K-12 STUDENT SERVICES
K-12 Student Services offers a comprehensive
continuum of services for students with a wide range of academic interests and/or challenging learning needs. From magnet and alternative high school options to services for students with social-emotional, behavioral issues or those on the autism spectrum, the focus is on serving each individual student. We strive to achieve success by building our capacity, running programs that are financially sound and producing outstanding educational results that satisfy parents, students, teachers, administrators and our regional partner school districts.
2020-2021 HIGHLIGHTS & ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Regional Magnet High Schools
In collaboration with member districts that elect to be our partners, EASTCONN continued to operate 2 regional magnet high schools: a performing arts high school (Arts at the Capitol Theater - ACT); and a middle college (Quinebaug Middle College - QMC). Both expand the public-school choices available to students in the 33-town/36-district region we serve. Our magnet schools are designed for students with special interests, whether through a performing-arts-infused curriculum (ACT), or a unique college campus experience with a STEM focus (QMC). We also provide an alternative high school program, The LEAP School (Learners Empowered to Achieve their Potential), supporting the region’s over-age, under-credited high school students.
ACT (Arts at the Capitol Theater)
“I cannot express in words how indebted his father and I are for what you are providing for our son. You saved him. He is growing into a confident young man who is excited to learn, a gift we can never thank you enough for.” – Jen and Adam Tuller, ACT Parents, Stafford, CT
Due to the pandemic, enrollment at ACT decreased overall compared to the 2019-2020 school year. This year, ACT enrolled 130 full-time students (grades 9-12), from 34 sending districts. In spite of the pandemic, ACT will graduate EASTCONN Annual Board Update 2021
K-12 Student Services 1.
K-12 STUDENT SERVICES | HIGHLIGHTS & ACCOMPLISHMENTS | 2020-2021
its 11th class of full-time students, with 34 seniors from 14 school districts. ACT maintained a hybrid learning model this year, until going full-time in late March. In spite of COVID-19, ACT teachers and students found ways to bring their love of the arts to the community through a variety of virtual and live-streamed performances. Other highlights: • Creative Writing Awards: Producing awardwinners each year, Creative Writing students again entered the Scholastic Arts and Writing Awards contest; results will be announced after May. Writers also presented a virtual coffeehouse in February.
• National Honor Society: 9 new students were inducted into ACT’s chapter of the National Honor Society during its 9th annual induction ceremony.
• Audio/Video Student Achievements: A/V
students earned 2nd overall in the statewide 2020 DMV Teen Safe Driving Video contest. ACT was also recognized for the Best Use of Community Collaboration by the DMV. With the exception of 1 year, ACT has placed in the Top 10 every year since the DMV contest began in 2007. ACT’s A/V students continued their strong collaboration with the Willimantic Public Library, producing a promotional video highlighting library programs. A/V students researched and used free software that allowed them to work on video projects at home and at school.
• Post-Secondary Plans: 10 out of 34 ACT seniors
QMC (Quinebaug Middle College)
Located on the campus of Quinebaug Valley Community College (QVCC), QMC enrolled 159 students in grades 9-12 from 18 towns in its STEM-integrated and humanitiesrich high school program for the 2020-2021 school year. Students have free access to QVCC and UConn college courses, and may earn transferable credits. Despite the lower enrollment numbers this year, due to COVID-19, QMC is on track to enroll 165 students in 2021-2022. Also of note this year: • College Courses: In 2020-2021, 29 QMC students enrolled in 89 free QVCC college courses, achieving a passing rate of 91% for the first semester. Thirty-eight (38) students enrolled in our UConn Early College Experience and QVCC College Career Pathway courses, earning a total of 165 credits. QMC expanded its UConn Early College Experience courses with 3 new credit-bearing courses. Across all college experiences, QMC students earned 418 transferable college credits.
• Senior Capstone: Seniors created a range of
meaningful Capstone projects, many of them online, to benefit local communities. Projects ranged from raising awareness about mental and physical health issues, multiculturalism and diversity, and environmental/ climate-change issues, to fundraising for charitable organizations, and organizing safe activities and clubs for peers.
applied to 4-year colleges this year. Most other seniors planned to attend community colleges.
