Commissioner's Update
February 26, 2009

Dear Superintendents and Leaders of Charter Schools and Collaboratives:

In this Update I have one announcement and nine items for your review.

Access to Vocational Technical Education

Massachusetts Regulations on Access to Equal Educational Opportunity 603 CMR 26.00 were promulgated in part to insure that all students have equal rights of access and equal enjoyment of the opportunities, advantages, privileges, and courses of study at public schools in the Commonwealth.

School districts should provide middle school students and their parents/guardians with information on vocational technical education. Common methods of providing information include visits to high schools with vocational technical education programs, and recruitment activities in middle schools conducted by high schools with vocational technical education programs. Middle schools release student names and addresses to the vocational technical high school subject to the Massachusetts Student Records Regulations 603 CMR 23.07.

General questions concerning admission to vocational technical high schools should be directed to Lisa Sandler in the Career/Vocational Technical Education Unit at 781-338-3956 or lsandler@doe.mass.edu.

Questions concerning nonresident tuition for enrollment in vocational technical high schools should be directed to Marnie Jain in the Career/Vocational Technical Education Unit at 781-338-3908 or mjain@doe.mass.edu.

Staff from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education - Career/Vocational Technical Education Unit will provide a workshop on vocational technical education at the Massachusetts School Counselors Association (MASCA) spring 2009 conference. School counselors, especially those from middle schools, are strongly encouraged to attend the workshop. The workshop emphasis will be on reinforcing the necessity to provide middle school students and their parents/guardians with information on vocational technical education. The admission process for high schools with state-approved vocational technical education programs known as Chapter 74-approved vocational technical education programs will be discussed. For information on the conference, visit the MASCA website .

Items Posted at www.doe.mass.edu:

1. Performance Standards Project - Exemplary Student Work Samples

2. ESE Research Update

3. 2008 MCAS Alternate Assessment (MCAS-Alt): State Summary of Participations and Performance   

4. Requirements for the Participation of Students with Limited English Proficiency in MCAS and MEPA   

5. High School Competency Determination Student Status: Data Review - Deadline: March 4, 2009

6. Educational Proficiency Plans: Update on Student's Attainment of Proficiency Based on November 2008 MCAS Retest Results

7. Preserve America History Teacher of the Year

8. Announcement of the George Washington Teachers' Institute

9. Notice of Public Comment, Proposed Amendments to 603 CMR 41.00, Regional School District Regulations

Sincerely,

Mitchell D. Chester, Ed.D.
Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education