Supporting the Reopening and Continuing Operation of Schools and Early Childhood Education Providers

Education Healthcare Civil Rights Federal Workforce

In simple terms

This executive order directs federal agencies to support safe reopening and continued operation of K-12 schools, early childhood education providers, and higher education institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. It mandates evidence-based guidance, data collection on disparate impacts, equitable distribution of COVID-19 supplies, and development of strategies to address learning loss and educational inequities exacerbated by the pandemic.

Federal Register Open PDF 86 FR 7215

Record & deadlines

Jan 21, 2021Signed
Signed by the President
Jan 26, 2021FR published
Published in the Federal Register · 86 FR 7215
Federal Register PDF
Date TBD
Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights report on disparate impacts of COVID-19 on students
Date TBD
Report from Secretaries of Education and HHS on strategies to address COVID-19 educational outcomes

Key directives

Secretary of Education to provide evidence-based guidance for K-12 reopening in consultation with HHS
Secretary of Education to provide evidence-based guidance for higher education reopening
Secretary of Education to develop Safer Schools and Campuses Best Practices Clearinghouse
Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights to deliver report on disparate impacts of COVID-19 on students as soon as practicable
Secretary of Education to coordinate data collection on pandemic impacts, disaggregated by demographics
Secretary of HHS to facilitate data collection for safe reopening of schools and child care providers
Secretary of HHS to ensure equitable allocation of COVID-19 testing materials and supplies to schools and child care providers
Secretary of HHS to support contact tracing programs at state/local/Tribal/territorial levels
Secretary of HHS to provide guidance for child care providers and Head Start programs on safe reopening
Secretary of HHS to accelerate distribution of federal COVID-19 relief funds to child care providers
Secretaries of Education and HHS to submit report on strategies to address COVID-19 educational outcomes
FCC encouraged to increase connectivity options for students lacking broadband

Who is ordered

What to expect

Immediate

Secretary of Education to provide evidence-based guidance on school reopening
Secretary of HHS to ensure equitable allocation of COVID-19 supplies to schools and child care providers
Secretary of HHS to facilitate data collection for safe reopening

Near term (90d)

Development of Safer Schools and Campuses Best Practices Clearinghouse
Report on disparate impacts of COVID-19 on students from Education's Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
Collection and disaggregation of data on pandemic impacts on students and educators
Report from Secretaries of Education and HHS on strategies to address COVID-19 educational outcomes

Long term

Sustained support for safe in-person learning conditions
Mitigation of learning loss and educational disparities
Long-term data infrastructure for understanding pandemic effects on education
Child care sector stabilization beyond pandemic

Risks & tensions

No hard deadlines specified; 'as soon as practicable' and implicit timing create implementation uncertainty
Subject to availability of appropriations may limit enforcement if Congress does not fund
Encouragement to FCC is non-binding; lacks regulatory force for broadband equity
Tension between rapid reopening and health/safety paramount principle
Data disaggregation requirements may face privacy implementation challenges
Consultation mandates are extensive but do not guarantee specific stakeholder outcomes