NEASC Forum

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This webinar featured a panel of admissions professionals from a variety of public and private higher education institutions who discussed current trends in college admissions, how schools can best prepare students for today's higher education environment, and answered questions about college preparatory curriculum, testing, equity, and more.

Panelists
Erin Earle, EdD, Director, Campus Visit Experience, The University of Rhode Island and Past-President, New England Association for College Admission Counseling (NEACAC)
Tessa Greenhalgh, Admission Counselor (for New England), Bard College, New York
Aastha Kapoor, Regional Manager - South Asia, Undergraduate and Graduate Admissions, University of Massachusetts Lowell
Mackenzie Murphy, Enrollment Specialist, Nashua Community College, New Hampshire
 

Resources

act.org

• ACT College and Career Readiness Standards 

collegeboard.com

• Understanding Holistic Review in Higher Education Admissions (2018; A. Coleman, J. Lewis Keith)
• High School Classes Colleges Look For (Big Future)

collegedata.com

• What do colleges look for in students?
• 4 College Admissions Trends to Watch in 2022 

Mastery Transcript Consortium

• MTC College Admission List

NACAC/NASFAA

• Recommend Framework for Equity in College Admission and Financial Aid (January 2022)
• Report: Toward a More Equitable Future for Postsecondary Access (2022)
   

List of Accredited, 4-Year Colleges & Universities with ACT/SAT (April 2022, fairtest.com)

2022 College Admissions Trends and Insights from the Experts  (ivywise.com)
 

Articles

5 keys to creating true equity in college admissions and financial aid (January 2022; M. Zalaznick; universitybusiness.com)

12 College Admissions Trends to Watch (S. Shaffer, Collegiate Parent)  

For college admissions, let’s value grit over GPAs (November 2018; M. Daniels; washingtonpost.com)

How Colleges Today Are Supporting Student Mental Health (January 2019; A. Eva; greatergood.berkeley.edu)

How important is it to take AP classes for college admissions? (October 2021; A. Slater Tate; www.today.com)

Much Ado About Mastery-Based Transcripts: What Schools Need to Know and What They Can Do (August 2017; S. Abbott; greatschoolspartnership.com) 

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This webinar was designed and led by nine students from a variety of NEASC-accredited schools. The discussion focused on what successful student agency looks like in a classroom or school, and how it leads to genuine school improvement. Challenges, obstacles, and how to ensure equitable opportunities for involvement when implementing student agency were also addressed.

Panelists
Students representing the following schools led the discussion:

International School of Helsinki, Finland (independent, international, coed)
Miss Porter’s School, Farmington, Connecticut, USA (private, boarding, all girls)
Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School, Rochester, Massachusetts, USA (public, technical, coed)
Nipmuc Regional High School, Upton, Massachusetts, USA (public, coed)
Saint Raphael Academy, Pawtucket, Rhode Island, USA (private, Catholic, coed)

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Through a discussion with educators representing a spectrum of experience and a variety of school types, this webinar aims to create a portrait of the teaching profession from the inside out: why teachers teach, why they stick with it even in the toughest of times, and how we can support them through it. 

Panelists
Dominique Blue, Learning Support Teacher, International School of Beijing, Beijing, China
Jessica DellAquila, American Government Teacher, Jeremiah E. Burke High School, Boston, MA USA
Jossette Francheska Cuello Tavarez, Assistant Principal, Puntacana International School, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Lisa Leaheey, English teacher, North Providence High School, North Providence, RI USA
Andy Lindblad, Science Teacher, Cotting School, Lexington, MA USA
Special Guest: Todd Shy, Head of Upper Division at Avenues: The World School and author of the new book, Teaching Life: Life Lessons for Aspiring (and Inspiring) Teachers.

View webinar recording | Read webinar "debrief": 

What lessons are we learning about school leadership while navigating the unpredictable and evolving landscape of education? 

We posed this question and others to administrators from NEASC Accredited schools who shared valuable tools and skills they've developed for dealing with staff shortages, navigating fluctuating COVID guidelines, supporting staff and students, and finding the personal reserve to maintain purpose and persevere.

Panelists

Gary B. Franklin, Principal
Northwestern Regional High School, Regional School District No. 7 - Winsted, Connecticut, USA
@NWR7highlander 

Ahmed Geddy, Academic Director
Next Generation School, Dubai
@NGSDubai

Erin Mayo, Head of School
Fryeburg Academy - Fryeburg, Maine, USA
@FryeburgAcademy

Mary Anne Moran, Principal
Nipmuc Regional High School, Upton, Massachusetts, USA
@NipmucRegional

Caitlin Murphy, Headmaster
The English High School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
@TheEnglishHS

Dan Richard, Head of School
Saint Raphael Academy, Pawtucket, Rhode Island, USA
@SaintRays

Melani Horcajuelo Torres, Director
Madrid Active School, Spain

Resources

Bold Moves for Schools: How We Create Remarkable Learning Environments (Heidi Hayes Jacobs, Marie Hubley Alcock; 2017)

Leadership Lessons Learned from COVID (Brooke Douglas; TELjournal.ca, November 2020)

4 Crucial Lessons for School Leaders Facing a Difficult Year (Maria Akinyele; Edutopia, August 2021)

Why Traditional Leadership Strategies Don’t Work (Robyn R. Jackson; ASCD, June 2021)

Strong school leaders will be essential in next phase of pandemic (Chris Minnich; EdSource, January 2022)

So What About Leadership Wellness? Healthy organizations require healthy leaders (Brian Andjelic, CASS; EdCan Network, 2019)

The power of empathy in times of crisis and beyond (Tara Van Bommel, PhD; Catalyst, 2021)

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (Carol S. Dweck; Random House, 2006)

Developing a Growth Mindset with Professor Carol Dweck (Video; Stanford+Connects micro lecture)

Developing a Growth Mindset in Teachers and Staff (Keith Heggart; Edutopia, February 2015)

Staff well-being

The four key ways we’re supporting staff wellbeing (Laura Fordham; gov.uk teaching blog, November 2021)

Supporting staff wellbeing (Mentally Healthy Schools/Anna Freud Centre for Children and Families)

Teaching

Transforming Teaching: Global Responses to Teaching Under the Covid-19 Pandemic (Lucy Cooker, Tony Cotton, Helen Toft; Routledge, 2021)

Addressing students’ pandemic ‘learning loss’ (Dr. Toby A. Travis, TrustEd; eSchool News; December 2021)

Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students (Zaretta L. Hammond; Corwin, 2014)

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In schools throughout the nation and the world, what stories are being told, what perspectives are represented, and what voices are included are being reconsidered. It is a period full of new learning and deep debate. As our schools seek to best support all students in their communities, many are engaged in the ongoing and critical work of auditing and revising their curricula to ensure they are both diverse and inclusive. This webinar is a panel discussion with administrators and teachers from NEASC Accredited schools who are rethinking their curriculum through this diversity, equity, and inclusion lens.

Panelists

Edward Carson
Dean of Multicultural Education; Faculty Advisor, Black Latinx Association
Governor’s Academy, MA, USA

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at The Governor’s Academy

Dominique Dalais
Head of Physical & Health Education
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Lead at ACS International Schools
ACS Egham International School, UK

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at ACS International Schools

Jessica DellAquila
Social Studies Teacher
Jeremiah E. Burke High School, MA, USA

• Explore Burke HS 

Julie Anne Levin
Director of Curriculum/Grants; Diversity Coordinator
Easthampton Public Schools, MA, USA

• Equity and Inclusion at Easthampton Public Schools

Resources

Project Implicit

Learning for Justice frameworks

The Culturally Responsive Scorecard from New York University

Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy (2019, Dr. Gholdy E. Muhammad)

"Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors" (video)
Rudine Sims Bishop uses "Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors" as an analogy to discuss the importance of diversity in books and the authors who write them.