418 college credits were earned by 38 academically qualified QMC students, as a result of their attending free UConn and QVCC college courses 2. K-12 Student Services
EASTCONN Annual Board Update 2021
K-12 STUDENT SERVICES | HIGHLIGHTS & ACCOMPLISHMENTS | 2020-2021
• Post-Secondary Plans: 75% of QMC’s seniors
applied to post-high school programs, and many have been accepted into competitive schools like UConn, CCSU, ECSU, SCSU, WCSU, Manhattan College, Pace University, Quinnipiac University, University of New Haven, Bridgewater State, Three Rivers, QVCC and MCC. Two (2) QMC seniors are expected to earn their Associate’s Degree from QVCC by the end of QVCC’s summer term in June 2021.
LEAP Alternative High School
LEAP enrolled 10 full-time students this academic year, 7 from Windham and 3 from Norwich. LEAP offers a personalized, competency-based program of studies designed to meet the diverse learning styles of nontraditional students who are over-age and under-credited. As a result of our personalized program, LEAP managed the challenges presented by COVID-19 with little disruption to the program. Two (2) LEAP students opted to learn remotely. The other 8 students attended in-person, either on a hybrid or full-day schedule. • Special Projects: LEAP partnered with The Health Education Center (HEC) from Norwich to provide 2 career pathway certification programs in the health field: Community Health Care Worker (CHW) and Medical Interpreter (MI). Both programs were grant-funded; these courses were offered to ACT students, as well.
New England Association of Schools & Colleges (NEASC) Accreditation
Since earning their NEASC accreditation in 2018, ACT and QMC have continued to address recommendations from the complex process of self-study and assessment; both schools are implementing 21st-century learning, as identified in their newly created Portrait of a Graduate, including curriculum alignment, student-centered learning and data-informed instruction.
EASTCONN Annual Board Update 2021
Professional Learning, K-12 Services
During the 2020-2021 school year, QMC, ACT and LEAP have collaborated to continue developing and implementing their personalized, competency-based learning focus. Through the identification of essential standards, a grades 9-12 learning continuum has become the curriculum foundation.
Leadership Development, K-12
Through our partnership with KnowledgeWorks, a leadership design team has been established to advance a competencybased learning system. We are now developing a multi-year strategic plan for our schools. Select staff from EASTCONN high schools participated in multiple professional learning opportunities focused on personalized, competency-based learning and the integration of SEL and academics. This group serves as lead learners and implementers.
Collaborations with Higher Education Administrative 092 Certification Cohort
EASTCONN continued its collaboration with Central Connecticut State University (CCSU), offering 2-year cohorts and access to CCSU’s Sixth Year Certificate in Educational Leadership. Cohort members, who hail primarily from eastern Connecticut, are spared in-person trips to CCSU in New Britain, and receive online instruction (exclusively, during the pandemic) from CCSU faculty to prepare for their Intermediate Administrator 092 certificate. Program content is customized for small-district administrators’ needs, such as those in the EASTCONN region.
Special Education Programs & Services
Clinical Day Treatment (CDT) Programs
Operating 7 classrooms at our Educational and Vocational Center (EVC), and 12 classrooms at our Northeast Regional Program (NRP), and serving approximately 120 students from 28 sending districts, our CDT programs merge best K-12 Student Services 3.
K-12 STUDENT SERVICES | HIGHLIGHTS & ACCOMPLISHMENTS | 2020-2021
“I just wanted to let the team at NRP know how impressed I am by the staff that sent
over records for this student. Never have I received such a complete file for a student, with all the important information. Usually I get the IEP and that’s it. The testing, progress reports, and especially all the data collection will be invaluable to us. Thank you and your staff so very much for taking the time to be so thorough with this student transfer. Much appreciated!” – Kat Craven, Student Program Support Administrator, South Street Elementary School, Fitchburg, MA practices in academic, vocational, clinical and behavioral programming to meet the needs of K-12 students with significant social, emotional and behavioral issues. We continued our work with clinical interventions through a research-based, trauma-informed approach at both sites. Thirty-eight (38) students participated in summer 2020’s virtual, extended school-year services, which will be offered in summer 2021. We anticipate that 8 seniors will graduate this year.
