Support Services for Students Who Have Arrived from Puerto Rico:
The Department recently shared guidance with school and district leaders about planning for and responding to the needs of students with disabilities and students experiencing trauma as a result of natural disasters who have relocated to Massachusetts from Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands. These students may be residing with friends or relatives and may have myriad needs, such as special education services and supportive services to address the effects of trauma. Massachusetts schools have welcomed these students, recognizing they need a safe and stable educational environment. The guidance memo addresses how school districts may meet their obligations to provide students transferring from Puerto Rico, many of whom are English learners, with timely access to a free appropriate public education and other relevant supports and services.
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VISTA 2018 Survey Window Extended:
The Department is short of its goal of having 50 percent of principals and superintendents complete the annual VISTA (Views of Instruction, State Standards, Teaching, and Assessment) survey. The Department would like to thank the principals (20 percent) and superintendents (25 percent) who have completed their surveys. Due to the vacation week and the lower than expected response rates this year, ESE is extending the survey window to March 16. Please take this opportunity to provide ESE with critical feedback on programs, resources, and supports. With educator feedback, ESE can make more informed resource allocation decisions that directly impact your schools and districts.
Superintendents and principals who have not received a link to a survey should contact the VISTA Study Help Desk at MAVISTA@westat.com. Anyone with specific questions about the survey can email Shelagh Peoples, ESE's VISTA coordinator.
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Upcoming Deadline on Circuit Breaker Intent:
The Special Education Circuit Breaker program includes a provision that allows districts to file a claim for extraordinary relief when eligible special education costs exceed 125 percent of the previous year's claimed costs. Districts considering filing a claim for relief this fiscal year should send an email to circuitbreaker@doe.mass.edu expressing their intent by Wednesday, February 28. After receiving this information, ESE will create district specific claim files and make them available to school officials. These relief claim files will be in the same format as previous years, and relief claims will be due Friday, March 30.
In addition, ESE is planning to hold training sessions in March to assist districts intending to file. All districts filing claims for relief are expected to attend a training session.
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- Governance-based strategies for school improvement: Chiefs for Change recently released a report on governance-based strategies for school improvement and included examples from Lawrence Public Schools and the Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership.
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- Massachusetts leads again on Advanced Placement success: For the second year in a row, Massachusetts is the top state in the nation in terms of the percentage of the graduating class that scored a 3 or higher on an Advanced Placement exam, according to results that the College Board released this week.
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