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• June 2020​
  
• COVID-19 Update to Schools- June 18, 2020
  
• Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala​​- June 11, 2020
• May 2020​
  • Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala​​- May 18, 2020
  • Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala​- May 15, 2020
    
  • ​​Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala​- May 11, 2020
  • ​​Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala​​- May 8, 2020
  • ​​Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala​​​- May 4, 2020​
  • Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala​- May 1, 2020
• April 2020
  • Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala​- April 27, 2020
  • Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala​​​​​​​​- April 24, 2020
  • Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala​​​​​​- April 22, 2020
  • Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala​​​​- April 20, 2020
  • Message from State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carmen I. Ayala on the Extension of Remote Learning Days Through End of School Year - April 17, 2020
  • Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala​​- April 16, 2020
  • Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala​​​​- April 15, 2020
  • Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala​​​- April 14, 2020
  • Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala​​- April 13, 2020
  • Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala​​​​​​- April 10, 2020
  • Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala​​​- April 9, 2020
  • Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala​​​- April 8, 2020
  • Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala​​- April 7, 2020
  • Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala​​- April 6, 2020
  • Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala​​​- April 3, 2020
  • Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala​​​- April 2, 2020
  • Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala​​​​​​​​​​​- April 1, 2020
• March 2020
  • Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala​​​​​​​​​- March 31, 2020
  • Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala​​​​​​​- March 30, 2020
  • Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala Announcing Remote Learning Days​​- March 27, 2020
  • ​Spanish​
  • Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala​​​​- March 26, 2020
  • Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala​- March 25, 2020
  • Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala​- March 24, 2020
  • Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala​- March 23, 2020
  • Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala- March 22, 2020
  • Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala- March 20, 2020​
  • Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala- March 17, 2020​
  • Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ay​ala​-March 13, 2020​
  • Message from State Superintendent Dr. Carmen I. Ayala​- ​March 12, 2020​​​​​​​​​​​

• June 2020
• ICCB - Applying the Final Placement Recommendations for Placement in the Fall of 2020 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic- June 2, 2020
  
• May 2020
• ISBE Guidance for Schools and Districts - May 8, 2020
  
• DCFS/ISBE Joint Guidance on Student Wellness Checks​​ - May 6, 2020
  
• ​​​​Summer School Guidance for Schools and Districts​​ - May 6, 2020​
• Governor’s Office- Restore Illinois: A Public Health Approach to Safely Reopen our State - May 5, 2020
  
• Student Attendance During Remote Learning​- May 4, 2020​
• IDPH/ISBE Graduation Ceremony Guidance​- May 2, 2020
  
• April 2020
• Joint Guidance for Institutions of Higher Education on Exemptions of Teacher Licensure Requirements - ISBE/IBHE- April 27, 2020
• Licensure Requirement Changes
  
• FAQ- May 22, 2020
• Presentation for School Districts- April 30, 2020
• School Districts Webinar Recording - April 30, 2020
• Presentation for IHEs- April 29, 2020
• IHE Session 1 Webinar Recording​​ - ​April 29, 2020
  
• IHE Session 2 Webinar Recording​​ - May 1, 2020
  
• Graduation Requirement Changes
  
• FAQ- May 4, 2020
• Presentation​- April 27, 2020
• Webinar Recording​- April 29, 2020
• Pritzker Administration Releases WI-FI Hotspot Map to Support Illinois Students during COVID-19 Pandemic​​​- April 17, 2020
  
• March 2020
• ​Joint Dual Credit Guidance During Suspension of In-Person Instruction​ - IBHE, ICCB, ISBE - March 27, 2020
• Guidance on School Calendars - ISBE/IARSS​ - March 22, 2020​​​​​​​​​​​​​
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• Part 3: Starting the 2020-21 School Year​ - June 23, 2020​
  
• IDPH Update on Appropriate Use of Face Shields​​​ - June 30, 2020
  
• Frequently Asked Questions​ - June 30, 2020​
  
• School and District Fall Reopening Toolkit - June 25, 2020​
• ​Webinar Presentation​ - June 24, 2020
  
