Change Agent Case Analysis: Covid-19 and Patuxent High School 1

Change Agent Case Analysis: Covid 19 and Patuxent High School

Jackie Doucette
Towson University
Change Agent Case Analysis: Covid-19 and Patuxent High School 2

School Overview
Patuxent High School is located in Lusby, Maryland. This high school is part of the

SoCal (Southern Calvert) Connection. There is only one high school in southern Calvert, two

middle schools (Southern Middle and Mill Creek Middle), and three elementary schools (Dowel

Elementary, Appeal Elementary, and Patuxent Elementary). Currently Patuxent High School has

a student population of 1032. There are 269 freshmen, 241 sophomores, 246 juniors, and 276

seniors. In the student population 519 are female and 513 are male. There are 64 teachers in the

school building, one dean of students, three vice principals, and one principal.

Patuxent High School was opened in 1996. The building was brand new during that time.

The building has a unique design, when you look at the front of the building you can see the

letters P-H-S. The building was designed with big classrooms. The design of the building is the

shape of a Y. When you first enter the building you have the attendance office/auditorium (to the

left) and the gym (to the right) When you walk down the hallway you will find the office with

the administrators and next to the office you will find the guidance office. If you continue

walking, you will find the center of the Y and in front of you will be the library. Then the

building has separate wings and floors. Each wing has a specific content area. The first floor is

science and technology, the second floor is English and world language, and the third floor is

mathematics and social studies. Most classrooms have cinderblock walls, except for the

auditorium and gym. The second and third floor classrooms have carpet, while the first floor has

polyurethane coated flooring. Renovations that have recently been made have been new flooring

in the gym and the creation of the attendance office. The classrooms have been the same design,

with the addition of motion lights and wifi installations through all hallways. The lights and wifi

installations were put in during the pandemic.

Change Agent Case Analysis: Covid-19 and Patuxent High School 3

Patuxent High School serves communities from Cove Point, Chesapeake Ranch Estates,

Drum Point, and Solomons. These are different neighborhoods located in southern Calvert

County. The ethnicity breakdown of the student population is: 61.4% white, 18.1% African

American, 10% multiracial, 8.7% Hispanic, 1.4% Asian, and 0.4% American Indian. More than a

quarter of the student population qualify for Free and Reduced Meals at 38.1%. Out of 1032

students 92 (8.9%) require IEP services, 137 (13.3%) require 504 services, and 5 (0.5%) are

English language learners (ELL). Calvert High School has a program for English language

learner students, this is where the biggest ELL student population is located.

Using the most recent (2022) MSDE school report card, Patuxent High School is at the

64th percentile. According to state testing in math and English, 55 percent of students are

proficient in English and 34.4 percent are proficient in math. Students with disabilities were 29.2

percent proficient in English and 13.6 percent proficient in math. At Patuxent High School, 91.7

percent of students were on track to graduate on time. At Patuxent High School, 44.3 percent of

students were chronically absent.

Prior to the pandemic, our school’s technology experience of staff and students ranged

from expert to novice. Students knew how to use their smartphones, but when it came to using

desktops or even laptops, students lacked the knowledge especially for educational purposes.

Most of the staff did not incorporate technology in the classroom. Teachers used their

smartboards for videos and PowerPoints, or even interactive games, but didn’t go any further

with technology. From my personal experience, prior to the pandemic, I was in my fifth year of

teaching at a new school. This school had so many upgrades (smartboards, touch laptops)

compared to my old school even I was hesitant about using technology. I tried to incorporate

activities involving TikTok videos because it was an activity students could do on their phones.
Change Agent Case Analysis: Covid-19 and Patuxent High School 4

Patuxent High School wasn’t a one-to-one school during this time. Teachers were given class

sets of computers, but most of the time students either forgot to charge them or took the keys off

the keyboard.

Now, I believe teachers are very comfortable with technology, but I think some may be

using it as a substitute for what they used to do. Some of my colleagues are strictly online and

they act as a facilitator. In other classrooms the work is split up with half online half on paper.

Teacher have become very savvy with the learning management system, Schoology. I still think

students struggle though because just like teachers they were thrown into using it too. Patuxent

High School is now a one-to-one school. Students have a great amount of knowledge on cell

phone applications and how to create things on the computer. I think they have very little

knowledge of how to use technology for educational purposes. Some students need to be

retaught how to save a file, create a word document, and even write an email.

