Covid-19

GTL Center Insights on COVID-19

Educators across the country are supporting students, parents and their communities with innovative practices and thoughtful solutions to the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis.

The GTL Center team is supporting states, districts, and their educators in their momentous efforts by gathering and sharing practical resources around the following topics:

  • Teaching through Distance Learning
  • Distance Learning for Students with Disabilities
  • Distance Learning for English Language Learners
  • Distance Learning in Early Education
  • Supporting Teacher Well-Being
  • Supporting Student Well-Being
  • Communications
  • Virtual Talent Management
  • Virtual Professional Learning for Educators
  • COVID-19 Impacts on K-12 Policy

Please note, this page is still under development with resources being added daily. Not every topic above will have resources available yet, so check back soon!

For now, explore our top resources under the available topics by first selecting your role: are you an educator, district leader, or state leader?

During this webinar, Randi Weingarten, the President of the American Federation of Teachers and Dan Domenech, Executive Director of the America Association of School Administrators share how collaborative problem solving within and among school districts will be essential to finding operational solutions that can balance safety, equity of access for all children, and budgetary constraints, while addressing the needs of working parents.

Remote learning requires adjustment for all students, but students with disabilities face additional challenges during the COVID-19 quarantine. In this episode of AIR Informs, Allison Gandhi describes some of these obstacles, as well as strategies to help students, schools, and families make the most of this time.

This plan from the American Federation of Teachers is based on five pillars and includes guidance handling emergent cases of COVID-19, entry process/screening, protections for staff and schools, and how to reorganize schools to promote social distancing. 

This website provides a repository of instructional materials and tools for online learning. It includes instructional materials for students in grades K–9 for ELA, math, and science.

Webinar Icon

This first webinar in a new series explores how educators can better prepare themselves to face the challenges of COVID-19 by using trauma-informed self-care and resilience-building strategies.

