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A message from the
Massachusetts Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education

October 25, 2019
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News from Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Contents:

  1. Board to Meet
  2. Pictures of the Week: STEM Week
  3. Civics Project Guidebook
  4. EEC Community Learning Sessions
  5. Reminder on U.S. Presidential Scholarship Nominations
  6. Green Ribbon School and District Opportunity
  7. School Counselors - Ensuring All Students are Future Ready
  8. Concurrent Enrollment Grant Opportunity

1.  Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to Meet:


The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education will meet at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, October 29 at DESE in Malden. The agenda includes five items for discussion: a report on the Curriculum Ratings by Teachers (CURATE) and Open Sci Ed initiatives to strengthen instructional materials, planning the competency determination standard for the class of 2024 and beyond, an update on activities to serve students with dyslexia, an update on the school finance bill, and the Board’s FY21 budget proposal.
 
The Department plans to stream the meeting online at https://livestream.com/accounts/22459134.

2. Pictures of the Week: STEM Week
Lt. Governor Polito and four boys build what looks like an egg-shaped structure with straw-like sticks and joints.
Commissioner Riley, Lt. Governor Polito, and a classroom of students pose for a group photo in front of a bright window in a recently opened classroom with new desks and green plastic chairs.
As part of the October 21 kickoff for the Commonwealth’s second annual STEM Week, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito and students participated in activities at the Museum of Science. After the kickoff, the lieutenant governor joined Commissioner Riley for a visit to the Eliot School in Boston, where students were learning through hands-on STEM Week curriculum developed by i2 Learning.

3. Civics Project Guidebook:


The Department is excited to publish the Civics Project Guidebook, a guidance document to support implementation of Chapter 296 of the Acts of 2018, An Act to promote and enhance civic engagement. The Department developed the guidebook in partnership with Generation Citizen and The Democratic Knowledge Project of Harvard University’s Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics. The Guidebook outlines key components of grade 8 and high school student-led civics projects aligned to the 2018 History and Social Science Framework. Included are six stages of student-led civics projects, considerations for district implementation, planning and assessment resources, and case studies for use in professional development.

4. EEC Community Learning Sessions:


The Department of Early Education and Care is holding learning sessions across the state to help the agency in its strategic planning process. The plan will help all children develop as lifelong learners and contributing members of the community and will support families in their work as parents and caregivers. Sessions will be held on Monday, October 28 in Taunton; Tuesday, October 29 in Quincy; Wednesday, November 13 in Lawrence; Thursday, November 14 in Springfield; Monday, November 18 in Worcester; and Tuesday, November 19 in Boston. Details and registration are available online. People can also contribute ideas through an online survey.

5. Reminder on U.S. Presidential Scholarship Nominations:


The deadline to submit nominations of high school seniors for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program is 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, October 30. Schools may nominate up to two students (of different genders) in either the general category or the career and technical education student category. Please send nominations via email to Donna Pisaturo at dpisaturo@doe.mass.edu. For eligibility criteria and additional information, please download the guidelines for nominations by schools, the individual school form, and the student information form.

6. Green Ribbon School and District Opportunity:

Leaders of schools and districts who are interested in applying to be a Massachusetts Green Ribbon School or District are invited to an informational webinar at 4:00 p.m. Thursday, November 7. Registration is open online.

7. School Counselors - Ensuring All Students are Future Ready:


The Massachusetts School Counselor’s Association (MASCA), the Department, and Bentley University will sponsor a convening, “Ensuring All Students are Future Ready”, from 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on December 3 at Bentley in Waltham. The agenda includes a discussion lead by Commissioner Riley about the role of school counselors. The event is free. Registration is open online until Friday, November 29.

8. Concurrent Enrollment Grant Opportunity:


The Department is pleased to share with districts a planning grant opportunity through the Department of Higher Education that will support partnerships between local school districts and state colleges and universities to meet the special education needs of youth ages 18-22 who have intellectual disabilities or autism. The grant will fund new partnerships to design and pilot Massachusetts Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment Initiative (MAICEI) programs in areas of the state where they do not currently exist. Inclusive concurrent enrollment programs are age-appropriate college opportunities that provide cost-effective transition experiences with positive employment, academic, and self-determination outcomes. For more information, please see these videos for prospective students, families, and educators. Districts that are interested in submitting a grant proposal or that want to join one of the 15 existing partnerships are asked to contact Glenn Gabbard, MAICEI state coordinator, at ggabbard@dhe.edu or 617-994-6956. The Department encourages all districts to explore participation in the initiative.
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