CDC School Tools

K-12 Symptom Screening webpage

  • Updated as of 12/14/2020
  • Updated quarantine language for consistency with other CDC webpages, and improved overall readability.

Update to COVID-19 in Children and Teens webpage

  • Updated as of 12/18/2020
  • Updates include addition of new information on COVID-19 in children as well as other links to relevant CDC guidance pages and tools, and improving page clarity.

Update to Guidance for K-12 School Administrators on the Use of Masks in Schools webpage

  • Updated as of 12/18/2020
  • Updates include new information on protection that masks offer to the wearer, opening windows for circulation, special education recommendations for teachers using clear masks, recommendation to wear masks at all times except when eating/drinking, also edited language for easier readability.

Update to Pediatric Healthcare Providers webpage

  • Updated as of 12/30/2020
  • Updates include new information about COVID-19 relevant to pediatric healthcare providers. Revisions were also made to make the webpage easier to use and understand. Added updates to severity of illness in children.

Resources for Teachers and Staff webpage

Updates to Help Children Learn at Home webpage

  • Updated as of 12/31/2020
  • Updates include additional strategies for parents who are struggling to keep children engaged during at-home learning, as well as more information for households who previously relied on certain services previously provided by the school, and additional links for parents.

Update to K-12 Schools and Child Care landing page

  • Updated as of 01/05/2021
  • Updates include edits to a few of the product titles to better convey their purpose, and addition of links to new Resources for Teachers and Staff webpage
  • Previous updates included addition of the new school tools, “How Do I Set Up My Classroom?” and “Teachers and Staff Resuming In-Person Learning”

Updates to School Tools:  

  • Updated as of 12/17/2020
  • Updates include improved graphics to better illustrate recommendations

How Do I Set Up My Classroom?  Tool (PDF)

  • Posted on the Schools and Child Care landing page 12/23/2020
  • Purpose of tool: New tool for K-12 teachers to guide them in setting up their classroom in a way that promotes health behaviors, environments and operations to reduce the risk of COVID-19 as outlined in CDC’s Considerations for Operating K-12 Schools During COVID-19. Includes a list of 15 tips and 5 diagrams for classroom layouts. This tool can be used by teachers before returning to in-person learning.

Teachers and Staff Resuming In-Person Learning Tool  (PDF)

  • Posted on the Schools and Child Care landing page 12/28/2020
  • Purpose of tool: New tool intended for teachers and teaching staff (e.g., teacher aides) going back to school in-person (whether full-or part-time) prepare themselves for the upcoming school year. This tool guides teachers to get ready for in-person learning in a way that promotes health behaviors, environments and operations to reduce the risk of COVID-19 as outlined in CDC’s Considerations for Operating K-12 Schools During COVID-19.

Updates to School Decision-Making Tools for Parents, Caregivers, and Guardians  (PDF)

  • Updates to the tools and corresponding webpage posted on 12/30/2020
  • This is a PDF tool found on its corresponding webpage – Making Decision about Children Attending In-person School During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Information for Parents, Guardians, and Caregivers
  • Purpose of tool: Includes 3 separate checklists to assist parents when deciding which mode of learning is best for their child according to their needs, specific family situation, and their school’s efforts in mitigating the spread of COVID-19
    • Back to In-Person Learning checklist: contains factors to consider when deciding if in-person learning is a good fit for their child
    • Virtual/At-Home Learning checklist: contains factors to consider when deciding if virtual/at-home learning is a good fit for their child
    • School-Based Services checklist: contains factors to consider when determining if a child will be able to receive necessary services that are provided by the school when engaged in different learning modalities

Reminders about older school tools (relevant for going back to in-person learning):

K-12 Schools COVID-19 Mitigation Toolkit

  • Posted on the Schools and Child Care landing page 12/03/2020
  • Purpose of tool: new tool containing a number of checklists and guides compiled for public health officials, K-12 school administrators, and occupational safety and health (OSH) officials. The toolkit can help prepare schools for in-person instruction by assessing hazards and helping to determine how to implement mitigation strategies appropriately to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in school settings.

Getting Schools Ready for In-Person Learning: How to Plan and Execute a COVID-19 Mitigation Walkthrough Tool

  • Posted on the Schools and Child Care landing page 12/03/2020
  • Purpose of tool: new tool providing school administrators and public health officials a guide on mitigation walkthroughs to ensure they are prepared for in-person learning