The Culturally Responsive Instruction Observation Protocol

Facing History and Ourselves

Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain by Zaretta Hammond (blog | book)

Courageous Conversations About Race: A Field Guide for Achieving Equity in Schools by Glenn Singleton (course overview | book)

How to Be an Antiracist / Brave Books, Critical Conversations, Expanded Hearts (Padlet)
Inspired by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi's book 
Created by Laura Benson, Director of Curriculum and Professional Development, International Schools Services

Coalition of Schools Educating Boys
The mission of the Coalition of Schools Educating Boys of Color (COSEBOC) is to connect, inspire, support, and strengthen school leaders dedicated to the social, emotional, and academic development of boys and young men of color.

Black Appetite. White Food: Issues of Race, Voice, and Justice Within and Beyond the Classroom (2019, Jamila Lyiscott)

Zinn Education Project

The Choices Program - Brown University

Black Lives Matter in Schools

MAEC Equity Audit - offers districts, schools, and teachers a way to develop a more concrete understanding of what it means to practice equity, and reflect on whether current school policies, procedures and practices are equitable

Diversity Talks shifts mindsets - framework and assessment that evaluates the cultural competence of educators using four dimensions: power, empathy, relationships, and mindset (PERM)

Culturally Responsive Teaching Checklist (PDF) (from reimaginingmigration.org) 

The UDL Guidelines (from CAST.org) - a tool used in the implementation of Universal Design for Learning, a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn

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Presented by Rosalind Wiseman, best-selling author, educator, and founder of Cultures of Dignity

As young people navigate a constantly changing educational environment, we know a few things are certain, supportive relationships and social skills are critical to their emotional well-being and academic engagement. But these skills are not “soft skills;” they are essential for young people to manage their emotions, self-advocate, develop resilience and become responsible, positive members of families and communities.

But teaching social skills that young people take seriously is often challenging. Programs can easily come across as superficial or unrelatable. This webinar addressed this challenge by defining a principle based approach where a culture of dignity, as opposed to a culture of respect, is the key to any effective SEL program. Concrete SEL strategies were reviewed so that educators engage with young people as resources in creating a healthy learning environment. 

Resources

Panorama Education

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Supporting and empowering students through SEL: A conversation with students and school leaders
In this session, the second webinar in our series on Social and Emotional Learning, we heard directly from student panelists about what is on their minds as they return to school and what they need from their teachers, leaders, and community to feel supported and be successful. School leaders shared concrete SEL approaches they have implemented, lessons learned, and strategies to recommend and avoid.

Panelists
Students and educators from the following schools were represented:
American school of Guatemala - Guatemala City, Guatemala
Griswold High School - Griswold, Connecticut, USA
John F. Kennedy High School, Waterbury, Connecticut, USA
St. Luke's School - New Canaan, Connecticut, USA

Resources

RULER - https://www.ycei.org/ruler/

Mind Matters Club - https://digitalsentinel.org/1814/on-campus/new-mind-matters-club-making…

Although I began working on this program with a team of educators a year before any of us had ever heard the words "Covid" or "pandemic," both words kept us going:
https://hydediscoveryprocess.org/

Calm app - https://www.calm.com/

Articles:

NAFSA: Compounding Stress: The Pandemic’s Effects on Mental Health (of students) - https://www.nafsa.org/ie-magazine/2021/4/6/compounding-stress-pandemics…

Isolated Students May Struggle to Stay Mentally Healthy
Teachers can build strong relationships with and between students to help them get through this very challenging time. - https://www.edutopia.org/article/isolated-students-may-struggle-stay-me…

How Young People’s Social Anxiety Has Worsened in the Pandemic - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/27/us/social-anxiety-pandemic.html

How teens adapted and changed during the pandemic - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/how-teens-adapted-and-changed-durin…

12 things we know and don’t know about pandemic’s impact on students - https://districtadministration.com/things-we-know-dont-know-about-pande…

APA: 8 ways teachers can continue supporting students during the COVID-19 era - https://www.apa.org/topics/covid-19/teachers-supporting-students

Perspective | During COVID-19, teachers can support students using Maslow’s hierarchy of needs - https://www.ednc.org/perspective-during-covid-19-teachers-can-support-s…

Messages from Teachers to Students During the Pandemic - https://www.weareteachers.com/messages-to-students-during-covid-19/

How Teachers Can Buffer Student Stress From COVID-19: Ordinary Magic - https://www.edweek.org/education/opinion-how-teachers-can-buffer-studen…

Teachers reflect on a year of Covid: students struggling, others thriving - https://edsource.org/2021/teachers-reflect-on-a-year-of-covid-students-…

Teachers on Covid: lessons learned and advice to pass along - https://edsource.org/2021/teachers-on-covid-lessons-learned-and-advice-…

Students Need Emotional Support When Returning to School in Person. Here’s How
Six ways schools can prioritize students’ emotional well-being - https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-students-need-emotional-suppo…

How Mindfulness During Class Can Help Students and Teachers - https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/57002/how-mindfulness-during-class-can-h…
Four ways to help students and teachers in the new academic year:
Social-emotional learning can help students heal from the turmoil of 2020 - https://www.apa.org/topics/covid-19/help-students-teachers

The impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of adolescents and youth - https://www.unicef.org/lac/en/impact-covid-19-mental-health-adolescents…

Ways to support your child’s mental health this school year - https://www.childrens.com/health-wellness/back-to-school-anxiety-during…

View webinar recording  |  Read session debrief

We have never asked more of educators than we have over the past 18 months, including requesting a deeper emphasis on social and emotional support for students. Of course, to best support students, it makes sense to first focus on supporting educators and helping them build their own social and emotional understanding and capacity.

Join us as we talk with educational leaders and teachers from around the world about steps they have taken to support and build SEL capacity among the adults in their schools. 

Panelists
Jim Grout, Executive Director, High 5 Adventure Learning Center - Brattleboro, Vermont, USA
Reginald Roberts, Principal, Norwalk High School - Norwalk, Connecticut, USA
Paul Smith, Superintendent, East Hampton Public Schools, Connecticut, USA
Chanel Worsteling, Child Protection and Wellbeing Programme Manager
Association of International Schools in Africa (AISA) - Brisbane, Australia
Deanna Zilske, Principal, Keene Middle School - Keene, New Hampshire, USA

Resources

CDC: Taking Care of Your Emotional Health

Pro QOL - Professional Quality of Life; Elements, Theory and Measurement

Stress Management for Educators - Greater Good in Education: Science-based practices for kinder, happier schools

How to Support Teachers’ Emotional Needs Right Now (Christina Cipriano and Marc Brakett, Greater Good Magazine, April 30, 2020)

CASEL - www.casel.org
COVID 19 and Remote Learning: SEL and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic 
Integration of SEL and Academic Instruction (CASEL Guide to Schoolwide SEL)

Headspace App (free for educators in certain areas) - www.headspace.com

To Reach the Students Teach the Teachers: Report

Panorama Education:
Promoting student SEL starts with adults: A Comprehensive Guide to Adult SEL
Adult  SEL Toolkit 

Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence | Mood Meter App

Mindfulness practices and other strategies for managing COVID-related stress - www.mindful.org

National Excellence in School Leadership Institute (NESLI) - offers responsive and high-quality professional learning programs that focus on school leadership

