Giving Compass' Take:
- Matt Barnum compares two studies that draw conflicting conclusions on whether schools can safely reopen while the coronavirus is spreading in their communities.
- How might increasing levels of immunity among vulnerable populations affect the trajectory of school openings across the United States? How can you help to provide fulfilling learning opportunities to children whose access to education has been impacted by the pandemic?
- Read about learning loss projections for COVID-19.
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The latest estimates suggest that about 60% American students have access to in-person instruction of some sort — the highest figure since November. But some districts and teachers unions remain resistant, worried about the virus spreading in schools. Meanwhile, the new strain of the virus could complicate things even further.
Two studies released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week offer new, seemingly conflicting data on schools and COVID spread.
The first paper, which garnered widespread media coverage, found little evidence that COVID had spread in 17 schools in rural Wisconsin that opened buildings with strict safety procedures.
The other study, which has drawn less attention, found that across Wisconsin as a whole, 5,700 COVID cases were linked to outbreaks in K-12 schools and childcare facilities last fall.
Similar methods that showed little evidence of in-school spread in the first study found quite a bit of spread connected to schools statewide. Experts consulted by Chalkbeat said both the studies come with significant limitations. But in the absence of widespread testing and national tracking efforts, they illustrate the kinds of data points that school officials have available as they make decisions about reopening.
Read the full article about opening schools during the pandemic by Matt Barnum at Chalkbeat.