed basis, for individuals in need of additional assistance, by scheduling an appointment with one of the district’s social emotional support team members. In addition, Oscoda Area Schools will work with the school pantry and Backpack Programs to provide regular distributions of household food items in order to continue these services. Continuation of these services will be conditioned upon the successful implementation of any required mitigation strategies that may be promulgated by local or state health officials.

OAS is dedicated to ensuring the "whole child" is nurtured academically and socially. Baker, B. D., Farrie, D.and Sciarra, D. G. (2016), Mind the Gap: 20 Years of Progress and Retrenchment in School Funding and Achievement Gaps. ETS Research Report Series, 2016: 1–37. “...ample research has indicated that children in smaller classes achieve better outcomes, both academic and otherwise, and that class size reduction can be an effective strategy for closing racially or socioeconomically based achievement gaps . Although it is certainly plausible that other uses of the same money might be equally or even more effective , there is little evidence to support this ... Smaller class sizes and reduced total student loads are a relevant working condition simultaneously influencing teacher recruitment and retention); that is, providing smaller classes may partly offset the need for higher wages for recruiting or retaining teachers .” The authors’ analysis shows that states with higher teacher/student staffing ratios in higher poverty districts tend to have lower than expected achievement gaps in Gr. 4 & Gr. 8 on the national assessments. OAS will be providing additional programming for English as Second Language Learners along with providing forums for students of all socio-economic and cultural backgrounds to have access to advanced courses and college opportunities. Integrating research-based curriculum pieces into our offerings will enhance our capacity to service all learners.

A) Inclusion of (2) School Counselors: Integrating licensed staff to service students in need of emotional and academic support is essential to serving the whole child. Counselors will work to help meet and address learning loss through tracking attendance, improving student engagement, monitor academic progress, and address the social/emotional needs of students.

Supports for Justification of Item (A): Collaborating and coordinating services with district administration, Social Workers, Community Service Officers, Alcona Health Center / school based Owl Branch staff, School Success and outside district services, AuSable Valley Community Mental Health would also be illustrations and justification of resources. Behavior Team Intervention data and metrics will provide insight/analyses into this objective.

Supporting Food Service Needs - As was done in previous years when significant portions of the school population engaging in primarily virtual learning, Oscoda Area Schools, presuming governmental approval of such plans, will provide weekly food distribution at identified sites throughout the local area to ensure that breakfasts and lunches are provided to students who are not attending school in-person. Alternative options may be made available if small segments of the student population are not permitted to attend school in-person.

Other Needs - Oscoda Area Schools will work with students, staff, and the community to provide additional support to students and staff that identify specific needs which our district can assist in meeting. This may include providing informational resources or acting as an intermediary between the community and various service agencies which the district is familiar with.

A) Network Upgrades: such as switches, additional repairs and updates that have been integrated to ensure that in the event of remote instruction, the district has the necessary resources in place to deliver quality learning continuously at the highest level possible.

Supports for Justification Item (A): Data could include an accounting of days of instruction that were lost due to technology infrastructure malfunctions. Additional qualitative measures could prove beneficial.

B) Internal Communication Bi-Directional Amplifier: Bi-directional amplifier system will assist in the communication between the school district, local health agencies, health department officials, county, School Liaison Officer, as well as other emergency services, when addressing the prevention, preparation and response to future coronavirus related health issues or other public health emergencies. In addition, this new system will help support the social emotional needs of students and staff by knowing these communication/technology upgrades are completed.

Supports for Justification Item (B): Data could include responses from first responders and health officials of the congruence of activities and effectiveness of functioning during drills held at Oscoda Area Schools along with other observable measures.

C) Internal Communication Public Address System: PA system will allow for daily health related information to be shared with students and staff so as to be responsive to any potential health concerns.

Supports for Justification Item (C): Examples of these enhanced communication processes to combat the pandemic could be sharing hand washing practices, potential use of masks, social distancing, contact tracing processes/procedures, social emotional support processes for students staff, entrance and exiting the building to reduce exposures. In addition, the PA systems will be used for announcements to promote health and to implement procedures and systems to improve preparedness/response efforts.

D) Keyless Entry System: Keyless door and classroom entries will support the implementation of procedures and systems to improve the preparedness and response efforts of local educational agencies. Identifying who is coming and going into classrooms in concert with having the capacity to limit entry to infected or hazardous areas quickly and concisely will prove most beneficial for the students and staff's health and safety.

Supports for Justification Item (D): Data utilized to measure the effectiveness of this item would include revised times to virtually and immediately restrict access to hazardous or contaminated areas without increasing health risks. Quantifiable measures should be able to be recognized upon implementation.

E) Additional School Buses Equipped with Wifi & Ventilation Improvements: Additional buses will allow for reduction of the number of students on buses, social distancing, purified air units and related pandemic protocols. These buses can become “mobile education service stations” with clean air ventilation units, and internet access for many students who travel up to 3 hours per day on buses to and from school. The District is approximately 400 square miles in the heart of Huron National Forest. For students to have buses equipped with internal WIFI provides academic exposure opportunities and can increase time on task for learning engagements.

Supports for Justification Item (E): Data utilized to measure the effectiveness of this item would include surveys on the utilization of the Wifi during transport in concert with student surveys on their perception of the value of the service as it relates to safety and academic progression.

F) Additional Central Office Assistant/Secretary: The addition of this position is intended to assist with health and wellness throughout the district and help prepare and plan for responses to health emergencies. This position also is charged with monitoring COVID protocols, systems, and processes. This includes working with post-covid educational planning/coordination to provide students with additional supports as needed.

Supports for Justification Item (F): Enhancement of systems and processes through Strategic Planning and school safety will lend insight into the effectiveness of this position. Improved communications with families and Health Department officials will also be a metric to utilize the efficacy of the position. Achievement measures such as local grades, graduation rates, state and national testing with other viable qualitative & quantitative measures will lend justification for this service as reviewed by District School Improvement Teams. This data will be reviewed daily, weekly, monthly and at other relevant intervals to ensure PDCA.

Public Comment Requirements: In order to fulfill the public comment requirements of American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021, Public Law 117-2, Oscoda Area Schools will include updates to this Continuity of Services Plan on the agenda for the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Education and encourage public comment thereon during to portion of the meeting designated for public comment. Public comment has been made available on each monthly, regularly scheduled, board meeting and ESSER Planning will regularly be on the meeting agenda.