Autism Program & Services
We provided 18 students from 13 districts with comprehensive, center-based educational and behavioral services. Inclusion remains the ultimate goal and drives our philosophy, staffing and instructional programming. To meet district needs, we expanded our enrollment to include preschool-age students. Despite the impact of COVID-19 on in-school instruction last spring and the move to hybridbased learning for the 2020-21 school year, comprehensive home-school collaboration and virtual learning opportunities resulted in unique opportunities to partner with families, build their capacity to promote independence and communication at home, and extend students’ educational programming.
Assistive Technology (AT)
AT provided direct services to 70 students from 18 districts, as well as to 12 adult clients through the Bureau of Rehabilitative Services (BRS) Home to Work Program. With the addition of the Stay Connected Grant, virtual services were provided to 46 consumers. In-person AT services, as well as services provided in a virtual format, have been offered to meet the needs of the districts we support. Of note: • EASTCONN’s AT staff supported 14 districts with Consortium packages, providing them with priority scheduling, access to our AT Lending Library and Consortium trainings. Within the Consortium districts, 19 AT and/or AAC assessments were provided. 4. K-12 Student Services
Services impacted 70 students, 246 educators and 25 family members. • The AT Lending Library, a project with the CT Tech Act, loaned 67 devices. Activities conducted through the partnership with the CT Tech Act Project included 42 trainings to 328 participants on a range of AT topics, demonstrations and/or information and assistance provided to 62 individuals. The AT team continued to manage and contribute to the quarterly CT Tech Act Newsletter. Our grant-funded library continued to grow.
Woodstock Academy Cooperative (WAC)
This collaborative program between EASTCONN and Woodstock Academy serves students with intellectual and other significant developmental disabilities, providing them with educational growth and transition planning; 15 high-school-age students from 5 districts enrolled this year. Housed at Woodstock Academy (pre-COVID-19), WAC students participated in regular and unified education courses at the school. Field trips and other options focused on increasing independent living skills and providing vocational and career experiences. After the Academy moved to all-remote learning in early fall 2020, students transitioned to an EASTCONN location in Danielson, where they safely continued in-person classes. EASTCONN will amicably dissolve its WAC partnership in June 2021. Programming will continue under the name of EXCELS (Excellence in Community, Employment and Life Skills).
“We are extremely pleased with the welcoming community created at NRP and feel part of a team of clinicians, teachers, nurses ... all working for the betterment of our son.” – Parent of a Northeast Regional Program (NRP) Student
EASTCONN Annual Board Update 2021
EASTCONN EXCELS will continue to provide transition and functional skills support for high school students in grades 9-12+ at our Killingly location. EXCELS will continue to apply the same strengths found in all of our specialized schools, including a demonstrated expertise in explicit instruction, data-based decision-making, team collaboration, tiered behavioral supports, and transition supports and services.
K-12 STUDENT SERVICES | HIGHLIGHTS & the ACCOMPLISHMENTS | 2020-2021 transition to adulthood and life beyond classroom. The goal of EXCELS is to maximize students’ independence as they prepare for the
Community
Employment
For more information, please contact
ASTCONN is proud to announce a new name and location for one of our specialized programs.
Related Services Group (RSG) es 9-12+ at our Killingly location. EXCELS will continue to apply the same strengths found in all of our
ONN EXCELS will continue to provide transition and functional skills support for high school students in
worked with 29 districts andinstruction, with 7data-based EASTCONN zed schools, Staff including a demonstrated expertise in explicit decision-making, team collaboration, behavioral supports, and transition supports and services. programstiered to support students, from preschool to age
21. The goal of EXCELS is to maximize students’ independence as they prepare for the Related Services includes Assistive Technology, Occupational transition to adulthood and life beyond the classroom. Therapy (which provided services to 198 students), Physical Therapy (services to 219 students) and Speech-Language Therapy (services to 253 students.)
