Teachers Sought for CURATE Fellowship:
The Department is partnering with Teach Plus and the Rennie Center to launch a new initiative called CURATE: CUrriculum RAtings by TEachers. Fellows will meet in panels during the 2018-19 school year to review evidence on the quality and alignment of commonly used English language arts/literacy, math, and science and technology/engineering materials. Applications are due July 30 and require a signed acknowledgement from the applicant’s principal or other supervisor. Please consider nominating a teacher or applying for this opportunity.
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Early Warning Indicator System (EWIS) Release Update:
The next release of Early Warning Indicator System (EWIS) data to schools and districts is scheduled to be available on or around August 24. Educators can review EWIS data in Edwin to understand which students are at risk of missing important academic milestones and develop additional supports tailored to their students’ strengths and needs.
For a district to have EWIS data, the district must have submitted all of its statewide data collections (Student Information Management System, Education Personnel Information Management System, Student Course Schedule, and School Safety Discipline Report). Districts that do not meet the due dates for this data will not have EWIS data in the initial release in Edwin Analytics in time for the start of the school year.
The Department will offer a full-day workshop entitled "Maximizing EWIS to Improve Student Achievement" on September 21. Teams should register if possible to get the full impact from the session. For more information, email ewis@doe.mass.edu.
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Instructional Support Networks:
The Department welcomes educators from across the state to join one of the 2018–2019 Instructional Support Networks. The networks cover a variety of areas, including mathematics, literacy, science, digital learning and computer science, history/social science, educator effectiveness, and English learners. These networks are designed to help educators advance teaching and learning by collaborating across districts to learn, test and refine tools and strategies, and innovate. A select number of networks (denoted as “PLN” in their titles) are designed for small teams interested in incorporating DESE's new model for professional learning, which was developed in consultation with Teaching Lab.
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Private School Students with Disabilities:
The Department has appointed an ombudsperson, Russ Fleming, to facilitate communication with private schools, parents, and public school districts about the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requirements regarding students with disabilities enrolled by their parents in private schools. Mr. Fleming will serve as DESE’s primary point of contact for addressing questions and concerns from private school officials, parents, and school districts regarding the provision of equitable services to parentally-placed private school students with disabilities and the funding of those services through a proportionate share of federal IDEA grant funds.
Mr. Fleming is also designated to serve as DESE’s ombudsman under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to monitor and ensure that other federal equitable services requirements are carried out. As necessary, he will refer questions and concerns to the appropriate DESE office for response.
Additionally, Mr. Fleming will be the designated recipient of the required documentation from school districts regarding timely and meaningful consultation in accordance with the IDEA’s requirements.
Mr. Fleming can be reached by email at IDEAequitableservices@doe.mass.edu or by mail at IDEA Equitable Services Ombudsperson, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 75 Pleasant St., Malden, MA 02148.
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- Personalized learning summit: The Massachusetts Personalized Learning Edtech Consortium (MAPLE) will host the MAPLE Future Ready® Summit on July 9 in Mashpee. Districts are invited to send leadership teams of four to six educators consisting of central office administrators, school leaders, and curriculum directors who have not been to a MAPLE Future Ready Summit. The summit’s goal is to assist teams in strategically implementing personalized learning in the context of their specific district. This one-day summit will help districts articulate a strong vision through a “profile of a graduate”, assess the district’s readiness for blended and personalized learning, and better refine their personalized learning goals. Participants should register by June 21.
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- NGLC Mass. learning excursions: Next Generation Learning Challenges (NGLC) invites Massachusetts public middle and high school teams to apply to participate in an immersive exploration of bold schools. The 2018-19 Massachusetts learning excursions include trips to Colorado, California, and Maine. The schools, many of which received funding from NGLC, each demonstrate a different combination of student-centered, personalized, competency-based, experiential, and technology-enabled learning. The trips are opportunities to examine practice; connect with teachers, school leaders, and students; and explore ways to bring inspiring new ideas to a school. Applications are due by Sept. 7, 2018. Anyone with questions can email contact NGLC Deputy Director Stefanie Blouin.
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