Commissioner's Weekly Update 8 10 18 - Early Literacy Grant, Charter School Applications, Model Rubrics

A message from the
Massachusetts Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education

August 10, 2018

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News from Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Early Grades Literacy Grant Program:

Applications are now available for DESE’s early grades literacy grant program, Creating Robust Language Rich Environments for all Students. This provides funding for a team of teachers and at least one administrator to participate in a year-long professional learning series that supports the implementation of the 2017 English Language Arts and Literacy Framework. The program will help early literacy educators understand the development and progression of language in young children and the language standards in the framework, integrate the language standards into daily instruction, and engage early grade students with developmentally appropriate tasks that integrate the language standards. A total of approximately $890,000 is projected to be available and will be distributed based on the number of quality proposals submitted and approved. Schools must express interest via the brief Letter of Intent by 5:00 p.m. Friday, August 10, 2018. Anyone with questions can contact Katherine Tarca via email or at 781-338-6239.

Picture of the Week:

In May, Commissioner Riley visited Worcester Public Schools, including this classroom at Elm Park Community School, where he spoke with students. The commissioner has a number of visits planned across the state this fall and may teach during some of them.

Charter School Prospectuses and Expansion Requests:

Three groups have submitted prospectuses to open a new charter school, and five existing schools have asked to expand their enrollment, DESE announced this week. The Department will decide by mid-September which applicant groups to invite to submit full proposals. The final applications will be due by October 25, and Commissioner Riley will then decide which finalists to recommend to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education for consideration in February 2019.

On the expansion requests, the commissioner and Board will consider comments solicited from the superintendents within each school's district or region. Members of the public may also submit written comments regarding a school's expansion request by sending the comments to charterschools@doe.mass.edu or Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, c/o Office of Charter Schools and School Redesign, 75 Pleasant St., Malden, MA 02148.

Comments on proposed new schools will be solicited during the final application stage, including at public hearings that will be scheduled in the cities and towns where the proposed charter schools intend to locate.

Updated Model Rubrics for Classroom Teachers and Principals:

Since the release of the model educator evaluation system in 2012, DESE has been collecting feedback about the model rubrics. In 2016, DESE began partnering with teachers and leaders to refine the model rubrics for teachers and principals. The goal was to make the rubrics easier to use and apply within the day-to-day work of teaching and leading.

The updated model rubrics feature:

Fewer elements, due to the consolidation or removal of redundant content,
Clarified descriptors and clearer language, and
Stronger connections to critical instructional practices (e.g. standards-based instruction, social-emotional learning, and culturally responsive teaching and leading).

Districts can adopt or adapt the new model rubrics or use a comparably rigorous and comprehensive rubric. More information is available on DESE’s Rubric Refinement Project page.

Early College Programs:

The Baker-Polito Administration has designated four more partnerships Early College Programs: Lawrence Public Schools and Merrimack College; Lawrence Public Schools and Northern Essex Community College; Holyoke Public Schools, Springfield Public Schools, Westfield Public Schools and Westfield State University; and Worcester Public Schools and Worcester State University and Quinsigamond Community College. Congratulations to all!

For your info:

Clean energy grants: The Baker-Polito Administration recently announced a total of $480,000 in grants spread over three high schools for hands-on learning and academic training programs that prepare students to pursue clean energy and STEM higher education majors and careers. The grants were awarded by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center to Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical High School, Greater Lawrence Technical School, and Norfolk County Agricultural High School.
Fran Pratt Award: Bridges Together is accepting entries for the 2018 Fran Pratt Award, which recognizes individuals who are creating and maintaining opportunities for older adults and young people to engage with each other in meaningful ways. Entries are due by Sept. 14.

Mass IDEAS School Design Institute: Applications are now being accepted for Mass IDEAS’ next School Design Institute on October 13-14 at Babson Executive Conference Center in Wellesley. Teams from all grade levels of Massachusetts public schools are invited to learn design skills and receive coaching, feedback, and support to solve problems of practice in their schools and communities. During the Institute, teams will create innovative solutions to problems affecting student learning. After the weekend, teams will have an opportunity to be selected for an implementation grant of up to $15,000. Applications are due at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 6.