• February 3, 2023

    Since the start of the Covid-19 Pandemic, Nashua School District has observed an increase in students participating in the special education referral process. From 2020 to 2023, the number of students who qualify for either special education services or 504 accommodation has increased exponentially. As a result, the district has invested in expanding the number of special education professionals to meet the needs of our most vulnerable students. Additionally, the district has worked with the Special Education Administrative Team to design professional development opportunities that meet the requests of teachers and support staff as they strive to offer the highest quality of specialized instruction to students.

    Also, English learners comprise one of the fastest-growing populations across our 17 schools. Nashua School District data demonstrates that many English learners experienced learning loss due to a lack of comfort in operating technology when the district pivoted to remote instruction during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Nashua School District has learned that improving communication and outreach to our non-English speaking population is essential to promote student achievement. To ensure that communication and outreach are consistent with high standards of interpreting and translating, Nashua School District has committed to training cohorts of interpreters to take a 70-hour course on ethics, cultural diversity, special education procedures, and for requirements and confidentiality of interpreting and translating.

    Furthermore, Nashua School District has invested heavily in training all educators in foundational literacy skills, navigating complex texts, conceptual understanding in math, building number sense, and building background knowledge and vocabulary. As a result of the pandemic, less than 20% of all students in Grades 3-11 demonstrated reading proficiency on the 2022 statewide assessment. Performance in science and math was similar. In an effort to increase student achievement, the district has created instructional priorities for ELA, Math, English as a Second Language, and Science.

    ESSER I Final Report

    ESSER II Status Report

    ESSER III Status Report

    NSD Completed US DOE ESSER Form

     

    February 15, 2022

    Congress approved Elementary Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds as part of the CARES Act in March 2020. The Coronovirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a $2.2 billion stimulus bill designed to help the country during the pandemic.

    Specifically, the purpose of the CARES ESSER funding was to support school districts, including the Nashua School District, and pay for the sudden economic fallout and costs incurred because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Nashua School District families and staff have benefited greatly from the funding. After review, the NH Department of Education approved Nashua School District funding requests, addressing the areas of student learning loss, student mental health, family engagement, and school instruction needs. In total, the Nashua School District will have approximately $47 million available under CARES Act funding. 

    ESSER I = $3.27M

    ESSER II = $12.97M

    Supplemental Public School Response Fund = $2.16M

    ESSER III = $29.16M 

                      ESSER III Plan 8 23 2021

                      ESSER III Plan Update 4.20.2022         

    Summary of ESSER Funding as of 12 30 2021

    If you have questions about NSD ESSER funding, please send an email to COVID-19@nashua.edu.