Oregon school districts are getting a fair amount of advice, but fewer mandates than they鈥檙e used to, when it comes to opening schools to students starting at the end of next month.
The Oregon Department of Education and Oregon Health Authority laid out several overarching rules in what they鈥檙e calling a 鈥�.鈥� The 23-page set of guidelines replaces the 鈥淩eady Schools, Safe Learners鈥� guidance, an evolving set of rules and protocols that directed schools since the pandemic began more than a year ago.
The biggest overall rule is that ODE expects all students to have a physical school building to attend as the school year begins, a at the beginning of the summer.
The guidance also notes federal requirements that neither state nor local officials can modify, such as mandatory wearing of masks on school buses.
鈥淭he CDC order for mandatory use of face coverings on public transit applies to school buses until lifted by the federal government and cannot be waived by state or local authorities,鈥� the guidance said, in bold font.
Other than the mask mandate, the framework largely presents state guidance as advice, rather than firm rules districts must follow. That includes a seven-page section titled 鈥淎dvisory Health and Safety Strategies鈥� that covers everything from vaccination (鈥淥HA and ODE strongly advise schools and districts to offer vaccination clinics throughout the school year鈥�) to ventilation, with specific advice on the flow and filtering of air.
On face coverings, again the phrase of state officials is that they 鈥渟trongly advise鈥� the wearing of masks for anyone who is not vaccinated, such as students under 12, for whom vaccines have not been approved. Familiar strategies such as physical distancing and keeping students in cohorts are also 鈥渟trongly advised.鈥�
The framework also emphasizes the importance of supporting student mental health, as children return to buildings after more than a year away and traumatic losses for some. However, the state cautions against doing broad screenings for mental health, in order to avoid identifying problems that schools aren鈥檛 prepared to address.
鈥淥DE strongly discourages the use of school or district wide mental health screenings, particularly where there may be insufficient services and supports to meet mental health service demands,鈥� the framework said. 鈥淚nstead, we recommend assessing each student on an as-needed basis when questions or concerns regarding their well-being have been identified.鈥�
In terms of learning priorities, the state is coming down on the side of keeping students with their peers, rather than ensuring students are entering a grade having reached similar learning levels.
The new guidance sets 鈥淸a] priority for the student to enter school at the grade level associated with their age (compulsory attendance does not begin until age 6 in Oregon) and to be promoted to the next grade level regardless of opportunity to access and fully participate in school during the pandemic and any impact that had on the student鈥檚 attendance and academic performance.鈥�
As far as catching up students who may have had technical or other problems accessing instruction during the many months of distance learning, state officials are steering schools away from 鈥渞emediation鈥� and instead toward 鈥渁ccelerated learning.鈥� In a linked document called 鈥�,鈥� the state emphasizes it鈥檚 鈥渃ritical to focus attention on accelerating learning by investing in relationships, honoring student voice, and designing integrated learning.鈥�
The state鈥檚 guidance precedes that priority with an emphasis on equity, and 鈥減romoting educational systems that support every child鈥檚 identity, health and well-being, beauty, and strengths.鈥�
While the Resiliency Framework defers to school districts on what safeguards and procedures it plans to put in place for the coming fall, state officials are requiring that local leaders share those plans by Aug. 23.
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