Coronavirus Guidance from the Federal Government

New resources added during the week of July 6-10, 2020. Note: A date in parentheses means the publication date of that resource, not the date we posted it here. This is to let you see at a glance how current the information is.

Updated as of July 10, 2020

This page of resources is part of CPIR’s Coronavirus Suite of information. We’ve broken the original list into separate parts, because the list was just getting too long. This page focuses on the resources and guidance published by the federal government, most notably the U.S. Department of Education and the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC). These may be considered authoritative sources of information about COVID-19 and the continuing rights and responsibilities of lead agencies and schools for providing educational and developmental services to babies, toddlers, preschoolers, children, and youth with disabilities.

____________

Have Early Intervention Questions or Looking for COVID-19 resources?
OSEP has designated the ECTA Center as the go-to hub for resources to support IDEA early intervention and early childhood special education (0-5) service delivery.

For Part B Information (Preschool and K-12)
OSEP has also designed a go-to hub for resources and technical assistance on implementing Part B of IDEA: NCSI, the National Center for Systemic Improvement.

From the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) | Q&As about COVID-19
(2020, June) | OSEP releases a series of Q&A documents about specific aspects of implementing IDEA during COVID-19. These include:

Q&A on Dispute Resolution in Part B and Part C during COVID-19

Q&A on Use of Part B and Part C Funds during COVID-19

Q&A on Part C Procedural Safeguards during COVID-19

Q&A on Evaluation and Assessment Timelines during COVID-19

From the CDC and the Administration | Guidelines for Opening Up America Again
Available from the CDC, these guidelines for reopening American describe a three-phased approach based on the advice of public health experts. These steps will help state and local officials when reopening their economies, getting people back to work, and continuing to protect American lives. This is a supplement to the decision trees CDC released May 14.

From the CDC | Resources on Reopening Specific Businesses and Activities
A second set of resources just released by the CDC are individually tailored pages and guidance specific to activities and venues, including:

- Considerations for Youth and Summer Camps | (May 19, 2020)
- Considerations for Schools | (May 19, 2020)
- Considerations for Youth Sports | (May 19, 2020)
- Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers | (May 2020)

From the Federal Government and Congress | Coronavirus Relief Package
Passed by Congress and signed by the President, here’s an early summary of what the legislation contains. This will no doubt be an unfolding story, so stay tuned as the legislation is enacted.

From DOE | Q & A on Providing Services to Children with Disabilities During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Outreach
(Also see other-language infographics created by Family Network on Disabilities in Florida that explain this guidance from DOE.)

From OCR at DOE | Supplemental Fact Sheet: Addressing the Risk of COVID-19 in Preschool, Elementary and Secondary Schools While Serving Children with Disabilities
(March 21, 2020) This fact sheet explains that as a school district takes necessary steps to address the health, safety, and well-being of all its students and staff, educators can use distance learning opportunities to serve all students.

From the IDEAS that Work website of OSEP | Continuity of Learning During COVID-19
(April 22, 2020) | This new webpage on the IDEAS that Work website will connect you to all manner of resources from the federal government, OSEP’s funded technical assistance projects, topic briefs, telehealth information from related services providers, materials for educators on tele-instruction and best practices, and much more.

From DOE | Broad Flexibilities for States to Cancel Testing During National Emergency
(March 20) DOE announces that students impacted by school closures due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic can bypass standardized testing for the 2019-2020 school year. Upon a proper request, the Department will grant a waiver to any state that is unable to assess its students due to the ongoing national emergency, providing relief from federally mandated testing requirements for this school year.

From DOE | COVID-19 Information and Resources for Schools and School Personnel
Resource list that includes links to the CDC, guidance from the Office for Civil Rights, the Office of Postsecondary Education, and more.

From SAMHSA | Double Jeopardy: COVID-19 and Behavioral Health Disparities for Black and Latino Communities in the U.S.
(May 15, 2020) | Recent news reports indicate that the pandemic disproportionately impacts communities of color, compounding longstanding racial disparities. Have a look at the data; read SAMHSA’s guidance as to “what we can do”; and investigate resources for specific minority groups.

From DOE | Webinar on Online Education and Website Accessibility
7-minute video.

From OCR at DOE | Addressing the Risk of COVID-19 in Schools While Protecting the Civil Rights of Students
4-page fact sheet, primarily aimed at education leaders.

Legal FAQs on Coronavirus, School Closings, and Special Education
Some basics on what most of us are worried and wondering about.

Serving Students With Disabilities During the COVID-19 Crisis
NCLD (National Center for Learning Disabilities) brings two new resources into current concerns about how to serve students with disabilities during the pandemic and school closures.

- Part 1 addresses Providing a Free Appropriate Public Education through a series of questions (e.g., “How should educators continue to provide instruction and services to students with disabilities?”) and answers that focus on how this might look in practice and then in policy (lots of state examples).
- Part 2 addresses Family-School Collaboration and explores how we can address students’ many needs, including nutrition, physical and mental health, internet access, and the accessibility of online learning options. The same question and answer format, with “how this might look” in practice and in policy discussions.

COVID-19 and Students with Disabilities
From the National Center for Special Education in Charter Schools.

Map: Coronavirus and School Closures
From EDWeek, this US map tracking school closures is updated twice daily.

State-by-State Coronavirus News
Want to see the latest goings-on in your state or another? What’s closed? What’s open? What orders have been put in place at the state or local level?