Tool Icon
This webinar handout includes an educator self-assessment for supporting student well-being that includes an array of trauma-informed strategies for fostering student well-being and resilience during these unprecedented times.
Webinar Icon
This second webinar in a new series offers educators concrete strategies for supporting their students’ well-being during distance learning during COVID-19 by using trauma-informed self-care and resilience-building strategies.  
Tool Icon
This tool includes a self-care self-assessment with key strategies for fostering resilience and a self-care planning tool to assist educators in identifying areas of strength and growth related to self-care and developing self-care plans.
Tool Icon
This tool was designed to support teachers and principals in gaining a greater awareness of how their current personal and professional context affects their levels of stress in the time of COVID-1 and, ideally, can lead to beneficial self-care strategies. Explore the Interactive Version.
Lists icon
This web page includes links to infographics, FAQs, fact sheets, videos, and district updates in multiple languages.
Q&A Icon
This FAQ includes guidance for Head Start programs and how to support students if facilities close due to COVID-19. It includes links to resources to support continuity of learning for young children.
Tool Icon
This webpage outlines lesson plans by week and grade-level. It includes assignments and lessons for bilingual education.
The Elementary Learning Department created a web-based catalog of resources to support early learning, including links to textbooks, instructional materials, and resources.
Guide Icon
This webpage includes guidance for developing home learning plans for elementary students. It also includes guidance on a student's schedule, parents connecting with teachers, and home learning materials.
Tool Icon
This toolkit includes a checklist of decisions for school-administered early childhood programs, best practices for programs that remain open, and a list of instructional resources.
Lists icon
This web page includes a list of resources to address the unique challenges and opportunities of learning at home for our youngest students. It includes links to curriculum resources, learning tips, and home wellness.
Lists icon
Source: REL Central
This list of resources provides guidance and research on using technology and media appropriately to support the growth, learning, and development of young children.
Lists icon
This webpage for special educators includes webinars for special education administrators, a toolbox to support families with children with disabilities, a remote learning plan for special education students, a service documentation tracker, and a FAQ for districts and schools regarding special education.
Blog Icon
This blog highlights five resources districts are leveraging as they work to bridge the digital divide and keep kids learning during the COVID-19 crisis.
Lists icon
This webpage includes guidance for reviewing and selecting eLearning instructional materials, a repository of digital course materials, and links to lesson plans.
Webinar Icon
This web page includes resources and free webinars supporting leaders, educators, students, and families.
Lists icon
These simple exercises can help mitigate and manage stress response during the coronavirus epidemic.
Article icon
This article is a first-person account of an educator adapting to life and work during the coronavirus epidemic.
Lists icon
This checklist offers best practices that individuals can use to maintain awareness, find balance, and connect after a difficult event.
This web page provides explanations and resources to help people anticipate, prepare for, and manage fear, anxiety, and extraordinary stress.
Guide Icon
This guide describes common signs of stress, tips for coping with stress, and how to recognize when to get help.
This comprehensive list includes resources for navigating the emotional effects of COVID-19, including articles, blogs, and podcasts.
This web page includes resources, tips, and guided meditations for supporting well-being for educators, students, and parents.
These modules highlight practices for educators to experience a greater sense of well-being and resilience such as mindfulness, self-compassion, and body scans.
List Icon
This list includes resources, guidance, and actions at all levels of government in response to the pandemic. The content covers key topics, such as assessment and accountability, early learning, finance, instructional time and grade promotion, nutrition and homelessness, postsecondary, virtual learning, special education, and workforce.
Q&A Icon
This FAQ on grading and graduation requirements addresses how to grade student work during distance learning, alternative grading systems, universities responses to admissions with flexible grading, dual enrollment, and distance learning grading guidance for teachers.
Blog Icon
This blog discusses the implications of school closures for measuring and assessing accountability during the COVID-19 crisis.
Webinar icon
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is hosting a series of webinars to support educators virtually. The webinars focus on strategies to implement virtual learning, self-care, taping virtual lessons, and cyber security.
This list of events includes professional learning sessions and other resources for teachers, including lesson plans and tools.
Podcast Icon
Source: AIR
The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted professional learning for educators to online environments. This podcast discusses ways to use communities of practice to help teachers connect and help ensure online activities are just as effective as in-person learning.
Blog Icon
Source: AIR
This blog provides tips for families on how to create a safe, supportive, and engaging spaces for learning at home during COVID-19 school closures.
Q&A Icon
This FAQ includes resources for educators focused on supporting students’ mental health and social and emotional needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tool Icon
Source: AIR
To support educators with integrating social and emotional learning (SEL) into their instructional practices, this toolkit is designed to support instructional staff in implementing SEL practices through planning, observations, feedback, and action planning. 
Tool Icon
Source: GTL Center
This online tool includes guides to deepen educators understanding of SEL, a self-assessment for teachers to explore their own SEL teaching practices, and other supporting resources for state and district leaders. 
Podcast Icon
Source: AIR
A safe, supportive learning environment at home always is important to students’ academic success and well-being. This podcast explains the science behind learning and development, as well as how parents can create this environment at home while their children are away from school. 
Podcast Icon
Source: AIR
This podcast shares what parents should know about out-of-school time programs and resources to support students while they are not in schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
Q&A Icon
This FAQ addresses how educators can provide high-quality instruction to English learners in an online environment and includes links to resources.
List Icon
Source: WIDA
This list of examples and resources offers suggestions for educators supporting multilingual learners in an online environment. The list is based on their guiding principles for English Learners. 
Guide Icon
Source: TNTP
This guide offers suggestions and resources for serving English learners through distance learning and includes a table outlining the use of various tech tools and language considerations. 
Tool Icon

This toolkit is based on insights from surveys, case studies, and meetings with experts in the field and aims to support educators in using technology to help their English learners gain proficiency in English and meet academic goals.

Article Icon

This study examined how districts and teachers identify and use digital learning resources, as well as supports for and barriers to using digital learning resources. It also includes suggestions for improving the usefulness of digital learning resources instruction for EL students.

Webinar icon

As instruction shifts to an online format, teachers need strategies to provide differentiated instruction for students with disabilities. In this webinar, veteran online instructors identify strategies for adapting lessons already in motion to this new format. 