Integrating SEL & Tech Into This New School Year (Larry Ferlazzo, EdWeek, September 11, 2021)

We Know Students Are Struggling With Their Mental Health. Here's How You Can Help (R. Chatterjee, NPR, September 17, 2021)

How to Bring Listening Circles to Your Class (Shane Safir, Edutopia, November 26, 2014)

International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP)

The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life (David Brooks, Penguin Random House, May 2020)

When the pandemic claims the life of a teacher, students will need support in dealing with their grief. Here's what educators can do.
(Cara Nissman, districtadministration.com, October 16, 2020)

When Netflix Isn't Enough: Fostering True Recovery for Educators (Allison Rodman, Alissa Farias, Shannon Szymczak; www.ascd.org; December 1, 2020)

Dealing with Stress: Ideas for Teacher Rejuvenation (originsonline.org; November 11, 2011)

Teaching and Learning for Intercultural Understanding (Debra Rader; April 20, 2018, Routledge) | Debra Rader Blog

Self-Care in the Time of Coronavirus: For parents, prioritizing your own well-being benefits your whole family (R. Jacobsen, childmind.org)

Creative Caring for Teachers: How a whole-school well-being approach can support everyone’s mental health (Sue Roffey, EdCan Network, July 5, 2019)

The Success of Social-Emotional Learning Hinges on Teachers (Madeline Will; EdWeek; April 07, 2020)

National Institute of Mental  Health: 5 Things You Should Know About Stress 

Education World
How Do You Spell 'Stress Relief'? 
Mindfulness for Educators 

Releasing stress through the power of music (University of Reno, Counseling Services)

What Is Positive Education, and How Can We Apply It? - positivepsychology.com   

8 Mindfulness Exercises For Dealing with COVID-19 - mindfulnessexercises.com

Students Learn From People They Love (David Brooks, The New York Times, January 2019)

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A panel of educational leaders from public, independent, and international K-12 schools joined us to discuss what we have learned about school leadership during the pandemic and what approaches would be valuable to continue as more and more schools worldwide return to in-person instruction. 

Panelists
Amy Cetner, Principal, Bourne High School, Massachusetts, US
Anne Gardon, Head of Primary School, Chinese International School, Hong Kong, China
Robert McCarthy, Principal, Central Falls High School, Rhode Island, US
Steve Wilkins, Head of School, Carroll School, Massachusetts, US
Katherine G. Windsor, EdD, Head of School, Miss Porter's School, Connecticut, US

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A group of high school students shared what they have learned from their experiences in school during the pandemic, what they hope teachers and parents have learned, what changes happened in their schools they hope will continue, and what they will take with them into the future.

Panelists
Students from the following NEASC Accredited high schools participated in the webinar:

• American International School, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Falmouth High School, Falmouth, Maine, USA
• Madison Park Technical Vocational High School, Roxbury, Massachusetts, USA
• St. Luke's School, New Canaan, Connecticut, USA
• St. Bernard's, Fitchburg, Massachusetts, USA 

View webinar recording  |  View/download slides

As we begin to see a small light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, the pull to going "back to normal" will become stronger and stronger. But let's remember that "normal" is what caused many of the challenges that we face today: social injustice, income inequality, climate change, rising populism, and information illiteracy. For educators especially, instead of going back, we need to go forward to create schools that are more relevant, more equitable, and more just for all children. To do so requires a deep interrogation of the fundamentals of our work. This webinar will challenge you to grapple with nine crucial questions on a personal level, and to confront a new narrative for educators in this moment of huge disruption and change.

Panelists
Homa Tavangar and Will Richardson of The Big Questions Institute

Resources

• ​Download a free copy of the eBook, "9 BIG Questions Schools Must Answer..."

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Description

Schools around the world have been increasing their efforts to raise awareness around issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in order to promote school cultures that reinforce these values. Join us as we talk to students and school leaders from a variety of schools about steps they have taken to make all students feel seen and heard.

Panelists
Students and school leaders from the following schools participated in the webinar:

• St. Bernard's High School, Fitchburg, Massachusetts, USA
  • Saint Bernard’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Club 
• St. Luke's School, New Canaan, Connecticut, USA
  • St. Lukes's Center for Leadership/Equity and Inclusion
  • Vision for Inclusive Excellence (pdf)
  • Article: St. Luke's Inaugural Equity Leadership Conference
• Sutton High School, Sutton, Massachusetts, USA
  • Sutton HS Connections Team
  • Article: Sutton High conference aims to bend arc toward justice (www.telegram.com, March 2019)
• International School of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
  • ISH Inclusion Policy (pdf)
  • STAND - Students Together AgaiNst Discrimination: email stand@ishelsinki.fi  | instagram @s.t.a.n.d.ish
  • Rainbow Newsletter, January 2021 (pdf)

Resources

View list of Resources for Equitable and Inclusive Education

ADL A World of Difference® Institute

• ADL Fighting Hate for Good
• ADL Peer Training Program

www.nemnet.com - Nemnet, est. in 1994, is a resource organization committed to assisting schools and organizations in the recruitment and retention of diverse teachers, administrators and coaches.  

Media Education Foundation (MEF) produces and distributes documentary films and other educational resources to inspire critical thinking about the social, political, and cultural impact of American mass media on race, gender, the media, politics, and more.

Reflecting on Anti-bias Education in Action: The Early Years (A Film by Debbie LeeKeenan, John Nimmo, Filiz Efe McKinney)

Article: Schools Should Be Talking To Students About Black Lives Matter, Police Violence, and Racism. The Problem? Teachers Have Not Been Prepared to Meet This Moment [medium.com, April 2021; Shayla R. Griffin, PhD, MSW]

Safe Schools Program for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning (LGBTQ) Students is a joint initiative between the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) and the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth.

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This webinar explores the ways teachers at the Francis Wayland Parker Charter Essential School and Theodore R. Sizer Teachers' Center in Devens, Massachusetts, USA, design, fine-tune, and instruct toward assessment competencies. You will hear from students, teachers, and the director of the Sizer Teachers’ Center about creating engaging assessments for students. Students at the Parker School, from grades 7-12, demonstrate their deepest learning across all disciplines through assessment projects designed by their teachers, creating opportunities for rigorous engagement and student choice. Students are assessed for mastery of a lean set of school-wide competencies. 

Panelists
Colleen L. Meaney, Director, Sizer Teacher Center
Diane Kruse, Math, Science, and Technology Domain Leader
plus students representing the Parker School

The Parker School and Sizer Teachers Center were born into a progressive community of schools, the Coalition of Essential Schools, and were set in motion by Theodore R. Sizer, former Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Resources

Parker School:

• Assessments at the Parker School
• Promotion by Portfolio
• Criteria for Excellence

NEASC Standards for Accreditation

Resources for Assessment in Project-Based Learning (www.edutopia.org)

Student Portfolios as an Assessment Tool (educationworld.com)

How Students Benefit From Project-Based Assessments (With Examples) (schoology.com)

How to Design Assessments That Promote The Learning Process (elearningindustry.com)

Great Schools Partnership:

• Proficiency-Based Learning Tools 
• Grading and Reporting for Educational Equity 

Teaching Strategies for the 8 Different Learning Styles

Nine Do’s and Don’ts for Cultivating Student Autonomy (edweek.org)

Student Engagement in Assessments: What Students and Teachers Find Engaging (edpolicy.stanford.edu)

High-quality collaboration benefits teachers and students (learningforward.org)

ASCD.org:

• How Classroom Assessments Improve Learning
• Learning to Love Assessment
• Finding Time for Collaboration 

6 Tips for Creating Powerful Assessments for Your Students (gettingsmart.com)

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Panelists from three distinct schools and the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence (YCEI) shared their perspectives on the social-emotional health of students and building skills within a school community that will support and sustain positive emotional climates. A variety of paths forward to developing emotional intelligence and a healthier school environment were discussed.

