SUPPLEMENT
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80 ~ 2020
Celebrating 40 Years 1980~2020
COVID-19 Response Supplement
2019-2020
ANNUAL BOARD UPDATE
ANNUAL BOARD UPDATE | 2019-2020
COVID-19 SUPPLEMENT
Executive Summary This COVID-19 Response Supplement report provides a brief overview of the many ways that EASTCONN staff responded to the needs of students, families, professional staff and communities during the COVID-19 crisis, between mid-March and the end of May 2020. In the face of school and program closures and the temporary elimination of face-to-face learning, EASTCONN swiftly adapted to the demands of online learning and remote service-delivery, where the use of digital communication and platforms posed new, unpredictable challenges.
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Celebrating 40 Years 1980~2020
Our Adult Programs, Early Childhood, K-12 Student Services, Leading and Learning, and Special Education groups employed new approaches, virtual platforms, program-delivery strategies and content to ensure that those whom EASTCONN serves – from infants, preschoolers and K-12 students to adult learners, job-seekers and educators – received the educational, employment-based, or personal and mental health supports they needed. On the operations side of the COVID-19 equation, EASTCONN’s Technology Solutions and Marketing/Web staff responded with a range of new technological, communication, website and social media supports, while Human Resources and Business Office staff provided critical financial management and employee assistance during a time of great uncertainty. In spite of site and school closures, staff mobilized across our Transportation, Facilities and Security divisions to continue site preparation and planning for the resumption of fall classes, while Food Services staff heroically provided hundreds of EASTCONN-region children and families with thousands of free emergency meals. Through it all, EASTCONN’s Executive Director’s office worked with agency staff, statewide partners, the CSDE, the governor’s office and the agency’s Executive Board to ensure that EASTCONN continued to thrive in the face of COVID-19.
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ANNUAL BOARD UPDATE | 2019-2020
COVID-19 SUPPLEMENT
Depicted: Screen shots were taken from virtual sessions across a number of reliable, secure platforms that EASTCONN staff and their education partners and students used in order to communicate, teach, learn and work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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ANNUAL BOARD UPDATE | 2019-2020
Adult & Community Programs Teachers, employment and training coordinators, and support staff responded quickly to help EASTCONNregion adult students and job-seekers stay on track, using new protocols and strategies, including teacher-led online learning, technical support, employment assistance and other distance-learning tactics. High School Completion: Between late March and late May, using dynamic Google classrooms, 16 EASTCONN teachers taught 94 adults during 16 ongoing classes, reflecting a decrease of 17% from pre-pandemic registrations. A total of 81 adults attended online English-as-aSecond-Language classes, reflecting a 5% increase over pre-COVID-19 registrations; 1 citizenship class continued online. Prior to March, we anticipated that 88 adults would graduate with their high school equivalency diploma in June; but by late May, there had been a 45% decrease in online-class participation, with only 48 students on track to graduate. The decrease was likely due to numerous factors, including EASTCONN site closures, many students’ lack of access to computers for learning, pandemic-related job losses, and other challenging family circumstances. Many students will wait to continue their studies until after EASTCONN test centers re-open. American Job Centers: As of May 15, the EWIB-funded American Job Centers in Willimantic and Danielson had provided 2,432 individual services to job-seekers in 42 towns, representing a 15% increase in customers over last year. Using phone, email and Facebook portals, AJC staff managed a high volume of unemployment claim questions and assisted those already enrolled in our programs, as well as new job-seekers. AJC staff also connected customers with local human services agencies for basic needs, and supported customers who lacked technology skills or access to technology. Fifteen (15) of our employment and training staff joined the SkillUp CT initiative, providing coaching to laid-off workers who needed access to free, online coursework in order to learn new skills through Metrix Online. In-School and Out-of-School Youth staff provided online supports to youth, ages 14-24, 90 of whom were on track to attain their diplomas as of mid-May; Summer Youth Employment staff processed 575 applications, and continued coordinating summer employment options with 120 community partners. The Walmart-funded Customer Service Academy’s first remote
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class to upskill unemployed or underemployed adults, filled quickly with 9 participants who sought to improve their work skills and employability; a second class was planned.
