COVID-19 Resource Page
The Fast Growth School Coalition (FGSC) strives to provide resources to meet the unique needs of the state’s fastest-growing school districts to deliver the high-quality education students and taxpayers deserve. That mission has never been more relevant and important during this time of disruption to our communities and schools. As districts adapt to a new digital world and the realities of COVID-19, FGSC is here for you. We have created a one-stop-shop of resources our corporate partners are making available to school districts during the public health crisis.
 
Featured Resources
The College Board Opportunity Scholarships program is now open to all juniors! Since 2018, nearly one million students have joined this program, which provides students with a digital college planning guide and chances to earn $500 for each action they complete. When students complete all six steps, they earn a chance at a $40,000 scholarship. Students whose families earn less than $60,000 per year have double the chances to earn scholarships. Learn more.
The disruption from school closings is hard to navigate, but like our Fast Growth School Coalition members, the College Board is committed to ensuring rising seniors don’t lose college planning momentum. Learn more.
Resources from Our Partners
The College Board
Help Rising Seniors Plan for College and Earn Scholarships from Home
The disruption from school closings is hard to navigate, but like our Fast Growth School Coalition members, the College Board is committed to ensuring rising seniors don’t lose college planning momentum.
The College Board Opportunity Scholarships program is open to all students from the class of 2021 and guides them through important steps in the college planning process at their own pace at home. When students take the first two steps—exploring college and practicing for the SAT®—they’ll qualify for $500 and $1,000 scholarships just by getting ready for college. And they don’t even have to get off the couch.
- Help students build a college list: This $500 scholarship closes on July 31 for the class of 2021. Students can use their mobile phones or any other device to build a start list of colleges using the college planning site BigFuture™.
It’s important to encourage students to complete the first step—building a college list—by July 31 so they don’t miss out on a chance to win $40,000 for college.
This resource contains more information about supporting students at home to complete the first two steps: Build Your College List and Practice for the SAT. Students can head to cb.org/opportunity to get started.
SAT
- Keep up to date on all SAT and PSAT-related coronavirus updates, including cancellations, future testing opportunities, refunds, and other support. These updates will also include future solutions for the March and April SAT school day administrations that cannot be rescheduled due to COVID-19 guidance.
- To help students keep their college readiness skills sharp when many schools are closed, the College Board and Khan Academy will continue to provide free resources online, including full-length practice tests and personalized learning tools.
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ETS
ETS has made resources available from the ProEthica Program to support educators in recognizing and avoiding ethical risks in the remote learning environment. These resources include awareness of confidential student data and the appropriate use of social media. Printable articles, case studies, and videos may be accessed for free at this link.
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POWERSCHOOL
PowerSchool's mission is to power the education ecosystem with unified technology that helps educators and students realize their potential, in their way. They encourage FGSC members to explore their Schoology offering and COVID-19 Distance Learning Readiness Kit.
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HUCKABEE
Huckabee is an architecture / engineering firm that has served Texas education for over 53 years. Our MORE Momentum series highlights how our educational partners are investing their time, energy, and focus to keep the momentum going during this unprecedented “pause.”
MORE Momentum: Market Update
Huckabee recently released three new MORE Momentum webinars that cover the impact of COVID-19 on three key markets: municipal bonds, real estate, and construction.
Huckabee visited with professionals at RBC Capital Markets, JLL, Skanska, and Bartlett Cocke to discuss opportunities and considerations for Texas public school districts.
Municipal Bond Market
Featuring Derek Honea of RBC Capital Markets, a financial advisor and underwriter for public school districts. Derek shares insight into the current state of the municipal bond market and the impact of the pandemic to interest rates, investors, taxable assessed values, and underlying credit ratings. The market is open, and interest rates are returning to at or near historic lows, which could mean big opportunity for school districts in the right position. Click here.
Real Estate / Land Acquisition
George Curry of JLL talks about the Texas real estate market, its impact to land acquisitions and considerations for selecting the right site for a new school building. Real estate markets are stable, while interest rates are at or near historic lows. There is a window to capitalize on this stability before prices begin to go up. Click here.
Construction
We hear from Chris Huckabee of Huckabee, Kevin Byrd of Bartlett Cocke, and Dennis Yung of Skanska with an update on the Texas construction market. We explore the current state of affairs, opportunities that exist for school districts and pros / cons of pre-design before a bond. The construction market is competitive right now, and school districts are getting great bids. However, with an influx of contractors and subcontractors coming in from different sectors, it’s critical to be diligent in your selection and make informed decisions. Click here.
If you missed MORE Momentum #3: Considerations from the Texas School Safety Center on re-opening schools click here.
If you missed MORE Momentum Series #1: Bond Planning with Northwest ISD, click here.
If you missed MORE Momentum Series #2: Planning with Jarrell ISD, click here to explore the webinar question-by-question or view it in its entirety.
Follow @HuckabeeInc on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Linked In to access new content as its released.
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TDINDUSTRIES
The health and wellness of your campus facilities plays a crucial role in the return of students, teachers, and administrators. In partnership with the Fast Growth School Coalition, TDIndustries recently hosted a webinar to discuss how standards and recommendations for indoor air quality are changing rapidly after COVID-19. In case you missed the virtual meeting, TDIndustries would like to provide FGSC members with the following resources:
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THOUGHTEXCHANGE
Thoughtexchange is hosting virtual events on timely topics related to COVID-19 and the reopening of schools. You're invited to join Thoughtexchange for these free virtual events or access archived event content at a later date.
COVID-19 Reopening: 39,880 Parents, 4 Days, 1 Statewide Decision (June 3, 2020 - Archive available here)
In just 4 days, 39,880 Connecticut parents, teachers and staff members participated in RESC's statewide school reopening exchange – one of the largest in Thoughtexchange history. The results played a key role in Governor Ned Lamont's decision to keep Connecticut's schools closed for the 2019/2020 school year. Archive available here.
The Thoughtexchange platform can help leaders and communities at this critical moment, so we're reaching out to districts and offering to help them navigate their COVID-19 communication with Thoughtexchange. There is no fine print - simply an offer to help. FGSC members can request support and more information online here.
If you are curious about how districts are using Thoughtexchange right now to deal with COVID-19, here are some example questions being used by districts all across North America:
- What are your thoughts and questions about COVID-19 and how we can best support one another as a community at this time?
- What are some of the most important things we need to consider as we respond to COVID-19 and prepare for the future?
- What are some important things to consider regarding extended school closures and the impact on our community due to the COVID-19 pandemic?
- As we manage the impact of COVID-19, what are some of the most important things we need to do to keep everyone connected and productive while working remote?
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VOYCE
VOYCE is an innovative, real-time interpretation service focused on providing seamless, secure, and cost-effective access to interpreters anytime, anywhere. Parents, students, and educators can connect collaboratively to highly-trained interpreters via iPad, smartphone app, web platform, or dial-in. Document translation is also guaranteed within one business day. Data security measures offer protection for users and interpreters can be reached within 20 seconds. Learn more about this resource here. FGSC districts can contact Kate Kuhlmann at FGSC to learn more about how this can be easily and quickly introduced into your virtual classrooms and schools needing additional support now.
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