Panelists

Holly Brabson - School Adjustment Counselor
Manchester Essex Regional High School - Manchester-by-the Sea, MA, USA

Joe Elbertson, YCEI Trainer, Music Teacher
Kolbe Cathedral HS - Bridgeport, CT, USA

Nicole Elbertson, Director of Content and Communication
Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence (YCEI), New Haven, CT, USA

Jeff Levin, Life Coach
Worked with Bishop Guertin High School

Tricia Puglisi - Principal
Manchester Essex Regional High School - Manchester-by-the Sea, MA, USA

Jason Strniste, Principal
Bishop Guertin High School - Nashua, NH, USA

Resources

COVID-19

• COVID-19 Support for Teens and Young Adults (CDC)
• COVID-19 Library - School and Community Resources for Clinicians (pdf) (Mass General Global Health, Boston, MA)
• What is pandemic’s impact on students, teachers and parents? (Texas A&M Research)
• Six Online Activities to Help Students Cope With COVID-19 (Greater Good Magazine - Lea Waters, August 2020)
• Social media use linked with depression, secondary trauma during COVID-19 (Penn State News, March 2021)
• Isolated Students May Struggle to Stay Mentally Healthy (Edutopia - Carolyn Curtis, October 2020)
• The Rise of Teacher Stress (The Graide Network, April 2020)

Emotional Intelligence

• Emotional Intelligence: What Teachers Can Do (Edutopia, February 2001)
• Teaching Emotional Intelligence to Teens and Students (positivepsychology.com, January 2020)

RULER - an evidence-based approach to social and emotional learning (SEL) developed at YCEI

• What is RULER?
• Mood Meter Check-in and RULER Skills (pdf)
• RULER Program Positively Impacts Student Behavior and Achievement (Education World)
• The Colors of Our Emotions / Mood Meter (Marc Brackett, Jan 2020)

Free Course - Managing Emotions in Times of Uncertainty & Stress (offered by Yale)

The Conflict Blueprint (Sesa Woruban Integrated Counselling Services, Inc.)

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NEASC successfully conducted 91 virtual accreditation visits in the fall of 2020. This webinar centers on a conversation about preparing for and participating in a virtual school visit as part of the NEASC Accreditation cycle. To share insights from both sides of the process, schools that have hosted Visiting Teams and NEASC volunteers who have served on those Teams share their experiences, advice, and perspectives.

Panelists:
John Clements, Principal - Nipmuc High School, Upton, MA, USA
Shirley Jacobsen, Head of Primary School - Rygaards International School, Copenhagen/Hellerup, Denmark
Carl Johnson, Principal - Plainville High School, Plainville, CT, USA
Patti Marshall, Head of School - American School of Guatemala, Guatemala City, Guatemala
Christine Page, Principal - West Bridgewater High School, West Bridgewater, MA, USA
Mark Schulz, Deputy Director - Zurich International School, Wädenswil, Switzerland
Artis Street, Transformational Coach & Technology Coordinator - Jeremiah Burke High School, Boston, MA, USA

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Presentation from CPRL

Presentation from Bethel Public Schools

Presentation from Farmington Public Schools

Presented in collaboration with the Center for Public Research and Leadership, Columbia University
The Connecticut State Department of Education, the Columbia University Center for Public Research and Leadership (CPRL), and the Connecticut Educational Partners collaborated to create guidance for schools and district for the development of high quality distance learning to respond to the COVID pandemic. This webinar will feature representatives from Columbia to explain the model and the methods used to create it. They will also share the resources developed to support the model. The forum will also feature several school superintendents from Connecticut who are using the model in the districts. They will discuss the successes and the challenges they have faced during the implementation of the recommendations.

Guest Panelists:
Elizabeth Chu, Executive Director, Center for Public Research and Leadership, Columbia
Michael Arrington, Evolutionary Learning Associate, Center for Public Research and Leadership, Columbia
Kathleen C. Greider, Superintendent of Schools, Farmington Public Schools, CT
Christine Carver, Superintendent of Schools, Bethel Public Schools, CT

View webinar recording | View the presentation

Featuring the students of Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, Massachusetts 

As did many US schools, Walnut Hill School for the Arts found themselves unprepared for life after the presidential election in 2016. Determined to build awareness of issues in advance of the election this November, they initiated a holistic approach to strengthening their school community by encouraging non-partisan conversation around 2020 election topics.

In this webinar presentation (designed by the students themselves), a panel of Walnut Hill students and their advisor shared tools they have learned to engage community-wide dialogues across differences. We hope attendees will feel empowered to do the same within their own schools — whether in the US or other countries — and continue similar reflections on issues and questions that will live long after the 2020 Election. 

Resources

WHE the People! (Walnut Hill Election)
Teach and Learn with the 2020 Election
Distinguishing Between Debate and Dialogue 
Three-day mock election simulation lesson
Hold a Mock Presidential Election
Teach and Learn With the 2020 Election
Three Activities for Understanding the Electoral College
Seven engaging civics lesson plans
10 Activities That Teach the Presidential Election Process
Young People Make Their Voices Heard Election 2020
Updates from On & Off the Hill
Lesson Plan: 2020 Presidential Debate Viewing Guides

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Presented in partnership with the New England Association for College Admission Counseling (NEACAC)
With the help of NEACAC, we gathered a panel of admissions professionals from a diverse selection of New England colleges, plus a college counselor from a high school, to discuss the impacts that COVID-19 has had on the college selection process and evaluation of applicants: the minor, major, temporary, and potentially permanent outcomes. 

Panelists:

Brennan Barnard, Director of College Counseling and Outreach - The Derryfield School, Manchester, New Hampshire, USA
Christina Berardi, Senior Associate Dean of Admissions - Salve Regina University, Newport, Rhode Island, USA
Anthony Berry, Director of Admissions and Special Assistant to the Vice President for Strategic Initiatives - Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut, USA
Jayson Hodge, Associate Director Special Programs, First-Year Admissions - University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
Amy Lee, Assistant Dean of Enrollment, Director of Admissions - Southern Maine Community College, Portland, Maine, USA

Resources

Standardized Testing

• According to Fairtest.org, two-thirds of all US colleges and universities are test-optional or test-blind for fall 2021 applicants - meaning that they don’t require the SAT or ACT. (updated Oct 2020)
• Test Optional? Should I Still Take the SAT? Still Take the ACT? (getschooled.com, October 3, 2020)
• List of All Test Optional Colleges that changed their admission policies due to COVID-19 (Insight Education, September 23, 2020)
• List of US Colleges that are SAT/ACT-optional for international students

Affordability and Access

• The Institute for College Access & Success: Project on Student Debt 
• American Talent Initiative
• Great Value Colleges: Is Attending a Community College a Good Option? 

