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A message from the
Massachusetts Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education

April 5, 2019
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News from Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Contents:

  1. Message from Commissioner Riley about the 10th Grade English Language Arts MCAS
  2. Picture of the Week: Recruiting Teachers
  3. Teacher of the Year Finalists and Semifinalists
  4. Innovation Pathways Designation and Application Process for SY2019-2020
  5. DESE’s Student Councils Seek New Members for 2019-2020
  6. Resources for Adults Who Need to Improve Their Literacy Skills or Learn English
  7. Implementing Your District Plan and Aligning Resources (Planning for Success)
  8. Spring Convening of the Dropout Prevention and Reengagement Work Group
  9. Joint Letter on Vaping, Marijuana, and Opioid Risks
  10. VISTA 2019: Thank you!
  11. For Your Info: Webinar on evidence-based interventions

1. Message from Commissioner Riley about the 10th Grade English Language Arts MCAS:


The Department heard from Boston Public Schools administrators on Friday, March 29, that some students had raised concerns about an essay prompt that was near the end of the 10th grade English language arts MCAS test. On Sunday, March 31, I decided that we would not score the item, and we asked districts to instruct students who were taking makeup tests not to answer the question. The test will still have a similar ratio of writing to other content as in past years, even with this essay question removed.
 
We have a strong item review process, but this question got through. We take responsibility for it and will learn from this. We hope to hear directly from students after testing is done. We are continuing to review all the information related to this issue to determine how we can improve the process in the future.
In a room with a wall of windows at the far side, four people stand speaking to a roomful of college students and other adults, who are seated in chairs in rows.

Picture of the Week:

On April 26, Commissioner Riley and four of DESE’s InSPIRED fellows, Anjali Nirmalan, Shakeeda Bartee, Kwame Sarfo-Mensah, and Mandy Lam, went to UMass Boston to talk to students about becoming teachers. The commissioner and others have been visiting higher education institutions around the state to build interest in the teaching profession and talk about the need for more teachers of color.

3. Teacher of the Year Finalists and Semifinalists:


The Department is pleased to announce the finalists and semifinalists for 2020 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year! The four finalists are:
  • Kevin Dua, a high school history and psychology teacher at Cambridge Rindge & Latin School;
  • Marissa Gumas, a math teacher at Blake Middle School in Medfield;
  • Takeru Nagayoshi, an English teacher at New Bedford High School; and
  • Jenney Pascarelli, a physical education teacher at Memorial Elementary School in Natick.
The semifinalists are:
  • Rachel Crawford, a music teacher in the Bartlett Community Partnership School in Lowell;
  • Eamon Cunningham, an English teacher at Milford High School;
  • Dominique Gilmer, a special education teacher at the Nathan Hale School in Boston;
  • Roxanne Grover, a health teacher at Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School in Haverhill;
  • Chaitra McCarty Byrd, a third grade teacher at Hyannis West Elementary School;
  • Michael Neagle, a history teacher at Pyne Arts Magnet School in Lowell; and
  • Jennifer Ryan, a fifth grade teacher at Pine Hill Elementary School in Sherborn.
Congratulations to each of these educators! The Department will select the 2020 Teacher of the Year from among the finalists and announce the selection in May.

4. Innovation Pathways Designation and Application Process for SY2019-2020:


In summer 2017, the Commonwealth launched a High Quality College and Career Pathways (HQCCP) initiative, which serves as an overarching strategy for significantly expanding student access to high-quality career pathways. Innovation Pathways are designed to create strong partnerships with employers in order to expose students to career options and help them develop knowledge and skills related to their chosen field of study before they graduate from high school. In 2019, DESE is excited to open a third round of applications for the Innovation Pathways Designation.
 
More information about the High Quality College and Career Pathways initiative and the Innovation Pathways Designation Criteria and application process for school year 2019-2020 is available online. Please email Jennifer Gwatkin with any questions.