Webinar icon

This webinar available via Facebook highlights communication, collaboration and regular routines as among the keys to successful online education for students with disabilities.

Guide Icon

This short guide highlights four actions educators can take to support their students with disabilities during the transition to online learning.

List Icon
Source: REL Central

This list of resources focuses on how best to meet the needs of students with disabilities in an online environment.

Q&A Icon

This FAQ offers links to examples and resources focused on how schools and districts can find creative ways to support students and families with limited access to technology.

Guide Icon

This guide covers strategies for instruction and grading when implementing remote learning. It includes guidance on the duration of learning by grade level, suggestions for activities, ways to support multilingual education, and special education delivery.

Webinar icon
Source: REL Midwest

This webinar highlights strategies for effectively teaching K-12 students in virtual settings, and includes presentations from an e-learning expert and two educators who shared approaches they are using to connect with students, build lesson plans, and manage student work in a virtual environment

Q&A Icon
Source: REL-NEI

The FAQs cover pressing COVID-19 topics like providing Free and Reduced Lunches, supporting students’ social emotional needs, transitioning to online instruction, and addressing equity concerns for students with limited access to technology, students with disabilities, and English learners. 

Icon Lists

The resource list provides options for creating a foundation for communication, sharing, and digital learning, tips for successful distance learning, and examples from district websites offering daily academic and social-emotional lessons for students. 

Tool Icon

School leaders face unique challenges and opportunities as they work to reopen schools and create school communities that address the intersection between adversity, well-being, and academic success. This handout offers a self-assessment for school leaders that includes an array of trauma-informed strategies for fostering trust, wellbeing, and resilience for all in the learning environment during these unprecedented times.

During this webinar, Randi Weingarten, the President of the American Federation of Teachers and Dan Domenech, Executive Director of the America Association of School Administrators share how collaborative problem solving within and among school districts will be essential to finding operational solutions that can balance safety, equity of access for all children, and budgetary constraints, while addressing the needs of working parents.

This guidance outlines what safety measures are required and recommended to reopen schools. It includes a decision tree for opening schools and templates for screening students to enter schools.

Remote learning requires adjustment for all students, but students with disabilities face additional challenges during the COVID-19 quarantine. In this episode of AIR Informs, Allison Gandhi describes some of these obstacles, as well as strategies to help students, schools, and families make the most of this time.

This web page includes essential actions and guidance for district and school leaders to plan and implement a safe and equitable return to school. It focuses on governance, wellness, instruction, facilities, school operations, and technology.

This plan from the American Federation of Teachers is based on five pillars and includes guidance handling emergent cases of COVID-19, entry process/screening, protections for staff and schools, and how to reorganize schools to promote social distancing. 

This guide provides a framework for helping districts develop guidelines for opening schools. It recommends developing a taskforce and work groups to develop recommendations and plans to open schools and guiding questions for each work group. 

Chiefs for Change developed guidance for returning to school in the fall. It include guidance on the school calendar, school staffing models, social and emotional well-being, and instructional materials. 

This guide outlines possible school configurations to re-open schools in the fall in light of COVID-19.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education develop preliminary guidance to help districts and schools open school. It includes guidance around developing health and safety plans and key considerations for each phase of re-opening. 

This is Maryland's draft guidance for schools in the Fall of 2020. The plan provides guidance around instructional programs, support programs, professional learning, preparation services, student services, and health considerations. 

This paper describes the options available to districts for grading policies in light of COVID-19. It highlights the policies in California districts, districts around the country, and approaches that address equity.

This document outlines key considerations for opening schools in the fall in light of COVID-19. It addresses school operations, whole child supports, school personnel, academics, and distance learning. 

Webinar Icon

This first webinar in a new series explores how educators can better prepare themselves to face the challenges of COVID-19 by using trauma-informed self-care and resilience-building strategies.

