National Groups Launch COVID-19 Peer Review to Help Schools Plan for Re-opening

WASHINGTON, July 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As schools prepare for reopening in the fall, the Collaborative for Student Success and the Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) are announcing a joint effort to provide expert analysis of school reopening plans across the country.

Together, we are releasing a tool to highlight innovative practices in meeting the challenges presented by COVID-19 and launching a national call for experts, in and out of education circles, to review district efforts to help highlight best practices.

Over the last three months, CRPE has monitored how schools are responding to the pandemic. With this research as a starting point, the new partnership aims to help educators find effective solutions. 

"By taking a holistic look at district response and recovery activities, we can seize an opportunity to highlight valuable solutions brought forth by local leaders against overwhelming odds," said Jim Cowen, Executive Director for the Collaborative for Student Success.

Robin Lake, Director of the Center on Reinventing Public Education, added, "This summer will be a critical time for system leaders to pause, reflect on what went well this spring, and prepare for what promises to be an enormously complex challenge in the fall to make sure every student's unique needs will be met. We hope the good examples we find can allow district leaders to quickly learn from each other and use the most promising ideas."

To identify the best plans, we are seeking expert peer reviewers to assemble this summer and consider everything from districts' plans to support instruction remotely or in classrooms to their public communications, health and safety measures, and crucial logistical issues like transportation. We are inviting those with education expertise and are in need of reviewers with strong backgrounds in health and safety, and emergency planning to complement their efforts. Applications are due July 7.

Cowen continued, "Districts can learn from one another if they know where to look and the rubric we release today will be a tool that districts can use right now as they think about planning for fall."

Experts will be selected in July, with a virtual training to be held in the same month. Experts will conduct district plan reviews in mid to late July. To learn more about the project or inquire about becoming a peer reviewer, click here.

More About the Collaborative For Student Success:

The Collaborative for Student Success is a non-profit advocacy organization that works to defend high standards, high-quality assessments, and strong systems of accountability, to ensure that all kids are prepared for college or career. Through capacity-building efforts with in-state organizations and collaboration with national partners, we promote fact-based public discourse and fight to advance policies that promote best practices and ensure equitable outcomes for all students. Learn more at www.ForStudentSuccess.org 

More About the Center on Reinventing Public Education:

The Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) is one of the nation's leading sources for transformative, evidence-based ideas to improve education. To ensure all students are prepared for a rapidly changing future, we put forward rigorous research and policy analysis to help educators, policymakers, civic and community leaders, parents, and students themselves reimagine education systems and structures. Learn more at: www.crpe.org

SOURCE Collaborative for Student Success