International Admissions

• How to Study in the United States: Find out how you can visit the United States as a student, where to learn English, and how the US educational system works (USA.gov)

Deferrals:

• Ask the College Guy: Will students deferring their college this fall make it more difficult for the next class of 2021 to get in? (Brennan Barnard, Concord Monitor, 9/15/2020)
• What to Know About Deferred College Admission (usnews.com, May 15, 2020)

​General

• Ethical College Admissions: Coronavirus and College Admission Change (insidehighered.com, September 14, 2020)
• Why Now in College Admission (Brennan Barnard, forbes.com, August 26, 2020)
• How COVID-19 Is Upending Extracurriculars (usnews.com, August 21, 2020)
• Applying to college during the pandemic? College admission deans offer 5 tips (usnews.com, June 29, 2020)
• What More Than 300 College Admissions Deans Are Looking For During The Pandemic (npr.org, June 29, 2020)

Virtual College Fairs

• NEACAC's website for information about our 2020 Virtual Fall College Fairs

View webinar recording 

This pandemic has been a challenge for all students, but particularly for those in vulnerable circumstances. We asked leaders from independent and public schools to talk about how they are addressing the needs of their most vulnerable students, including what structures and processes they have put place to assess and meet their needs, and what has worked well and why.

Panelists

Almi Guajardo Abeyta
Superintendent, Chelsea Public Schools - Chelsea, MA, USA

Don Concascia
Principal, Eli Whitney Technical High School - Hamden, CT, USA

Daniel J. Ferris
Superintendent of Catholic Schools, Diocese of Providence - Providence, RI, USA

Angela C. Pohlen
Executive Director, Catholic Academy of Bridgeport - Bridgeport, CT, USA

Holly Singleton
Associate Head of School, Woodstock Academy - Woodstock, CT, USA

View webinar recording

Teachers and students from the Western Academy of Beijing and Zurich International School - both schools that are back in session with in-person classes - discussed the realities of implementing COVID-19 strategies for classroom and hybrid education: what's working, what didn't work as planned, and how they have handled unexpected changes. 

Resources

Teaching Social-Emotional Skills Amid COVID-19 (EdWeek, 2 September 2020)

How to Support Teachers’ Emotional Needs Right Now (Greater Good Magazine, 30 April 2020)

Reunite, Renew, and Thrive: Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Roadmap for Reopening School (casel.org, July 2020)

View webinar recording

Planning for a successful start: Preparing for back-to-school during COVID-19
Part 2 - Secondary school focus

Whether you are going back to your classroom in-person and/or virtually, our guest panelists hope to share some practical tips and tools — teacher to teacher — to help you prepare for back-to-school in the midst of the evolving pandemic. High school teachers from public, independent, and international secondary schools have been invited to share their ideas and perspectives.

Panelists

Anny Candelario Escobar
Instructor, Mathematics; Dean, West Quad S. Cluster
Phillips Academy - Andover, Massachusetts, USA  [grades 9-12; private boarding/day, coed]
view the school opening plan

Jennifer C. Field MAT, MFS
Science Department Chair
Nipmuc Regional High School - Upton, Massachusetts, USA [grades 9-12, public]
view Nipmuc Principals' blog/reopening updates

Cristina Hernández-Persia
Teacher, English Language Arts and English as a Second Language
The English High School - Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, USA [grades 9-12, public]
view the EHS student/family site for school closure resources

Cheryl Hickman
Teacher, Upper School Science and PLC Coordinator
The International School of Belgrade - Belgrade, Serbia [grades PS-12, international]
view the ISB COVID information page

Jitendra Pandey 
MYP Coordinator 
Stonehill International School - Bangalore, India [grades PS-12, international]

Davis Smith MD
Director of Health Services/Medical Director
Westminster School - Simsbury, Connecticut, USA [grades 9-12; private boarding/day, coed]

View webinar recording

Planning for a successful start: Preparing for back-to-school during COVID-19
Part 1 - Elementary and middle school focus

For this webinar, we invited teachers from public, independent, and international Pre-K–8 schools to share some practical tools and tips they are implementing to get their classrooms — virtual, in-person, and/or hybrid — ready for what looks to be a very unpredictable school year.

This session is focused on working younger students. Part 2, to be held on August 25th, will focus on high school teachers.

Panelists

David Barton - Teacher, Grade 5 
Falmouth Elementary School - Falmouth, Maine, USA [public school, K–5] 
Fall 2020 Reopening Plan - Falmouth Public Schools, Maine

Abbie Calvert - Teacher, Pre-kindergarten 
The Friendship School - Waterford, Connecticut, USA [public magnet school, PK–Kindergarten] 
The Friendship School COVID-19 updates / LEARN

Jolene Cummings - ELA Teacher, Grades 6–8 
Next Generation School - Dubai, United Arab Emirates [international, K–12] 
Protocols for the Reopening of Private Schools in Dubai (pdf)
MBRU online course/"community immunity" ambassador program for COVID-19  (best for middle schoolers)

Heidi Freeman - Teacher, Grade 2 
American School of The Hague – Wassenaar, The Netherlands [international, PS–12] 
American School of the Hague Learning Roadmap (Fall 2020)

Lori Özmay - Teacher/Coordinator, Grade 3 
Bilkent Laboratory & International School (BLIS) - Ankara, Turkey [international school, PK–12] 
BLIS Pandemic Response | BLIS Elementary School Reopening Plan

Kristin Roberto  - Teacher, Grade 5 
Mercymount Country Day School - Cumberland, Rhode Island, USA [private, Catholic, PK–8] 
Mercymount Reopening Plan (Draft 17 July 2020)
 

Webinar poll results

• Teacher Poll 1: Which model is your school reopening with? Today's webinar participants answered: 30% in-person; 19% fully remote; 51% hybrid
• Teacher Poll 2: The remote learning platforms most used by our webinar attendees today are Google Classroom/G-Suite, Zoom, Seesaw, Kahoot, and FlipGrid
• Teacher Poll 3: How are you feeling about going back to your classroom in-person (full time or hybrid)?
  • 48% of webinar participants "Have concerns, but think the benefits are worth the risks"
  • 29% are "Excited to go back"
  • 14% selected "Unable to go back to the classroom, but wish I could" 
  • 9% selected "Unwilling to go back; do not think the risks are worth it"

Resources

Discovery Education: Virtual Field Trips

COVID-19 Back to School PlayBook: Guiding Principles to Keep Students, Teachers, and Staff Safe in K-12 Schools (unmc.edu)

Teaching English Online (free online course, Cambridge University) 

ShowMe 

theminglemask.com (clear face masks)

Some COVID-19 questions to ask your class (provided by Jolene at NGS):

• In what ways do we need to think differently about health and well-being as we address challenges such as the global pandemic?
• How might a global pandemic present opportunities and possibilities to create a better society for all?

Some specific tips shared: 

• Have each student bring in the device(s) they will use for remote learning (if they can) in the first week of school so that teachers can help learn to navigate online work from the actual device they will be using at home.
• Use yoga mats for lunch outside, small group spacing in the classroom, etc. (a clear and fun way to create appropriate physical distancing).

Q&A with the panelists:

Q: Have any of you had the students do a “training” day at your school and sign off for taking part in the solution.
A: No

Q: Any circle time seating ideas for early years?
A: Each student will bring a beach towel for floor sitting. Also, drawing circles for each student, on rug, with chalk.

Q: Are any of you doing live streaming of your lessons when you are teaching to multiple spaces for smaller cohorts? If so, what tech are you using?
A: No. stay in same seat for the day. teachers move. if they move, it will be strictly with social distancing in place and frequent cleaning; but we are using the library. (Jolene) 

Q: Do one way traffic patterns infere with fire exit movement?
A: Probably follow similar movement to the fire.

