Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Logo
Security Portal
|
School Profiles
The Department has moved to 135 Santilli Highway in Everett. The Department's office and Licensure Welcome Center are open. The new location has free parking and is a short walk from the Wellington station on the MBTA's Orange Line.

Educator Effectiveness

Teachers' Top Three from ESE - February 25, 2016

  1. Get Involved: Comment on the Draft Digital Literacy and Computer Science Standards
    The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted on January 26, 2016 to solicit public comment on the draft Digital Literacy and Computer Science Standards. Public input is an important part of developing state learning standards and will help to refine the standards before the Board votes on adopting them. The public comment period is open through April 8, 2016. The draft standards and a survey to submit comment are available online.

  2. Did You Know?: Website Describes Development Process for the Next-Generation MCAS
    The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) is in the process of upgrading MCAS to better measure the critical thinking skills students need for success in the 21st century. The new test, informally called MCAS 2.0, will build upon the best aspects of the MCAS assessments that have served the Commonwealth well for the past two decades and will include innovative items developed by PARCC, along with new items specifically created to assess the Massachusetts learning standards.

    Visit the website to learn more about the project, including background on the decision, development process, and how educators are involved in the various workgroups and committees. If you have general questions or comments about the MCAS 2.0 project, please email us at MCAS2.0@doe.mass.edu.

  3. What We're Reading: Empowering Students with Data
    Kimberly Long, a middle school teacher in Illinois, writes about the frequent (and often negative) association between data and high-stakes testing. She points out that teachers have always used formative and summative data to check for students' understanding and to improve instruction. Long suggests helping students use data to understand their own learning and set personal goals. Check out her four steps for helping students "own" their data in the classroom in "Empowering Students with Data".

line Help us reach more teachers — Share this email with your colleagues and encourage them to sign up! To subscribe, please complete this short form. We also invite you to connect with other teachers across the state and ESE staff on Twitter. Find us at @MASchoolsK12 and use #Top3fromESE to discuss items from this newsletter or suggest new topics. If you have suggestions for content, questions, or comments, you can reach a member of our staff at Top3fromESE@doe.mass.edu.



Last Updated: February 25, 2016



 
Contact Us

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
135 Santilli Highway, Everett, MA 02149

Voice: (781) 338-3000
TTY: (800) 439-2370

Directions

Disclaimer: A reference in this website to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm, or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the public and does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.