Commissioner's Update
December 20, 2007

Dear Superintendents, and Leaders of Charter Schools and Collaboratives:

In this Update I have three announcements for your review.

Student Government Day Registrations Due Friday December 21 Student Government Day will be held on Friday, April 4, 2008 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the State House in Boston. Please fax delegate and alternate registration information to Lonnie Powers, (781) 338-3195 by December 21. Student assignments will be made with student and school faculty notification prior to the February school vacation.

MCAS-Alt Training Opportunities

I am pleased to invite educators to attend MCAS Alternate Assessment (MCAS-Alt) training sessions in January. Sessions include small discussion groups for teachers working on student portfolios, an overview of the MCAS-Alt process, and training on the installation and use of the "electronic portfolio" software. These sessions will be offered in locations across Massachusetts from January 14 through January 17, 2008. More information, including registration instructions, is posted online at www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/alt/resources.html. If you have further questions, contact the MCAS Service Center at 800-737-5103.

Additional John and Abigail Adams Scholarship Letters

In early January we plan to send additional John and Abigail Adams Scholarship letters for all students who qualify for the scholarship but did not receive a letter in November. These letters are primarily for students who were not enrolled as juniors in the June 2007 Student Information Management System (SIMS), but were enrolled as seniors in the October SIMS and meet the eligibility requirements for the tuition waiver. Please distribute the letters upon receipt and remind students to review the eligibility guidelines carefully.

Best wishes for a happy and healthy holiday for you and your families.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey Nellhaus
Acting Commissioner of Education