Tool Icon
This webinar handout includes an educator self-assessment for supporting student well-being that includes an array of trauma-informed strategies for fostering student well-being and resilience during these unprecedented times.
Webinar Icon
This second webinar in a new series offers educators concrete strategies for supporting their students’ well-being during distance learning during COVID-19 by using trauma-informed self-care and resilience-building strategies.  
Tool Icon
This tool includes a self-care self-assessment with key strategies for fostering resilience and a self-care planning tool to assist educators in identifying areas of strength and growth related to self-care and developing self-care plans.
Tool Icon
This tool was designed to support teachers and principals in gaining a greater awareness of how their current personal and professional context affects their levels of stress in the time of COVID-1 and, ideally, can lead to beneficial self-care strategies. Explore the Interactive Version.
Guide Icon
This guide is designed to help school systems develop a communication plan in response to the COVID-19 crisis. It includes communication tips for families and staff.
Lists icon
This web page includes links to infographics, FAQs, fact sheets, videos, and district updates in multiple languages.
Tool Icon
These communication templates are designed for districts and schools to respond to the COVID-19 crisis for scenarios such as school closure, the extension of school closure, and confirmed cases of coronavirus.
Q&A Icon
This FAQ includes guidance for Head Start programs and how to support students if facilities close due to COVID-19. It includes links to resources to support continuity of learning for young children.
Tool Icon
This webpage outlines lesson plans by week and grade-level. It includes assignments and lessons for bilingual education.
The Elementary Learning Department created a web-based catalog of resources to support early learning, including links to textbooks, instructional materials, and resources.
Guide Icon
This webpage includes guidance for developing home learning plans for elementary students. It also includes guidance on a student's schedule, parents connecting with teachers, and home learning materials.
Tool Icon
This toolkit includes a checklist of decisions for school-administered early childhood programs, best practices for programs that remain open, and a list of instructional resources.
Lists icon
This web page includes a list of resources to address the unique challenges and opportunities of learning at home for our youngest students. It includes links to curriculum resources, learning tips, and home wellness.
Lists icon
Source: REL Central
This list of resources provides guidance and research on using technology and media appropriately to support the growth, learning, and development of young children.
Lists icon
This webpage for special educators includes webinars for special education administrators, a toolbox to support families with children with disabilities, a remote learning plan for special education students, a service documentation tracker, and a FAQ for districts and schools regarding special education.
Q&A Icon
This fact sheet discusses the implications to assessments and accountability due to COVID-19. It describes the possibility for states to waive assessment requirements and identifying schools for comprehensive or targeted support for one year.
Tool Icon
This database highlights 82 districts' policies on curriculum, instruction, progress monitoring, learning time, and technology in response to COVID-19.
Blog Icon
This blog highlights five resources districts are leveraging as they work to bridge the digital divide and keep kids learning during the COVID-19 crisis.
Lists icon
This webpage includes guidance for reviewing and selecting eLearning instructional materials, a repository of digital course materials, and links to lesson plans.
Webinar Icon
This web page includes resources and free webinars supporting leaders, educators, students, and families.
This comprehensive list includes resources for navigating the emotional effects of COVID-19, including articles, blogs, and podcasts.
List Icon
This list includes resources, guidance, and actions at all levels of government in response to the pandemic. The content covers key topics, such as assessment and accountability, early learning, finance, instructional time and grade promotion, nutrition and homelessness, postsecondary, virtual learning, special education, and workforce.
Q&A Icon
This FAQ on grading and graduation requirements addresses how to grade student work during distance learning, alternative grading systems, universities responses to admissions with flexible grading, dual enrollment, and distance learning grading guidance for teachers.
Guide Icon
The Tennessee Department of Education developed guidance for educators’ professional development points, teacher pay and leave, clinical experience and licensure requirements, edTPA portfolios, and teacher candidate licensure exams.
Blog Icon
This blog discusses the implications of school closures for measuring and assessing accountability during the COVID-19 crisis.
Podcast Icon
Source: AIR
The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted professional learning for educators to online environments. This podcast discusses ways to use communities of practice to help teachers connect and help ensure online activities are just as effective as in-person learning.
Q&A Icon
This FAQ addresses educator workforce issues, such as salary and educator appraisals. Districts can submit a waiver for specific aspects of the appraisal process that cannot be completed due to school closures from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Guide Icon
Massachusetts released guidance for their performance assessment for leaders (PAL). PAL scoring will continue but PAL candidates will have the flexibility to submit videos of virtual classroom observation and/or feedback sessions conducted virtually.
Tool Icon
This toolkit is designed to help Tennessee district leaders think through staffing-related decisions during COVID-19 school closures. It includes a checklist for staffing decisions and action, best practices for managing employees continuing to work onsite, recommended schedules, and a list of resources for school and district leaders.
Q&A Icon
Source: Chalkbeat
In an executive order in Colorado from Governor Jared Polis (D) suspended the requirement that teachers, special service providers, principals, and administrators be evaluated yearly. The order allows districts to determine whether they wish to proceed with evaluations.
Q&A Icon
This web page outlines changes in Ohio's teacher evaluation policy during COVID-19 and includes a FAQ for educators. The Ohio Department of Education changed its policy regarding teacher evaluations by offering a COVID-19 exemption for evaluations that could not be completed due to the crisis.
Guide Icon
Source: TNTP
This guide offers resources and tips to help schools shift to virtual recruitment and staffing to avoid a shortage of teachers. It includes guidance on recruiting, selecting, and hiring candidates virtually and tips for facilitating strong communication virtually.
Q&A Icon
This FAQ includes resources for educators focused on supporting students’ mental health and social and emotional needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Guide Icon
This training package offers school and district administrators a framework for adopting a trauma-sensitive approach school- or districtwide. It includes resources for educating school staff about trauma and trauma-sensitive practices as well as a step-by-step process for implementing a universal, trauma-informed approach. 
Tool Icon
Source: AIR
To support educators with integrating social and emotional learning (SEL) into their instructional practices, this toolkit is designed to support instructional staff in implementing SEL practices through planning, observations, feedback, and action planning. 
Tool Icon
Source: GTL Center
This online tool includes guides to deepen educators understanding of SEL, a self-assessment for teachers to explore their own SEL teaching practices, and other supporting resources for state and district leaders. 
Podcast Icon
Source: AIR
A safe, supportive learning environment at home always is important to students’ academic success and well-being. This podcast explains the science behind learning and development, as well as how parents can create this environment at home while their children are away from school. 
Podcast Icon
Source: AIR
This podcast shares what parents should know about out-of-school time programs and resources to support students while they are not in schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
Q&A Icon
This FAQ addresses how educators can provide high-quality instruction to English learners in an online environment and includes links to resources.
List Icon
Source: WIDA
This list of examples and resources offers suggestions for educators supporting multilingual learners in an online environment. The list is based on their guiding principles for English Learners. 
Guide Icon
Source: TNTP
This guide offers suggestions and resources for serving English learners through distance learning and includes a table outlining the use of various tech tools and language considerations. 
Article Icon