Early Childhood Initiatives Between mid-March and mid-May, ECI staff initiated direct, ongoing, virtual services to children and families in the EASTCONN region in response to their needs, both personal and educational. Teaching staff communicated daily with families, holding virtual home visits to keep children’s education and development moving forward. Staff distributed 19 infant kits, 45 toddler kids and 101 preschool Kaplan Early Learning kits, full of age-appropriate supplies like games, art materials and other educational resources; families have requested more. Staff filmed and sent videos of themselves singing songs, reading books, doing experiments and simply talking. Teachers continued to be available to parents/families at any time, if they had questions or just needed to talk. Family Advocates continued to work with teachers and center-based families to assess their need for, and provide access to, basics like clothing, food, diapers and medical care. Birth to Three (B23): Provided remote services to 206 children and families, which represented 79% of B23’s pre-COVID enrollment; staff completed 43 remote evaluations and identified 34 eligible children, with 12 pending evaluations, and began Early Intervention Services with 7 children and families. B23 continued to take referrals through Infoline throughout the March-May period. Head Start (HS) and Early Head Start (EHS): Center-based programs reported a 72% family participation rate, with all reporting positive interactions and teacher support; home-based staff reported that 40 of 42 families remained enrolled, with 87% participating. Stafford HS reported 75% of families participating and Windham center-based reported 49.62% participation. Windham Early Head Start reported 50 of 60 slots were enrolled. Of the center-based HS/EHS programs, all 8 EHS and 15 HS classrooms delivered 3-5 Circle Time Meetings via Zoom weekly, including songs, stories, executive function integration and positive interactions. Home-based programs reported 40 weekly, virtual home visits via Google Meet, Zoom and by phone, with other, weekly socialization and parenting curricula provided to support parents at home.
ANNUAL BOARD UPDATE | 2019-2020 ECI Professional Development: ECI professional staff continued their ambitious work with the RESC Alliance, the Office of Early Childhood and other partners to deliver free, online PD to educators across the region and the state. EASTCONN staff also participated in weekly morale-boosting activities, online PD, and regular, interactive peer communication.
K-12 Student Services Magnet & Alternative High Schools Once schools closed, staff at our 2 magnet high schools (Arts at the Capitol Theater, ACT; Quinebaug Middle College, QMC) and our alternative high school (Learners Empowered to Achieve their Potential, LEAP) created and rolled out a Continuous Learning Plan from Home for our 332 students, infused with 2 key components: staying connected and maintaining learning. Since going virtual on March 13, all 3 agency high schools:
• Created processes and protocols for student privacy, distance learning etiquette, communication and technology distribution
• Rethought grading practices and created protocols for feedback
• Identified students who needed computers and WiFi, and worked with Technology staff to set up and deliver 150+ computers and Wi-Fi hot spots, ensuring student connectivity
• Provided weekly communication updates to students, parents, teachers and administrators
• Transitioned instruction, performances and yearly events, such as senior Capstones, field trips and other learning experiences, to virtual platforms
• Created a 12-week virtual advisory model, addressing SEL needs and creating personalized learning profiles
• Had staff share their talents by sewing 200+ face masks, providing community service and creating inspirational videos, shared school-wide • Planned graduations with student input. • Established a re-entry committee to plan for reopening schools in the fall • Trained 100+ educators in essential learning standards to advance a personalized model
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Special Education Schools & Programs Immediately following pandemic-related school closures in mid-March, EASTCONN special education teachers redesigned their in-person K-12 classroom plans for use in schooling at home. They applied best practices and provided engaging, interactive learning activities to support the individual learning objectives of their students. Home-school lessons and activities were delivered via secure online platforms to students in our 2 Clinical Day Treatment programs, Autism Program, Regional Transition Services program and Woodstock Academy Cooperative. Staff continued to respond with sensitivity to the communication and social-emotional needs of their students and families, to help them manage schoolwork at home, and the stresses attendant with isolation, social distancing and self-quarantine. During the remainder of the school year, our school administrators, teachers and nurses regularly connected with students and families, more often when needed, and provided connections to critical family resources and supports.
• EASTCONN Autism Program (EAP): Psychological and Behavioral staff built a comprehensive, at-home learning plan for EAP’s 16 students, using key principles and overall goals to guide the delivery of critical supports, not only to students, but to their families. The personalized, online learning program responded to students’ Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), promoted their functional independence and communication, and continued growing their use of generalization in their home settings. Key elements included sparking student motivation and supporting families with new learning to support their more structured role as at-home teachers. Staff prepared weekly learning materials and dropped them off, and then worked on them virtually with students, and provided supports to families who were struggling. • Clinical Day Treatment Programs: Teachers and staff in our Northeast Regional Program (NRP) and Educational Vocational Center (EVC) provided ongoing, virtual classroom-learning and emotional support to students and their families to ensure that student pathways to online learning and support were optimized. As of mid-May both CDT programs anticipated graduating 6 seniors via an online platform. Special Education professionals worked with EASTCONN’s Technology group and families to www.eastconn.org 5.
