Programming Adaptations in 2021–2022

• Aligned Kindergarten through Grade 3 educational experiences for 5- through

8-year-olds. As children complete preschool, they transition into a coordinated and rigorous Kindergarten through Grade 3 educational continuum. Educational facilitators who are employed at the Institute work with principals and educators in the School as Hub schools to support academic instruction in PreK–Grade 3 classrooms. In this way, children’s early elementary education builds upon their preschool experiences to promote academic, intellectual, and social-emotional competence. Strong home-school partnerships and family support continue to be combined with a high-quality, rigorous educational program. A hallmark of the approach to early elementary education is a focus on child development.

Professional Development for All

Professional Development (PD) for All builds professional capacity by providing a connected series of professional development experiences open to all school and community-based program leaders, educators, and early childhood professionals who work with children from birth through Grade 3, and parents in the Omaha metro area. PD for All introduces leading-edge research and innovative practices while promoting collaborative connections and shared commitments to strong early learning and family support systems.

PROGRAMMING ADAPTATIONS IN 2021–2022

When school buildings were closed in March 2020, Institute staff worked closely with partners in Omaha area schools and communities to adapt programming and services to meet the needs of children and families. Collaborative efforts continued in the 2021–2022 school year to provide ongoing support based on the needs of each school and community. The pandemic exposed and exacerbated existing disparities that disproportionately affect people of color in the School as Hub neighborhoods, such as disparities in access to health care, child care, and internet connectivity. The positive development of being able to bring children back to a full year of in-person schooling in 2021–2022 presented new challenges as educators and principals reported increased needs to support children’s social and emotional learning and learn new strategies to enhance classroom management and reduce challenging student behavior. As schools and communities grappled with these issues, Institute staff collaborated with school and community partners to adapt programming to meet emerging needs in each school, with a focus on maintaining safety while simultaneously promoting quality, continuity, and equity. Notable adaptations and innovations are summarized below.

Adaptations in Customized Assistance

Since the Superintendents’ Plan was first implemented, Customized Assistance has been available to all districts in the Learning Community by request. Customized

Assistance efforts have included special projects tailored to specific district needs in birth through Grade 3 policies and programming. Customized Assistance efforts were temporarily suspended in 2020–2021 as Institute staff focused on meeting the immediate needs of children, families, and school staff. In the 2021–2022 school year, the Superintendents’ Plan partners elevated the role of Customized Assistance by inviting district leaders from all 11 school districts to investigate their current district infrastructure and capacity for providing effective and accessible early childhood programming through a guided landscape assessment with the P-3 Center at the University of Colorado Denver. Upon completion of seven monthly sessions, district leaders engaged in an action planning process with Institute staff. Through this effort, district staff were supported to engage in strategic planning and begin improvement efforts designed to impact districtwide early childhood systems to enhance early learning opportunities and services. Going forward, these Customized Assistance efforts will be ongoing, with continued investigation, quarterly check-ins, and annual updates to action plans.

In 2021–2022, landscape assessment meeting attendance was also impacted by the pandemic, making it difficult for local school district leaders to attend regular meetings. All meetings were recorded for district leaders to review and engage on their own time schedules. Institute staff met regularly with district leaders upon request to supplement the monthly whole-group meeting times with the P-3 Center team and will provide continued support during the 2022–2023 school year.

Adaptations in School as Hub Programming

The pandemic impacted and disrupted all aspects of school building and district life, and consequently all aspects of the School as Hub programming.

Leadership Effectiveness

Principal coaching and community of practice engagement. Principals had limited availability to attend meetings in comparison to years past. Institute staff worked closely with principals to identify meeting times and locations that were most convenient. During one-on-one coaching sessions and community of practice meetings, Institute staff collected input from principals to identify their preferred professional learning opportunities. Institute staff demonstrated empathy based on awareness of the requirements and requests being made of principals and worked to align their individual and/or group times with principals’ priorities and availability.

Instructional Excellence

Children’s heightened instructional needs. During the 2021–2022 school year, educators were challenged to balance attention to an increase in children’s social-

emotional needs that emerged with the increased demand to effectively utilize instructional technology tools (such as iPads and laptops) in early childhood classrooms. The instructional program administrator and educational facilitators stepped in to model social-emotional, behavioral support, and technology use strategies.

Support for educator morale. When observing and engaging with educators and paraprofessionals in classrooms, Institute staff supported educators by leaving notes and giving words of encouragement. They provided specific praise, letting the educators know what they saw them doing well and that their hard work was making a difference for children and greatly appreciated. Additionally, Institute staff created materials for students to support learning goals. This was due in part to educators frequently losing their time to plan and create materials because they were called to substitute in classrooms that needed coverage due to absences. Institute staff stepped in to assist educators by completing necessary organizational tasks they did not have time to complete.

Coaching and support for individual educators. Educators were less available to attend meetings and one-on-one coaching sessions than in years past. Educators requested support for student behavior from Institute staff and guidance for effectively supporting children’s social and emotional development. Because educators were not available to meet as frequently as in prior years, Institute staff adapted by increasing their time modeling and guiding the implementation of effective strategies in classrooms.

Teamwork for classroom support in School as Hub schools. Staffing in schools was a challenge in the 2021–2022 school year. There were frequently not enough substitutes to cover classrooms. Other staffing needs such as office help, lunch staff, and other operational positions were also often unfilled. In the spirit of partnership with school staff, educational facilitators and program administrators committed their time to cover classroom staffing needs by filling in for educators and paraprofessionals. They also helped during lunch and performed other duties as assigned to meet the needs of the school to ensure children’s learning experiences were effective.

Teacher-led creation of an instructional toolkit. Educators and leaders from schools and community child care programs also engaged in the Essential Child Experiences Instructional Toolkit workgroup to enhance their own practices while working with Institute staff to create a toolkit to support their colleagues to do the same.

Family and Community Partnership Engagement

Home visitors and family facilitators helped identify and support basic needs. In keeping with the School as Hub Approach, home visitors and family facilitators were