The Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table is a group of scientific experts and health system leaders who evaluate and report on emerging evidence relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic, to inform Ontario's response. Our mandate is to provide weekly summaries of relevant scientific evidence for the COVID-19 Health Coordination Table of the Province of Ontario, integrating information from existing scientific tables, Ontario's universities and agencies, and the best global evidence. The Science Table summarizes its findings for the Health Coordination Table and the public in Science Briefs.

This case study investigated equity in teacher education admissions. Through document analysis and structured interviews with ten past or current members of the admissions committee in a large initial teacher education program in Ontario, we developed an understanding of equity in teacher education admissions as encompassing two foci: equity in admissions-that is, equity of access for applicants to the program-and equity through admissions-that is, equity of educational opportunity and outcomes for the children in the schools where the teachers trained by the programs will eventually teach. Our analysis illustrates the importance of recognizing both foci and the tensions between them. Keywords: teacher education programs; admission criteria; educational opportunities.Buscando la equidad en (y a través de) la admisión a programas de formación docente Resumen: Este es un estudio de caso de los procesos de equidad en la admisión a programas de formación del profesorado. A través de análisis de documentos y entrevistas estructuradas con diez miembros del comité de admisiones (pasados y actuales) en un programa de formación de docentes en Ontario, desarrollamos un entendimiento de la equidad en el acceso a la formación de docentes que involucran dos focos: la equidad en la admisión (es decir, la igualdad de acceso de los candidatos para el programa) y la equidad a través de la admisión (es decir, la igualdad de oportunidades y resultados educativos para los niños en las escuelas donde los maestros capacitados en los programas enseñaran. Nuestro análisis muestra la importancia de reconocer los problemas y las tensiones entre esos focos. Palabras clave: programas de formación docente; criterios de admisión; oportunidades educativas. Buscando equidade na (e através da) admissão aos programas de educação de professoresResumo: Este estudo de caso investiga a equidade na admissão aos programas de educação de professores. Através de análise documental e entrevistas estruturadas com os últimos e os atuais dez membros da comissão de admissão em um amplo programa de educação de professores em Ontário, desenvolvemos um entendimento da equidade da admissão na educação de professores envolvendo dois focos: equidade na admissão-isto é, equidade de acesso para candidatos ao programa-e equidade através da admissão-isto é, equidade de oportunidade educacional e resultados para as crianças nas escolas onde os professores treinados pelos programas irão lecionar eventualmente. Nossa análise ilustra a importância de se reconhecer os focos e as tensões entre elas. Palavras-chave: programas de educação de professores; critérios de admissão; oportunidades educacionais.

In-person learning is essential for the learning and overall well-being of children and youth. Therefore, barring catastrophic circumstances, schools should remain open for in-person learning.The level of community COVID-19 burden should inform the degree of school-based measures: the provided framework should be implemented at the regional level by public health units, considering local vaccination coverage rate and metrics of COVID-19 disease severity and to a lesser extent, SARS-CoV-2 transmission rate.Permanent measures that support the ongoing operation of schools, irrespective of the COVID-19 pandemic, include vaccination of all eligible individuals, exclusion of sick students and staff, hand hygiene, adequate ventilation, and environmental cleaning.Temporary measures (e.g., masking, physical distancing, cohorting) implemented in response to changes in COVID-19 disease burden should take into consideration student age, grade, and vaccination status.Re-initiation and maintenance of extracurricular activities (e.g., music, sports, clubs) is an important component of return-to-school plans.

Based on in-depth interviews with thirty-eight individuals on the front line of child welfare (educators, mothers, and child protection workers)

While there is a widespread consensus that students’ pathways towards postsecondary education are influenced early in life, there is little research on the elementary school factors that shape them. Identifying educational ‘risk factors’ directs attention to barriers that may warrant scrutiny or action under human rights legislation. New findings from a unique, longitudinal data set collected and developed by the Toronto District School Board highlights key factors, established in elementary school, as to how many students do not enter into post-secondary studies in Ontario. The majority of students suspended at any time, students in self-contained special education programs, and/or students who missed more than 10% of classes in grade 4 do not go on to PSE. These organizational factors are more predictive of students’ acceptance to PSE than individualized measures of preschool readiness, academic achievement in grade 3, race or parental education.  These structural ‘risks’ are strongly correlated with of race and disability. In light of research that identifies promising, evidence-based practices available to reduce these risks, breaking down these barriers should be a priority from the perspective of improving PSE access and overcoming what may well amount to systemic discrimination.