Administrator Resources
The resources provided in this section may be helpful to administrators as they support their teachers in utilizing technology to provide high-quality instruction and learning experiences for New York State students.
Decisions on instruction and learning, including any technology tools used to facilitate, support, or enhance learning, are made at the local level.
Planning Tools and Points for Consideration: Online Learning
- U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology (OET) School Leader Digital Learning Guide
- This School Leader Digital Learning Guide is a resource to help you consider, plan, fund, implement, maintain, and adapt learning programs that meet the unique needs and requirements of the students and teachers that you serve. The guide is oriented toward digital learning principles and practices that enable and empower students and teachers of all abilities and zip codes while advancing student agency (i.e., initiative, intention, and responsibility in pursuing their education), their personalized learning, their mastery of skills and competencies, and protecting their privacy.
- Continuity of Learning Tools, Aurora Institute (formerly iNACOL)
- Resources for educators, school leaders, and education policymakers at all levels with helpful resources to navigate the challenges presented by the coronavirus outbreak. [Resources] are intended to help school communities prepare for change and to focus on the facts to protect public health, mitigate confusion, prevent panic — and continue teaching and learning.
- SETDA Coalition for eLearning
- SETDA, the State Educational Technology Directors Association, has assembled vetted examples, resources and thinking from their trusted state members, affiliates and partners to assist states, districts, and school leaders get started with remote learning during this challenging time of COVID-19. Please note, while these are reliable examples and tools, they have not been implemented for large-scale, extended emergency digital learning. Here are some initial considerations and starting documents.
- 10 Strategies for Online Learning, ISTE
- Members of ISTE’s professional learning networks have identified key practices for successful online learning programs.
Social Emotional Learning Resources
Students and teachers transitioning to online learning and practicing social distancing are experiencing a major, and likely disconcerting, change in daily activities and interactions, and with that, are under a great deal of stress. During this period in which our ability to check in on one another in person is limited, it is even more critical that we find ways to reach out and check in with each other virtually, supporting everyone’s social emotional learning (SEL) and mental health. Consider offering explicit online SEL or mental health education lessons or incorporate opportunities to practice SEL competencies within academic subject areas. Using community circles in virtual staff meetings and online classes could offer all adults and students an opportunity to be heard, and to voice their experience and concerns. These circles might also offer insights as to adults or students who might benefit from an additional check-in. Consider offering adults, students, and families tools for coping with the stresses of isolation and anxiety in this difficult time. Clearly communicate to families how and where they can reach out with any concerns including by phone and email.
Technical Assistance Centers
- NYS Community Schools Technical Assistance Centers - These regional centers provide technical assistance, professional learning, and communities of practice around family and community engagement, collaborative leadership, expanded learning, and integrated student supports.
- NYS Mental Health Education Resource & Training Center - Offers support to schools around mental health instruction, including assistance to identify resources and develop lesson plans/curriculum, develop and implement plans for professional development, establish community partnerships and services, and engage and support families
- NYS Safe and Supportive Schools Technical Assistance Centers - Schoolwide SEL helps students excel academically, build stronger relationships, and lead happier, healthier, more fulfilling lives.
Supporting Young People and Families
- Memo RE: Resources for Mental Health and Talking to Young People About COVID-19 - NYSED
- New York State Parent Portal - The Parent Portal includes tips for staying safe and healthy as well as ways to have fun during self-isolation. Other resources include parenting in a pandemic, activities to do inside and outside, such as participating in daily video chats with families, recording yourself reading a favorite book or message, and more.
- Talking to Children About COVID-19 (Coronavirus): A Parent Resource - National Association of School Psychologists
- A Trauma-Informed Approach to Teaching Through Coronavirus - National Child Traumatic Stress Network
- Addressing Grief and Addressing Grief: Tips for Teachers and Administrators- National Association of School Psychologists
- Coalition to Support Grieving Students - provides resources to school communities in the ongoing support of their grieving students
- When School Starts Back: Supporting Grieving Students During a Pandemic – webinar series with Dr. David Schonfeld presented by the Georgia Department of Education
- How can educators and families support students’ mental health and social emotional needs? - Institute of Education Sciences
Self-Care
- Home Right Now: CDC Guidance for Managing Stress and Anxiety – Tips for supporting adults during a crisis
- SAMHSA: Coping With Stress During Infectious Disease Outbreaks – Fact sheet on the signs of stress in yourself or others
- CDC Guidance for Emergency Responders - Tips for taking care of yourself as an “emergency responder” during this time
Supporting Adults
- SEL Signature Practices Playbook – CASEL offers protocols for use during team meetings to “check-in” on emotions and set the stage for shared learning and work
- National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Coping with Stress – For use in supporting your team to support field-based teams
- Advancing Adult Compassion Resilience: A Toolkit for Schools from WISE Wisconsin and Rogers InHealth - This toolkit offers information, activities, and resources for school leadership and staff to understand, recognize, and minimize the experience of compassion fatigue and to increase compassion resilience perspectives and skills.
Online Learning
- A New Realm: IFSEL’s Tips for Distance Learning - The Institute for Social and Emotional Learning has a number of ideas and practices specifically designed to help teachers navigate online teaching, but can easily help parents encourage SEL with their students.
- Taking School Online with a Student-Centered Approach - Facing History and Ourselves provides resources for navigating new technologies and ways of teaching during an immensely challenging and uncertain time in our communities, when students’ (and teachers’ own) social-emotional needs are just as critical as academic goals.
Supporting School Transitions
- Leveraging the Power of Social and Emotional Learning as You Prepare to Reopen and Renew Your School Community - In response to COVID-19, school leaders can take action now using CASEL’s guide to co-create supportive learning environments where all students and adults can enhance their social and emotional competencies, feel a sense of belonging, heal, and thrive.
District Resources
- CASEL’s District Resource Center - The District Resource Center helps school districts make social and emotional learning (SEL) an integral part of every student's education. Find research, knowledge, and resources curated from school systems across the U.S. to support high-quality, systemic implementation of SEL.
- The CASEL Guide to Schoolwide Social and Emotional Learning - Schoolwide SEL helps students excel academically, build stronger relationships, and lead happier, healthier, more fulfilling lives.
Additional Resources
- Social Emotional Learning Benchmarks, Guidance, and Resources from the New York State Education Department
- Teaching Tolerance - Speaking Up Against Racism Around the New Coronavirus
- The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning - CASEL has curated a helpful list of guidelines and resources for parents, caregivers, and teachers to promote SEL while schools are closed.
- The National Association of School Psychiatrists - health crisis resources
- Resources for Schools and Districts Responding to the COVID-19 Crisis - REL Northeast & Islands
Engaging Families of English Language Learners
- Distance Learning for ELLs - A collection of resources from Colorín Colorado, which includes distance learning resources and also resources on how to engage families
- English Learner Family Engagement During Coronavirus - Resources from Immigrant Connection on how to engage families with ELL students