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How To Register for COVID-19 Testing at your School
The integration of testing in schools is new for many, Safely Opening Schools is available for ongoing support and sharing best practices learned from the SOS pilot.
Mail For Inquiry
01.
Submit the California Department of Public Health K-12 School’s Rapid Antigen Testing Program interest form.
02.
Attend the one-hour FAQ meeting with the California Department of Public Health.
03.
Sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and submit an order for your school’s test kits.
04.
Attend the Abbott BinaxNOW rapid antigen test training, see registration links here.
05.
Complete the California Department of Public Health rapid antigen test competency quiz.
06.
Attend the Primary.Health software training, see registration links here.
Your School is now a Laboratory
CLIA Waiver
Federal and state law requires that testing sites obtain a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA) waiver in order to process the results at school sites instead of a laboratory. The California Department of Public Health is offering an umbrella CLIA waiver for schools and other types of facilities such as Homeless Shelters or Daycare Centers.
Training
Trainees do not need to be health professionals to implement this test. The California Department of Public Health has determined that school personnel “who are caring for students under their responsibility” are authorized to carry out this test. However, school nurses or other health professionals provide valuable oversight and are encouraged to participate.
Data Platforms
A data platform is essential to support large scale testing. Key functions for a data platform, include: participant registration, recording test results, notifying individuals or parents of their test results, and providing the school district with a useful dashboard with which to understand findings and manage the process.
Participant Consent
Communicating about rapid antigen testing in schools is important in the success of your testing program. Prepare to communicate with your school community by engaging with your school staff, students, and family members via your school’s preferred communication outlet such as ParentSquare or Back to School Night.
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The Calfornia Department of Public Health released a draft copy of the Playbook for schools.
Additional Tools and Resources for Testing in Schools
Training
Use our Rise Online-Training Platform
- Rise is an online training platform that outlines the CDPH Playbook, as well as a series of simple and accessible lessons for people who are being trained to implement rapid testing. Rise can also allow a site administrator track who has completed their training. Contact [email protected] to get access on the Rise Platform.
Video Trainings Available Online
- Abbot BinaxNOW Training modules 1 – 4 (11 minutes)
- Training for reading equivocal tests for all participants who will be reading or registering test results (8 minutes)
- HIPAA training (15 minutes) – only for those without certification for screening and test administrators who do not have a HIPAA certificate, you can receive one online after going through the online training course. There are a number of resources for HIPAA Training, for example this training with Accountable.
- Donning PPE (4 minutes)
- Doffing PPE (4 minutes)
Other key training materials
- California Department of Public Health K-12 School Rapid Testing Program’s Playbook. This is a comprehensive guide to most information for rapid antigen testing. It walks the reader through all key information on what is needed for a testing program. This guide is most useful for school district or school screening program coordinators overseeing the entire process
- Training Powerpoint: covers basic issues on the test, roles in the screening process, test interpretation and use of PCR. Some information is specific to the Primary data platform.
- Primary Learning Guide: covers basic steps for using the Primary data platform
- Material for laminated cards for tabletop use
- Guide to reading BinaxNOW tests
- Self-Swab instructions
- Test time calculator
- Algorithm for when follow-up PCR is needed
- AbbottBinaxNOW Notice of Extension of expiration dates for test kit lots
- Quality Control Log for BinaxNOW testing. Sites are required to perform the quality control tests once for each new shipment or lot received (not each box). Results should be logged.
- Training Log: sites should keep careful records of training of staff implementing rapid antigen testing.
CLIA Waiver
To apply for your own waiver, you will need to follow the steps below:
- Identify a physician or clinical laboratory director who will act as your CLIA Director.
- Complete and submit the paperwork. Forms are all available on the CDPH website here. They are submitted as uploaded attachments to the online application. You will need:
- The new online waiver application
- The Federal CMS 116 completed by the CLIA Director
- The state LAB 183 form an attestation completed by the CLIA Director and the
- The state LAB182 attestation completed by the organization that will be testing.
- A full list of the sites where you plan to do the testing
- Pay the fees
- The state fee to submit the CLIA application is $113 payable plus $26 per testing site payable to CDPH at the time of application.
- The Federal fee is approximately $150 and will be invoiced later.
- Note: The site can start testing once the waiver request is submitted!
- Issue a standing order for testing: Have your CLIA Director or another physician issue a standing order for testing with the selected test at your institution. See an example here.
Additional Resources
- California recommendations
- State of California Safe Schools for All Plan
- California Department of Education chart outlines sources of funding that can cover COVID-19 testing activities including rapid antigen testing.
National reports
- CDC school guidance
- Rockefeller Foundation’s Taking Back Control: A Resetting of America’s Response to COVID-19
- FDA list of approved diagnostics for COVID-19
Scientific articles
- Read about the science of BinaxNOW. For purposes of preventing transmission in schools, the most relevant comparison is looking at the sensitivity and specificity in relation to PCR tests. These indicate tests with a high level of the virus and the likelihood that the individual tested is infectious.
- Read about a strategy for containment in Rethinking Covid-19 Test Sensitivity (Harvard)
- Read about field performance and public health response using BinaxNOW (UCSF)
- Read about performance characteristics of rapid antigen detection at a public plaza testing site in San Francisco (UCSF)
- Read this evaluation of Abbott BinaxNOW Rapid Antigen Test at two community-based testing sites in Pima County, Arizona (CDC)
- Read about the analytical sensitivity of the Abbott BinaxNOW card (University of Washington)
- Learn more about the performance characteristics of BinaxNOW in this report about Screening Asymptomatic Individuals in a University Setting (University of Utah)
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Safely Opening Schools is a project of the Public Health Institute, (PHI) PHI has been a leader in public health and development for over 50 years. PHI is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a vision of creating healthy communities where individuals reach their highest potential. Safely Opening Schools is part of PHIs Prevention Policy Group, which works on policy approaches involved in safely opening public schools after Covid-19.
