Sept. 21, 2020: The Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) has heard from many of you regarding the need for additional public-health guidance as schools re-open and parents return to the workplace.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) partnered with the Department of Health (DOH) to develop the following information to help school districts navigate COVID-19 decision-making for the 2020-21 school year. School Districts will use this data to inform decisions whether to offer in-person, blended, or virtual instruction. Early childhood education programs, including child care, Head Start, and Pre-K Counts may find this tool useful for operational planning.
The data within the tool is updated and will be reviewed weekly but districts will not make changes to instruction unless data changes and trends continue for at least two weeks. As conditions in each county and data from these tables change, school districts may choose to change instruction models to ensure the safety of students, teachers and staff and may be used to forecast potential increased needs for school-age child care.
The tool includes recommendations based on public health conditions and are not a mandate.
