The framework for Waco ISD’s ESSER plan was in place pre-ESSER, and even pre-COVID. Superintendent Dr. Susan Kincannon and the leadership team had already looked at data, listened to the school community, and formulated a plan to elevate academic achievement and address other needs. ESSER funds enabled them to expand and intensify these efforts.
While Waco I.S.D. was ready for ESSER, they were not ready with the technology to support remote learning when COVID shutdowns first hit. The first priority was to upgrade technology access across the district in accordance with the district’s long-range technology plan and provide professional learning in technology integration for teachers. Now, the “silver lining,” according to Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and instruction Dr. Deena Cornblum, is that Waco ISD is technology-rich thanks to the combination of ESSER funds and connectivity grants. Students have the technology they need to work at home, and family connectivity has improved as well.
Waco’s pre-ESSER plan prioritized strategies to impact students, including academic intervention and tutoring. Dr. Cornblum said, “I’m so thankful we were headed in that direction anyway because we were ready to tackle the learning gaps coming back, but ESSER has really allowed us to make those programs so much better and stronger.” For example, the district’s literacy plan called for two Reading Recovery teachers to be trained and certified through Texas Women’s University. Every elementary campus has interventionists for reading and for math, and middle school has a third interventionist for science and social studies, an investment that was planned pre-COVID. ESSER funds allowed them to add a third Reading Recovery interventionist to provide added support for grades 3—5 students at elementary campuses. ESSER also funded additional math and reading interventionists at middle school. In addition to providing services to Tier 3 students, interventionists lead professional development training and coaching for all teachers at their campuses, since classroom teachers support students in need of Tier 2 intervention. By investing in this professional development, Waco ISD is building the capacity of all classroom teachers to sustain instructional effectiveness over the long term. Time for tutoring was already planned within the school day, and ESSER funding supplemented campus budgets for extra duty pay, tutoring resources, and transportation. Similarly, summer school was already part of the district’s plan to accelerate student learning. ESSER funding was allocated to expand summer enrichment camps for advanced students, serve more students, and provide transportation.
Dr. Rachelle Warren, Assistant Superintendent for Student Services and Support, explained that the district had plans in place pre-ESSER for additional services to promote wellness and resilience among students and staff. The needs intensified after COVID, with more teachers reporting that what were once considered Tier 2 behavioral issues became the norm. Dr. Warren said the focus became prevention, considering the root causes of disruptive behaviors. As a result, Waco ISD invested in staff, curriculum, and on-going professional development. The district had budgeted for a coordinator for Social-Emotional Learning and counseling, and an additional coordinator was funded through ESSER. These coordinators are overseeing the implementation of the new SEL curriculum, providing training and coaching to teachers to equip them with positive strategies for managing students’ behaviors. The goal is for the SEL curriculum to become a daily routine and to build teacher capacity for supporting students’ learning.
Teachers’ emotional wellness is also a priority, and the district is providing teachers and staff with a variety of supports such as professional development that helps them recognize and respond appropriately to their own stress. For those who need more support, a dedicated LPC is provided through a partnership with Ascension Providence healthcare. Wellness resources are available through the Human Resources department, and campuses have even created safe, restorative spaces for teachers, “recognizing that in order to maintain as a super-hero, you may need a safe space where you don’t have to be a super-hero,” Dr. Warren said. She added that listening to teachers and staff is a priority; for example, the HR team has started conducting “stay” interviews to proactively talk to staff about their reasons for staying, as opposed to an exit interview.
Dr. Warren noted that the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute has been a valuable resource connecting them with other districts that are doing similar work so they can share ideas and solutions. She commented, “it helps to have a guide like Meadows to facilitate the conversation and allow us to see the larger landscape beyond our district.” The district’s goal is for students and staff to “have a sense of belonging, understand that we care not just about their quantitative performance but also about their overall connectivity to the district.”
For Waco ISD, ESSER did not prompt them to make a plan—it helped them to amplify and expand on the plans they already had in place to reach their goals.