Now, more than ever, school and district leaders and their community partners need tactical, real-time guidance on how to start and strengthen their testing programs in the context of the Delta variant and the vaccine rollout.
To further support school and district leaders who want to start and strengthen their school-based testing programs, starting Tuesday, Nov. 2, The Rockefeller Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education (ED), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), will launch a learning network for school and district leaders to help them start or strengthen screening testing programs.
This learning network will be a forum to ask questions, hear directly from other school leaders who have done this work, and engage some of our nation’s top experts on technical issues. This new series is designed to help schools no matter where they are in setting up testing programs – from those who are just starting up, to those who are looking to share best practices.
The learning network will be facilitated by nationally recognized school health leader, Diana Bruce, with support from other school leaders who have deep experience doing school-based testing.
To accommodate schedules, there will be two sessions each week where we’ll discuss the same topic. You’re welcome to any and all sessions and you can mix and match days:
- Tue: 5-6 p.m. EST
- Wed: 4-5 p.m. EST
You’re welcome to any and all sessions and you can mix and match days.
- Session 1, 11/2-11/3: Starting or growing your testing program and staffing
- Session 2, 11/9-11/10: Designing your testing program in the context of vaccination
- Session 3, 11/16-11/17: Increasing parental buy-in and communications for testing
- Session 4, 11/23-11/24: Contract tracing, data management and reporting
- Session 5, 11/30-12/1: Running a dual program: School-located vaccination and testing
- Session 6, 12/7-12/8: Test to stay and close contact testing
- Session 7, 12/14-12/15: Procurement
- Session 8, 12/21-12/22: Summary on lessons learned and best practices shared during the series
In case you missed..
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Session 1
During our week 1 sessions, we discussed how staffing concerns are one of the biggest barriers to schools starting and expanding in-school Covid-19 testing programs. Schools and districts commonly cited that nurses are already overworked, that schools are short staffed, and that testing programs require hiring new people, and hiring is a familiar challenge across the country right now. Find best practices for solving for staffing issues, key takeaways, resources and video clips from Week 1 here: -
Session 2
During our week 2 sessions, Schools, districts, and states around the country emphasized that regular testing supports the health and safety of their community - even as vaccine coverage has increased. Find key takeaways, best practices for testing in the context of vaccine uptake, and resources and video clips from Week 2 here: -
Session 3
During our week 3 sessions, Hattaway Communications presented a number of findings from a nationally representative sample including that the majority of parents/guardians surveyed would be at least somewhat likely to allow their students to be tested if testing were offered in schools and that 25% of parents/guardians were unaware of their schools’ mitigation strategies. Find key best practices for communication, key takeaways, resources and video clips from Week 3 here:
Ahead of our first session, The Rockefeller Foundation developed two factsheets: this one-page startup guide can help schools get started with testing, and this Family FAQ that can help common questions families have about school-based testing.
If you have questions about the series, please email: Leah Perkinson at lperkinson@rockfound.org.
The learning network for school leaders and district superintendents across the country is intended to be a public educational event that will be recorded and shared widely. By virtue of their participation in the learning network and attending the webinars and learning network events, each participant (i) agrees and acknowledges that all webinar sessions and meetings, including attendees’ Zoom video, audio and screen name, will be recorded; (ii) gives permission for his/her/their picture, image, voice, statements, and visual aids (“Items”) to be posted online on a variety of platforms including but not limited to The Rockefeller Foundation’s digital channels and on OpenandSafeSchools.org, for educational purposes, without compensation; (iii) waives the right to inspect or approve the ZOOM video recording in which his/her/their Items are used; (iv) acknowledges that they have no ownership rights in any recordings, reproductions or other derivative works of the learning network materials created by or on behalf the other learning network participants, The Rockefeller Foundation, or OpenandSafeSchools.org.(the “Hosts”); and (v) waives any claims against the Hosts for defamation, invasion of privacy, or infringement of moral rights, rights of publicity, or copyright.
Individuals who do not want their identities to be captured are solely responsible for turning off their camera, muting their microphone and/or adjusting their screen name accordingly.