November - 2020

Family and Student Voice: Holding Space and Time for All Voices

Nov 24, 2020
3 min

Family and Student Voice: Holding Space and Time for All Voices

By Dana Asby, CEI Director of Innovation & Research Support COVID-19 has brought educators and families together in ways we couldn’t have imagined a year ago. Many parents are serving as teachers while their children are doing distance or hybrid learning. Educators are more directly involved in supporting social emotional learning, ensuring the physical safety of students, and responding to gaps in basic needs than they have been in the past. While not every community, family

Family and Parent Voice: It Starts with Listening

Center for Educational Improvement

Nov 24, 2020
4 min

Family and Parent Voice: It Starts with Listening

By Jackson Sims, CEI Intern, and Dana Asby, CEI Director of Innovation & Research Support Students who pass through the doors of every school have thoughts, feelings, and experiences that distinguish them from their peers. Their families are also unique, with their own history in education playing a role in their child’s perspective of school. With such a wide variety of expectations, goals, and concerns involved in any given school environment, it is important that all membe

We Do it Together: Functional and Dysfunctional Family Coping

Center for Educational Improvement

Nov 24, 2020
5 min

We Do it Together: Functional and Dysfunctional Family Coping

By Jackson Sims, CEI Intern It’s no secret that families across the country are facing many new challenges. Between the effects of COVID-19, concerns about employment and finances, and adapting to the increased time and space we share at home, there’s a lot to be stressed about. It’s times like these where family coping strategies can be utilized to their greatest potential. These coping methods can provide greatly needed stability and security in the home. That being said, i

Featured Fellow: Rhode Island’s Cumberland School Department’s Director of Special Services

Center for Educational Improvement

Nov 24, 2020
3 min

Featured Fellow: Rhode Island’s Cumberland School Department’s Director of Special Services

By Dana Asby, CEI Director of Innovation & Research Support Rachel Santa has had a varied career in mental health and education in Colorado and Rhode Island, from working as a music therapist and then assistant director of a residential facility to creating an alternative high school program; working with students with emotional, behavioral, and learning difficulties in North Kingstown, RI; and now serving as the Director of Special Services in Rhode Island’s Cumberland Scho

Building an Indigenous-Centric Classroom: the Importance of Self Reflection, Community Building, and

Center for Educational Improvement

Nov 13, 2020
3 min

Building an Indigenous-Centric Classroom: the Importance of Self Reflection, Community Building, and

By Michelle Hull, CEI Intern As educators embrace virtual, in-person, and hybrid learning models this school year, it is especially critical to integrate best practices for engaging children from diverse backgrounds. Creating an Indigenous-centric learning environment requires intentionality in the brick and mortar classroom, and even more care outside of the bounds of traditional learning. In her video, “Creating an Indigenous-Centric Learning Environment,” Cinnamon Spear, a

3 Ideas to Build Community and Increase Virtual Classroom Engagement

Center for Educational Improvement

Nov 10, 2020
3 min

3 Ideas to Build Community and Increase Virtual Classroom Engagement

By Evelyn Cordero, CEI Intern Educators and students alike have demonstrated resilience during the abrupt transition to virtual learning. As the fall semester continues, student engagement is a priority as it was a major concern for both teachers and parents last spring (Barnum & Bryan, 2020). Because many educators are meeting new students virtually, building relationships will look different than it ever has. Educators can foster community and engagement online by encouragi

Additional Considerations for LGBTQ+ Children and Youth in the Era of COVID-19

Center for Educational Improvement

Nov 2, 2020
4 min

Additional Considerations for LGBTQ+ Children and Youth in the Era of COVID-19

By Jackson Sims, CEI Intern As COVID-19 pushes many schools towards virtual or hybrid learning, LGBTQ+ students are faced with a distinct set of challenges that aren’t shared with their heterosexual, cis-gendered peers. In the absence of typical day-to-day interactions between educators and their students, it can be difficult to recognize these obstacles without knowing what to look for. With this in mind, the Society for Research in Child Development (2020) compiled a number