Category: Federal Government Actions

USDE Announces New Efforts and Resources for Supporting Mental Health and Students with Disabilities (June 10, 2022)

The U.S. Department of Education (USDE) is focusing on steps schools, colleges, and communities can take to support students with disabilities and students with mental health needs, especially the essential partnership between schools and families to ensure effective implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Thus , the USDE has released new resources for schools, colleges, and communities to promote mental health and the social and emotional well-being of children and students.

According to U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “The Department stands ready to help educators, school and program staff, and families thoughtfully design learning experiences—and to ensure students with disabilities continue to have equal access to in-person instruction.”

Resources on Website Accessibility

A new series of “how-to” videos on website accessibility covers topics including how people with disabilities use technology, applicable federal laws, and how to identify and remediate technological barriers that can interfere with the ability of parents and students with disabilities to participate in modern American education. OCR’s National Digital Accessibility Team has resolved over 1,000 digital accessibility cases since its formation just under three years ago, making educational institutions’ online programs, services, and activities more accessible to people with disabilities. The 20-part video series draws from that experience and was released in partnership with the ADA National Network.

Digital Accessibility Compliance Reviews

OCR will soon launch 100 new compliance reviews examining digital accessibility in elementary and secondary schools and districts, postsecondary institutions, state departments of education, libraries, and vocational rehabilitation services. Reviews will cover online learning, public-facing websites, and parent-resource and communications platforms to ensure compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Other Actions

The American Rescue Plan (ARP) included $3 billion to help states support infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities. Another $40 billion was provided to colleges through Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds to provide emergency aid to students and meet urgent public health needs related to the pandemic, including providing evidence-based mental health supports.

In addition, the USDE has taken a series of steps to uphold the rights of students with disabilities and support schools and institutions with providing mental health resources to students. These include:

  • Strengthening and protecting the rights for students with disabilities by beginning the process to amend regulations implementing Section 504.
  • Releasing new guidance to assist colleges in providing mental health supports for students, faculty, and staff.
  • Publishing, Supporting Child and Student Social, Emotional, Behavioral and Mental Health, a resource for schools, colleges and communities to promote mental health and the social and emotional well-being of children and students.
  • Awarding $198 million in American Rescue Plan funds to support students’ basic needs and provided guidance on how colleges could use federal funds to bolster mental health counseling programs.
  • Helping teachers, staff, and families thoughtfully design safe, in-person learning experiences for all students – including students with disabilities.

Statement from U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona on National Center for Education Statistics “Condition of Education” Report (June 9, 2022)

On May 31, 2022, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona released a statement on the National Center for Education Statistics’ “Condition of Education” 2022 report. The report summarizes the latest data on education and includes changes in enrollment from fall of 2019 through fall of 2020, the first year of schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
“When I took office, only 46 percent of schools were open for in-person learning. Now, more than 99 percent of schools and colleges are open, and our institutions are beginning to heal. We know COVID-19 disrupted our schools and colleges, and this report serves as an important reminder of the work left to be done on the road to recovery. The Department’s urgency has shifted from getting institutions open to, now, keeping them open; providing the necessary academic, financial and mental health supports for students and families; and strengthening our K-12 and post-secondary education systems. Together—with educators, parents, and staff—we can help schools and colleges recover and thrive.

“Considering last week’s tragedy in Uvalde, Texas, this data also shines a light on a dark truth—the growing prevalence of gun violence in our schools. As I recently said to members of Congress, I am ashamed that we as a country are becoming desensitized to these horrific tragedies. As parents, leaders, and educators, protecting our children is more important than anything else. The time for thoughts and prayers alone is over. We need legislative action. We can do better, and we must do better.”

The Condition of Education report contains key indicators on all levels of education, labor force outcomes, and international comparisons. The indicators summarize important developments and trends using the latest statistics, which are updated throughout the year as new data become available. Spotlight indicators provide more in-depth analyses on selected topics. In addition, the more succinct Report on the Condition of Education, which highlights and synthesizes key findings from the Condition of Education, is also available in PDF format.

Click here to view the report.

U.S. Ed. Scretary Cardona to Lay Out Vision to Support and Elevate the Teaching Profession (June 9, 2022)

Today, U.S Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona will lay out his vision for how the nation can support teachers across the country and elevate the teaching profession. During an address and fireside chat at the Bank Street College of New York, Secretary Cardona will discuss how the U.S. Department of Education (USDE), states and districts, and higher education institutions can recruit, prepare, and retain great teachers and, in turn, improve our education system across the country.

Read the press release by clicking here.

CDC Signs Off On COVID-19 Booster Shots for 5-11 Year-olds (May 20, 2022)

On May 19, 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) signed off on booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for children five to 11 years-old. Those children can now receive  booster shots at least five months after their second dose of the primary series of COVID-19 vaccines. The CDC sign-off came two days after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized booster shots for the 5-11 year-old age group.

Presently, mid-May 2022 data from the CDC shows 28.9% of children in this age group have received two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine. In addition,  CDC data also shows upwards of 15,000 children ages 5 to 11 have been hospitalized and at least 189 of them have died.

A recent CDC report also revealed that nearly 75 percent of children 11-years-old and under showed evidence of an infection by February 2022, up from 44 percent in December 2021.

To view the CDC press release, click here.

Source: NBC News

HHS Awards Nearly $25 Million to Expand Access to School-Based Health Services (May 6, 2022)

On May 3, 2022, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), awarded nearly $25 million to improve and strengthen access to school-based health services in communities across the country. Awards will support local partnerships between schools and health centers to provide children and youth the comprehensive physical and mental health care they need.

The awards were made to 125 HRSA-funded health centers that deliver comprehensive, high-quality primary health care services to individuals and families through school-based sites in underserved communities.

Health centers will use this funding to reduce disparities and improve access to care by increasing the number of young people receiving essential health care, including mental health services. Health centers will also use these funds for activities such as community and patient outreach, health education, and translation support.

A recent HRSA study published in the American Medical Association’s journal JAMA Pediatrics  found that between 2016 and 2020, the number of children ages 3-17 years diagnosed with anxiety grew by 29 percent and those with depression by 27 percent. As HHS recognizes Mental Health Awareness Month in May, this investment will help provide critical mental health services directly to students on site at their schools.

The May 6th announcement advances the joint effort of Secretary Becerra and U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona to expand school-based health services as outlined in their joint letter to Governors in March 2022. It is also part of the ongoing HHS-wide effort to strengthen our nation’s mental health.

The $25 million awarded today builds on the $5 million investment in school-based care that HRSA awarded to health centers in September 2021 to expand access to school-based services.

One in nine children in the United States accesses primary health care through a HRSA-funded health center. In 2020, 41 percent of health centers provided services to children and youth at over 3,200 school-based sites.

To locate a HRSA-supported health center, visit: https://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/.