Covid-19

It has been three years since Covid-19 came into our lives and changed education. I am

basing my Covid-19 story from memories. March 12th, 2020, we were notified through an

announcement from Governor Larry Hogan, that schools would be closed for two weeks. We

then received an email about the closing from our principal. He let us know that he would be

having a principal meeting soon and told us about Dr. Salmon’s expectations. The expectations

were to provide students with activities they could do to maintain certain skills, but to not give

them actual assignments. Then we had a staff meeting so that administration could answer any

questions that we had. The Friday before the closing of schools (March 13th, 2020), we were told

by our principal that we had to continue with instruction today and to not answer questions we

didn’t know the answers to. That last day before our two-week break, teachers and students did
Change Agent Case Analysis: Covid-19 and Patuxent High School 5

not know we would not see each other again. We thought it would be a couple weeks and then

we would be back. Our Superintendent told staff to treat the two-weeks as snow days and to

expect to make up these days.

When schools initially closed there wasn’t really a plan. We were not told to plan during

our two weeks off and we did not have meetings to plan with our departments during our two

weeks off. During the two-week break, curriculum specialist was coming up with a plan. When

the two-weeks began, administration and staff worked together in getting food out to students in

need and let staff/ students into the building to get the rest of their things.

During the two-weeks we got an email from our curriculum specialist explaining next

steps. We were told we were going to continue moving forward with online learning. Also, that

we were going to adhere to Dr. Salmon’s plan for online learning. Towards the end of our two-

week break, we received emails from our curriculum specialist saying work had been created and

was on Schoology. It was ten days’ worth of assignments. We were told we could use them or

create our own. When school became virtual my department started having TEAMS meetings.

These meetings were to discuss next steps, students, and how everything was going. As a staff

some of us still did not know how to use Schoology and had to figure it out. My department chair

would send us pictures and share his screen so that we would know exactly where the resources

needed were located.

On March 25th, we received another announcement from Dr. Salmons stating were not

returning until April 24th. Our principal sent an email to all staff seeing if we had devices and

internet access at home. I was one that did not have internet access and finally was able to get

access at the beginning of the following school year. I did a lot of online teaching and zoom

meetings using my cellular hot spot. The technology and internet email was also sent to students
Change Agent Case Analysis: Covid-19 and Patuxent High School 6

and families. On March 27th 2020, technology devices were sent out to students. There was also

discussions about the distribution of hot spots that were purchased by the county.

The first ten days of virtual learning we used lessons created by the board, but then

science teachers received an email that we were discussing using a program called Apex. Apex

allowed students to use one platform. Students would read, fill out a study guide, and then take a

test. We started off by giving our students weekly updates. I would send emails to students and

their families with these updates and asking how they were doing. We also posted discussions on

Schoology to interact with students and keep in touch. On these discussions, we would talk about

everything from Netflix shows to what they were doing and how were they doing. After the first

week of our created lessons, as a science department we moved to Apex. It was very challenging

to explain to students how to do assignments through email. Our virtual school was

asynchronous, and we decided that our students needed more of a routine, and we felt that Apex

was going to be better for the students. Students would be able to work at their own pace and

stick with a routine.

Communications between Calvert County Public Schools and the administration team

was frequent and usually answered many questions we had. From our principal we received

weekly updates and from our curriculum specialist we received two to three emails a week.

Communication from state officials I felt was very last minute. It kept us waiting on our toes for

what was going to happen next. As a science department, we communicated and had TEAMS

meetings almost every day. The science department had a lot of communication, to just keep our

head above water. Because there was not a lot of information, at the beginning of what/ how to

teach virtually. The science department was a great support system during this time. My principal

and department chair really stepped up as leaders during this time. My principal was very caring
Change Agent Case Analysis: Covid-19 and Patuxent High School 7

and tried to the best he could to help his staff and keep us in the loop. My department chair kept

us in the loop, helped create virtual lessons and continued to support us.

