ANGOLA — Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES was recently awarded just over $1M in New York State RECOVS: Recover from COVID School Program funding.The two-year program targets two critical need areas identified by the COVID-19 pandemic: Mental Health and Learning Loss.

Learning Loss

The Learning Loss RECOVS portion of the grant will support the addition of two new E2CCB Instructional Coaches specialized in literacy/reading instruction and will provide scholarships to educators throughout its organization and its 27 component districts for a micro-credential in the Science of Reading in partnership with SUNY New Paltz.

According to John Griesmer, Ed.D., Director of Professional Learning & Curriculum Development, the emphasis for the two additional literacy/reading instructional coaches will be to focus on helping educators refine their understanding of and focus on the “Big 6” Science of Reading skills and competencies recently supported in the New York State Education Department’s Literacy Briefs. The skills and competencies include vocabulary, oral language, phonological awareness, phonics, comprehension, and fluency.

“The Science of Reading is research-based and instructional in design. It is a comprehensive approach that refers to a large and diverse body of evidence to guide and inform classroom best practices and curricular decisions,” Griesmer said. “With the hiring of two additional literacy/reading instructional coaches, we are doubling our capacity to support educators within our BOCES and across our 27 component districts.”

The instructional coaches will train teachers and aides in the best reading instruction practices aligned with the Science of Reading. Furthermore, when remediating identified reading deficits, they will also assist educators in providing NYSED’s preferred intervention model of Multi-Tiered System of Supports – Integrated (MTSS-I). This includes helping to provide differentiated Tier I, II, and III interventions; providing data and research-based recommendations for benchmarking and progress-monitoring tools; and advising administrators and building-based committees on meeting structures and protocols.

In January, the E2CCB Staff & Curriculum Development Department connected with BOCES and school literacy leaders statewide for a Literacy Symposium that focused on strengthening knowledge of the Science of Reading initiative through seven newly released literacy briefs from the New York State Education Department.

Beyond increasing staff devoted to literacy/reading instruction and training, E2CCB will also use grant funds to provide an opportunity for over 350 teachers across E2CCB sites and component districts to earn a micro-credential in the Science of Reading from SUNY New Paltz. This credential will serve as a refresher for teachers who may have learned the Science of Reading in college or an initial training for those without a formal background, thus increasing the region’s teachers’ collective understanding of best practices in literacy/reading instruction.

For more information about the Science of Reading, please visit www.nysed.gov/curriculum-instruction/literacy-briefs.

Mental Health

Youth Mental Health First Aid and Second Step, two programs E2CCB began supporting in 2020 through Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) funding, will expand and continue thanks to the Mental Health RECOVS portion of the grant.

“For the past two years, we’ve been able to train hundreds of educators and school staff on Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA),” said Matt Moore, Associate Director of Community & Whole Child Support Services. “Now, with this RECOV award, we’ll be able to continue to offer this training at no cost to districts.”

YMHFA is an evidence-based training that helps administrators, counselors, social workers, teachers, and additional school staff better understand and recognize a variety of mental health challenges and disorders most commonly experienced among youth. Using a 5-step action plan, school staff learn how to help a student who may be experiencing a mental health challenge in both non-crisis and crisis situations.

Second Step, a K-8 social and emotional learning (SEL) school curriculum, emphasizes skills to strengthen students’ abilities to identify and manage emotions, nurture positive relationships, set goals, and solve problems.

E2CCB further supports districts in creating safe and supportive schools by providing professional learning opportunities to address restorative practices, trauma-informed care, crisis counseling, and Positive Behavioral Intervention Systems (PBIS).