• Webinar Recording​
• COVID-19​ District Communication Toolkit - June 25, 2020​
  
• ​School Building Posters
  
• ​8.5x11
  
• ​Spanish​
  
• 24x36
  
• ​Spanish​
  
• What Parents Need to Know
  
• ​Spanish​
  
• Phase 4 Requirements - Social Media Graphics​
  
• ​Spanish​
  
• Part 2: Updated Summer School and Other Allowable Activities - IDPH/ISBE Joint Guidance​- June 4, 2020
  
• ​​Part 1: Considerations for Closing the 2019-20 School Year & Summer 2020​ - May 15, 2020
  
• ​Remote Learning Recommendations​​- March 27, 2020
  
• Spanish​
  
• Polish
  
• ​Arabic​​​​​​
  

• Due to the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) released an application for an ESEA fiscal waiver.  The approval process for this waiver was expedited due to the pandemic. ISBE applied and received approval for the ESEA fiscal Waiver.
  While the waiver application and approval process was expedited, ED requests that States collect public comment. The application ISBE submitted is linked below. Please submit any comments on the ESEA Fiscal waiver application by June 27, 2020 to illinoiscares@isbe.net.
  • ​​COVID-19 Fiscal Waiver Template​- May 28, 2020
    
• Due to the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic the U.S. Department of Education (ED) released a State Education Agency Application to receive funds for the Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief (ESSER) grant.  The approval process for this waiver was expedited due to the pandemic. ISBE applied and received approval for the ESSER grant.​
  While the waiver application and approval process was expedited, ED requests that States still collect public comment.  The application ISBE submitted is linked below. Please submit any comments on the ESSER application by June 27, 2020 to illinoiscares@isbe.net.
  • ESSERF Certification and Agreement -May 28, 2020
    
• CARES ACT ESSER Grant
  
  • CARES ACT ESSER Grant Webinar - May 18 - 19, 2020​
    
  • Presentation​ - May 21, 2020
  • Nonpublic School Consultation Participation Form​​- June 8, 2020
• CARES Act ESSER Grant Release- May 15, 2020
  
• ​CARES Act ESSER Final Allocations- May 15, 2020
• CARES Act Fiscal Waivers for Titles I, II, III, and IV and McKinney-Vento​​ - April 24, 2020
  
• Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) District Information​- March 31, 2020​​​​​​​​​​​

• Where to Get Help Flyer (P-20 FACE Committee)- May 22, 2020
  
• ​Spanish​​- May 22, 2020
  
• Polish - June 8, 2020
• Arabic​​ - June 8, 2020
• Urdu - June 8, 2020
• ​​ISBE Remote Learning FAQ for Families​​ - May 14, 2020​
• ISBE Remote Learning FAQ for Families​​ Spanish​​ - May 14, 2020​
  
• Polish - June 8, 2020
• Arabic - June 8, 2020
• Urdu​ - June 8, 2020

• Special Education FAQ Return to In-Person Instruction​ - June 30, 2020
• Remote Learning for Students with Autism and Spectrum Disorder- April 30, 2020
  
• Remote Learning for Students with Significant Intellectual or Multiple Disabilities- April 30, 2020
  
• Remote Learning for Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired- May 22, 2020
  
• Remote Learning for Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing or DeafBlind​- April 30, 2020​​

• English Learner and English Learner Services During Remote Learning FAQ​- May 11, 2020
  
• ​PreK-12 English Learner Provisional Identification and Placement Procedures During Remote Learning​​ - April 22, 2020​
  

• Child care centers by school district - April 22, 2020
  
• Joint Guidance for Child Care Providers Following Extended Stay at Home Order - ISBE/GOECD/DCFS/IDHS​ -April 7, 2020 
• IDHS & GOECD - Child Care Business Resources COVID-19: Presentation, Webinar Recording,Toolkit of Child Care Provider Resources - April 6, 2020
• COVID-19: Illinois' Early Childhood Care and Education Response - ISBE/GOECD/DCFS/IDHS​- March 30, 2020
• Guidance for Child Care Centers, Child Care Homes, and Early Education Programs - ISBE/OECD/DCFS/DHS-March 20, 2020
  • FAQ - March 20, 2020
• Guidance on Providing Emergency Child Care for Essential Workers​ - March 25, 2020​​​

