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Communicable Disease Management

Communicable Disease Management

2023-2024 Management Plans will be different from the 21-22 model (Ready Schools Safe Learners) and the 22-23 model (COVID19 Management). Scroll to the bottom of this page to find resources and templates.

School-level communicable disease planning for the upcoming school year refines the template and instructionsĀ  to:Ā Ā 

  • Decrease template lengthĀ and reduce redundancy.Ā Ā 
  • ExpandĀ the focusĀ to all communicable disease planning which encompasses respiratory viruses as well as other diseases that schools may have to tackle.Ā Ā 
  • Create flexibilityĀ to leverage planning completed for Aligning for Student Success into communicable disease plans.Ā Ā 
1/2024 New “When To Go To School” guide

The Oregon Department of Education, in collaboration with the Oregon Health Authority, is pleased to releaseĀ additional guidanceĀ for schools and families on ā€œWhen to Go to Schoolā€.Ā This guidance document supports families in making decisions about whenĀ it is safe to send a student to school. It also helps schools promote attendance while aligning with state guidance around communicable disease.Ā The resource can be found under the “Families” column of the Every Day MattersĀ Tool Kits webpageĀ in English and in eight additional languages.

When should an outbreak be reported?

Per Jackson County Health Authority call, January 2024: For respiratory illnesses the guidance includes all respiratory diseases, including influenza, RSV, COVID, and Unknown.

  • When 30% of the school population (including staff and students) is absent and there are at least 10 people ill,Ā or
  • When 20% of a cohort (including staff and students) is absent and there are at least 3 individuals ill.

You can report by calling the CD Line at 541 774 8204,Ā  or by emailing Ā anyone on the CD Team ( Pema Lhewa or Ashanti Ayala or Bonnie Simpson)

7/2023 Updated Ventilation Guidance

The US CDC recently updatedĀ itsĀ guidance on ventilationĀ in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases. Because viral particles can spread between people more easily indoors than outdoors, ventilation is anĀ important mitigation toolĀ to reduce the risk of infection.Ā Ā 

To improve ventilation, it is important toĀ confirm that your HVAC systems are operating properly, following the manufacturerā€™s instructions. This includes:Ā 

  • Maintaining the HVAC system regularly.Ā Ā 
  • Changing the filters in the system regularly.Ā 
  • Ensuring filters fit properly so little or no air gets around the filters.Ā 

Visit this link to access CDC’s HVAC interactive tool and get recommendations customized to your setup.Ā 

6/2023 Reminder: COVID Rule Changes

Effective June 17, 2023:Ā  The COVID-19 vaccination requirement for public and private school teachers, staff and school volunteers (OAR 333-019-1030) will be lifted. Teachers, school staff and volunteers in schools will no longer have to provide proof of vaccination or have a valid medical or religious exception on file to be in direct or indirect contact with students. Ā Being up to date on COVID-19 vaccines continues to offer significant protection against serious illness and hospitalization.

Effective July 31, 2023: Ā The screening testing program in Oregonā€™s K-12 schools will end. iHealth self-tests will remain available until the current supply is exhausted. COVID-19 diagnostic testing resourcesĀ (e.g., Abbott BinaxNOW test kits)Ā will remain available through the 2023-24 academic year. Additional information regarding testing in Oregonā€™s K-12 schools is available here.Ā 

Reach out to our team if you have questions or need assistance.

Ā Contact


Tanya Frisendahl

Reopening Advisor
Educational Services Team
Email Tanya

2023-2024 Planning

Who must complete a School-level Communicable Disease Management Plan?Ā Ā 

ESDs, school districts, and public charter schools must a) have a complete communicable disease management plan, and b) submit a set of assurances by August 25, 2023..

What is the same for the 2023-24 school year?Ā 

Over the past three school years, schools and districts prepared Operational Blueprints (SY 2020-21), Safe Return to In-Person Instruction & Continuity of Services Plans (SY 2021-22) and School-level COVID-19 Management Plans (SY 2022-23). This year’s School-level Communicable Disease Management Plan builds upon the lessons learned over the last three years, including responding to the lasting equity and mental health impacts of communicable disease events. Ā Ā 

The School-level Communicable Disease Management Plan combines the requirement for a Safe Return to In-Person Instruction & Continuity of Services Plan required by the American Rescue Plan Act and the requirement for a communicable disease management plan under Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) 581-022-2220. The template remains aligned with other operational plans, emergency plans, and district communicable disease management plans already in place and will assist in the development and ongoing improvement of key operations during times when communicable diseases surge in our schools. With appropriate planning and prevention strategies in place, schools can minimize exclusions and ensure that all students have access to a full school year.Ā 

Template Instructions and ToolsĀ 

ODE, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and the Oregon School Nurses Association (OSNA) co-developed the 2022-23 template from which this 2023-24 template is built. This yearā€™s template is a modification of the 2022-23 template based on feedback from school leaders and OHA, and OSNA.Ā Districts, schools, or programs may use any format that best supports local planning and alignment while ensuring that the plan includes the content and components laid out in the template. You are encouraged to:Ā Ā 