This study examined how districts and teachers identify and use digital learning resources, as well as supports for and barriers to using digital learning resources. It also includes suggestions for improving the usefulness of digital learning resources instruction for EL students.

Webinar icon

In this webinar, leaders in special education present current information on COVID-19, how special education administrators are navigating these challenges, and options for meeting the needs of families and students. 

Q&A Icon

This FAQ provides links to resources and examples from Washington, New York, Colorado, Illinois, and Michigan on methods to provide online instructional support to students with disabilities. 

Webinar icon

This webinar available via Facebook highlights communication, collaboration and regular routines as among the keys to successful online education for students with disabilities.

Q&A Icon

This FAQ offers links to examples and resources focused on how schools and districts can find creative ways to support students and families with limited access to technology.

Guide Icon

This guide covers strategies for instruction and grading when implementing remote learning. It includes guidance on the duration of learning by grade level, suggestions for activities, ways to support multilingual education, and special education delivery.

Q&A Icon
Source: REL-NEI

The FAQs cover pressing COVID-19 topics like providing Free and Reduced Lunches, supporting students’ social emotional needs, transitioning to online instruction, and addressing equity concerns for students with limited access to technology, students with disabilities, and English learners. 

Icon Lists

The resource list provides options for creating a foundation for communication, sharing, and digital learning, tips for successful distance learning, and examples from district websites offering daily academic and social-emotional lessons for students. 

