U.S. Department of Education

Roadmap to Safely Reopening Institutions of Higher Education

The Department of Education adds Volume 3 to its ED COVID Handbook series, this time focusing on Strategies for Safe Operation and Addressing the Impact of COVID-19 on Higher Education Students, Faculty, and Staff.

The 54-page volume highlights key areas of concern and discuss strategies for addressing those areas, such as safe practices for in-person learning, broadband and device access, basic needs supports for students, and available federal funding and flexibilities.

Read more about and access Volume 3 here, as well as connect with Volumes 1 and 2 and CPIR’s short summary briefs of those volumes.

Vaccinations, Return to In-Person Learning, and What All Parents Need to Know

In this webinar for parents, Parent Centers, and community members, key representatives from the U.S. Department of Education and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) discuss safely reopening schools in the fall for in-person learning. Speakers share the process needed to get our children with and without disabilities back in the classroom, including testing and vaccine safety. The webinar is designed to give families an opportunity to express concerns, ask questions, and discuss how to sustain safe operations in schools. CDC spotlights the amazing array of resources it makes available in multiple languages about COVID-19 and vaccinations (including for adolescents), as well materials and toolkits tailored for specific audiences, such as families, community-based organizations, schools, and camp programs.

Roadmaps to Safely Reopening Elementary and Secondary Schools

The U.S. Department of Education has released two handbooks to assist states, schools, and communities in safely reopening America’s schools for in-person learning of students, including those with disabilities. Volume 1, Strategies for Safely Reopening Elementary and Secondary Schools, focuses on health and safety measures that schools can use to successfully implement the CDC’s K-12 Operational Strategy guidelines. Volume 2, Roadmap to Reopening Safely and Meeting All Students’ Needs, spotlights research-based strategies for addressing the social, emotional, mental-health, and academic impacts of the pandemic on students, educators, and staff.

To learn more about each volume, see the Table of Contents for both, and access the handbooks, come here.

Strategies for Safely Reopening Elementary and Secondary Schools

(2021, February) | Useful for sharing with PTAs, families, community organizations involved in educational issues, and school leadership staff. COVID-19 Handbook, Volume 1: Strategies for Safely Reopening Elementary and Secondary Schools comes from the U.S. Department of Education. The 26-page handbook begins with a summary of CDC’s operational strategies and steps for safe school reopening. […]

Request for Comments | Proposed Revisions to SPP/APR Data Collection

The Department of Education (ED) is soliciting comments on proposed revisions to the data collected via the State Performance Plan (SPP) and the Annual Performance Report (APR). Each state must file the SPP/APR with the Department for both Parts B and C of IDEA. These are the parts of the law that authorize special education and related services for children with disabilities (Part B) and early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities (Part C). Among other changes, the Department is proposing to establish a new 6-year SPP cycle (FFY 2020 through FFY 2025). Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before April 20, 2020. Read more about this request for comment and connect with what’s proposed for Parts B and C here.