Students & Families Adult Education Adult & Community Learning Services
Adult and Community Learning Services

ACLS Mailing with Summaries

The monthly mailing for May is now posted. Please review the information and share with your staff.

• Summer Professional Development Opportunities:
  The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will offer summer professional development institutes in a variety of subjects. All current educators from publicly-funded programs covered by the Massachusetts Education Reform Act (school districts, public charter schools, adult basic education programs, preschools, and private day and residential schools that provide publicly-funded special education) may attend the institutes. Details of the institutes are be posted on the Department's web site at http://www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/cinstitute/09/. These free, graduate level institutes will focus on strengthening teachers' content knowledge and teaching skills in a wide range of subjects. Educators will find institutes in all subject areas, including some offered online, using the MassONE Moodle environment. All institutes offer professional development points and optional graduate credit.

  All of the institutes are offered at no charge to Massachusetts educators. While first priority will be given to educators currently employed in school districts that have been identified as "high need" districts, educators who need to become highly qualified in the subject areas that they teach, teachers of students with disabilities, and teachers of English language learners, all other participants will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants must attend the entire program of the selected institute, including fall follow up sessions. Registration by teams from schools and districts (and adult education programs) is encouraged, so consider registering as a team with others from your program or school district. Since spaces are limited, you should register as early as possible.

  Taking an institute is a great way to increase your subject knowledge, refine your skills, learn about new teaching strategies, and meet other dedicated teachers.

  I encourage you to review the institute list to identify the options that best meet your professional development needs to enhance your teaching and improve your students' achievement, and to take advantage of these professional development opportunities.

• Bridges to Success Update:
  This information is a follow up to the Bridges to Success news from the February mailing (see hot news under the Workforce Development updates).

  The Bridges to Success task force, an interagency task force focusing on ABE Transition to Community College, has been meeting since February; its goal has been to identify state-level barriers to student access to community college and create an action plan to reduce these barriers.

  As part of its research, the task force, which includes representatives from ACLS, the Department of Higher Education, the Executive Office of Community Colleges, Commonwealth Corporation, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, and the Department of Transitional Assistance, has consulted with coordinators from ESE-funded Transitions to Community College programs, other adult educators from our field, and practitioners from other states to gain insight into some of the more widespread barriers facing programs that work with students aspiring to success in community college. In its May meeting, the Bridges to Success task force came up with a draft action plan that focused on state-level ABE goals and program standards, systems coordination, and funding.

  Due out in late June is the task force's final report which will outline an action plan to be implemented in FY'10.

• Curriculum Update:
  • Math Professional Development Pays Off
  • Useful Resources - Sample Science Lesson Plan
  • Center on Instruction Catalog of Teaching Resources
  • April was national Financial Literacy Month
  • Education can protect against joblessness
  
  
• Financial Literacy Resources
  • Materials for ESOL Learners
  • Money Talks
  • Money Smart Computer-Based Instruction (CBI) learning tool
  
  
• Workforce Development Updates   :
  • Hot News - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)
  • Now Available - Updated Curriculum Guide www.sabes.org
  • P21 News
  • Upcoming Events
  • One-Stop Career Center Events
  • Research
  • Professional Development - CWC and SABES
  
  
• Assessment Update:
  • BEST Plus Update
  
  
• SMARTT Updates:
  • Program Plan Changes for FY2010
  • Site Rollover Link
  • Cognos Updates
  • Report on 5/5/09 GED Data Match and Guidance on GED Goal Setting and Goal Follow-up
  • Federal Reports are Ready for Testing
  • SMARTT Training Schedule