Q: Can you talk about some of the "anxieties" that were mentioned?
A: The anxieties that I mentioned have to do with the ever present 'unknown'. I work well in routine and when I know what is happening.  In my situation, we are still unclear how we will be moving forward 100%, this is causing my anxiety.  Also, this situation is asking teachers, students, family and administration to all trust one another.  This means that I am required to give up a lot of control that I would normally have, and trust other people, not only about physical health, but also about emotional health, limits and potential for burnout etc.  I am also worried as a parent for my own children, of course I trust my colleagues but again, there are two more trust circles (I have two children) that I must give up control to, and trust.  These are some of the anxieties just around school, of course I am also worried about my older parents and inlaws etc etc.  (Lori)

Q: Any ideas for managing a safe recess time?
A: We are only allowing two grade levels out together at break time and have divided that playground up into areas and students will go to the area with their class and at least one of their teachers only.  We are to encourage them to not touch one another, to keep their masks on, and to wash their hands before and after each break. (Lori)

Q: Request to throw some light on what norms should teachers follow - in classrooms, labs, library , dinning hall, hallways.
A: Teachers will be social distancing as per governent requirements. Likely we wont have much down time as there will be a lot more hyper-vigilant supervision needed. As we're blended, non-contact time will logging in and checking in on students who are working at home. We will have to force ourselves to take a break.

View webinar recording

An in-depth look at school reopening: One district’s story of grappling with guidelines, planning, and the uncertainty of the fall
As public health officials and departments of education continue to debate whether or not in-person classes should commence this fall, districts must forge ahead with preparations for reopening schools that accommodate a multitude of scenarios and restrictions. Every school’s story is unique – but in the hopes of taking a deeper dive into what school's are experiencing, we invited the superintendent and members from the School Administrative Unit #39 based in Amherst, New Hampshire, USA community who helped develop their reopening plan to share how they are implementing safety guidelines, communicating with constituents, and maintaining staff and student spirits in the midst of public pressure and constantly changing expectations.

Panelists
Adam Steel (Superintendent, SAU #39), Stephen O'Keefe (school board member), Deanna Cordts (nurse), Katy Kennedy (teacher, grade 2), plus a parent and a student.
 

Resources

SAU #39 2020 Reopening Plan - Presentation (pdf)

SAU #39 2020 Reopening Plan - Full document, Draft 2.0, 23 July 2020 (pdf)

SAU #39 Reopening Task Force

Preparing K-12 School Administrators for a Safe Return to School in Fall 2020 (CDC)

Cloth Face Coverings for Children During COVID-19 (healthychildren.org)

Maslow Before Bloom: Basic Human Needs Before Academics (Dr. Bryan Pearlman, May 2, 2020)
 

View webinar recording

The directors of several athletic programs and associations in the US and abroad discuss the challenges facing schools and districts that are restarting or planning to restart school athletics and other activity programs.

Panelists
Carol Dozibrin, Executive Director, New Hampshire Athletic Directors Association (NHADA)
Martin Halpin, Athletics and Activities Director, Western Academy of Beijing, China
Mike Lunney, Incoming Executive Director, Rhode Island Interscholastic League (RIIL)
Karissa Niehoff, Executive Director, National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)
Lamar Reddicks, Athletic Director, Milton Academy, Milton, Massachusetts, USA
David Utterback, Athletic Director, Brewer High School, Maine, USA

Resources

Summary and links to "return-to-sports" guidance published in each state (NFHS)

NFHS membership survey - "return-to-sports" plans (spreadsheet)

Guidance for State Associations to Consider in Re-opening High School Athletics and Other Activities (NFHS, May 19, 2020)

Considerations for Youth Sports (CDC)

School Reentry Considerations (SHAPE America)

NHADA Return to Play Task Force COVID-19 Guidelines and Supporting Documentation (June 24, 2020)

Health/PE/Coaching Resources for all grade levels, Massachusetts Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (MAHPERD)

Globetrottin' ADs Summer Conference - July 22, 2020

Brewer athletic administrator proposes a switch in high school sports seasons (Bangor Daily News, 12 June 2020)

Alternative Options to Traditional Sport Seasons (David Utterback, Athletic Director, Brewer High School, Maine)

National State of the Game (David Utterback, Athletic Director, Brewer High School, Maine)

Sports Advisory Task Force that consolidates the traditional calendar for scholastic athletics (Bridgewater Courier News, 9 July 2020)

The Ivy League cancels football and all other sports for the fall semester (CNN, 8 July 2020)

COVID-19 Pandemic: Tips for Athletes, Coaches, Parents, and the Sport Community (Association for Applied Sport Psychology’s (AASP))

How to clean your gym (National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM))

COVID-19 for Coaches and Administrators (free online course, www.nfhslearn.com)

COVID-19 Return-to-Sport Considerations for Secondary School Athletic Trainers (National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA))

Massachusetts Safety and Reopening Standards for Businesses and Other Entities Providing Youth and Adult Amateur Sports Activities (6 July 2020)

View webinar recording

A panel of 12 teachers, administrators, and students from across the NEASC community joined us to reflect on highlights from the last few months (professional and personal), what has kept them inspired throughout the pandemic and school closures, and what lessons from this challenging time they will take with them into the future. We added the same questions we asked our webinar guests to the registration form and the positive responses we received allowed us to share an inspiring collection of thoughts and lessons-learned with all webinar attendees. We appreciate your participation!

View webinar recording

We invited state representatives to join us for a conversation about the status and plans for reopening schools in New England. The process each state is using to determine reopening guidelines, what supports will be made available for schools, how states are dealing with budget shortfalls in the wake of rising costs to operate schools safely, and concerns expressed by constituents are a few of the issues covered.

Panelists

CONNECTICUT - Desi Nesmith
Deputy Commissioner, Connecticut State Department of Education
CT Department of Education COVID-19 Resources

MAINE - Daniel A. Chuhta
Deputy Commissioner, Maine Department of Education
ME Department of Education COVID-19 Resources
Working Draft: Maine Schools Return to Classroom Instruction Framework

MASSACHUSETTS - Robert Baldwin 
Superintendent, Fairhaven Public Schools
Incoming President, Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents
MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education COVID-19 Information and Resources​

NEW HAMPSHIRE - Frank Edelblut
Education Commissioner, New Hampshire Department of Education
NH Department of Education COVID-19 Resources 

RHODE ISLAND - Kristen Danusis
Project Manager for the Re-entry Schools Taskforce, Rhode Island Department of Education
RIDE COVID-19 Updates and Resources 
RIDE unified calendar for the 2020-21 school year (pdf)

VERMONT - Please note that, unfortunately, the Agency of Education in Vermont was not able to participate, but we hope you find the following resources useful:
COVID-19 Guidance for Vermont Schools

View webinar recording

Community members from the Frankfurt International School  joined us for a follow-up conversation to the May 2nd Forum to share how things are going five weeks after reopening their campus. We checked in to see how they are adapting to new routines and restrictions, how the changes are affecting learning, and how they are feeling to be back at school.

