Equipping K-12 Schools with a Comprehensive IPC Toolkit

Session Description: The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the devastating impact of infectious diseases on communities and economies, and the unique vulnerability of school systems. Providing quality education and support services while protecting the health and well-being of students and staff is no easy feat. Ultimately, the global pandemic exposed a greater problem— schools need resources and guidance on basic infection prevention and control (IPC) measures to better prevent, detect, and respond to infectious diseases. To address this critical issue, a state health department leveraged funding from a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) workforce development grant to contract with a large healthcare professional association to create a school-based IPC toolkit for the kindergarten through 12th grade setting.

Over a one-year period, our team brought together over 20 experts in public health, medicine, education, and infection prevention to conduct a formal needs assessment, develop the toolkit content, and launch a pilot program with ten (10) K-12 school districts. Designed to be user-friendly and accessible, the toolkit levels the IPC education playing field by targeting administrators, teachers, janitors, food service workers, and nurses alike. It emphasizes the importance of promoting a culture of IPC within schools, using the Training, Education, Assistance, Mentorship, and Support (TEAMS) model, and encouraging engagement of students, staff, parents, and the wider community. Training modules incorporate evidenced-based practices to address key areas such as standard precautions, cleaning and disinfection, ventilation, and illness management. Additional resources include checklists, lesson plans, and job aids, which help facilitate implementation and compliance.

The potential impact of the toolkit is significant. It empowers schools to build organizational capacity, improve IPC practices, and facilitate understanding and correct interpretation of state and local IPC recommendations. This presentation will detail the toolkit's development process, present its key components, and discuss evaluation data and lessons learned to inform prospective projects nationwide.