5. Edwin “Office Hours” Webinars:
Based on feedback from the field, DESE has started monthly Edwin “Office Hours” Webinars for authorized Edwin users from schools and districts. Each session will include a brief overview of a particular Edwin report or set of reports as well as an extensive Q&A block to explore questions about any Edwin reports. Questions do not need to be about the highlighted report(s). The next webinar will be on Thursday, April 4 and will highlight the Workforce report. Sign up online.
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6. Vacancies on State Special Education Advisory Council:
The Department’s State Special Education Advisory Council is seeking candidates for vacancies in the following statutorily designated membership categories:
- Parents of children (ages 3-22) with disabilities,
- Related service personnel and/or educators, and
- Representatives of higher education institutions that prepare special education and related services personnel.
The Department prioritizes diversity of membership when selecting new members. Interpretation services are available upon request. Interested individuals are encouraged to submit a resume and letter of interest by Tuesday, April 30 to akrukonis@doe.mass.edu or by mail to Amy Krukonis, Office of Public School Monitoring, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 436 Dwight St., B40, Springfield, MA 01103. Anyone with questions should email Ms. Krukonis.
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7. State Seal of Biliteracy Program:
The State Seal of Biliteracy (a key element of “An Act Relative to Language Opportunity for Our Kids”, also known as the LOOK Act) begins with the graduating class of 2019. Participation in the State Seal of Biliteracy Program is voluntary for districts. The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education adopted regulations last year with the criteria that school districts must use to award the State Seal of Biliteracy.
Districts that wish to participate should identify a primary and secondary contact for communicating with DESE about the district's participation. The identified contacts should:
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8. DESE Resource Corner
Updated staff and student feedback surveys available: Research shows that students’ feedback about their learning experience correlates with indicators of educator effectiveness such as student engagement, students’ belief in their own abilities, and academic gains. When used with other information, staff and student feedback help provide a more accurate and comprehensive picture of an educator’s practice than observations or achievement data alone.
The Department’s model staff and student feedback surveys have been revised to reflect recent updates to the Model Classroom Teacher and School-level Administrator Rubrics. Available in standard, short, and mini formats, DESE’s model feedback surveys are designed to yield meaningful information for educators about their practice and are aligned to the Standards for Effective Teaching and Effective Administrative Leadership Practice. For additional information on incorporating staff and student feedback into the evaluation process, please see the Quick Reference Guide: Student and Staff Feedback and a helpful Implementation Guide developed by DESE’s teacher and principal advisory cabinets.
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- First NESSC Massachusetts State Champion: Each year, the New England Secondary School Consortium’s state and regional Champion Awards honor the unique contributions of New England leaders working to raise graduation rates, lower dropout rates, and send more students on to college and postsecondary-certification programs. Dr. Lourenço Garcia, the executive director of data and accountability for Revere Public Schools (and former principal of Revere High School), recently became the first NESSC Massachusetts State Champion. Congratulations, Dr. Garcia!
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- Conference on vaping and adolescents: The Massachusetts Health Council will hold a forum on “Vaping: Addiction and the Adolescent Brain” from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 22 at Bentley University in Waltham. Speakers will include Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel. Tickets cost $50 and include lunch.
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