Volume 15, Issue 24 | Agency of Education

June 23, 2021

COVID-19 Updates and Guidance for Schools
Other Agency of Education and State of Vermont Updates
Courtesy Posts

COVID-19 Updates and Guidance for Schools

This section of the Weekly Field Memo contains updates to COVID-19 guidance from the Vermont Agency of Education released since the last Weekly Field Memo and other COVID-19-related updates. For a complete list of AOE-issued guidance, please visit our COVID-19 Guidance for Vermont Schools and Continuity of Learning websites. For the most comprehensive and up-to-date information on the COVID-19 response in Vermont, visit the Health Department's Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) website.

Guidance: Federal Funding

Audience: Administrators, Special Education Directors, Special Education Educators
Since last week's Weekly Field Memo the Agency of Education has updated Federal Funding Planning Guidance (Updated 6/17) and issued Memo: ARP Homeless I Application for SU/SDs (6/17).
Contact: Jill Briggs-Campbell at jill.briggscampbell@vermont.gov

Vermont PBS: Kids and Education July Resources

Audience: Curriculum Directors, Principals, PreK-12 Teachers
The Vermont Agency of Education and Vermont PBS have compiled Vermont PBS Kids and Education: July 2021. This resource is based on the PBS Kids Summer of Possibilities, which provides children with opportunities to play and learn through hands-on activities, games and tips that support literacy, math, science and life skills. Visit the new Vermont PBS Kids and Education page to find more online and printable resources for summer learning. For more information about the partnership between the Vermont Agency of Education and Vermont PBS, visit the AOE’s Vermont PBS webpage.
Contacts: Emily Leute at emily.leute@vermont.gov or Heather Duhamel at hduhamel@vermontpbs.org

COVID-19 in Schools Data on Health Department Website

Audience: All
The Health Department has been posting data on COVID-19 in K-12 schools since mid-September. The table counts people with laboratory confirmed (by PCR test) COVID-19 who were at the school, attended a school-sanctioned event, or otherwise interacted with the school community during their infectious period. The counts represent cases by school, not individual person. So, if someone interacts with multiple school communities during their infectious period, they will appear in the table multiple times. Please read more about what information is presented in the table.
Contact: COVID19.DataEntryTeam@vermont.gov

Other Agency of Education and State of Vermont Updates

This section of the Weekly Field Memo contains posts from the Agency of Education and other State of Vermont agencies that are not specifically related to the COVID-19 response.

Recognition Ceremony for the 2021 Vermont Presidential Scholars

Audience: All
Restrictions this past spring due to COVID-19 made it impossible for this year’s Vermont Presidential Scholars to be publicly recognized. That is why a small group of adults, and some of the scholars themselves, along with the Agency of Education got together and planned a video montage that would serve as the recognition ceremony. The Vermont Presidential Scholar Virtual Ceremony 2021 video has an introduction by Secretary Dan French, keynote address by former Vermont and national presidential scholar Chloe Lemmel-Hay, along with video messages from this year’s presidential scholar recipients and those receiving honorable mention. Unfortunately, not all students were able to contribute a video, but all students’ names are included in this video event. Help celebrate and enjoy the accomplishments of these exceptional students by watching the 2021 Vermont Presidential Scholars Recognition Ceremony.
Contact: Ryan Parkman at ryan.parkman@vermont.gov

Early Childhood Special Education (ages 3-5): Indicator 7 – Early Childhood Outcomes (ECO) Guidance

Audience: Special Education Directors, Early Childhood Special Educators
The Agency of Education has established July 15, 2021, as the final date for submitting Early Childhood Outcomes (ECO) exit summary rating data for the fiscal year, July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021. The newly revised memo, Early Childhood Special Education (ages 3 through 5): Indicator 7 - Early Childhood Outcomes (ECO) Guidance (June 17, 2021), offers additional information and resources for the data submission.
Contact: Katie McCarthy at katie.mccarthy@vermont.gov

Child Count Exiting Collection Now Open

Audience: Superintendents, Special Education Data Personnel
The School Year 2020-2021 Child Count Exiting Collection is open from now until July 15, 2021. Submitted data must be accurate as of June 30, 2021. District and Supervisory Union personnel in charge of special education data can find Child Count Reporting instructions by logging into the secure AOE file transfer website (for the best experience, use MS Edge browser). Please also read the Early Childhood Outcomes Guidance for 2020.
Contact: Andrew McAvoy by email at andrew.mcavoy@vermont.gov

AOE Issues RFP for Statewide Summative Assessments

Audience: All
The AOE is required to go out to bid for our statewide summative assessments of ELA, Math and Science, currently supported by Cambium Assessments Inc. and the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium. The AOE issued the RFP for these assessments on June 17, 2021, and the process will conclude this summer. The new contracts will be implemented for the first time in the 2022-2023 school year.
Contact: Amanda Gorham at amanda.gorham@vermont.gov

