New Back-to-School Rubric v2.0 Provides School Leaders Critical Readiness Assessment Tool
SETDA partners with ClassLink and CoSN on Enhanced Public Resource for Organizations to Self-Assess Plans and Preparations for Distance Learning, 2020-2021 School Year
Washington, D.C. (July 21, 2020) — SETDA, in partnership with ClassLink and CoSN, has released the Back-to-School Rubric v2.0, a powerful new tool designed to help school districts self-assess readiness for remote and in-person learning in the fall.
The updated rubric provides a framework for school districts to use and adapt when reviewing their plans for the upcoming school year. The open-source, public domain resource includes a mechanism that school leaders can utilize to score their readiness plan and its elements in critical areas ranging from digital infrastructure and security to cleaning, health and hygiene protocols.
“As school district leaders work tirelessly on back-to school plans, the ability to assess readiness for online learning and other top priorities is critical to success,” said Keith Krueger, CEO of CoSN. “This new rubric is a unique and highly valuable tool that will help leaders ‘kick the tires’ as they gear up for blended and fully virtual learning and returning to school in the fall.”
The Back-to-School Rubric v2.0 is grounded in making purposeful, data-driven decisions that work for each district’s context. The straightforward, user-friendly rubric includes a framework for beginning, improving and optimizing performance in key areas, including:
- Digital Infrastructure | Data Privacy and Security| Internet Access |Device Access
- Instructional Delivery Method | School Calendars and Schedules
- Family and Community Engagement | Communication | Monitoring and Evaluation
- Attendance | Cleaning, Health, and Hygiene Protocols
- Meals | Transportation | Vulnerable Student Populations
- Curriculum | Instructional Materials
”As a company dedicated to education, ClassLink is committed to helping schools succeed with remote learning,” said Berj Akian, CEO & Founder of ClassLink. “We’re excited to continue our partnership with CoSN, an organization who is at the forefront of this mission.”
“While leading and supporting the shift to teaching and learning in the digital age has always been SETDA’s focus, this year has accelerated that shift with an unprecedented urgency that many districts were not prepared to navigate,” said Candice Dodson, Executive Director of SETDA. “Having the Back-to-School Rubric v2.0 provides leaders with a way of assessing where they are in the shift, and what they need to do to move forward. The rubric’s user friendly interface and key areas of consideration help leaders make the data-driven decisions for getting students back to learning.”
“Working with a high powered team of ‘boots-on-the-ground’ practitioners, Version 2.0 is a major enhancement,” said Diane Doersch, Technical Project Director at Digital Promise. “It combines the original two rubrics into one by normalizing the indicators to the NIST (National Institute for Standards in Technology) Framework which is based on the Baldrige Model of Continuous Improvement. The result is a simple and easy to understand rubric that school district leaders can use for improvement as they plan for this fall. Special thanks to my amazing co-leader, Frankie Jackson.”
About CoSN
CoSN (the Consortium for School Networking) is the premier professional association for school system technology leaders. CoSN provides thought leadership resources, community best practices and advocacy tools to help leaders succeed in the digital transformation. CoSN represents over 13 million students in school districts nationwide and continues to grow as a powerful and influential voice in K-12 education. cosn.org
About ClassLink
With more than 6,000 single sign-on connectors and comprehensive use of open technology standards, ClassLink is the most inclusive single sign-on platform in education today. The award-winning technology is accessible from any computer, tablet or smartphone, making ClassLink the ideal solution for 1 to 1 and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) initiatives. ClassLink Roster Server easily and securely delivers class rosters to any publisher using open technology standards. ClassLink Analytics gives decision makers the usage data they need. ClassLink OneSync automates account provisioning and reconciles accounts in real time.
About SETDA
SETDA, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit, is the principal membership association representing digital learning leaders of U.S. states and territories. The power of SETDA is in the collaboration of these experienced leaders, and their ability to take collective action, both in advocacy and in the creation of national standards and resources.