The Pennsylvania departments of Health and Education today provided school administrators and school boards with updated recommendations as to which instructional models they should consider using based on the changing levels of community transmission of COVID-19 in their counties.

Until now, the county designations aligned to three recommended instructional models: fully in-person, blended/hybrid, and fully remote.

Starting Jan. 25, the departments are providing a second recommendation for elementary schools in substantial level counties. In addition to remote learning, now there is an option for blended/hybrid learning for elementary students.

Fully remote learning remains recommended for middle and high schools in the substantial level counties. K-12 schools may also consider bringing back targeted student populations for in-person instruction, regardless of what general instructional model they are utilizing.

“The research on offering in-person instruction during COVID-19 continues to emerge,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “While it is impossible to eliminate the risk of disease transmission entirely within a school setting where community spread is present, recent studies have shown that when mitigation efforts, such as universal masking, physical distancing, and hand hygiene are followed, it may be safer for younger children, particularly elementary grade students, to return to in-person instruction.”

These updated recommendations are intended to help schools begin the process of safely returning as many students as possible to in-person instruction during the 2020-21 academic year.

“The commitment our educational leaders have shown towards mitigation efforts is noteworthy and helps us support returning many of our youngest and most vulnerable students to some level of in-person instruction,” said Acting Secretary Noe Ortega. “We must remember that a safe return to in-person instruction will look different across every school and county depending on a variety of local factors.”