ANNUAL BOARD UPDATE | 2019-2020 identify and provide 65 CDT families (representing 65% of CDT students) with programmed laptops, so students could access the new, online curriculum.
• Psychological & Behavioral Consultation (PBC): PBC staff also provided high-quality, free, online webinars, materials and PD to paraeducators statewide; the paraeducator training website had more than 5,000 unique visitors, with 15,000 sessions attended by paraeducators from 300 cities/towns across the state and across the Northeast; total views of PBC’s online PD as of May 15, was more than 11,900. • Related Services: Staff continued supporting the related services needs of 11 schools and 7 EASTCONN programs through continued-learning-at-home services. Depending on student and family needs, services ranged from delivering paper packets, to virtual sessions, using a variety of platforms and videos to train parents in how to use a variety of devices with students with multiple handicaps. Assistive Technology (AT) professionals consulted with districts, providing multiple virtual supports. AT staff collaborated with the CT Tech Act to address the needs of isolated seniors during COVID-19 to ensure they could access telehealth and have access to social engagement opportunities. Virtual sessions with speech-language, occupational therapy and physical therapy professionals continued to be delivered. • Regional Transition Services: Staff provided 9 students with at-home, virtual learning; 4 students are on track to graduate, and plans for an August awards ceremony are underway. All 14 Woodstock Academy Cooperative students participated in online learning, and 2 students are expected to graduate.
Leading & Learning (L&L) Once schools closed on March 13, EASTCONN’s L&L team quickly and resolutely reimagined its work to support districts and educators during the pandemic. One highlight of their work included responding to and supporting a CSDE request for assistance, by curating a repository of virtual resources and online best-practices and sharing them in a series of live documents on the RESC Alliance website; the site and its resources were accessed by thousands of teachers statewide. As the L&L team worked in
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response to educators’ needs, both regionally and statewide, other highlights included:
• Offering 100+ free, virtual, professional learning sessions, accessed by 4,000+ users from districts across Connecticut. L&L’s How-To online sessions explored topics like Zoom, Screencastify, Padlet and other tools for digital teaching and collaboration. Other How-To sessions on SEL covered topics like creating an online community, managing triggers and developing self-agency. Added topics included instructional designs, project-based learning during distance-learning, conferring in a virtual setting, online science simulations and digital citizenship, to mention only a few. • Provided two 6-week Paraeducator Training modules for 40+ paraeducators and instructional assistants • Held weekly, virtual Regional Staff Development Council meetings for education leaders across our region to ensure ongoing communication and collaborative planning among district leaders • Our 3 Interdistrict Grants went virtual, creating over 200 activity bags, distributed to students to engage them in online lessons that were shared with their teachers; also designed and launched virtual field trips and lessons, engaging 1,200+ students • Windham After-School Grant staff built an archive of online video content, including read-alouds, virtual field trips and cooking lessons, even hosting guest animals like ferrets and goats; staff also created and distributed 50+ packages of reading materials, journals, coloring supplies and family games
Organizational Support This umbrella division includes departments that are focused primarily on ensuring that the agency’s basic operations run smoothly throughout the year. During the COVID-19 pandemic, most of these critical departments geared-up to provide behind-the-scenes support, responding to agency challenges during a time of unprecedented need. Organizational Support departments include the Business Office; Facilities; Food & Hospitality Services; Human Resources; Marketing, Communication & Web; Security & Investigations; and Transportation.
ANNUAL BOARD UPDATE | 2019-2020 • Business Office: Staff continued to provide inter-agency budgetary and financial planning support during the pandemic, while closely monitoring the agency’s cash flow, using a variety of strategies with vendors and agency partners to ensure that our payroll obligations were met. Staff worked both remotely and on-site in Hampton to help all EASTCONN departments and directors address and resolve budgetary concerns and developments throughout the crisis. • Facilities: After overseeing the professional deep-cleaning of all of 15 EASTCONN facilities, maintenance and Facilities staff continued with regular maintenance and ongoing updates and repairs, to prepare them for all students’ eventual return. • Food Services: By May 15th, this group had prepared and distributed 92,404 emergency meals for more than 750 children and families. Breakfasts and lunches were available for daily pick-up at 8 northeastern Connecticut schools. Food Services projected that they will have provided 165,000 meals by June 30, 2020, averaging 11,000+ meals per week. Following state and federal guidelines, staff obtained permission to deliver meals to the homes of families who might otherwise go hungry. Staff also used clear-cut, mandated USDA, state and federal health and safety protocols at all times. By late May, the state had still not decided whether Food Services would continue its work to prepare and distribute emergency meals beyond June 30, and throughout the summer. • Human Resources: HR staff continued supporting agency staff as they navigated new norms and remote working conditions. Working at home themselves, HR staff managed agency employment, health insurance and business needs, among other things, and kept EASTCONN employees up-to-date on new and developing COVID-19 plans, state mandates, health alerts and reopening information.