Panelists
Paul Fochtman, Head of School
Grace McCallum, Elementary School Principal
Yolanda Murphy-Barrena, Guest Principal, Wiesbaden Campus  
Kathleen Ralf, Upper School, English & Humanities Teacher
John Switzer, Upper School Principal
Student panelists (grades 8 and 11)

Resources

Videos from FIS Media: Reopening  |  Graduation 2020

Videos from FIS Media together with the students: "Don't Be a COVID" | Tips on Hygiene

Articles by Kathleen Ralf:
Fixing the Feedback Loop
More Tour Guide, Less Teacher
Hello from the Land of Hybrid

Resources for summer PD from Global Online Academy (where Kathleen is also an instructor): Design Bootcamp  |  Designing for Online Learning Series

Continuity of Learning: Planning Guide for Teachers (PDF) (Ministry of Learning, British Columbia)

Millions of kids around the world adjust to school in the coronavirus era (CBSnews.com, May 21, 2020)

Schools in Japan reopen with new rules to help stop spread of covid-19 (WashingtonPost.com)

What does a digital gym class look like? Physical education teachers wrestle with major changes (BurlingtonFreePress.com, March 27, 2020)

How schools around the world are reopening during the coronavirus pandemic (ABCnews.com, May 17, 2020)

COVID-19: Report Offers 'Blueprint' for Reopening Schools and Beyond (EdWeek.org, May 4, 2020)

Denver Public Schools likely to mix in-person classes with remote learning beginning in August (DenverPost.com, May, 2020)

Seattle schools consider partial or full remote learning in fall (King5.com, June 3, 2020)

Prioritise play when schools reopen, say mental health experts (TheGuardian.com, May 7, 2020)

5 ways we'll focus on pupil mental health on reopening (tes.com, May 9, 2020 - A primary teacher in The Netherlands explains how her school will make mental health a priority when it reopens next week)

Lessons learned from the return to school  (CBC.com, May 26, 2020 - Western Quebec teacher Letha Henry shares what it’s like to be back in class during COVID-19)

View webinar recording

We invited the heads of several boarding schools in the US and abroad to discuss the unique circumstances faced by their schools due to COVID-19 school closures and to share ideas and innovations under consideration in order to safely reopen their campuses.

Panelists

Brad Bates, Head of School, The Dublin School, Dublin, NH, USA
Independent boarding and day school; Grades 9-12; 163 students | 72% residential

Kathy Giles, Rector, St. Paul's School, Concord, NH, USA
Coeducational, preparatory boarding school; Grades 9-12; 536 students | 100% residential
St. Paul's Response to COVID-19

John Kerney Chief Executive Officer / Executive Director, The Winchendon School, Winchendon, MA, USA
Coeducational, preparatory boarding and day school; 2 campuses, one in MA, one in NY; Grades 9-PG; 333 students | 64% residential (Winchendon campus)
Winchendon's reponse to COVID-19

Pelham Lindfield Roberts, Principal, UWC Changshu China
International boarding school; Grades 10-12; 577 students | 100% residential
Status: Re-opened on May 6th for Pre DP and DP1 students who can reach the campus in China; extended AY to 20th June

Marc Ott, Ed.D., Head of School, Leysin American School, Leysin, Switzerland
International boarding school; Grades 8-12 | 100% residential

Dr. Kate Windsor, Head of School, Miss Porter's School, Farmington, CT, USA
Private college preparatory school for girls; Grades 9-12; 331 students | 68% residential

Dr. Jennifer Zaccara, Head of School, Vermont Academy, Saxtons River, VT, USA
Coed college preparatory boarding and day school; Grades 9-12, plus a postgraduate year; 210 students | 76% residential

Resources

Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for educational settings (gov.uk)

COVID-19 (coronavirus) Resources for Schools (NH Dept of Education)

COVID-SAFE CHARTER for boarding schools (Boarding School Association)

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Guidance for Schools (National Association of Independent Schools)

5 actions boarding school leaders should consider when navigating COVID-19 (EAB)

Deerfield Academy COVID-19 Updates and Information

Making the Most of COVID-19 School Closures (Neuropsychology & Education Services for Children & Adolescents/NESCA)

Environmental Health & Engineering, Inc. Resource Library

COVID-19 Memo #18 Youth Camp Guidance (CT Office of Early Education)

Camp Operations Guide Summer 2020 (American Camp Association)

Return to Play: COVID-19 Risk Assessment Tool (Aspen Institute)

Guidance for Opening Up High School Athletics and Activities (National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC))

13 Everyday Habits That Could (and Should) Change Forever After Coronavirus (rd.com)

How The COVID-19 Pandemic Will Change the Way We Live (discovermagazine.com)

View webinar recording

Special educators, school counselors, and school support personnel will share the challenges and successes of providing remote support for distance learning and the social/emotional needs of students during school closures.

Panelists

Dr. Hélène Dionne
Director of Counseling Services, Landmark School, Prides Crossing, MA, USA
Coeducational school for students diagnosed with dyslexia or another language-based learning disability (LBLD), private/day and residential, grades 2-12 
 
Michael Donahue
Special Education Team Chair, Hopkinton High School, Hopkinton, MA, USA
public, grades 9-12
  
Cynthia McCobb
Counselor, Clinton Avenue School and Edgewood Magnet School, New Haven, CT, USA
magnet schools, grades K-8
 
Jason Roderick, MSW
Director of Counseling Services and Wellness Coordinator, Providence Country Day School, East Providence, RI, USA
private/day, grades 6-12

Angela Smith 
Upper Primary Principal, English Modern School, Doha, Qatar 
international, grades KG1-6 

Debbie Stanton
Head of Upper School Student Services, Upper School Guidance Counsellor & DDSL, ACS International School Egham, London, England
international, grades 6-12

View webinar recording

For this webinar, a diverse group of teachers from independent, public, and international schools joined us to reflect on the last several months of working remotely to support and maintain learning opportunities for their students during the global COVID-19 crisis. Panelists shared lessons learned, personal strategies for reaching struggling learners and delivering their content, how this experience has affected their current/future approach to teaching.

Panelists

Susan Bralower, 8th Grade Science Teacher/Middle School Science Chair
St. Luke's School (private/day), New Canaan, Connecticut, USA  | @StLukesSchool

Adam Chapa, Elementary Music and Band Teacher
Shanghai American School, Pudong Campus, Shanghai, China | @SASchina

Caitlin Harrison, Year 5 Classroom Teacher
Bishop Mackenzie International School, Lilongwe, Malawi | @BMISworld

Lisa Leaheey, High School English Teacher
North Providence High School (public), Rhode Island, USA | @LisaPas220

Kristina Lewis RN-BSN, Medical Occupations Instructor/Registered Nurse
Westbrook Regional Vocational Center (WRVC) Westbrook, Maine, USA) | #MaineCTE

Dr. Carl Reid, High School Science Lead Teacher
Jeremiah E. Burke High School (public), Boston, Masschusetts, USA | #jeremiahburkehighschool

Laura Thevenin, Prekinder A Teacher (4 year olds)
Puntacana International School, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic | @puntacanainternationalschool

Resources

Boomlearning (Boom Cards)

Edpuzzle

Noredink

Parlay

5 Ways to Motivate Kids During COVID-19 Distance Learning

6 Tips for Teaching Remotely Over the Long Haul of the Coronavirus

7 Ways to Maintain Relationships During Your School Closure

Coronavirus: 11 tips for using Google Classroom

Counselors and Educators Should Check-in With Students, Prioritize Mental Health and Well-being During Coronavirus (COVID-19) School Closures

Exhausted and Grieving: Teaching During the Coronavirus Crisis

How Nevada teachers can cope during coronavirus crisis

How will schools look different this fall? Here are some options being considered

How Technological Innovation In Education Is Taking On COVID-19

Staying in Touch: Why Kids Need Teachers During Coronavirus School Closings

Teaching lab sciences and the fine arts during COVID-19

What can COVID-19 teach us about strengthening education systems?

View webinar recording

A conversation with the heads from several international schools who have begun the process of reopening their schools for in-person classes.