Tool Icon

School leaders face unique challenges and opportunities as they work to reopen schools and create school communities that address the intersection between adversity, well-being, and academic success. This handout offers a self-assessment for school leaders that includes an array of trauma-informed strategies for fostering trust, wellbeing, and resilience for all in the learning environment during these unprecedented times.

During this webinar, Randi Weingarten, the President of the American Federation of Teachers and Dan Domenech, Executive Director of the America Association of School Administrators share how collaborative problem solving within and among school districts will be essential to finding operational solutions that can balance safety, equity of access for all children, and budgetary constraints, while addressing the needs of working parents.

This guidance outlines what safety measures are required and recommended to reopen schools. It includes a decision tree for opening schools and templates for screening students to enter schools.

Source: REL Central

REL Central compiled a list of resources on what states might do to address educator certification. It includes examples from states and resources for alternative certifications.

This web page includes essential actions and guidance for district and school leaders to plan and implement a safe and equitable return to school. It focuses on governance, wellness, instruction, facilities, school operations, and technology.

This plan from the American Federation of Teachers is based on five pillars and includes guidance handling emergent cases of COVID-19, entry process/screening, protections for staff and schools, and how to reorganize schools to promote social distancing. 

This guide provides a framework for helping districts develop guidelines for opening schools. It recommends developing a taskforce and work groups to develop recommendations and plans to open schools and guiding questions for each work group. 

Chiefs for Change developed guidance for returning to school in the fall. It include guidance on the school calendar, school staffing models, social and emotional well-being, and instructional materials. 

This guide outlines possible school configurations to re-open schools in the fall in light of COVID-19.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education develop preliminary guidance to help districts and schools open school. It includes guidance around developing health and safety plans and key considerations for each phase of re-opening. 

This is Maryland's draft guidance for schools in the Fall of 2020. The plan provides guidance around instructional programs, support programs, professional learning, preparation services, student services, and health considerations. 

This document outlines key considerations for opening schools in the fall in light of COVID-19. It addresses school operations, whole child supports, school personnel, academics, and distance learning. 

