Summer Break: Checking In As We Prepare for Fall 

July 27, 2020

More than three in four schools (77%) will allow at least some families to continue online learning if they are reluctant to return to campus this fall, with nearly half of schools (47%) offering online learning to all who request it. 

Seventy-eight percent of independent schools include a symptom screening procedure in their reopening plans, while 21% are still deciding on this measure. 

Nearly all (97%) are planning to increase the frequency of sanitizing school facilities, 97% are planning to provide hand sanitizer to students and staff, and 91% are arranging seating for physical distancing in classrooms.

This is all according to recent NAIS Snapshot surveys, brief and targeted biweekly surveys examining how COVID-19 is affecting independent schools. It’s been a hectic few months, and as school leaders continue to assess and reassess their schools’ reopening plans—including in-person and virtual options—we offer some food for thought. Take a few minutes to revisit these blog posts you may have missed. 

Enrollment Decision-Making Amid COVID-19: 4 Effects to Manage by Mark J. Mitchell
While it’s difficult to predict exactly what will transpire, it might be useful to oversimplify a handful of conditions that might keep a family from choosing to enroll or re-enroll next year.

Equitable Grading in a Challenging Time by Joe Feldman
Families expect that their children will be successful in school, and the grades students earn are the most concrete expression of a student’s academic achievement and a school’s effectiveness in educating them. How do we award grades with integrity during a global pandemic––and how can we ensure that we maintain equity in the process?

The Inventor’s Mentality: Four Leadership Strategies for Reopening School by Scott Erickson
Exercising a mindset of creativity, resourcefulness, and resolve in preparations and planning for August.

Beyond Survival: Reimagining Why Independent Schools Exist by Brent Kaneft and Nolan R. LaVoie
By the spring of 2021, school leaders need answers and an action plan for a reimagined future.

Planning a Strategic Financial Response to COVID-19 Fallout by Bill Creeden
Strategic considerations, priorities, and decisions for heads and boards to help their schools survive, sustain, and thrive during COVID-19 crisis and its fallout.

Let’s keep the conversation going—share your school’s plans for the fall on Connect.