COVID-19, no longer a temporary impact, continues to require ongoing and continual engagement and research to stay abreast of changes.

Below, you will find a list of resources on all aspects of preparedness, including guidance on communication planning, policy, emergency management and disease control. Use these resources to help you make decisions regarding the safety and health of those in your school district.

CDC

Read the CDC's guidance for COVID-19 prevention in K-12 Schools

PDE

View information, guidance, recommendations and tools created and curated for school communities across Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania DOH

Find information about COVID-19 from the Pennsylvania Department of Health

Crisis Communications

Learn about PSBA's urgent and crisis communications services provided to all members at no additional cost

Gov. Wolf Press Office

View education-related press releases from Governor Tom Wolf

Additional Resources

Research bares out that the 2020-2021 academic year was less than optimal in student learning and achievement, however, the experiences and growth stemming from the challenges offer a unique opportunity for evolution in education.

Research conducted by the Christensen Institute. View the full report. 

Resources from EducatingAllLearners.com for educators and families to address the complex learning needs of students with disabilities who require special education, and how to navigate those needs during the challenges of COVID-19.

Mental Health America’s (MHA) screening data shows that loneliness and isolation are major concerns for people seeking help for their mental health. 71% of people in 2020 reported that loneliness or isolation was one of the top three things contributing to their mental health problems. MHA created a platform specifically designed to help this current need. MHA’s I Am Not Alone site focuses on building meaningful relationships. They are an online digital community, created to help people build genuine connections and combat feelings of loneliness.

Visit the website. 

In Volume V 2020 of the Policy News Network (PNN), PSBA issued a series of recommended policy updates to policy service subscribers, to assist school entities in addressing the impact of COVID-19 on students, staff, instructional methods and the school community. The policy updates were designed to broadly address the areas of health monitoring and disease mitigation practices, reflect alternative instructional models and reference schools' adopted Health and Safety Plans. The PNN and recommended policy updates can be accessed through school entities' web-based policy system. For more information, contact policyprograms@psba.org.

Health monitoring and health and safety plans 
Policy 203. Immunizations and Communicable Diseases (Students)
Policy 209. Health Examinations/Screenings (Students)
Policy 314. Physical Examination (Employees)
Policy 318. Attendance and Tardiness (Employees)
Policy 334. Sick Leave (Employees)

Virtual instruction and operation 
Policy 111. Lesson Plans
Policy 309.1. Telework (Employees)
Policy 331. Job Related Expenses (Employees)
Policy 332. Working Periods (Employees)
Policy 800.1 Electronic Signatures/Records (see PNN Volume II 2021)
Policy 803. School Calendar

Face coverings and health and safety rules 
Policy 705. Facilities and Workplace Safety
Policy 904. Public Attendance at School Events
Policy 907. School Visitors

Emergency preparedness and pandemic response
Policy 805. Emergency Preparedness and Response (see PNN Volume III 2021) 

Please visit the Online Learning courses on myPSBA.org (login required) to access the Policy-Legal Update: COVID, part of the Required training for Advanced School Directors. This course provides an overview of the recommended policy updates related to COVID-19 and school responses.

Resources from SchoolSafety.gov to address protecting schools and communities during a public health crisis, including addressing virtual and in-person learning strategies, sanitation and ventilation, safe schools checklist, and more.

View a PDF from SchoolSafety.gov.