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March 18, 2015

Dear Superintendents:

Several questions from educators,  students, and their families have arisen since the  initial outbreak of measles in December 2014.  I am writing to share with you links to  valuable information and resources produced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as information, resources, and links from the Department of  Education (ED) addressing related education issues.  In addition to links provided in this letter,  enclosed is a list of relevant resources.

As with any disease that has  the potential to affect our school communities, the CDC and its public health  partners will have information about the signs, symptoms, and severity of the measles,  as well as the proper steps to help prevent its spread.

Additionally, since schools  play a critical role in raising awareness with families and communities, there  are many steps they can take including:

- printing and sending CDC information and resources home with  students;
- placing the text of CDC "matte" letters, or free-for-use  articles, on a district's Web site, in e-newsletters, and in other publications;
- posting the links to CDC information on schools' social media accounts;
- sharing CDC content on your Web site through its Content Syndication (featuring  automatic updates); and
- collaborating  with state and local public health authorities (PHAs) and reviewing the CDC’s vaccination Web  page for state-specific information on immunization  policies.

Best practices for districts and schools  include developing policies and procedures in  consultation with their PHAs for protecting the  school community and addressing how to:

- provide information on everyday actions to  prevent the spread of disease, including effective hand  washing and proper cough  and sneeze etiquette;
- provide information on vaccines and access  to the vaccines within the community;
- properly safeguard the exchange of  individuals' medical information in compliance with applicable federal and  state privacy laws; and
- ensure that there is not discrimination on  the basis of a disability and that, when identifying and treating students and  staff, individuals who are unable to receive vaccines due to a disability are not  discriminated against on the basis of their disability.

Day-to-day prevention and  protection against infectious disease in schools is more effective when it is  part of a comprehensive school emergency operations plan (EOP).  An EOP can support the school system in the  event of outbreak, epidemic, or pandemic and address a variety of possible  diseases—viral, bacterial, and fungal. The protective  measures in an EOP include a continuum of strategies for preventing the spread  of germs.

Districts  and schools should consider taking steps to ensure the continuity of learning  outside of the classroom for students out of school for an extended period of  time.  For example, printed materials or  online instructional tools may help students engage in meaningful learning  activities to help them remain on track with their studies.

The Department's Office of  Safe and Healthy Students (OSHS) manages the Readiness and  Emergency Management of Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center, which serves as a hub to  schools in providing information and resources for addressing infectious  disease and supporting the whole school community.  We are providing links to some of their  valuable resources on this page, and you may wish to learn more about their  resources on their Web site at:  http://rems.ed.gov.

REMS TA Center resources:

Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans

Supporting Continuity of Teaching and Learning During an Emergency

Online Courses

Specialized Training Packages

I hope this information is  helpful in the work you do to ensure students' safety.



| | Sincerely, 
| | -----------
| | /s/        
| | Arne Duncan

Enclosure

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Enclosure



**Resources Supporting Schools, Students,  Staff, and Families**

**Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Resources**

**Measles:  About the Virus**

- Measles Cases and Outbreaks: This CDC Web page presents information on the number of cases and locations in the U.S.
- Signs and Symptoms: Describes  the disease and its symptoms
- Signos y Síntomas del  Sarampión****(Español)
- Transmission of Measles: Describes how the disease is spread
- Complications: describes possible        complications and those potentially at risk.
- Travel Updates

**Measles: Information and Fact Sheets  for Parents******

- Measles: It Isn’t Just a Little Rash
- Measles and the Vaccine (Shot) to Prevent It
- El Sarampión y la Vacuna que lo Previene (Español)
- Measles Vaccination
- Measles Vaccine Safety
- Who Should Not Be Vaccinated?
- Five Important Reasons to Vaccinate Your Child: a****“matte article,” free, ready-to-print article that       schools can reproduce

**Immunization and Vaccinations**

- Vaccine Safety
- Immunization Schedules
- School Vaccination Web page: presents state       vaccination and documentation requirements

**Day-to-day Disease Prevention Resources**

- Effective hand washing
- Proper cough and sneeze etiquette;
- Routine cleaning and sanitation policies;

**Department of  Education’s School Emergency Management Resources**

Readiness and Emergency Management of Schools (REMS)  Technical Assistance (TA) Center

**Guidance Documents,  Publications, and Resources**

- Fact Sheet: Addressing the Risk of Measles in Schools  while Protecting the Civil Rights of Students with Disabilities
- Preparing for Infectious Disease:  Department of Education Recommendations to Ensure the Continuity of Teaching  and Learning for Schools (K‐12) During Extended Student  Absence or School Dismissal
- Supporting Continuity of Teaching  and Learning During an Emergency
- Guide for  Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans
- K–12 Six Step Planning Process
- Principles for Creating a  High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plan

**Webinars**

- An Overview of the Guide for Developing High-Quality  School Emergency Operations Plans
- Information Sharing for Schools and Postsecondary  Institutions—the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the  Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

**Online  Courses**

- Developing  Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs) K-12 101
- School EOPs In-Depth: Planning for Infectious Diseases

**Specialized  Training Packages******

- Overview of Six Step Planning Process
- Large Event Planning
- Infectious Disease Planning
- Continuity of Operations Planning