Evaluation

In late March of 2020, when we went virtual the communication received was an integral

part of making virtual learning work. Communication between administrations and staff as well

as teachers with students and their families. If communication was not effective, then I believe

we would have been lost. Our school also wanted to utilize Google Voice, so that we could

communicate through text messages with students and their families. Our school continued using

this form of communication because of how effective and easy it was to receive quick responses.

TEAMS meetings and collaboration with different schools’ science departments and my

own science department was beneficial. This was also very effective and important during this

time. We were able to bounce ideas off one another and really create great lessons online. It was

not only about creating those lessons, but we were also able to vent and depend on one another in

an unknowing time. Many teachers were still confused about the use of Schoology. We did not

fully take advantage of all the capabilities of Schoology. We needed our coworkers so we could

figure out how to use it together. I was one of the luckier staff members because some of our

science teachers had already been utilizing Schoology for their entire curriculum. These staff

members supported us in utilizing Schoology to its full potential. We have continued our

collaborative planning and utilizing Schoology since the pandemic.

Accessibility to technology devices and internet was our biggest challenged that we were

able to “fix” as best as we could. Every student was able to get a device and local internet

providers and the school district gave out hot spots for a reduced priced or free for a limited time.
Change Agent Case Analysis: Covid-19 and Patuxent High School 8

Many of the students were using their cell phones to complete assignments, but their cell phone

could only do so much. The next school year, we moved from asynchronous learning to

synchronous learning. During this time, we came up to an even bigger challenge. Students had

computers and internet but were they actually attending classes. Our school system decided on

having A/B days and Fridays was an asynchronous day. Students would log on to TEAMS for

their class at each specific time but were not required to turn on their camera. It was hard

because it was not the same student-teacher interactions we had received in the past. Some of our

students were taking care of siblings, sleeping/distracted, or were present and participated in the

virtual classroom. What made it more of a challenge was that it was a new school year was we,

teachers, did not know these students and we did not know what was happening at home.

The teaching during a pandemic experience has changed me as a teacher. I love teaching,

but I am not in love with it. I am open to change and trying new things. Everything has changed

though; it is so hard to get students motivated to learn now. Students take advantage of their

technology devices, instead of working on an online lab they are on discord, watching Netflix, or

watching YouTube videos. Since we have been back in-person I have continued utilizing

technology, but in a different way. I still have my weekly agendas and communication with

students and their families, but instead of students on the computer all the time, every class

period, I have them use it for a purpose. I still have them take notes on paper or computer (their

choice), but I have them create (posters, interactive movies, PowerPoints) on the computer. I

think it is beneficial for the students to learn how to use applications that they will utilize in a

professional setting.

Now, in our school system, we have gotten rid of some of the tools utilized during virtual

learning. For example, tools like Nearpod and Labster were both effective resources utilized
Change Agent Case Analysis: Covid-19 and Patuxent High School 9

during virtual learning that now our county will not pay for. Both of these resources were great

for students, but since some teachers stopped utilizing them they did not think it was worth the

cost. I have also noticed some teachers go back to traditional ways of teaching with pen and

paper and no longer using technology. The pandemic has changed education in many ways. We

found great resources to assist us with integrating technology in the classroom, but I feel that a

lot of information was thrown at us at one time, we did not know what to do with it. Since the

pandemic we no longer have staff training on technology resources we have. I found out the

other day through conversation that our school pays for adobe create, but we have not been told

how to use this resource.

The pandemic taught us, as people, to become flexible and be willing to learn new things.

I am now more considerate of the work load I give. Giving two assignments may not seem like a

lot, but in reality, it is two assignments plus whatever assignments students have in their other

courses. The pandemic taught me to take a break and enjoy time with my family if I need to.

School will always be there, but I needed to learn to separate my work and home life. I no longer

bring home work with me or answer emails outside of my work schedule. During the pandemic, I

felt that work became my life because I was not able to get away from it. Good things did come

out of the pandemic, whether it was creating amazing virtual lessons or learning to be flexible,

and you come before work.

Change Agent Case Analysis: Covid-19 and Patuxent High School 10

References

MSDE. (2020). Welcome to the Maryland Report Card. Retrieved September 14, 2023, from

Maryland.gov website:

https://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/Graphs/#/ReportCards/ReportCardSchool/1/H/

1/04/0113/2022