More than 96% of school districts are open full-time and in-person for all students this fall, the White House noted, even as districts across the country are now dropping mask mandates in droves as transmission rates drop. Here are the components of the new plan:

Accelerated school-based screening for students and staff: District leaders will get assistance in navigating the logistics of quickly setting up testing programs through a partnership between the CDC, the Department of Education and The Rockefeller Foundation. Administrators can access The Rockefe ller Foundation’s playbook to find step-by-step guidance on designing and implementing effective school testing programs that have been piloted in other districts.
Holding weekly "office hours" to connect schools to national testing experts: Starting Nov. 2, administrators can join twice-weekly sessions to learn from experts on how to set up testing programs. This series, which will run through December, “is designed to help schools no matter where they are in setting up testing programs—from those who are just starting to those who are looking to sustain or expand participation in their existing programs,” the White House says.
Publishing a start-up guide for schools launching screening programs: The Rockefeller Foundation’s new one-page start-up guide is intended to simplify the process of setting up testing programs by identifying key steps and the assistance available, and connecting schools to testing providers. Administrators can also get tips on forming a team to oversee testing and how to explain testing to parents in order to get them to opt-in.
Access to a directory of testing providers: The CDC launched a new directory to connect schools with local testing providers already working with their state governments.
Incentivizing parents and guardians to participate in testing: A new CDC fact sheet offers strategies for how to use COVID relief funds to offer incentives to parents or guardians whose children participate in testing.
Additional personnel to help state health departments coordinate school-based testing: The CDC Foundation is providing staff to state health departments to coordinate and expand school-based COVID testing, contact tracing, and other public health activities. Schools can contact CDC at this link for more information.

“Strong school-based screening testing programs rely on robust participation from the school community to ensure that they can identify and remove infected individuals from the school before any COVID-19 infection can spread,” the White House says.

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6 new COVID testing plans are rolling out as districts ease mask mandates

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