Discover Vermont PBS Educational Resources on Edmodo

Audience: PreK-12 Teachers
The Vermont Agency of Education is inviting the Vermont Education community (VTED Learns) to join the Edmodo platform as a conduit to shared learning and resources. Within the VTED Learns Edmodo space, we are hosting the Vermont PBS Educational Resources group as a space to share resources related to PBS programming and strategies for incorporating PBS programming and resources into your classroom. This group will allow educators to post their own resources, ask questions, share ideas, and collaborate statewide. To join the new Vermont PBS Educational Resources group on Edmodo, activate your Edmodo account and join the VTED Learns community, if you have not already done so, by filling out this form. Then you can join the Vermont PBS Educational Resources Edmodo group with the link provided or the group code “zyqyd4”. Edmodo is a communication and collaboration platform through which educators can share resources for continued support to all Vermont students. The Edmodo platform provides educators with a virtual ecosystem for peer learning and networking communities to share information, resources and best practices, both within closed district networks and statewide.
Contact: Emily Leute at emily.leute@vermont.gov

Summer Professional Learning Opportunity: Teaching in a Digital Environment

Audience: Educators, Principals, Superintendents, Curriculum Coordinators
The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is offering a suite of options from ISTE U to move educators beyond a simple understanding of how tools work to research-based principles for effective online and blended teaching practices. Courses include creating community, design and assessment, and ensuring equity and inclusion in online learning. Participants receive a certificate of completion for 15-hours to apply toward continuing education credits, professional development hours, or graduate-level credit. These courses are self-paced and can be pursued this summer and throughout the school year. Administrators note that ARPA funds may cover costs.
Contact: Lisa Helme at lisa.helme@vermont.gov or (802) 828-6956

Grant Applications for Technical Assistance

Audience: Individuals or agencies who provide technical assistance in support of students who are blind or visually impaired, hard of hearing or deafblind or have low incidence disabilities
The Vermont Agency of Education is taking grant applications for services related to the technical assistance and professional development of educational teams and families of individuals who are blind or visually impaired, hard of hearing or deafblind, or have low incidence disabilities. Complete the grant application by July 7, 2021.
Contact: Alex Langevin at alex.langevin@vermont.gov

Courtesy Posts

The views, opinions and resources shared in this section of the WFM are solely those of the original contributors. The Agency of Education does not endorse the views expressed by these contributors and reserves the right to refuse submissions. Questions related to any of these resources should be directed to the organizations, people and opportunities as shared. Please refer to the Weekly Field Memo submission guidelines for additional information.

Umatter for Youth and Young Adults

Umatter® for Youth and Young Adults (YYA) is a youth leadership and engagement initiative that includes interactive training, design and implementation of a Community Action Project (CAP) in their school community, and presentation of CAP at an event with their peers. Core content and skills development includes: changing mindset, assessing personal strengths, building resiliency, strategies to cope with stress, self-care, recognizing signs of distress in self and others, how to reach out for help and how to help a friend. Groups of eight youth ages 12-22 with two adult facilitators are encouraged to register for this year’s program.
Contact: Catherine Diduk at info@healthandlearning.org

Professional Development: Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing® (LiPS®) Course

Registration is open for Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing® (LiPS®) Course, a professional development course from Commonwealth Learning Center, hosted by the Stern Center for Language and Learning. This course prepares teachers to help students develop phonemic awareness for reading and spelling using the LiPS® Program for Reading, Spelling, and Speech methodology and materials. Participants will gain knowledge of current research in phonemic awareness and reading development and become familiar with assessment instruments, including the Lindamood® Auditory Conceptualization (LAC-3) Test. This virtual course takes place July 26-29, 2021.
Contact: SJ Larkspur at slarkspur@sterncenter.org

Youth and Adults Transforming Schools Together with UP for Learning

Youth and Adults Transforming Schools Together (YATST) fosters engagement in learning by increasing rigor, relevance, relationships and shared responsibility (4Rs). Based on the 4Rs framework, student and teacher teams use Participatory Action Research to understand issues that impact learning from multiple perspectives and then become agents of change. Schools are supported through high-impact facilitation on-site and off-site coaching, facilitation training, resource development, documentation and evaluation, and development of a professional learning community.
Contact: Harry Frank at harry@upforlearning.org or (802) 989-4913

Seeking Classrooms for Agri-STEM 4-H Programming for 2021-22 School Year

The 4-H Northeast Collaborative is a team of 4-H professionals from throughout Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine focused on improving access and opportunity to youth and families in rural communities. We are offering 4-H curriculum, kits and classroom support at no cost to a limited number of classrooms in Vermont. We are seeking classrooms for fall 2021 and spring 2022 in the following curriculums: Two classrooms for Fall 2021 for Food Systems Feed Us: Farm to Table (2nd-4th grade) and One classroom for Spring 2022 Cultivating Roots: An Introduction to Hydroponics (4th-6th grade) A 4-H Agri-STEM Mentor will work with you to deliver the program to your classroom virtually through Zoom using an inquiry based approach alongside a community volunteer.
Contact: Allison Smith at Allison.smith.2@uvm.edu or (802) 651-8343 x509