5. DESE’s Student Councils Seek New Members for 2019-2020:


Massachusetts takes pride in being the only state where a student is elected by students to represent them as a full voting member of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. Supporting this student is a state student advisory council and five regional advisory councils. They provide students with an important voice in state educational policy and an opportunity to engage with their peers from across the state.
 
The Department is seeking student council members for the 2019-2020 school year. The deadline for schools to hold Student Advisory Council elections is April 23. Election information is available online and includes a Survey Gizmo link to register your students and school. Anyone with questions can contact Donna Taylor at 781-338-6320 or dtaylor@doe.mass.edu.

6. Resources for Adults Who Need to Improve Their Literacy Skills or Learn English:


The Massachusetts Adult Literacy Hotline provides referrals to over 300 adult education programs that offer one-on-one tutoring and small-group or classroom instruction to adult learners. Individuals can visit the hotline website or call 800-447-8844 for information about basic reading, math, English language training, family literacy, and High School Equivalency Test preparation and testing sites.
 
Adults who would like to learn English have a new resource starting this month in the form of mobile apps that will be free through August 2020. Android phone users can access Amrita Learning, Cell-Ed, Codex: Lost Words of Atlantis, and Learning Upgrade. iPhone users can access Cell-Ed and Learning Upgrade. The EdTech Center @ World Education will hold two webinars about the apps for schools, adult education providers, and other service providers working with adults. The first is a recorded webinar that focuses on Codex: Lost Words of Atlantis and Cell-Ed. The second will be a live webinar and will focus on Amrita Learning and Learning Upgrade and will run from 2:00-3:00 p.m. on April 12. Registration is open online.

7. Implementing Your District Plan and Aligning Resources (Planning for Success):


This four-hour workshop will focus on next steps for districts that have a finished plan identifying strategic objectives and/or initiatives and are focused on how best to implement and use resources to bring the plan to life. Note: both locations provide the same content. The workshop will be held on May 2 at DESE in Malden and on May 20 at Devens Common Center. Both sessions run from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Registration is open online until April 27.  For more information, please email Kathy Cross or Lori Likis.

8. Spring Convening of the Dropout Prevention and Reengagement Work Group:


The spring convening of the Dropout Prevention and Reengagement Work Group, How Students Thrive: Fostering Positive Youth Development Mindsets and Practices, will be held Wednesday, May 8, at the Doubletree Hotel in Leominster. This workshop, facilitated by staff from Springpoint and DESE, will provide participants with an overview of Positive Youth Development and concrete strategies for shifting mindsets and practice to ensure that every student is successful in high school and beyond. The Department encourages schools to register a team of two to six people encompassing a variety of roles. Following the workshop, DESE staff will hold “office hours” for schools to receive 1:1 support on multiple DESE data tools.  Participants should bring laptops so they can begin looking at their data. Schools and districts should register their team for the convening by April 30. 

9. Joint Letter on Vaping, Marijuana, and Opioid Risks:


Commissioner Riley and Department of Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel have written a joint letter about vaping, marijuana, and opioids. The letter includes information and resources to assist schools and families in partnering to prevent vaping, marijuana, and opioid use. The Department encourages schools and districts to share this letter with families.

10. VISTA 2019: Thank you!


The Department would like to thank the almost 150 superintendents and over 700 principals who participated in the 2019 Views of Instruction, State Standards, Teaching, and Assessment (VISTA) survey. We appreciate your time and feedback. Program offices will use the feedback to inform policies, programs, grants, and resources. Please visit the VISTA webpage over the summer for summaries of this year’s feedback.

11. For your info:
  • Webinar on evidence-based interventions: From 3:00-4:30 p.m. on April 16, the Regional Education Laboratory, part of the federal Institute of Education Sciences, will conduct an interactive webinar to help schools and districts learn about a new tool to support the review of research literature and the selection of evidence-based interventions that are appropriate to their local contexts. More information, including registration, is available online.
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