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A message from the
Massachusetts Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education

November, 30, 2018
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News from Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Contents:

  1. Board Recap and Commenting on CD Regulations on High School Science
  2. Picture of the Week: Pioneer Charter School of Science II
  3. Accountability and Assistance Advisory Council Meeting and Call for Nominations
  4. InSPIRED Fellowship Opportunity
  5. Grant Opportunity: Empowering Educators through Autonomy Planning
  6. Personalized Learning Survey for Principals
  7. Nominations Open for Massachusetts Teacher of the Year
  8. Planning for Success Training Opportunities
  9. For Your Info: Webinar on SEL and family and community partnerships

1. Board Recap and Commenting on CD Regulations on High School Science:


The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education met at on November 20 in Malden and approved the Board’s FY20 budget proposal and voted to solicit public comment on proposed amendments to Competency Determination regulations on high school science. Comments on the proposed amendments may be submitted by mail to: Judy Marcella, Student Assessment Office, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 75 Pleasant St., Malden, MA 02148, by fax to: 781-338-3630 or by e-mail to: mcas@doe.mass.edu. The deadline to submit public comment is Friday, January 11. The Board is expected to vote on the proposed amendments at its regular monthly meeting scheduled for February 12, 2019.
 
A video of the Board meeting is available at https://livestream.com/accounts/22459134.

Picture of the Week:

On November 29, Commissioner Riley visited Pioneer Charter School of Science II in Saugus, where he toured the school and met with students and parents. Here, he speaks with students in a 10th grade chemistry class. (Photo courtesy of Pioneer Charter School of Science II)
Three 10th grade girls sit sit at desks clustered together while Commissioner Riley sits beside them and listens as one of them explains to him what they're doing. They have paper, a glue stick, pens and other materials on the desks.

3. Accountability and Assistance Advisory Council Meeting and Call for Nominations:


The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education's Accountability and Assistance Advisory Council (AAAC) will meet from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 5 at the Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel, 181 Boston Post Road West, Marlborough. Topics for discussion include results from the accountability system feedback survey, 2019 accountability reporting, and supports provided by the DESE’s Systems for Student Success Office.
 
Additionally, DESE is seeking nominations to fill two vacant seats on the AAAC. The 15-member council advises the Board on matters pertaining to the development and implementation of the Commonwealth’s district and school accountability and assistance system. The council includes eight at-large members with a demonstrated record of achievement or academic expertise in an education-related field, one business/industry person with a proven commitment to education, and six members who nominated by specific entities. The current vacancies are for one at-large member and one business/industry member. The Department encourages diverse candidates to apply. Please submit nominations by email to Erica Gonzales, AAAC liaison, at egonzales@doe.mass.edu by Friday, December 21.

4. InSPIRED Fellowship Opportunity:


The Department is accepting applications until December 13 for the inaugural cohort of InSPIRED   (In-Service Professionals Increasing Racial and Ethnic Diversity) Fellows. The fellowship is designed to increase the diversity of the teaching workforce in Massachusetts and increase the retention rates of current educators committed to a diverse workforce.
 
Applicants should be current educators who have close connections to their school communities and who have the ability to connect with students in target districts in order to recruit the next generation of diverse, effective teachers. These connections may exist for a variety of reasons, including growing up in the district, being a fluent speaker of the predominant in-home language of many of the students in that community, or being a first-generation college student.
 
Fellows will concentrate their efforts in the following districts: Boston, Brockton, Chelsea, Everett, Holyoke, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Randolph, Revere, Springfield, and Worcester.
 
Educators can apply for the fellowship themselves, and individuals can also nominate educators who they think would be strong candidates. Please email EducatorDevelopment@doe.mas.edu with any questions.

5. Grant Opportunity: Empowering Educators through Autonomy Planning:


School districts across the Commonwealth and the nation have been exploring new ways to empower educators by granting more school-level autonomy. In order to promote thoughtful exploration of this idea, DESE will soon release a competitive grant to provide districts with up to $30,000 and technical assistance to explore how additional levers of autonomy can accelerate school improvement. Prior to the release of the grant, interested individuals are invited to learn more by joining a conference call from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 13. Please pre-register online for the call.

6. Personalized Learning Survey for Principals:


The Massachusetts Personalized Learning Edtech (MAPLE) Consortium, a DESE partner, is a network of 45 districts working to further the growth of student-centered personalized learning to enable all students to be ready for college and a career. One of MAPLE’s key goals is to get a better view of the current state of teaching in Massachusetts. To that end, MAPLE would appreciate school principals filling out the MAPLE Personalized Learning Survey  by Friday, December 14. The results of the survey will be shared. For additional information about MAPLE, please contact Executive Director David O’Connor at david@learnlaunch.org.

7. Nominations Open for Massachusetts Teacher of the Year:


The Department is now accepting nominations and applications for Massachusetts Teacher of the Year, a program that honors a Massachusetts teacher who exemplifies excellent teaching. The Department will accept nominations until February 1 and applications until February 15. In order to be eligible, teachers must have completed at least four years of teaching experience, spend the majority of the school day in direct instruction of students, possess an active and valid Massachusetts teaching license for the subject and grade level taught, teach in a public school or DESE-approved adult learning center, and be a full-time teacher. Anyone with questions about the program can email educatorrecognition@doe.mass.edu.

8. Planning for Success Training Opportunities:


Planning for Success is DESE’s recommended strategic planning process for schools and districts. The Department is offering several free Planning for Success training opportunities over the winter and during spring 2019:
  • Facilitation Training, February 19-22: This training prepares participants to facilitate the full strategic planning process in their own district or for others. Participants may include superintendents or other district or school leaders, staff at collaboratives, and independent consultants. Participants can earn 24 professional development points (PDPs). 
  • Action Planning Network (series), April 24, May 14, and June 5: Districts interested in building an annual action plan from an existing multi-year strategic plan are invited to participate in an Action Plan Network. Participants will learn to facilitate the action planning process while sharing progress and challenges with colleagues from across the state. The network meets for three sessions, and participants can earn 12 PDPs.
  • One-Day Workshops on Applying Planning for Success to Your District: Interested in learning about how to apply Planning for Success to your current context? Join one or more of the half-day workshops described below.
    • Creating a Plan for Your District: February 7
    • Improving Your Existing District Plan: March 14
    • Implementing and Aligning Resources to Support Your Plan: May 2
Contact Planning for Success Consultant Lori Likis (lorilikis@ccoaching.com) or Kathy Cross (kcross@doe.mass.edu) for an application or additional information.

For your info:
  • Webinar on SEL and family and community partnerships: The Regional Educational Laboratory of the North East and Islands, part of the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences, will host a webinar from 2:00-3:15 p.m. on Friday, December 7 on “The Role of Family and Community Partnerships in School-based Social and Emotional Learning Programs.” The presenters will be Tim Luff, assistant superintendent of student services for the Natick Public Schools, and Dr. Laura Hamilton, a Senior Behavioral Scientist with RAND Education. More information, including a link to registration, is available online.
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