Topic outline

  • Welcome to the Connections Screener!

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    Welcome to this facilitated course, focusing on developing a process for the implementation of a Connections Screener as a method of measuring connectedness. In this course, participants will learn about a Rhode Island established Connections Screener, the administration process, and how data from the screener has been traditionally utilized. Participants will then work to pilot the administration of a screening process within each participant’s school context. The course will have self-paced course completion activities aligned with evolving research and resources on connectedness, assignments to be submitted and reviewed by the course facilitator, and optional office hour opportunities with the facilitator. By the end of this course, you should be ready to pilot a connections screener with a selected group of students and educators within your building. 


    It is highly recommended that you complete this course with another individual or a team from your school. The planning and implementation of the screener, as well as reviewing data from the screening process, is a big task for just one person. Even if you are the only person from the building taking this course, it is highly recommended that you identify others to collaborate with for planning and implementation purposes. It is also recommended that your building administrator is aware of, or is a part of, your plans for implementing the Connections Screener.

    Prerequisites: All participants must have taken the first course “The Importance of Connectedness” as it contains foundational elements of "why" connectedness is important and information that can be shared with staff.


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      Mark as done

      When you have finished watching the video, check "mark as done" to the right.

    • Meet the Course Facilitators

      This course was developed through a multi-year collaboration with schools from across Rhode Island. To learn more about your course facilitators, click the button below. 

      Course facilitators

    • Announcements Forum
      This section is for general news and announcements provided by the course facilitator. 

  • New to BRIDGE-RI?

    • If this is your first time taking a course on BRIDGE-RI, we strongly recommend viewing the information below to familiarize yourself with the steps needed to successfully engage with and complete courses on BRIDGE-RI. To learn more about each topic, click the arrow on the left to expand and collapse each topic as needed.

      Please note that none of the information below is required or tracked for completion and to this end, the time needed to review this information is not included in the estimated time to complete this course.

      Please familiarize yourself with the site by watching this brief video on getting around.
      Important Notes
      • This is a facilitated course with self-paced components, along with assignments which must be completed before successful completion will be recorded. 
      • BRIDGE-RI will automatically log users out after 2 hours of inactivity.
      Accommodations

      We strive for all content to be accessible to all BRIDGE-RI participants. If you are having trouble accessing any materials or wish to request accommodations for this course, please contact mtss.bridgeri@gmail.com. 

      To earn any PLUs associated with this course, you'll need to successfully complete each of the required activities, typically denoted by a completion marker that turns from gray to green. Any time you successfully complete a section or activity, the gray box will automatically turn to green if you have met the requirement(s). At times, you will see activities where you will need to manually select "mark as done." There will be prompts reminding you to do so when applicable. 
      Every course on BRIDGE-RI will ask you to complete a short Course Evaluation at the end of the course. Upon submission of this evaluation, your Course Completion Certificate will unlock. To access this certificate:
      1. Click on the Course Completion Certificate activity.
      2. Click View certificate button.
      3. Your certificate will automatically download. 
      4. Your certificate will also be emailed to you.
      5. You can access your certificate at any time from your Profile. Click Profile and under Miscellaneous, select My certificates. 

      Locating your Certificates: A one minute video on where to find all your course certificates.


      The Basics

      This course will use discussion forums to engage participants in meaningful dialogue around shared experiences. Every forum will contain clear instructions and requirements for completion. Please carefully read and follow the instructions. The course facilitator will periodically check on responses to ensure quality and appropriateness.

      Replying to a Post

      Many discussion forums will ask that you reply to another participant's post, in addition to posting your own topic. These conversation starters can help you construct a response:

      • Can you tell me more about...
      • I am curious about...
      • What do you think about...
      • Your post reminded me of...
      • This is important to me because...
      • This made me think of...
      • I can relate to this because...
      • Have you considered...
      • This was interesting to me because...

      Subscribing to Your Post

      You can decide whether or not you'd like to receive an email notification if someone comments on your post or adds a new post. There are two ways:

      • If you want to receive a notification about one specific post, click the envelope icon off to the right of that post. It is strongly recommended that you do this.
      • If you want to receive notifications about all posts in a forum, click the "manage forum subscriptions" link at the bottom of the forum and sign up from there. 

      "Netiquette"

      "Netiquette" is etiquette for online communication. Please practice the following guidelines when posting comments or replies. 

      1. Proofread and edit your work before posting.
      2. AVOID THE USE OF ALL CAPS as this may be interpreted as shouting.
      3. Avoid abbreviations (e.g., LOL, OMG).
      4. Avoid using humor and sarcasm as they can be difficult to detect in written communication.
      5. Practice civil discussion. Refrain from ranting about someone or something.
      6. Respect the privacy of communication within a course. Do not publicly forward the comments of your fellow participants to others outside of the course.

  • Getting Started

    Before beginning, please read and agree to the Terms of Use, read through the course information, and learn about how a Connections screener fits into the MTSS framework before continuing to the next section. This should take you approximately 3-5 minutes.

    • Students must
      Mark as done

      As a professional educator, I understand that I must complete all the activities in this course as outlined by the activity expectations and instructions. I understand this course is monitored regularly and that all of my coursework should be completed with academic integrity as outlined in BRIDGE-RI's Terms of Use. Failure to meet these requirements may result in account suspension and/or termination.

      If you have read and understand the statement above, please select "mark as done" to the right to signify your acceptance of this statement.  

