The Role of Professional Development and Technical Assistance in Supporting Implementation of COVID-19 Prevention Strategies in K-12 Schools

Abstract

Context: Schools vary in their capacity to implement recommended strategies to prevent infectious diseases, such as COVID-19. Professional development (PD) and technical assistance (TA) are well-established tools used to strengthen school capacity and infrastructure for healthier school environments. Objective: The authors examined the relationship between PD and TA received by districts and schools and their implementation of COVID-19 prevention strategies during the 2020-2021 school year. Design and Setting: We conducted a descriptive analysis of survey responses collected during Spring 2021 from selected districts and schools in 9 participating states. The survey assessed the implementation of 10 COVID-19 prevention strategies recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and whether district or school staff received PD and/or TA on topics related to COVID-19 during the same year. Participants: Survey responses were received from designated contacts in 310 districts and 931 schools across 9 states. Main Outcome Measures: The dependent variable was the number of COVID-19 prevention strategies that were reported as “in place” by each district and school ranging from 0 to 10. Results: On average, districts and schools reported implementing 7 of 10 recommended COVID-19 prevention strategies during the 2020-2021 school year. Schools that received PD on at least 1 of 12 topics reported implementing 7.61 COVID-19 prevention strategies, whereas schools that did not receive PD reported implementing 6.34 strategies. Similarly, schools that received TA on at least 1 topic reported higher COVID-19 implementation scores (7.51) than schools that did not receive any TA (7.20). Conclusions: Findings reveal a positive relationship between receiving PD and/or TA and implementation of COVID-19 prevention strategies in school settings.