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• Marketing, Communication & Website: Staff created a well-used COVID-19 Information pop-up on the agency’s website landing page, continuously curating content for staff, students and parents with links to: health advisories; CSDE, state and federal websites; school-home communications (with Spanish translations); learning-from-home plans; free professional learning resources and sessions; emergency student-meal distribution info, and more. The pop-up and website attracted thousands of new visitors (ex: April website Page Views, 33,337-up 42%; Sessions, 16,799-up 69.7%). Web and Marketing staff ensured that all content was ADA compliant and accessible for the influx of new site visitors. Staff collaborated to restructure Adult Programs’ employment and training web pages, improving access to retraining and education programs for unemployed area adults and youth seeking summer jobs. Staff supplied school-parent communication edits and writing in collaboration with program directors, and provided graphic-design, as well as marketing assistance and planning/writing/editing for agency publications, eblasts, photos, videos and social media, etc., to maintain clear agency communication messaging and communication during the pandemic. Staff refocused agency Facebook pages to share not only good news about agency programs during COVID-19, but links to free agency PD offerings, updates and “Something Good” staff videos; Facebook followers grew 14% to 1,040 followers in 6 weeks. All staff maintained planning schedules and production timelines for critical agency reports, press releases, subscription-based newsletters and eblasts. • Security & Investigations: This group continued its work to provide security across all agency sites throughout COVID-19-related closures, including administrative offices in Hampton, where a small number of critical staff were periodically allowed to work, with health and safety protocols firmly established and enforced.
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ANNUAL BOARD UPDATE | 2019-2020 • Transportation: After sanitizing, inventorying equipment and providing maintenance for all 130 agency buses/vehicles, staff identified a series of additional cost-saving measures, including working with our insurer to temporarily, legally suspend our vehicles’ use until students’ return to school. Driver cell phones were also pulled back temporarily. Staff constructed a daily cost analysis to help in negotiations with districts regarding driver and vehicle payments. Each district will present this information to its board of education, and either agree to provide funding, or to continue negotiations. Staff continued to schedule drivers’ mandated trainings and certification requirements, while additional trainings on new routing and charter software were provided.
Technology Solutions Student Support: Prior to helping launch and support EASTCONN’s distance-learning classrooms in mid-March, our technology experts also quickly mobilized to reprogram dozens of laptops, eventually preparing and delivering a total of 160 free Chromebooks, 11 PC laptops and 7 iPads to EASTCONN students and/or others who lacked working computers at home; without them, students couldn’t access online learning. Employing clear safety protocols, IT staff distributed the free devices to students during special hours at an EASTCONN site. Staff also arranged for 20 free Wi-Fi “hot spots” for students who wouldn’t otherwise have access to their online classrooms and learning sessions. In response to student/family computer needs during schooling at home, IT staff initiated a Student Help Desk, providing quick access to technical
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assistance; dozens of EASTCONN students benefited. Limited network bandwidth in some households often extended the time necessary to address technical issues. Staff Support: Technology staff also established new, technical-support strategies and provisions for all EASTCONN non-certified and certified staff, who were dealing with unanticipated challenges that emerged while working, teaching and learning at home. Technology reported that agency staff requests for IT support were up more than 50% between mid-March and mid-May. Limited bandwidth issues for some staff created new challenges. Technology launched an in-house-designed, cyber-security training for all EASTCONN employees, especially critical while the vast majority of staff were working from home. Family & Statewide Support: While providing agency-wide technical support, staff also honored their external-customer commitments, including designing and launching a new parent observation portal to our CTDOTS Online software under an extremely tight timeline. The new portal gives parents and caregivers the opportunity to provide critical observation data on child development during site and program closures, where teacher observations would normally take place. The portal was being used to make observations for more than 4,000 students during school closures.
Graphic images and screen shots depict a variety of moments and online materials used by EASTCONN and other partners to communicate positive messages, learning tools and other information during the pandemic.
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