The information below is furnished by the Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center.

The ability to securely connect to virtual systems is an important element within a safe and supportive learning environment. That is why the Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center has spent the past year researching how cyber incidents affect education agencies and steps they can take to respond. The result of that research is the development of three fact sheets for schools, school districts and institutions of higher education (IHEs) on cyber safety and cybersecurity. Find details about each fact sheet below. To download a copy, click the fact sheet title.

• Cyber Safety Considerations for K-12 Schools and Districts
  • Focuses on addressing cyber threats to students (i.e., the human element)
  • Lists and defines several of the most common cyber threats to students, including cyberbullying and access to inappropriate content.
  • Describes what schools can do before, during, and after an incident, including:
    • creating Responsible Use Policies (RUPs), filtering and blocking content, stressing digital citizenship, and providing training.
    • to whom students, teachers, and members of the public can report a concern.
  • Details how to create, review, or revise a cyber annex, including activities to address threats to students, through the six-step planning process described by the Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans (School Guide).
  • Provides additional resources.
• Cybersecurity Considerations for K-12 Schools and Districts
  • Focuses on addressing threats to a school's or district's information technology network and systems.
  • Describes key privacy and confidentiality regulations and laws schools need to consider.
  • Lists and defines some of the most common threats to systems and networks, including data breaches and malware/scareware.
  • Describes what schools can do before, during, and after an incident, including:
    • creating firewalls, monitoring networks, and developing and promoting policies on responsible use.
    • to whom a school can report a cyber issue.
  • Details how to create, review, or revise a cyber annex, including activities to address threats to students, through the six-step planning process described by the School Guide.
  • Provides additional resources.

For general information related to cyber incidents, visit the NEW Topic-Specific Resources section of the REMS TA Center site:https://rems.ed.gov/Resources_Hazards-Threats_Adversarial_Threats.aspx. 

You may also access related Webinars we’ve created on this topic for K-12 and higher ed populations:

• K-12 Webinar: Integrating Cybersecurity with Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs) for K-12 Schools

• For the School Board of Levy County Guidelines for Online Learning, click here. 

• For Google application support, click here.

• For information on how to keep uninvited guests out of a Zoom meeting, click here.

• For a curated collection of free online resources that can support virtual learning, click here.

• For a brief article with suggestions on how to be a successful virtual teacher, click here. 

• For Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines for cleaning and disinfection, click here.

• For up-to-date information on COVID-19 and its response in Florida, published by the Florida Department of Health, click here.  

• For a comprehensive set of resources and support developed by NEFEC for schools and parents in relation to the COVID-19 emergency, click here. 

• For free teacher-created learn-at-home resources, including Spanish-language resources, click here.

• For a presentation on online resources that you can use in your classroom, created by SBLC employee Tanya Taylor, click here.

• Newsela SEL:  https://newsela.com/about/distance-learning/

• Move this World:  http://movethisworld.com/supporting-mental-health-covid-19/sel-video-resources-for-home-free-access

• 7 Mindsets:  Here is a direct link to the Coronavirus Educator resources that does not require logging into the 7 Mindsets portal.  In short it allows for immediate access to the resources. Those who would like access to the 7 Mindsets SEL full curriculum, just need to forward Christine Post chris@7mindsets.com their E-mail address & school/district name.  She will pass on to their product team who will override the purchasing requirement and push out the welcome e-mail.

• The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) has created a COVID-19 resource page, http://www.fldoe.org/em-response/resources-families.stml, to give educators, parents and students free resources offered by state and federal agencies, private companies, and non-profit organizations to help school districts, colleges, educators and families ensure continuity of learning during this time.

• Planning and preparing is always important, and these pages are updated hourly to ensure each Florida student has the resources they need to succeed with distance learning. This resource page is part of a broader website, www.fldoe.com/em-response, which has best practices for distance learning, frequently asked questions regarding education in Florida and COVID-19, and translated resources in Spanish. The page also contains extensive information on free meals.

• The health and safety of Florida’s students is our top priority, and the department will continue doing everything we can to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in Florida’s schools. Please be sure to visit the COVID-19 Resource page on FLDOE’s website for the most up-to-date information and resources available.