Modifications of the CARE Intervention in Response to COVID-19 Restrictions

• In Event: The Impact of Teacher Social and Emotional Learning (CARE) + Student Social and Emotional Learning (PATHS) on Students’ Success During COVID

Abstract

Objective: In this paper, we report on the process of modifying an evidence-based professional learning program for teachers that was intended to be delivered in person for a large randomized, controlled trial. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the program had to be delivered synchronously on zoom. Here we report on how we approached adapting the program for this context.

Perspective: Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE) is a professional learning program designed to support teachers’ SEL and well-being. In previous a previous rigorous trial of the program, CARE was found to reduce teachers’ psychological distress and time urgency and increase mindfulness and adaptive emotion regulation. Classrooms of teacher who received CARE were observed to be more emotionally supportive and CARE teachers reported their students as more engaged, motivated, and with higher levels of reading competence compared to control classrooms and teachers. The CATALYZE project had originally planned on in-person delivery of the three-day model (6 hours/day) with a follow-up session (3 hours). The program included a variety of interactive and experiential activities designed for an in-person format. Due to the COVID disruptions of schools’ operations, restrictions to trainers, and new and competing demands on teachers' professional learning availability, the program schedule and mode of delivery were modified.

Methods: The CARE program was adapted to a virtual setting reducing the number of hours, content and type of activities. Teachers attended 2 days of training delivered in two 2-hour sessions (4 hours/day) in August, 2 hours in November and 2 hours in January, reducing the total hours of training from 21 to 12 across all sessions. The CARE program was delivered over Zoom, and used digital tools to promote participation (i.e., zoom invitation, calendar invites, email reminder) and participant engagement (i.e., breakout rooms, chat box, polls, etc.).

Results: The CARE virtual implementation resulted in shorter virtual sessions, reduced activity length, as well as the elimination of CARE practices that require the use of space and movement (i.e., mindful movement). Furthermore, due to increasing teacher stress and a heightened need for students’ social and emotional support, the district requested that we expand the professional development in order to offer CARE training to all K-8 school staff. The CARE program was subsequently delivered to an additional 544 teachers in grades K and 5-8 classrooms, bilingual teachers, Special Educators and Supportive Staff (School counselors and clinicians).

Significance: Although the implementation was feasible, it was difficult to assess engagement as many teachers kept their video off. The competing district trainings related to COVID adaptations posed challenges for school leaders to include the CARE training within the professional development days, creating a need to reschedule, restructure single sessions into multiple days, and in some instances, interrupted attendance (late arrival, early leave). Some major limitations of the remote delivery of CARE were the difficulty assessing engagement, and the reduced number of hours due to the virtual modality. An important gain associated with virtual training was the expanded ability to deliver the training to a larger sample.

Author

• Patricia A. Jennings, University of Virginia