Panelists

Paul Fochtman, Head of School, Frankfurt International School, Oberursel, Germany
School status: Reopened May 4, 2020

Shirley Jacobsen, Head of Rygaards International Primary School, Copenhagen/Hellerup, Denmark [School status: Reopened April 15, 2020]
Articles:
What is it like in Denmark's reopened schools? (tes.com, 23 April 2020)
Life in Danish primary schools 4 weeks after reopening (tes.com, 13 May 2020)

Kevin Skeoch, Head of School, Dwight School Seoul, Korea [School status: Reopening in mid-May]
Articles:
Education during the days of COVID-19 (The Korea Herald, 19 May 2020)

Andrew Cross, Head of School, International School of Hamburg, Germany [School status: Reopened May 4, 2020]

Resources

Coronavirus: 8 ways to handle parent communications (Grainne Hallahan, tes.com, March 24, 2020)

International School Recovery Forum for Covid-19

Shanghai American School Re-opening Plan

5 actions boarding school leaders should consider when navigating COVID-19 (Margaret Sullivan, eab.com, March 13, 2020)

Coronavirus: 5 staff wellbeing tips for closed schools (Ben Keeling, tes.com, March 12, 2020)
Hong Kong-based principal Ben Keeling explains how to make sure that anxiety doesn’t spread during Coronavirus-related school closures

Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators (Elena Aguilar, 2018)

Happy Teachers Change the World: A Guide for Cultivating Mindfulness in Education (Thich Nhat Hanh, Katherine Weare; 2017)

The Mayo Clinic Handbook for Happiness: A Four-Step Plan for Resilient Living (2015)

Articles of interest:

How schools around the world are re-opening and maintaining social distancing at the same time (Sanjana Varghese, msn.com, April 27, 2020)

Denmark's return to school gives glimpse of what classrooms will look like post-lockdown (Susanne Gargiulo, cnn.com, April 17, 2020)

Reopening schools will be pricey and complicated, L.A. schools chief warns (Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times.com, May 11, 2020)

View webinar recording

School administrators at independent, public, and international schools joined us in a round table discussion about wrapping up the school year and planning for end-of-year celebrations in a virtual world, and a few thoughts and concerns about the summer and months ahead.

A special 30-minute live Q&A answering questions submitted by attendees concluded the session.

Panelists

Kai Bynum, Head of School, Hopkins School, New Haven, Connecticut USA
COVID-19 Updates

Charles "Charlie” Cahn, Head of School, Suffield Academy, Suffield, Connecticut USA

Andreas Koini, Director, Antwerp International School, Antwerp, Belgium 
AIS’s Virtual Visual Arts Diploma Exhibition

Madeleine Maceda Heide, Superintendent, Asociación Escuelas Lincoln, La Lucila, Argentina
Community Wellness

Anna Mahon, Principal, Amity High School, Amity, Connecticut USA
COVID-19 Resources and Reopening Plan

Kevin McCaskill, Executive Director, Madison Park Vocational Technical High School, Boston, Massachusetts USA
School-Community Partnerships

Alex Zequeira, Headmaster, St. John's High School, Shrewsbury, Massachusetts USA

Resources

Great End-of-Year Lessons

37 Awesome End of the Year Activities

Calling for Volunteers for Wellness Opportunities!

Teachers and Students Thrive with Online Learning

View webinar recording 

We invited a small group of students (grades 5-12) representing public schools in the US, independent schools, and international schools (Helsinki and Shaghai are represented) to tell us what's on their minds about the transition to distance learning during COVID-19 school closures. Hear how they have been coping, what they miss — and don't — about going to school, and what they'd like their teachers and parents to know about their recent experiences. 

Schools represented: 
Holderness School (private), Holderness, New Hampshire, USA
Hopkinton Middle School (public), Hopkington, Massachusetts, USA
International School of Helsinki, Finland
Shanghai American School (international), China
Souhegan High School (public), Amherst, New Hampshire, USA

View webinar recording

In this webinar we will discuss effective assessment strategies for students in a digital environment as well as the implications for grading during COVID-19 school closures. We will be responding to questions posed by participants in our previous webinars such as: How do we know what students know and can do in a virtual environment? What are all the considerations in determining how student performance will be recorded and communicated during this time? What types of assessment practices will be most successful in a digital environment? What are some suggestions for alternative or non-traditional assessment pathways in the Covid19 era? 

Panelists
Abby Benedetto @AbbyBenedetto
Deeper Learning Coach, Envision Learning Partners
presentation slides

Stacy Caldwell @MastTranscript
Chief Executive Officer, Mastery Transcript Consortium
presentation slides

Dr. Julie Hackett @lexingtonsuper
Superintendent, Lexington Public Schools
Lexington Public Schools Remote Learning Webpage

Resources shared during the webinar include:

Grading Students During the Coronavirus Crisis: What's the Right Call? (Education Week, 04/01/2020)

The Promise and Practice of Next Generation Assessment (David T. Conley, Harvard Education Press, July 26, 2018)

Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools (By Michael B. Horn and Heather Staker, October 15, 2014)

Performance Assessment: 4 Best Practices (Education Week, 02/05/2019)

Learning Refitted: A Pop-Up Guide for Schools and District Leaders/Assessment practices during emergency distance learning (Center for Collaborative Education):

What Does a Performance Assessment Look Like? Here Are Six Examples (cce.org)

EL Education (formerly Expeditionary Learning) Resources

Performance Assessment Bank

Maintaining Rigor Through Distance Learning

Envision Design: Portfolio Defense  | Defense of Learning | Defense Design

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This webinar was resented in partnership with the New England Association for College Admission Counseling (NEACAC)
As school closures resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic continue with no predictable end, the college admissions process is quickly adapting to the new virtual paradigm: expanded online recruiting, virtual campus tours and interviews, delays and cancellations in test reporting, virtual high school classes, and changes in grading and assessments are among the many challenges. Join us to hear from a panel of college admissions professionals who will share their perspectives on how schools can help their students navigate the college search and application process during this uncertain time.

Panelists

Erik S. DeAngelis, Senior Associate Director
Office of College Admission, Brown University

Leykia Nulan, Dean of Admission
Mount Holyoke College

Michael C. Iorio, Assistant Vice President of Enrollment & Director of Admission
Saint Anselm College

Erin W. Earle, Ed.D. Director, Campus Visit Experience
The University of Rhode Island

Christina Doyle, Executive Director
New England Association for College Admission Counseling

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In this session, we heard from colleagues at international schools that were some of the first to make the transition to emergency distance learning in the wake of COVID-19 school closures. They will share their experiences, respond to questions gathered from participants in the March 31st Forum session, and provide insights from some of the lessons learned - and mistakes made - on the front lines of the pandemic. We will specifically discuss strategies for teaching younger children and children with special needs, as well as, supporting the social-emotional health of students and the school community.

Panelists

Anne Gardon @AnneGardon
Head of Primary, Chinese International School, Hong Kong

• Primary Online Learning Guiding Statements 
• Primary Online Learning Zoom Lessons & Meetings Schedule 
• Primary Online Learning Plan Sample #1 (Reception)
• Primary Online Learning Plan Sample #2 (Year 3) 
• Primary Online Learning Plan Sample #3  (Year 5) 
• Primary Online Learning Guidelines For Synchronous Meets with Students 
• Primary Online Direct Instruction By Year Level 

Stephen Taylor @sjtylr
Director of Innovation in Learning and Teaching, MYP Coordinator and High School Science Teacher
Western Academy of Beijing

Stacy Stephens @curriculumstace
Director of Learning and Strategic Planning
International School of Beijing 
eLearning Resources

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Panelists

Scott Prescott, Director of Instruction, Virtual Learning Academy Charter School
presentation slides

Jason Cummings, Director of Student Programs, Global Online Academy
Six Key Design Elements of Successful Online Learning