Webinar Icon
This second webinar in a new series offers educators concrete strategies for supporting their students’ well-being during distance learning during COVID-19 by using trauma-informed self-care and resilience-building strategies.  
Guide Icon
This guide is designed to help school systems develop a communication plan in response to the COVID-19 crisis. It includes communication tips for families and staff.
Q&A Icon
This FAQ includes guidance for Head Start programs and how to support students if facilities close due to COVID-19. It includes links to resources to support continuity of learning for young children.
Tool Icon
This toolkit includes a checklist of decisions for school-administered early childhood programs, best practices for programs that remain open, and a list of instructional resources.
Lists icon
Source: REL Central
This list of resources provides guidance and research on using technology and media appropriately to support the growth, learning, and development of young children.
Q&A Icon
This fact sheet discusses the implications to assessments and accountability due to COVID-19. It describes the possibility for states to waive assessment requirements and identifying schools for comprehensive or targeted support for one year.
Tool Icon
This database highlights 82 districts' policies on curriculum, instruction, progress monitoring, learning time, and technology in response to COVID-19.
Article icon
This article describes how states are addressing teacher evaluation policy amid school closures due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Some states have waived all evaluation requirements, waived only student growth, or given districts flexibility.
Lists icon
This webpage includes guidance for reviewing and selecting eLearning instructional materials, a repository of digital course materials, and links to lesson plans.
This comprehensive list includes resources for navigating the emotional effects of COVID-19, including articles, blogs, and podcasts.
Q&A Icon
This FAQ on grading and graduation requirements addresses how to grade student work during distance learning, alternative grading systems, universities responses to admissions with flexible grading, dual enrollment, and distance learning grading guidance for teachers.
Guide Icon
The Tennessee Department of Education developed guidance for educators’ professional development points, teacher pay and leave, clinical experience and licensure requirements, edTPA portfolios, and teacher candidate licensure exams.
Blog Icon
This blog discusses the implications of school closures for measuring and assessing accountability during the COVID-19 crisis.
Podcast Icon
Source: AIR
The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted professional learning for educators to online environments. This podcast discusses ways to use communities of practice to help teachers connect and help ensure online activities are just as effective as in-person learning.
Article Icon
This brief includes immediate and long-term recommendations to prevent pandemic closures from escalating the teacher shortage crisis. States will need policies that do not prevent student-teachers from graduating and becoming licensed to teach in the fall.
Q&A Icon
This FAQ addresses educator workforce issues, such as salary and educator appraisals. Districts can submit a waiver for specific aspects of the appraisal process that cannot be completed due to school closures from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Guide Icon
Massachusetts released guidance for their performance assessment for leaders (PAL). PAL scoring will continue but PAL candidates will have the flexibility to submit videos of virtual classroom observation and/or feedback sessions conducted virtually.
Q&A Icon
Massachusetts issued an executive order extending the licenses for certain licensed professionals, including educators. The order states that a license that is in good standing that has expired or will expire during the state of emergency, is now extended and will remain valid until 90 days after the end of the state of emergency.
Tool Icon
This toolkit is designed to help Tennessee district leaders think through staffing-related decisions during COVID-19 school closures. It includes a checklist for staffing decisions and action, best practices for managing employees continuing to work onsite, recommended schedules, and a list of resources for school and district leaders.
Q&A Icon
Source: Chalkbeat
In an executive order in Colorado from Governor Jared Polis (D) suspended the requirement that teachers, special service providers, principals, and administrators be evaluated yearly. The order allows districts to determine whether they wish to proceed with evaluations.
Q&A Icon
This web page outlines changes in Ohio's teacher evaluation policy during COVID-19 and includes a FAQ for educators. The Ohio Department of Education changed its policy regarding teacher evaluations by offering a COVID-19 exemption for evaluations that could not be completed due to the crisis.
Guide Icon
Source: TNTP
This guide offers resources and tips to help schools shift to virtual recruitment and staffing to avoid a shortage of teachers. It includes guidance on recruiting, selecting, and hiring candidates virtually and tips for facilitating strong communication virtually.
Tool Icon
Source: GTL Center
This online tool includes guides to deepen educators understanding of SEL, a self-assessment for teachers to explore their own SEL teaching practices, and other supporting resources for state and district leaders. 
Podcast Icon
Source: AIR
A safe, supportive learning environment at home always is important to students’ academic success and well-being. This podcast explains the science behind learning and development, as well as how parents can create this environment at home while their children are away from school. 
Podcast Icon
Source: AIR
This podcast shares what parents should know about out-of-school time programs and resources to support students while they are not in schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
Q&A Icon
This FAQ addresses how educators can provide high-quality instruction to English learners in an online environment and includes links to resources.
Article Icon

This study examined how districts and teachers identify and use digital learning resources, as well as supports for and barriers to using digital learning resources. It also includes suggestions for improving the usefulness of digital learning resources instruction for EL students.

Webinar icon

In this webinar, leaders in special education present current information on COVID-19, how special education administrators are navigating these challenges, and options for meeting the needs of families and students. 

Q&A Icon

This FAQ provides links to resources and examples from Washington, New York, Colorado, Illinois, and Michigan on methods to provide online instructional support to students with disabilities. 

Guide Icon

This guide covers strategies for instruction and grading when implementing remote learning. It includes guidance on the duration of learning by grade level, suggestions for activities, ways to support multilingual education, and special education delivery.

List Icon

This list includes resources and tools from government organizations, federal grantees, and public entities that help everyone-from policymakers to families-understand how to transition from traditional classroom settings to home-based learning through online resources. 

Q&A Icon
Source: REL-NEI

The FAQs cover pressing COVID-19 topics like providing Free and Reduced Lunches, supporting students’ social emotional needs, transitioning to online instruction, and addressing equity concerns for students with limited access to technology, students with disabilities, and English learners. 

Icon Lists

The resource list provides options for creating a foundation for communication, sharing, and digital learning, tips for successful distance learning, and examples from district websites offering daily academic and social-emotional lessons for students.