Do You Have Questions for MDE?
Please check the MDE COVID-19 Information webpage before emailing your questions to MDE staff. We regularly add guidance, answers to questions and links to our daily update email. Daily updates are posted in the Administrator News section of the EdUpdate.
Hanover Research Resources
District administrators are currently grappling with the “new normal” as online learning platforms create privacy concerns and districts determine how to continue providing critical support services to students, parents, and teachers. Below is a summary of Hanover’s latest research on emerging topics.
LATEST RESEARCH & ANALYSIS
- Analyzing the Impact of the CARES Act on K-12 Education
- Sustaining Non-Educational Services During School Closures
- Supporting Family Social-Emotional Needs During Pandemics
- Supporting Students’ Social-Emotional Needs During Pandemics
- Checklist for District Closures
CRISIS RESPONSE SOLUTIONS
- Climate Pulse Survey – Our research staff has developed a survey instrument that enables district leaders to assess their services and support on a regular basis so they can adjust what they are doing to meet their stakeholders’ needs.
- Request Best Practices – From leading practices in crisis and financial recovery to improving student engagement and toolkits for teachers supporting English learners, Hanover is ready to answer your specific questions. Hanover is also prepared to present this information in briefs, toolkits, or infographics for distribution to different stakeholder groups.
- COVID-19 Resource Center – This online summary provides you with key facts, resources, and potential responses to this rapidly-evolving situation. Hanover also provides specific recommendations of different research projects to inform strategic decisions like teacher professional development, reducing student learning loss, and developing infographics to communicate with district stakeholders.
DISCUSSION GROUPS
- Weekly Superintendents Leadership Council – In partnership with the Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA) and the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA), Hanover will host a weekly virtual forum every Thursday evening at 7pm Central Time, to provide an opportunity for superintendents and district leaders to gather, ask questions, and share solutions. Register here to learn how your peers are navigating change.
- Operational Leadership Council – We will host a quarterly virtual forum on “District Management in the Face of Enrollment Shifts” on April 22 at 1:30pm ET with heads of finance and operations. Register here to join the conversation.
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Webinar
The MDE will host a webinar on Tuesday, April 14, at 10 a.m. to provide an overview of the federal CARES Act. This webinar will be of particular interest to superintendents, business managers, federal programs directors, special education directors, and CTE directors. Additional information regarding registration will be shared later this week. As of today, the MDE has not received final guidance or funds from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) regarding the implementation of the CARES Act.
REQUIRED ACTION FOR SUPERINTENDENTS: District Learning-at-Home Plan
The MDE is gathering information from districts to better understand how you are supporting continued student learning during the extended school closure. We are particularly interested in how your district is delivering content to students, what content your district is using with students, and how your district plans to calculate student grades. Additionally, through the collection of these plans, we are confirming that districts are serving all students, including students with disabilities and English learners. This plan does not require lengthy responses and should only take a few minutes to complete. Read instructions here for completing your District-Name-2019-20-Learning-at-Home-Plan. The plan is due by 5 p.m. April 10.