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A message from the
Massachusetts Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education

April 26, 2019
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News from Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Contents:

  1. Board of Elementary and Secondary Education Meeting
  2. Picture of the Week: Chinese Educators Visit Technical Schools
  3. Dropout Prevention and Re-Engagement Spring Convening
  4. Gifted Education Meetings
  5. RADAR Benchmarking Data
  6. Mental Health Consortium Meetings in Western Mass.
  7. Registration Open for Civics and Social Science Events
  8. Help Us Identify Distinguished Educators
  9. Financial Education Survey

1. Board of Elementary and Secondary Education Meeting:


The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education met on April 23 at Newton North High School. The Board heard a report from the State Student Advisory Council, discussed the FY 2020 education budget proposal from House Ways and Means Committee, and heard an update on the Massachusetts Individualized Education Program (IEP) Improvement Project.
 
A video of the meeting is available online at https://livestream.com/accounts/22459134. 

Picture of the Week:

Educators from the Jiangsu province of China visited Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School in Danvers during the first week in April to learn about career technical education. The group also visited Madison Park Technical Vocational High School in Boston and Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School in Bourne. (Photo courtesy of Essex Tech)
Adults in safety goggles stand in a technical shop watching a student use a large machine with a teacher beside him. Other students are seated on stools, watching.

3. Dropout Prevention and Re-Engagement Spring Convening:


The Dropout Prevention and Re-Engagement Work Group’s spring convening will take place at Devens from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 8 and will focus on “How Students Thrive: Fostering Positive Youth Development (PYD) Mindsets and Practices.” Springpoint will facilitate the workshop, which will provide participants with an overview of Positive Youth Development and concrete strategies for shifting mindsets and practices to ensure that every student is successful in high school and beyond. The Department encourages schools to register teams of two to six people encompassing a variety of roles. 
 
Following the workshop, from 12:30-2:30 p.m., DESE staff will hold “office hours” for schools to receive 1:1 support from DESE staff on the multiple DESE data tools available. Participants should bring laptops.  
Schools should register their team for the workshop by Tuesday, April 30.

4. Gifted Education Meetings:


The Department invites the public to two meetings that will share preliminary findings from and gather stakeholder input on a policy and practice review of gifted education in Massachusetts. Both meetings are on Wednesday, May 8. The first meeting will be from 2:30-4:30 p.m. at Shrewsbury Town Hall, and the second will be from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Costin Room of the main branch of the Framingham Public Library. The presentation will be the same at both meetings. Please register in advance.

5. RADAR Benchmarking Data:


Districts can now download an updated RADAR Benchmarking file from the RADAR webpage with 2019 enrollment and staff data and 2018 finance data. The Department is offering an introductory webinar from 12:00-1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 22 and from 3:00-4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 11. The same material will be covered in both sessions. Registration is open online.
 
Other resources available on the RADAR webpage include a short introduction to RADAR video, a one-page handout on RADAR, a guide to looking at change over five years with RADAR Benchmarking, and an online tutorial. The Department expects to add final finance data for 2018 in July and performance data in October.

6. Mental Health Consortium Meetings in Western Mass.: 


The Massachusetts School Mental Health Consortium has had recent meetings at Merrimack College in North Andover (the next one there will be from 12:00-2:00 p.m. on May 30) and is now offering additional meetings in Western Massachusetts to increase participation across the Commonwealth. All interested districts are welcome to attend. The Western Mass. kickoff meeting will be from 11:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 23 in West Springfield. Registration is open online. For more information, please visit the consortium’s web page and contact John Crocker, director of school mental health and behavioral services for Methuen Public Schools, at jncrocker@methuen.k12.ma.us.
 
The consortium is comprised of school districts committed to improving student mental health services and supports. Consortium member districts recognize the growing needs of student populations relative to mental illness and substance use and seek creative solutions to enhance prevention efforts, reduce wait time for therapeutic services, and increase the quality and sustainability of school mental health services and supports. The consortium is supported by the efforts of each member district and by individuals and organizations committed to enhancing school mental health. Since its inception, the consortium has brought together close to 90 school districts and supporters from the local, regional, national, and federal levels.

7. Registration Open for Civics and Social Science Events:


The Department is pleased to announce two convenings in June, each focused on deepening educators’ understanding of the 2018 History and Social Science Curriculum Framework.
 
The theme for the 2019 Civics Literacy Conference is “Civic Empowerment for Today and Tomorrow: From the Classroom to Community.” Workshops will address a range of topics connected to the 2018 History and Social Science Curriculum Framework, An Act to Promote and Enhance Civic Engagement, and school and community partnerships. Presenters will include K-12 educators as well as leaders from state, education, and community organizations. The conference will run from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 11 at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate. Register here!
 
The 2019 History & Social Science Professional Learning Institute will offer a series of in-depth workshops focused on using high quality, standards-aligned curricular materials to implement the 2018 History and Social Science Curriculum Framework. Attendees can choose between Thursday, June 13 or Friday, June 14 at Harvard Law School. Register here!

8. Help Us Identify Distinguished Educators:


The Department keeps a file of distinguished teachers and principals for consideration for membership on advisory boards and task forces and as candidates for special recognition programs. While DESE has a rich base of veteran educators represented in the current group, the agency would like to increase representation from educators who have at least five years’ experience but who are at the earlier end of their career. Individuals who know someone who fits that description are asked to provide confidential and specific information about them on this form. Please keep this recommendation confidential and do not share it with the individual or collaborate with a colleague to complete it. Please submit the form by June 14.

9. Financial Education Survey:


The Massachusetts Treasurer’s Office of Economic Empowerment invites districts and schools to participate in a study of the state of financial education. (Financial education is included in the new History and Social Science Curriculum Framework, and DESE will continue to provide districts and schools with financial education resources as mandated by recent legislation.) In the coming weeks, the Treasurer’s Office will send surveys to 120 superintendents and to the schools that operate in their districts. The surveys, which were prepared in collaboration with DESE, will ask about districts’ policies with regards to financial education and about the financial literacy content taught in schools. Districts’ participation will help the Treasury gather comprehensive information that will inform plans to advance financial education.
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