• Joint Statement of the Office of Governor JB Pritzker, Illinois Education Association, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Illinois Association of School Administrators, Illinois Principals Association, and Illinois State Board of Education​​- March 27, 2020​

• Executive Order 2020-44​re-issues previous Executive Orders in response to the epidemic emergency and public health emergency - June 26, 2020
  
• Executive Order 2020-40​ allows for limited in-person instruction, in accordance with Illinois Department of Public Health guidance.​ - June 4, 2020
  
• Executive Order 2020-33​​​ extends suspension of in-person instruction through end of 2019-20 academic year - April 30, 2020
  
• Executive Order 2020-31​​ waives specific licensure requirements and graduation and coursework requirements. - April 24, 2020​​
  
• Executive Order 2020-30 extends the stay at home order through May 30, 2020; allows for educational institutions to establish procedures for pick-up of supplies and student belongings. - April 23, 2020​
  
• Executive Order 2020-15 suspends all state assessments, creates Remote Learning Days and Remote Learning Plan Days, addresses Early Childhood Block Grant funds, and permits virtual submission of school construction bids. - March 27, 2020​
  
• Executive Order 2020-10​​ - with exceptions, requires all individuals currently living within the State of Illinois to stay at home or at their place of residence. Among other changes, extends mandated statewide school closure through April 7, 2020.​ - March 20, 2020
  
• Executive Order 2020-07 ​includes Open Meetings Act flexibility. ​- March 16, 2020
• Executive Order 2020-06​​ exempts schools operated by the Department of Juvenile Justice, State Board of Education or Department of Human Services from EO 2020-05. ​- March 15, 2020
• Executive Order 2020-05​​ requires all public and non-public schools to close beginning on Tuesday, March 17 through Monday, March 30. At this time, schools may reopen on Tuesday, March 31. ​- ​March 15, 2020​​​​​​​​​​​

• May 2020
• Emergency Amendment to Part 151​ ensures that an applicant that submitted an application for a school maintenance project grant after the application deadline announced by the State Superintendent, but prior to April 21, 2020, is eligible to have the submitted application reviewed by the State Board and, if approved, may be issued a grant award for disbursement. – May 15, 2020​
  
• Emergency Amendment to Part 1 waives the application submission deadlines for entities that offer professional development activities that wish to apply to the State Board of Education for approval to conduct leadership training activities for members of Illinois boards of education or Independent Authorities. - May 1, 2020
  
• April 2020
• ​Emergency Amendment to Part 1 waives certain graduation requirements for students who are in twelfth grade during the mandated in-person instruction pursuant to Executive Order 2020-05 and for the duration of the Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamations. – April 27, 2020
• Emergency Amendment to Part 25 takes various measures for those seeking an educator license for the duration of the mandated in-person instruction and the Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamations, including extending the validity of a Professional Educator License that expires on June 30, 2020, short-term approval for school support personnel and paraprofessionals, and the waiver of student teaching for applicants who have completed all other preparation program requirement for a Professional Educator License. – April 27, 2020
• Emergency Amendment​  provides that school districts will be reimbursed for special education private facility tuition expenditures per the statutory formula under Section 14-7.02 of the School Code, and also notes that school districts will be reimbursed for special education room and board expenditures under Part B of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. – April 9, 2020​
• ​Emergency Amendment  ensures that contracts related to the provision of transportation or a transportation provider under a written agreement, regardless of any service that may be provided, are allowable and reimbursed. – April 9, 2020
  
• March 2020
• Emergency Amendment to Part 120​ requires all transportation costs incurred between March 17, 2020, and through the end of the 2019-2020, that are beyond transporting students to be allowable and reimbursed by the formula under Section 29-5 of the School Code. - March 30, 2020 
• Emergency Amendment to Part 5 allows the State Superintendent to declare a requirement to use Remote Learning Days for a district, multiple districts, a region, or the entire State. During the Remote Learning Days, schools must conduct instruction remotely. - March 27, 2020
  
• Emergency Amendment to Part 235 ​allows currently funded early childhood block grant programs that voluntarily choose to provide care for children of essential workers to use funds in excess of what is necessary for the program to provide at-home materials for children in the program and to purchase supplies and equipment while caring for children of essential workers. - March 27, 2020​
  
