{"id":19159,"date":"2020-08-03T12:27:28","date_gmt":"2020-08-03T16:27:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/edhd\/?p=19159"},"modified":"2020-08-03T12:27:28","modified_gmt":"2020-08-03T16:27:28","slug":"umaine-researchers-release-report-on-reopening-maine-schools-based-on-local-districts-initial-coronavirus-responses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/edhd\/2020\/08\/03\/umaine-researchers-release-report-on-reopening-maine-schools-based-on-local-districts-initial-coronavirus-responses\/","title":{"rendered":"91¸£Àû researchers release report on reopening Maine schools based on local districts\u2019 initial coronavirus responses"},"content":{"rendered":"

When the coronavirus forced schools across the country to halt in-person instruction in March, many districts in Maine chose to focus on whole child well-being as part of their pandemic responses.<\/p>\n

Maine schools also tried to strike a balance between supports for families and possible disease exposure for teachers, staff and others in the community. Another common approach was to engage in strategic and even new community partnerships.<\/p>\n

These responses form the foundational principles for meeting the needs of Maine students and families as schools look to resume in-person classes in the fall, according to a new report released by a team of researchers in the University of Maine College of Education and Human Development.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany districts adopted a \u2018hold harmless\u2019 approach to student learning that focused on supporting student and parent physical and mental health as much as or more than academic learning,\u201d the report says.<\/p>\n

\u201cMoving beyond crisis schooling: What can we learn from the innovation of Maine districts to support remote student learning from March\u2013June 2020?\u201d is available online<\/a>. It was produced by associate professor of educational leadership Catharine Biddle and Maria Frankland, a lecturer of educational leadership, as well as student research assistants Ryan Crane, Brooke Sulinski and William O\u2019Neil.<\/p>\n

The researchers analyzed public communications and resources from every district in the state, offering a glimpse into how educators managed the early months of the pandemic. They looked at nearly 2,000 documents, including letters from superintendents to families, remote learning resources, guidance department websites, websites with health and wellness strategies, COVID-19 blogs, videos and social media feeds.<\/p>\n

The report highlights some of the most innovative responses to help guide Maine districts through the complexities of planning for a new school year with the virus still a threat.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know that Maine school leaders and educators learned a great deal between March and June of this year as they worked to refine their response to school closure and resume student learning amongst very challenging circumstances,\u201d the authors write.<\/p>\n

The foundational principles that the team identified \u201csupport the frame of mind necessary to innovate to meet the needs of students and families in an environment characterized by a high degree of uncertainty and information that has, at times, changed on an almost daily basis,\u201d the report says.<\/p>\n

Many districts were doing novel things before the pandemic, but still had to adapt to the new reality of the coronavirus. For example, many schools were engaged in strategic community partnerships prior to the virus. But since March, such collaborations have taken on new importance, and the authors of the report say they \u201cwill pay dividends in student learning by reducing the stress of survival in a challenging and uncertain time.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to the foundational principles, the report includes about 30 specific recommendations of best practices, organized around the Maine Department of Education\u2019s \u201cFramework for Returning to Classroom Instruction.\u201d<\/a> Specifically, the researchers base their suggestions on Part IV of the framework, \u201cCommon Expectations for Hybrid and Remote Learning Models.\u201d<\/a> All of the examples come from actual responses by Maine districts, and the report itself links to districts\u2019 websites so other educators can see how the ideas were implemented in practice. The recommendations include:<\/p>\n