District Re-Entry Models: Key Trade-Offs Calculator
As part of our suite of tools to support districts in their reentry plans, we have created the Key Trade-Offs Calculator. Leaders can use it to answer the following questions: What high-level configuration of COVID Comeback School Models is feasible across school and grade levels in my district, given our current staffing and facilities constraints? What key tradeoffs and resource shifts should my district consider in re-entry planning to maximize the delivery of high-quality, equitable instruction? This tool is intended to support a high-level, district-wide assessment of re-entry plan feasibility; it is not intended for detailed, school-specific design decisions.
Study: Districts could use state support in principal quality initiatives
A new study from RAND Corp. examining policy data from seven states finds that while they use standards, licensure, program approval and professional development to boost principal quality, fewer states had consistent recruiting and evaluation efforts, and none had a state-level leader tracking system at the time of data collection. The research, commissioned by the Wallace Foundation, notes however that North Carolina has since worked to implement a tracking system.
ERS Briefing: Decision Points for COVID Comeback Models
In this ERS Briefing, they outline a process for school district leaders to choose and adapt the “COVID Comeback School Models” that are right for their communities. They also have a calculator that helps district leaders understand the high-level configuration of models that is feasible given staffing and facilities constraints as well as key tradeoffs and resource shifts. These steps are designed to build on assessments made by school systems to understand technology, transportation, physical plant and operational issues associated with physical distancing, as well as engagement with families, educators and partners about how students and adults could interact in a shared physical environment. They help district leaders design a coherent approach, built on careful resource tradeoffs, to develop in-person, remote and hybrid models of schools.
