Safely Reopening America's Schools
On March 24, the Department hosted the National Safe School Reopening Summit, gathering key education stakeholders from across the country to discuss best practices on reopening schools quickly and safely.  The program featured remarks from President Biden, Vice President Harris, First Lady Dr. Biden, Secretary Cardona, and Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Dr.Walensky.  It also featured panels of students, educators, and school district leaders sharingtheir strategies for reopening and the impact the pandemic has had on their in-person instruction.  The summit concluded with the Secretary announcing the Summer Learning and Enrichment Collaborative with the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers.  He also announced a nationwide tour of schools to highlight needs for reopening andtobegin the process of reimaging education).The summit was one in a series of steps the Department is taking to provide support and resources to K-12 schools as they work to reopen and equitably address the academic, social, and emotional needs of students most impacted by theCOVID-19pandemic.

On March 29, the Department and the Center to Improve Social and Emotional Learning and School Safety at WestEd hosted a virtual discussion on “Addressing the Impact of COVID-19 through Summer Learning and Enrichment.”  The webinar elevated the evidence-based components of high-quality summer and enrichment programming, described how the American Recovery Plan (ARP) funds can be used to support their design and implementation, and detailed how these opportunities may be available this summer and beyond by building capacity, including the role of philanthropy and community-based partners. 

On March 31, the Department hosted the first in its “Lessons from the Field” webinar series, running bi-weekly through June and focusing on key topics across early childhood, K-12 education, and postsecondary education: safe and healthy environments; providing supports for students; and teacher, faculty, and staff well-being, professional development, and supports.  This initial webinar, “Safely Reopening and Sustaining In-Person Instruction,” provided a brief overview of how to implement  mitigation strategies and featured a panel of practitioners from several districts sharing lessons learned on preparing for and returning to in-person learning and information on how they overcame complications.   

ED Releases American Recovery Plan (ARP) Funds 
The American Rescue Plan’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (APR ESSER) fund provides $122 billion in relief for Pre-K-12 schools to reopen safely and address the academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs of their students. On March 24, two-thirds of the funds—$81 billion in total—were made available to states. The Department encourages states to develop and implement plans to use the funding immediately to open more schools safely this spring and work to close gaps in education equity that the pandemic exacerbated. The remainder of ARP ESSER funds will become available after states submit the plans they are developing and implementing for using ARP ESSER funds to safely reopen schools and meet the needs of students to the Department.  

ED Seeks COVID-19 Best Practices via Request for Information
Consistent with the President's Executive Order 14000 on “Supporting the Reopening and Continuing Operation of Schools and Early Childhood Education Providers,” the Department is requesting information to enable teachers, faculty, staff, schools, districts, institutions of higher education (IHEs), early childhood education providers, other places of educational instruction, and States to share lessons learned and best practices for operating safely and supporting all children and students, including children and students with disabilities, English learners, racial and ethnic minorities, and other underserved children and students, teachers, faculty, and staff during the pandemic. The Department will consider this information when populating the Safer Schools and Campuses Best Practices Clearinghouse. We will receive submissions on a continuous basis until September 2021.  

NAEP School Survey
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) school survey will contribute to the Institute for Education Science’s (IES) response to the Executive Order 14000 on “Supporting the Reopening of Schools and Early Childhood Education Providers.” The survey is scheduled to collect data five times, once a month from February through June 2021. The initial data collection ran from February 22 through March 12, 2021 is available on the Monthly Dashboard.  As of February, 76% of schools were open for full-time, in-person, or hybrid learning. Data from January show there were critical gaps in access to in-person instruction, particularly for communities of color and students disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. See more information about the sample and how to interpret results.   

For archived STEM briefing presentations, check out ed.gov/STEM.

FAA’s Aviation Safety STEM Symposium 
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Aviation Safety (AVS) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Career Symposium is an annual event designed to expose students to the world of aviation. The next event returns on April 29, as a virtual event for middle and high school students nationwide. STEM opportunities will be on full display as the FAA teams up with groups outside the agency to spark interest in aviation careers. Register today! 

STEM Video Showcase  
During this free 8-day, NSF-funded, showcase event, May 11-18, you will be able to view short videos depicting federally funded, cutting-edge, projects that are improving Science, Math, Engineering and CS education. You are invited to discuss the videos online with the presenters and other visitors.  Vote for your favorite presentations for the public choice award. Thousands of researchers, educators, higher ed faculty, and parents will take part. Sign up for updates here. 

Narratives of African American STEM Professionals
In 2020, the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC)invited middle and high school students to explore careers in STEMviavideo conversations with current African American STEM professionals.“Through the Window and into the Mirror” aims to inform, inspire, and be a starting point for students as they take steps towards having careers in STEM.Parents and educators can find more STEM at NMAACH.

ED Strategies for Safely Opening Schools: Handbook Vol. 1 

CDC Schools and Child Care Programs Landing Page  

For K-12 School Administrators: 

• Operating schools during COVID-19: CDC's Considerations  
• FAQ for Administrators, Teachers, and Parents  
• Guidance for K-12 School Administrators on the Use of Cloth Face Coverings in Schools 
• Screening K-12 Students for Symptoms of COVID-19: Limitations and Considerations  
• Interim Considerations for K-12 School Administrators for SARS-CoV-2 Testing  
• Ventilation in Buildings 
• CDC’s PPE Burn Rate Calculator 

For Parents, Guardians, Caregivers:  

• Making Decisions about Children Attending In-person School During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Information for Parents, Guardians, and Caregivers  
• Back to In-Person Learning