Psychological & Behavioral Consultation (PBC) Services
Our neuropsychological assessment, behavioral consultation and professional development services were accessed by 31 districts, benefitting more than 3,000 students region-wide. ommunity Employment Life Skills Neuropsychological assessment and consultation services have continued to develop in response to requests from LEAs across our region, with more than 50 assessments completed during each of the last 3 years. We also provided comprehensive district supports, both virtually and inperson, for students with autism spectrum disorders. Of note during the pandemic and throughout the 2020-2021 school year: For more information, please contact
EASTCONN’s Director offormat Pupil Services • Staff facilitated a Community of Practice for Amy Margelony at amargelony@eastconn.org. school-based Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) in the EASTCONN region and statewide, and offered a CEUs option.
Excellence in Community, Employment & Life Skills
• Through RESC Alliance projects, we expanded supports to districts in the areas of trauma-sensitive practices and engagement in hybrid/distance learning. • We delivered 70+ PD virtual sessions in more than 25 districts. Also presented outcomes from technical assistance, coaching and training at regional and national conferences as virtual invited speakers. PBC staff continued to publish findings in prestigious, peerreviewed journals. • During COVID-19 school closures, staff designed several new websites and resources to support paraeducators and teachers and delivered free, professional learning webinars on engagement, trauma and support for distance learners. EASTCONN Annual Board Update 2021
Life Skills
EASTCONN’s Director of Pupil Services
Amy Margelony at amargelony@eastconn.org. Regional Transition Services (RTS) Excellence in Community, Employment & Life Skills
RTS provided transition services for 8 young adults, ages 1821, with a broad range of disabilities, from 4 districts. A total of 4 students will graduate this year and pursue employment, both independent and supported. Two (2) students attended college courses at QVCC and benefited from QVCC Student Support Services. RTS staff maintained strong partnerships with families and the state’s Bureau of Rehabilitation Services (BRS) and the Department of Developmental Services (DDS). Community employer partners offered engaging, virtual and ongoing opportunities for students to apply new skills to real settings. A continued partnership with a Community Nutritionist from UConn helped students learn healthy eating habits and meal preparation. Students took virtual courses through the American Job Center to increase their employability skills.
“I have been an Educational Surrogate Parent with the CT State Dept. of Education for 11 years. The Educational Surrogate Parent Program is a federally mandated program that provides educational advocacy services for children and youth under the jurisdiction of the CT Dept. of Children and Families (DCF). Over the years, I have had multiple students for whom I have recommended placement at EASTCONN’s Education Vocation Center (EVC). Each of the students has thrived at EVC, due to the fundamental ideas that served as the foundation for their academic and behavioral success. I am always pleased to place students at EVC because I know that they will receive excellent instruction, delivered with care and kindness.” – Donna Fochi, Educational Surrogate Parent, CSDE
K-12 Student Services 5.
K-12 STUDENT SERVICES | HIGHLIGHTS & ACCOMPLISHMENTS | 2020-2021
PLANS & IMPLICATIONS FOR 2021-2022
PLANS FOR MAGNET SCHOOLS
Using data and information from the current year’s self-assessment, our schools will address and implement competency-based learning. Results from this work will continue to be incorporated into multi-year strategic plans.
CLINICAL DAY TREATMENT (CDT) PROGRAMS
We will continue expanding transition and post-secondary services for our middle- and high school CDT students, while piloting an expanded SEL curriculum for elementary students.
6. K-12 Student Services
AUTISM PROGRAM & SERVICES
We will continue to develop supports to improve our Autism Program students’ functional communication and independence, including expanding our community partnerships to support their employment options.
PSYCHOLOGICAL & BEHAVIORAL CONSULTATION (PBC) SERVICES
PBC will continue to develop expertise in trauma-sensitive practices and multi-tiered systems of support, while expanding and building sustainable home-district programs for students.
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
We’ll expand our work with the Connecticut Bureau of Rehabilitation Services and the CT Tech Act Project to focus on grants that provide virtual consultation/training to seniors, and support to 2 medical facilities, helping them select the best technologies for spinal-cord-injury patients.
Building a New Program: EXCELS
EASTCONN’s special education division will separate from the Woodstock Academy Cooperative partnership to focus on building its own, independent program, called EXCELS, serving young adults with a range of disabilities.
EASTCONN Annual Board Update 2021