l-health needs of students and employees? How will schools evolve their use of educational technology and remote learning for new realities? The four segments will focus on: best uses of the summer months; student well-being; instructional imperatives; and where we will go next with virtual learning.
Monthly School Survey Dashboard: Provides insights into learning opportunities offered by schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. Five consecutive monthly surveys (February through June 2021), conducted by ED’s Institute for Education Sciences [IES], support the Biden Administration’s Executive Order on Supporting the Reopening and Continuing Operation of Schools and Early Childhood Education Providers. Results from this pilot survey will also be available for analyzing the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data—contributing additional contextual factors for understanding educational outcomes of the nation's fourth- and eighth-grade students.
Education Department Kicks Off Summer Learning Collaborative: Announces the launch of ED’s Summer Learning and Enrichment Collaborative to support states and school districts as they develop out-of-school time programs in the upcoming months, relying on funding designated for this purpose in the American Rescue Plan Act. School districts must use at least 20 percent of their funding from that relief package to address learning recovery for students. ED has launched the collaborative along with the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association. The collaborative is also drawing on the Comprehensive Center Network, a professional learning community supporting state and local education agencies, for support.
Data and Policy to Guide Opening Schools Safely to Limit the Spread of SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Summarizes global data about SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks at K-12 schools, and emphasizes school-based policies shown to diminish spread of infection. Three CDC authors inform this JAMA Viewpoint that “the preponderance of available evidence has been reassuring” that rapid spread of the virus has not been reported as many schools have reopened for in-person instruction, and there has been little evidence that schools have contributed meaningfully to increased community transmission. The authors affirm that all recommended mitigation measures in schools must continue: requiring universal face mask use, increasing physical distance by de-densifying classrooms and common areas, using hybrid attendance models when needed to limit the total number of contacts and prevent crowding, increasing room air ventilation, and expanding screening testing to rapidly identify and isolate asymptomatic infected individuals. Staff and students should continue to have options for online education, particularly those at increased risk of severe illness or death if infected with SARS-CoV-2.
COVID View: A Weekly Surveillance of U.S. COVID-19 Activity: Presents the nation’s official weekly surveillance data for COVID-19 including infections, hospitalizations and deaths. In addition, disaggregates data along numerous demographic dimensions including by state, by age, by gender, and by race/ethnicity. Data are based on COVID-19 case-level data reported by state and territorial jurisdictions to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]. The numbers are confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases as reported by U.S. states, U.S. territories, New York City, and the District of Columbia from the previous day.
COVID Data Tracker [CDC]: Provides maps and charts tracking COVID-19 infections, deaths, and trends across the United States. The site offers state-level, regional and even county-level views of key data for monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing for exploration of standardized data across the country. Footnotes describe each data source and the methods used for calculating the metrics. Data is updated daily by 8 pm ET.
COVID-19 Demographic and Economic Resources - United States Census Bureau: Presents selected U.S. Census Bureau demographic and economic data to help 