Submitting Assurances, no later than August 25, 2023Ā Ā 

Before the start of the 2023-24 school year or no later than August 25, 2023,Ā Districts, ESDs, and public charter schools willĀ submitĀ to the Oregon Department of Education a set of assurancesĀ that:Ā Ā Ā 

  • A School-Level Communicable Disease Management Plan is in place for every public school, public charter school, or program that is not covered by a school plan (including a link to where these plans are available to the public).Ā Ā Ā 
  • Schools engaged an intentional process to center equityĀ and mental health and well-beingĀ in School-level Communicable Disease Management Plan.Ā Commitment to regularly train school staff in the School-level Communicable Disease Management Plan.Ā Ā 
  • A link to the districtā€™s communicable disease management plan.Ā Ā 
  • District has an up-to-date emergency operations plan.Ā Ā 
  • Certifications required for ESSSER III funding via the Safe Return plan.Ā 
2022-2023

Care & Connection Resources (August 2, 2022). Toolkit to help schools integrate care & connection in their everyday activities.

COVID-19 Tools (tailored to Klamath, Jackson, Josephine counties)

 

Looking for something else? Visit the 2021-2022 Archive
ODE hosts regular office hours to provide an overview of new guidance and answer questions.

Office hours are now hosted as needed. View more details here.

2023-2024 School Year

U.S. Department of Education under the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER II & III) Funds

Click here to view all ODE guidance.Ā 

(templates are on the bottom of the page)

Are your Esser plan activities still current?

If you need to modify/change them, please reach out to Tanya Frisendahl and she will connect you with a team member who can assist.

Click here to review the eligible uses of Esser funds.

 

Mandatory Esser Activity Tracking

Starting this school-year (2022-23) districts are federally required to track, collect and prepare to report data within these three categories:

Student Participation Data

Including student demographic information, for the following evidence-based activities* that are paid for in whole or in part with any ESSER funds:

  • Summer School or Enrichment
  • Extended Instruction Time
  • After School Programs,
  • High-Dose Tutoring
  • Early Childhood Education
  • Purchasing Education Technology

*The federal definitions of what constitutes each evidence-based activity can be foundĀ here.

School Staffing

Districts must track and report any of the following positions that are funded in whole or in part with any ESSER funds:

  • Special educators and related service personnel
  • Paraprofessionals/Instructional Aides
  • Bilingual or English as a second language educators
  • School counselors, school psychologists and/or social workers
  • Nurses
  • Short term contractors
  • Classroom educators
  • Support personnel
  • Administrative staff

Expenditure Reporting

Districts must identify at a more granular level how the ESSER I, II, and III funds are utilized. Here are examples of the additional expenditure categories. For a complete list, please refer to thisĀ documentĀ (page 46, section 3.b2):

  • Addressing Physical Health and Safety
  • Building and facilities upgrades and maintenance, including ventilation systems and new construction
  • Assistance with meals for students
  • Cleaning and/or sanitization supplies
  • Temporary classroom space to support social distancing
  • Temporary or additional transportation services to support social distancing to and from school
  • Capacity-building to improve disaster preparedness and response efforts, including coordination with other governmental entities to help prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19
  • Other health protocols not listed above and aligned to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) such as: vaccines for staff and/or students, COVID-19 testing for staff and/or students, contact-tracing, masks
SOESD COVID-19 Management Plans

SOESD provides direct student instructional services in the schools of the districts we serve. Each district we serve submits a COVID-19 Management Plan for each of their schools where we may serve students. SOESDā€™s other direct instructional services for students are outlined in separate SOESD Management Plans here.

SOESD assists districts with preparing and updating COVID-19 Management Plans and Communicable Disease Management Plans (CDMP) with resources available from ODE.

Click here to view SOESD’s Communicable Disease Management Plan (2022-2023).Ā 
Where can I get more tests?Ā 

Schools can request more Binax Now tests from OHA by completing this form. (08/2022)

If you have expired iHealth Labs tests, read this memo about the FDA’s extension of their shelf life. (07/2022)

 

What changes have been made since the 2022-2023 School Year?

May 11, 2023

AĀ five-day period of isolation for those infected with COVID-19 will no longer be recommended for the general population, including people in K-12 education settings. The recommendation for the general population will be to stay home until fever free for 24 hours and symptoms are improving; to avoid contact with individuals at increased risk for severe disease, including older adults and those with underlying medical conditions; and to consider masking for 10 days.

COVID-19 data sources will change/end.

Ending: OHAā€™s COVID-19 surveillance data focused on statewide transmission trends, data on severity, and most county-level data. ODE will share updates regarding data as CDC and OHA make changes this spring and summer. / Several COVID-19 dashboards and CDC will be retiring several COVID-19 metrics, including COVID-19 Community Levels / ODE notifications to districts of medium and high community transmission of COVID-19.Ā Ā Ā 

Remaining:Ā  County level immunization rates / COVID-19 transmission via the Oregon Health Authorityā€™s data dashboards

Recent (last 30 days) Highlights

 

 

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