Change to Early Childhood Special Education Grant:
Beginning with Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 grant awards, the Early Childhood Special Education Entitlement Grant program (Fund Code 262) will be administered by DESE instead of the Department of Early Education and Care. Applications for the Early Childhood Special Education Entitlement Grant program (Fund Code 262) will now be submitted via EdGrants, DESE’s web-based grants management platform.
The Department of Early Education and Care will continue to process all amendments, final reporting, and fund carry over requests related to Fund Code 262 for FY2016-FY2018. For questions regarding Fund Code 262 grant awards during this period, please email EECSubmission@mass.gov. Beginning with FY19 and moving forward, DESE will address all questions related to the Fund Code 262 grant application, expenditures, and fund use. For questions, please email federalgrantprograms@doe.mass.edu.
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Principal and Teacher Advisory Cabinets Open for Applications through June 29:
The Department is pleased to convene Teacher and Principal Advisory Cabinets each year as a way to recognize excellent educators, elevate teacher and principal voices at the state level, and provide opportunities for leadership. Cabinet members attend five meetings a year and provide insights and feedback about current policies and inform the development of new policies and resources. The Department seeks input from a diverse group of teachers and principals who represent urban, suburban, and rural districts and reflect the demographics of Massachusetts' students. To ensure a wide range of input, DESE convenes East and Central/West branches of each cabinet.
The Principal Advisory Cabinets are open to all school-level administrators, including principals, charter school leaders, assistant principals, and department chairs. The Teacher Advisory Cabinets are open to all educators who work with students across grade levels and content areas, including specialists, coaches, and specialized instructional support personnel. Applications are due June 29, and more information is available on the applications.
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Reading Specialist Subject Matter Knowledge Standards:
Based on significant feedback this year, DESE will select a working group of educational experts to build out and revise the current Reading Specialist Subject Matter Knowledge Standards. These subject matter knowledge standards outline the content knowledge and pedagogical skill required for licensure as a reading specialist in Massachusetts.
Interested participants will be asked to commit to three days of in person meetings: 9:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. Sept. 25, 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Dec. 7, and 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Jan. 30 at North High School in Worcester. Applications are due by June 30, and selected members will be notified by Aug. 1. To apply or learn more, please email Susan Kazeroid.
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Save the Date for Symposium on Chronic Absenteeism:
From 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 7, 2018, DESE will hold a free symposium on chronic absenteeism. Questions to be addressed include: Why focus on attendance and absenteeism?, How should we measure attendance and absenteeism?, and How can schools respond to the needs of chronically absent students, including building partnerships with family and the community? The event is sponsored by The Boston Foundation and will be held at their offices in Boston. Superintendents and school administrators are strongly encouraged to attend, and registration is open online.
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Reminder on Spring 2018 Grades 3–8 Computer-Based MCAS Preliminary Embargoed Data Files:
As reported in the April 24 Student Assessment Update, schools that administered grades 3–8 computer-based tests received access on June 4 to the following student-level preliminary raw-score results in PearsonAccess Next: selected-response items for grades 3–8 English language arts, selected-response and short-answer items for grades 3–8 math, and multiple-choice items for grades 5 and 8 science and technology/engineering.
A recording of the June 5 WebEx session on MCAS preliminary results reporting is available online and will eventually be posted on the MCAS Resource Center site in the “Training Sessions Previously Offered This School Year” section. Please note that early release data are both preliminary and embargoed, and results should be used for educational planning purposes only.
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- Free Advanced Placement Computer Science Principles training available: Massachusetts has received a $364,000 grant to train public high school teachers in computer science coursework. Two different training options are available through Code.org and Mobile CSP. Both are offered at no cost to teachers, and teachers will have the opportunity to receive Advanced Placement mentoring during the school year.
- Option 1: Code.Org: A five-day teacher workshop will be offered from July 30 to August 3 at UMass Boston, followed by quarterly one-day sessions and online support and AP mentoring during the 2018-2019 school year. Anyone with questions can email Deborah.Boisvert@umb.edu
- Option 2: Mobile CSP: Two trainings are available, and anyone with questions can email Hoffmanb@elms.edu. The Immersion version of the training will run June 25-29 at Framingham State University in Framingham or Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center in Holyoke. The Extended version will run from June 25-July 20 (weeks 1 and 4 in person, weeks 2 and 3 online), at Framingham State University or Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center.
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- Project Here grant opportunity extended: The Project Here Substance Use Prevention Curriculum Grant program will award grants to multiple public middle schools for up to two years of implementation of one of three evidence-based substance use prevention curricula: Botvin LifeSkills Training, Michigan Model for Health, or Positive Action. The deadline for applications has been extended to June 22.
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