This article documents how school districts have been using COVID-19 testing to detect infections early and reduce disruptions to learning. Strategies include regular, widespread COVID-19 testing; providing home testing kits to families for children to take before returning after the holiday break; and test-to-stay practices to keep exposed staff and students in school if they test negative for the virus. The article also discusses how some districts have been able to provide continuous instruction during widescale quarantines and the importance of planning for hybrid learning models.

According to a study of more than 700 people who visited a walk-up testing site in San Francisco, the widely used at-home, nasal-swab COVID-19 test can detect most people who are infected with the new Omicron variant and are carrying high levels of the virus.

This brief describes test-to-stay strategies implemented in North Carolina, Illinois, and Massachusetts and provides practical guidance on implementing these programs as part of a layered COVID-19 mitigation approach in k-12 schools. Preliminary evidence collected during the Delta wave shows test-to-stay can increase in-person attendance, minimize school-related disruption, increase access to testing, and address concerns regarding safety with in-person instruction.

This resource explains why regular testing, in addition to vaccinations, is an effective way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and help keep schools open. It also introduces Test to Stay, which combines contact tracing and serial testing to allow individuals exposed to COVID-19 to remain in school if they do not test positive, even if they are not fully vaccinated.