History of Connections Screener in RI

1. Setting the Stage

1.1. How the Connections Survey began

Connections Screener Timeline


2010

  • Burrillville morale was at an all-time low coming off staff "work-to-rule." 
  • Kim Pristawa (BHS) and Alyson Doumato (BMS) discussed examining connections as an SEL screener. Alyson had the idea for a student survey.
  • High school (BHS) designed the forms and process to examine adolescent connections to both adults and peers in a high school setting.
  • BHS then collaborated with the middle school (BMS) to extend the screening process to BMS.


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2011-2012


  • BHS implemented and revised processes with staff using a paper-and-pencil survey. 


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2012-2017


  • After two years of revisions, the BHS process was expanded into a statewide Connections Project.
  • For several years, different cohorts of schools new to the Connections Survey were brought together to:
  1. Learn about the survey, how to administer, how to collect and utilize data and determine next steps for improving connectedness for students;
  2. Learn from other schools, Including some from outside of RI;
  3. Make improvements to the survey itself (moved from paper-and-pencil to Google forms, improved data collection processes with school information systems);
  4. Gain exposure by presenting at state and national conferences: RIASP, NASP and APBS; and
  5. Incorporated into an MTSS framework at the Tier 1 level.


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2019-2020


  • Transitioned from the online cohort model to creating self-paced and facilitated courses on BRIDGE-RI (increasing capacity).
  • With increased focus on SEL, gained recognition from RIDE as an SEL screener. 


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Current


  • Building in considerations for how to adapt to COVID context: in-person, virtual, hybrid.



Current

  • Return to full in-person learning and addressing the social-emotional impacts from the pandemic