Next Steps: Advancing Summit Findings

The summit provided insights into the lessons learned from the COVID-19 PHE and generated actionable strategies and planning considerations that can be implemented to improve the capacity of schools to respond to future PHEs. 

State and Tribal Agencies

State and tribal agencies can consider the following initial steps to applying the lessons from the summit:

• Engaging partners in identifying ways to incorporate the strategies/solutions generated during the summit into their jurisdiction’s PHE plans. For jurisdictions without a current plan, the strategies/solutions can provide a starting point to develop one
• Incorporating the planning considerations into job descriptions, onboarding, and/or training for staff members responsible for school preparedness 
• Identifying opportunities to build infrastructure around the overarching themes from the summit: partnership and engagement, workforce development, data and evaluation, communication, funding, and diversity, equity, and accessibility. Jurisdictions that lack broad support to advance PHE planning can improve preparedness by building and sustaining capacity and competency in these domains in relation to other public health and education priorities
• Sharing progress, resources, and implementation tips with other jurisdictions

National Partners

National partners can support state and tribal agencies in this work by:

• Disseminating this report to their constituents
• Advancing the summit outcomes through existing initiatives related to school PHE preparedness
• Developing resources, trainings, learning communities, and other programs to support implementation of the strategies/solutions and planning considerations 
• Supporting an ongoing mechanism for peer learning, technical assistance, and support that provides an opportunity for local, state, and tribal health and education agencies to share information and resources on PHE planning for schools
•  Assisting jurisdictions in maintaining situational awareness of opportunities and challenges that may affect implementation of the summit outcomes

This project was supported by Cooperative Agreement Number NU38OT000282, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The contents of this report are solely the responsibility of the American Academy of Pediatrics and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the Department of Health and Human Services or of any agencies or organizations of individuals who participated in the summit.