Update on K-12 Testing Program: Staffing Solutions and Future Steps

Update on K-12 Testing Program September 23, 2021

Todays Presentation Department of Elementary and Secondary Education COVID-19 Command Center Shah Foundation Russell Johnston, Senior Associate Commissioner Lauren Woo, Strategic Transformation Director Ross Wilson, Executive Director Eliza Novick, Project Manager Marisa Meldonian, Associate Director Lizzie Gordon, Project Associate Jeremiah Hay, Deputy Strategy Director, COVID- 19 Command Center Sean Burpoe, Strategy Manager, COVID-19 Command Center Amar Parikh, Strategy Analyst, COVID-19 Command Center 2 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

01 Frequently Asked Questions 02 Shah Family Foundation resources 03 Next Steps CONTENTS

01 Frequently Asked Questions

Staffing solutions We understand that on-site staffing support has been slow to materialize for many districts. All parties CIC Health, DESE, and EHS are actively working to fill the on-site support gap for all districts. Aggressively adding more partners to double the number of subcontractors. Onboarding 3 more today. If you are struggling with the launch of your testing program, please reach out to k12covid19testing@mass.gov ASAP. CIC will proactively reach out to every participating district within the next week. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Potential short-term staffing solutions If possible, we encourage districts to be identify additional resources until on-site support services arrive. Some districts have used part-time school-affiliated staff members such as after school program staff to assist with launching their testing program. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Other potential staffing solutions If a schools/district has identified resources that could fill on- site support roles, there are ways to compensate them using available funds oA district may work with CIC to have the individual(s) hired as a subcontractor of CIC, who would then compensate the individual(s). oDistricts may apply for reimbursement from FEMA (see question 12 of the updated FAQ) to cover the costs associated with compensating this individual(s). For more information regarding FEMA reimbursement, districts may direct questions to Disaster.recovery@mass.gov 7 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Centralized Test and Stay locations Some districts have chosen to have test and stay testing occur at one centralized location within the district (e.g., a community recreation hall) instead of at each individual school. o A benefit of this approach is that a district would only need one onsite support team at a single location for test and stay, which may be more feasible given current circumstances. o Schools would be responsible for identifying the site and providing any necessary materials (e.g., tables, chairs), and the site must be added to the district s CLIA waiver (link here). Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Updated gender options on consent form Based on overwhelming feedback provided by district leaders, caregivers, and other stakeholders, the gender options on the consent form have been amended. The options are as follows: oFemale oMale oNonbinary oOther oTransgender oUnknown 9 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Updated FAQ Updated FAQ To be posted at https://www.doe.mass.edu/covid19/testing/default.html 10 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Ordering and using BinaxNOW tests How do I order BinaxNOW tests, and when should I receive them by? o Program coordinators from CIC Health typically handle BinaxNOW ordering on behalf of the district. However, if you need to order BinaxNOW tests on your own, they may be ordered via the form here. o Given the limited shipping and fulfillment resources, please only request the number of tests that you anticipate needing for your district. When calculating, please remember that not all close contacts should be entered into Test & Stay only unvaccinated, asymptomatic individuals who were exposed within 0-3 feet for at least 15 minutes while indoors. (Reminder: Test and Stay is for in-school close contacts, only.) o Additionally, tests may only be delivered to one centralized hub in a district they cannot be delivered to each individual school. Districts are responsible for re-allocating tests from the in-district hub location. Delivery is typically within seven days of an order being placed. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

BinaxNOW expiration When will my BinaxNOW tests expire? oThe expiration dates on most BinaxNOW tests have been extended and most will not expire until December. oTo determine when your tests will expire: Locate the lot number on the BinaxNOW box not on the individual test. Determine if the lot number appears in the form here. If it does appear, the updated expiration date is the date in the column New Expiry. If it does not appear, the expiration date is the original date that appears on the box. This information can also be found on the COVID-19 Testing page. 12 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

02 Shah Family Foundation resources

Software Platform Cheat Sheet Platform What It s Used For Link CIC Electronic Consent Consent Forms, Logging Paper Forms https://www.cic-health.com/consent/ma *each district/school can send an individualized link CIC Zendesk Portal How-To Materials, Re-Ordering Supplies, Student Consent & Database Portal https://cich-ma.zendesk.com/hc/en-us Crush the Curve Recording Tests: single/double swab, BinaxNOW https://covid.cic-health.com/s/login/ Veritas Recording Tests: Saliva https://secure.veritasgenetics.com/user/login Project Beacon Recording Tests: LEGACY CLIENTS ONLY (single/double swab, BinaxNOW) https://app.beacontesting.com/login The Shah Foundation has also created cheat sheets that district personnel can use to keep track of usernames and passwords, which may be found here. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

03 Next steps

Important links on DESE website COVID-19 Testing Program: https://www.doe.mass.edu/covid19/testing/ o Authorized School Application o COVID-19 Testing FAQs (updated/new FAQs dated 9/22/2021) o Webinar recordings and slides o Consent forms and parent letters On the Desktop: https://www.doe.mass.edu/covid19/on-desktop.html o Protocols for Responding to COVID-19 Scenarios o Protocols Flowcharts General FAQs: https://www.doe.mass.edu/covid19/faq/ o Protocols and other reopening FAQs (also sent out in the Commissioner s Weekly Update) 16 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Next steps Complete the Authorized School Application and Statement of Assurances https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6473918/SY22-Authorized-School- Application-COVID-19-Testing-Program If needed, request eMed at home tests or BinaxNOW through the forms provided by CIC Health. The BinaxNOW order form can be found here: BinaxNOW Order Form The eMed form will be can be found here: eMed Order Form Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Have a question? Need help? Here s how to get in touch: oFirst, contact your Program Coordinator They are your best first line of defense. oIf you don t hear back, contact CIC support support@cic-health.com Please allow a few hours for a response during the next few weeks oStill don t have what you need? Send us a note! DESE: k12covid19testing@mass.gov Shah Foundation: CovidEdTesting@ShahFoundation.org Please note: If you need help, please reach out as early as possible. All teams are experiencing a high volume and the sooner we hear from you the better. 18 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education