FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT
February 23, 2021 Mercy Quaye
203.913.5008 mercy@narrative-project.com
RISE Network partners pursue innovative strategies to help students stay on track
Middletown, CT [February 23, 2021] - In response to trends illustrated in a RISE Network report released on Monday, Middletown High School Grade 9 educators are implementing new and innovative ways to meet students where they are and keep them connected and engaged during remote and hybrid learning. In partnership with the RISE Network, educators are using “Porch Visits” to prioritize students who are disengaged or struggling academically. This Wednesday, during asynchronous learning when students complete coursework on their own at home, teams of teachers are coordinating with families to meet the students face-to-face in a socially-distant setting. Students selected for a “Porch Visit” have been identified as needing additional support to help them reconnect or stay engaged in school. RISE has supported Middletown High School Grade 9 teams of educators on a weekly basis to review data, identify student needs, and pursue creative strategies to help all students engage and succeed in their classes. After noticing students were facing new challenges during the pandemic, Grade 9 educators initiated “Porch Visits” to go out into the community to meet with students and families at home. During the visits, teams of educators engage families in casual conversations to understand barriers students and families may be experiencing, and to offer support to help students reconnect to school. The RISE Network’s recent report highlights “Porch Visits” as one of the promising ways that educators are supporting student success and proactively addressing troubling trends in student engagement and academic performance during the pandemic. The report offers recommendations like these for how school communities can use this near-real-time data to course correct and ensure that 2020-21 is not a lost school year. Email media@narrative-project.com to join Middletown educators and the RISE Network on their “Porch Visits” to improve student engagement and support students’ academic success. WHO: The RISE Network Middletown High School Teachers, Counselors, and Administrators WHEN: TOMORROW Wednesday February 24, 2021 12:30 p.m. WHERE: Middletown High School (South Parking Lot) 200 La Rosa Lane, Middletown, CT 06457
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About The RISE Network:
RISE is a Connecticut-based non-profit organization with a mission to empower educators to achieve breakthrough results, helping all students realize and achieve their full potential. Leveraging its innovative partnership model, RISE facilitates networks for school improvement by bringing together exceptional educators working in different contexts to advance shared goals. By empowering school communities to improve, we invest in a cycle of lasting and scalable impact. RISE districts and schools commit to sharing resources and expertise, pursuing innovative solutions, strengthening school and district systems, and empowering educators and leaders through continuous improvement. Currently, RISE represents a multi-year partnership between nine school districts across Connecticut, serving 14,000 students across ten high schools to support educators striving to ensure every RISE high school student graduates college and career ready.