• Emergency Amendment to Part 226 allows all approved special education private facilities to continue to invoice school districts and requires school districts to continue to pay the per diem approved by the Illinois Purchased Care Review Board under Section 14-7.02 of the School Code. - ​March 25, 2020 ​​​​

• July 2020​
  
• ED Office of Special Education Programs IDEA Part C Evaluations Q&A​ - July 8, 2020
  
• ED Office of Special Education Programs: IDEA Part B Q&A- July 2, 2020
  
• ED Office of Special Education Programs: IDEA Part C Q&A​- July 2, 2020
• May 2020​
  • ​ED Fact Sheet: Providing Services to English Learners During the Covid-19 Outbreak - May 19, 2020
• April 2020​
  • U.S. Dept. of Education: Q & A on Donation or Loan of Personal Protective Equipment and Other Medical Supplies and Equipment Purchased with Federal Funds​- April 15, 2020
    
  • U.S. Dept. of Education Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education: Perkins V
    
  • ​FAQ Round 2​- April 10, 2020
    
  • Fact Sheet: Select Questions Related to Use of Department of Education Grant Funds During the Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019​ - April 8, 2020
    
• March 2020​
  • U.S. Dept. of Education Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education: Perkins V
    
  • FAQ Round 1​- March 31, 2020​
    
  • U.S. ED Student Privacy Policy Office: FERPA and Virtual Learning - March 30, 2020
    
  • U.S. ED OCR & OSERS: Supplemental Fact Sheet-  Addressing the Risk of COVID-19 in Preschool, Elementary and Secondary Schools While Serving Children with Disabilities - March 21, 2020
    
  • U.S. ED Office of Civil Rights: Addressing the Risk of COVID-19 in Schools While Protecting the Civil Rights of Students - March 16, 2020
  • U.S. Dept. of Education: Impact of COVID-19 on Assessments and Accountability​ - March 12, 2020 
  • U.S. Dept. of Education: Q & A on addressing students with disabilities during school closures due to COVID-19​- March 12, 2020
  • ​U.S. ED Office of Civil Rights: Safeguarding Student Civil Rights - March 6, 2020
  • U.S. Dept. of Education: COVID-19 (“Coronavirus”) Information and Resources for Schools and School Personnel​ -March 2, 2020​​​​​

• Guidance to Public Bodies on the Open Meetings Act and the Freedom of Information Act during the COVID-19 Pandemic​​
  

• CDC Tips for Parents While School’s Out​ - March 23, 2020
  
• IDPH Employee Supervisor Guide to COVID-19 - March 18, 2020
  
• Illinois Dept. of Public Health: Webpage for Schools - March 14, 2020
• Center for Disease Control and Prevention​ (CDC): Travel Information​​​​
  
• Handwashing Lessons - Pre-K - 12 

  Schools, working together with local health departments, play a key role in reducing the spread of diseases to help ensure students have safe and healthy learning environments. Hand washing and use of hand sanitizers is critical to minimizing transmission, but only if done properly. Therefore, we are asking all schools to implement lessons in hand washing and use of hand sanitizer.

  The CDC offers numerous hand washing resources for all grade levels, including:

  • Classroom lessons and activities
  • Instructional videos for students, including one in Spanish
  • Instructional posters in eight languages to hang above sinks in restrooms
  • Fact sheets that can be downloaded in both English and Spanish to send home with students​​
    
  
  

Please help protect Illinois children's safety and wellbeing by staying in daily contact with students. If you suspect abuse or neglect, you have a social responsibility to report it to the hotline. In addition, state law requires that teachers, school personnel, child care workers, educational advocates assigned to a child pursuant to the School Code, and truancy officers, among others, report suspected neglect or abuse. These individuals are called Mandated Reporters. Please view and share the following fact sheets about protecting students from abuse during the COVID-19 crisis:

• Kids Need Schools to Report Abuse During COVID-19 Crisis​
  
• Kids Need Essential Workers to Report Abuse During COVID-19 Crisis
  
• Kids Need All Adults to Report Abuse During COVID-19 Crisis
  

Find more information about reporting from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.​​