Did You Know?: Public Lookup Tool for LicensureOn November 23, 2016, ESE announced the creation of a lookup tool on our website that allows the general public to find basic information about public school teachers' licensure status.
The Department frequently receives questions about individual educators' licenses. In creating the public lookup, we are making that information easier for the public to find and joining the majority of states that already offer such a tool.
The new public lookup is designed only for basic inquiries, so school leaders and hiring officials should continue to access the broader information available to them through the Educator Licensure and Renewal (ELAR) system.
Buzz: ELA and Math Learning Standards, Proposed Educator Evaluation Regs Out for Public CommentOn November 29, 2016, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted to send out for public comment the proposed Revised English Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics Curriculum Frameworks and proposed amendments to educator evaluations. A public comment form for the curriculum frameworks is available online at Public Comment: Draft ELA/Literacy & Mathematics Frameworks (2016–2017) and will be open until February 17, 2017.
Public comment on the proposed amendments to educator evaluations will be open through January 27, 2017 and can be sent to edevalcomments@doe.mass.edu. The Board will most likely vote on the final draft on February 28.
New Resource: Graphic Organizers and Reference Sheets for MCASThe Department has developed new ELA graphic organizers and mathematics and science and technology/engineering reference sheets for use by students with disabilities who will take the spring 2017 MCAS tests in grades 3–8. Students who use these tools for MCAS testing must have accommodation A9 (from the Accessibility and Accommodations Manual for the Spring 2017 MCAS Grades 3-8 Tests ) listed in their individualized education program (IEP) or 504 plan. These pre-approved graphic organizers and reference sheets replace those that were submitted to ESE for approval in prior years and may not be altered.
More information about MCAS accessibility and accommodations is available online, as is 2017 next-generation MCAS test information for grades 3–8 English language arts and mathematics tests. The information includes the test design, number of sessions, and question types. More information about the next-generation MCAS and other assessments is available in the latest Student Assessment Update.
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