Category: Federal Government Actions

CDC Eyes Unpredictable Flu Season (October 23, 2023)

According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, last school yearā€™sĀ influenza seasonĀ was more severe for children and youth and also started earlier than most previous seasons. The report showed cases emerged in early October 2022 and peaked in late November and December. Rates of flu-related medical visits and hospitalizations were higher for children and adolescents ages 5-17 than any other season since 2016-17.

Among those hospitalized during the 2022-23 season, a lower percentage were vaccinated than in previous seasons. However, flu-related deaths remained low and consistent with past seasons.

In itsĀ guidance for educators, the CDC warns that ā€œflu seasons are unpredictableā€ in their timing, severity and duration.Ā The agency said schools should:
-Encourage students, parents and staff to get vaccinated, top the spread of germs by staying home when sick, and wash their hands.
-Establish relationships with local and state public health officials.
-Provide enough supplies like tissues, soap and water to maintain proper hygiene.

TheĀ CDC also advises schoolsĀ to routinely and correctly clean and disinfect.

Click to access Guidance for School Administrators to Help Reduce the Spread of Seasonal Influenza in K-12 Schools from the CDC.

Click to access How To Clean and Disinfect Schools To Help Slow the Spread of Flu from the CDC.

For more from K-12 Dive,Ā click here.

DHS Partners with Mappedin to Provide free Safety Tool for Faster First Response to Crises (September 28, 2023)

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has partnered with Mappedin to develop a suite of new AI-powered tools aimed at automating the mapping process. Such tools include Mappedin Response, a cloud-based capability that enables first responders to review and analyze indoor floor plans in real-time while responding to emergencies. In addition, Mappedin says its new tool, Mappedin Maker, will bridge the gap by providing access to an interactive 3D wayfinding map as well as a facility for multi-format exports

According to K-12 Dive, users can upload a floor plan of their venue or use the Maker App for iOS to create a map, which Mappedin Maker converts into a digital map. This map can be posted on websites for wayfinding or downloaded as a PDF for offline use, Mappedin says.

Mappedin Maker is widely available for free to users.

To read more from K-12 Dive, click here.

PDE: LEAs Must Undergo Fiscal Training for IDEA-B, 611 Funding and Other Fiscal Items (September 26, 2023)

Dr. Carole L. Clancy, Director of the Bureau of Special Education (BSE) sent a PennLink to local educational agencies (LEAs) titled Fiscal Training for IDEA-B, 611 funding and other fiscal items. The message states that the federal Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has oversight of statesā€™ compliance with federal special education regulations and requirements and has incorporated a component of its compliance monitoring verification visits to include a fiscal verification review. Some components of its fiscal verification review will include a review of the use of funds for coordinated early intervening services, maintenance of effort, and general use of federal, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part B (IDEA-B) funds.

To assist LEAs in working with these components of the federal on-site visits, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) is providing training to familiarize special education directors and business administrators with clarifying information. This training will address the following topics:
IDEA -B, 611;
Contingency Funding;
ACT 16;
Maintenance of Effort;
Medical ACCESS; and
Approved Private School Electronic Management System.

It is required that each school district and charter school send participants to this training. Because the training is highlighting the fiscal program data verifications associated with the IDEA-B fiscal reporting requirements, it is strongly recommended that the participants attending this training are the special education director and business administrator. Additionally, if a school district or charter school contracts for business services, its contracted business representative should attend.

In-person training sessions will be held on the following dates at these locations:
PaTTAN Harrisburg – Thursday, September 14, 2023 at 9:00 AM ā€“ 12:00 PM
PaTTAN West – Wednesday, September 20, 2023 at 9:00 AM ā€“ 12:00 PM
PaTTAN East – Thursday, September 28, 2023 at 9:00 AM ā€“ 12:00 PM

A live virtual training session will be held on Tuesday, October 3, 2023 at 9:00 AM ā€“ 12:00 PM

Registration and session information is available at https://www.pattan.net/events/.

Any questions about registration should be directed to Karen Weaver at PaTTAN-Pittsburgh, 412-826-6842 or [email protected].

Any other questions regarding the fiscal training should be directed to Angela Lengle, Division of Analysis & Financial Reporting, at 717-425-2596 or [email protected].

NASN Provides Naloxone Education for School Nurses Toolkit (September 24, 2023)

On September 8, 2023, the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) released a freeĀ toolkit to help school nursesĀ and other school personnel respond to drug overdoses on campuses, including using naloxone to try to reverse an opioid overdose.

The toolkit offers resources to assist school nurses and other school leaders in evaluating and responding to the drug overdose crisis. The toolkit is organized in the following sections:
Creating a Naloxone Program in Your School
Campus Protocols for Emergency Naloxone Administration
Communication ResourcesTo access the toolkit at the NASN Learning Center,Ā click here.

USDE Provides Letter with Details on ARP Spending Extension Requests (September 23, 2023)

As states and school districts prepare to make final decisions on spending the last and largest allocation of COVID-19 relief money, on September 18, 2022 the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) sent a letter to state education agencies (SEAs) with details on American Rescue Plan (ARP) spending extension requests.

According to the letter, SEAs can now request a 14-month extension to spend ARP money just as they were allowed to do under the first two allocations of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief fund.

If approved, states and school districts would have the flexibility of spending ARP funds 14 months beyond the Jan. 28, 2025, which would be late March 2026.

The letter also states that an FAQ and extension request template will be available this fall.

To view the letter, click here.