    • Course Information Page
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      View
    • The MTSS Framework Interactive Content
      Students must
      View

  • Essential Elements for This Course

    • Course Features Page
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    • Confidentiality Agreement Page
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      Mark as done
    • Use of De-Identified Data Page
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      Mark as done
    • Q & A Forum

    • Add who we are/what we do

      Housekeeping - announcement in the course

      When content will be unlocked (after completing a section) MWD done

      Office hours MWD has set up; need to add dates/times Done

      Opening forum - who are you and why are you taking this course (force subscribe) MWD done

      Section 1 - Positive School Climate (Doll), make this have an interactive element; review new REL document in Resources folder to perhaps switch

      Section 1 - KP to do welcome screencast; add a screencast for current implementation in the history of screener book

      Confirm # of PLUs (course information, settings, certificate)

      Add a question to quiz about starting small w/pilot?

      Review the Readiness Checklist form - last question still references paper administration; maybe reword and also consider how the whole question is phrased (e.g., time of administration..for pilot could be anytime?) KP done

      Steps to build buy-in - MWD check for accessibility

      Connections Manual Checklist - revise for current course conditions MWD review and check accessibility

      Section 5 - I found some resources that we could use to make this section fuller; also focuses on building connections for all students, not just those at risk; maybe in this section talk about both of those things and not just focus on interventions at individual student level?

      Building your manual - build as book with pages to explain each section


    • person on online meeting

      Optional Office Hours

      The facilitator will hold optional Office Hours for individuals or teams who would like further support. If you would like to schedule time with Kim, please sign-up on the Office Hours Schedule. Once you sign up you will receive a calendar invitation with a meeting link. If you have any difficulties, please contact Michele Walden-Doppke.

  • Section 1: Importance of connections and past Connections Screening processes

    • This section continues on where the first course "The Importance of Connectedness" ended. First, there are some grounding resources on connectedness. Next, we outline the history of the Connections Survey, lessons learned from past work and what the implementation process entails. There will be a quiz at the conclusion to check for understanding. Following this, there is a screencast on Implementation Science. Please move at your own pace through this section, but keep in mind that all activities in this section must be marked as complete before Section 2 becomes available. This section should take approximately x-y minutes to complete.

    • Introduce Yourself Forum
      Students must
      View
      Make forum posts: 1
    • School Climate and Connecting with Students Lesson
    • History of Connections Screener in RI Book
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      View
    • Implementation Science and Starting Small (Pilot) Page
      Students must
      View
    • Check for Understanding: Connections Implementation and Follow-up Quiz
      Students must
      Receive a grade
      Receive a passing grade

    • Don't forget you can use the Q&A forum to post any questions along the way. If you have a question, others may have the same one or benefit from hearing the response! You may also sign up for Office Hours at any time.

  • Section 2: Getting Ready for the Connections Screener

    • In this section we will begin looking at the features of readiness you should consider before administering a Connection Screener in your building. This section should take between x and y minutes to complete.

    • Now that you have learned about the Connections Screener, lessons learned and the importance of setting up an infrastructure for implementation we will be looking more closely at a readiness checklist, steps for creating buy-in and the Connections Manual. Although the resources and activities in this section are asynchronous, these items should be completed before moving on to the following section where you will begin developing your own screening processes. 

    • Readiness Checklist - Assignment
      Students must
      Receive a grade
    • Steps for Creating Buy-in Page
      Students must
      View
    • Creating Buy-in in your building Glossary
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      Make entries: 1

    • Add resources on how to do the things in this section (e.g., build buy-in, preparing a group)

    • Don't forget you can use the Q&A forum to post any questions along the way. If you have a question, others may have the same one or benefit from hearing the response! You may also sign up for Office Hours at any time.

  • Resources for Building Buy-in and Developing Connections with Students

    This section contains optional resources shared throughout the Connectedness self-paced course and the Connections Screener facilitated course. Our goal is to continue updating this section as resources are uncovered so you will have one place to visit when looking for support. Please check back frequently and note the following:

    • If you have a resource you would like to share, please let Kim or Michele know and they can add to this section.
    • If there is something in particular you are looking for, please use the Q & A forum to post what you are looking for. This will give others in this course the opportunity to share their own resources as well. 

  • Section 3: Connections Screener Details

    • In this section you will start developing your own plans for implementing a Connections Screener. You will be using the Connections Manual as a guide to establish your own processes and verbiage for how you will communicate with staff and students.  This section should take you between x and y minutes to complete.

    • Using Your Connection Manual Book
    • Connections Manual Page
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      Mark as done
    • Connections Manual Checklist
      Students must
      Check-off items: 100%
    • Creating your Connections Screener process Page
      Students must
      View
    • Google form template for Connections Screener Page
      Students must
      View

    • Don't forget you can use the Q&A forum to post any questions along the way. If you have a question, others may have the same one or benefit from hearing the response! You may also sign up for Office Hours at any time.

  • Section 4: Utilizing data to help your students

    • In this section we will be discussing how your screening process went. We will also be planning ahead for next steps: what will you do when you get your data? This section should take between x and y minutes to complete.


    • Connections Screener as a researched promising practice Page
      Students must
      View
    • Connections Data Template Page
      Students must
      View

    • Don't forget you can use the Q&A forum to post any questions along the way. If you have a question, others may have the same one or benefit from hearing the response! You may also sign up for Office Hours at any time.

  • Section 5: Evaluating the effectiveness of your connections screening process

    • In this section you will be reviewing your Connections screening process and developing plans to refine items for future screenings and planning for scale up. This section should take you between x and y minutes to complete.

    • Intervention Menu Glossary
      Students must
      View
      Make entries: 1

    • Don't forget you can use the Q&A forum to post any questions along the way. If you have a question, others may have the same one or benefit from hearing the response! You may also sign up for Office Hours at any time.

  • Wrap up

    • The work of BRIDGE-RI and MTSS Rhode Island is made possible by funding and additional supports from the Rhode Island Department of Education and West Bay Collaborative.