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A message from the
Massachusetts Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education

November 15, 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 to Meet
  2. Pictures of the Week: Sharing for Success Dissemination Fair
  3. Webinar for Elementary Principals on Trauma-Informed Practices
  4. Breakfast After the Bell Mandate
  5. Elementary Principals December Network Sessions
  6. High-Quality Curriculum: A Foundation for Student Success
  7. High School Computation Science Pathway Project Awarded
  8. Action Required for FY2021 Grant Applicants
  9. DESE Resource Corner: A Parent’s Guide to Special Education
  10. For Your Info: Poetry Out Loud for High Schools

1. Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to Meet:


The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education will meet at 9:00 a.m. Tuesday, November 19 at DESE in Malden. The agenda includes an overview of the Kaleidoscope Collective for Learning, a vote on the Board’s FY2021 budget proposal, and a vote to solicit public comment on proposed amendments to Vocational Technical Education Regulations, 603 CMR 4.00.
 
The Department plans to stream the meeting online at https://livestream.com/accounts/22459134.

2. Pictures of the Week:

Five secondary school students stand in a row, three boys and two girls, and each holds a packet of paper. One of the girls is speaking to the audience.
Dr. Kandice Sumner holds a microphone and delivers her keynote address.
On November 8, approximately 250 people from traditional public schools, charter schools, expanded learning time schools and others learned about innovative practices as part of DESE’s Sharing for Success Dissemination Fair. Presenters included keynote speaker Dr. Kandice Sumner (above right), an English teacher at Newton South High School, and students from Watertown Public Schools (above left), who spoke about their district’s work on Kingian non-violence. Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s fair!

3. Webinar for Elementary Principals on Trauma-Informed Practices:


The Department’s Early Learning team, in collaboration with the Massachusetts School Administrators Association, will offer a webinar entitled “A Leadership Guide to Creating Safe and Supportive Schools” for elementary principals at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 20. The webinar is an opportunity to dive deeper into trauma-informed practices at the elementary level. Registration is open online for elementary principals who are interested in attending.  Anyone interested in participating in the webinar should register online by Monday, November 18.

4. Breakfast After the Bell Mandate:


As a continuation from SY2018-2019, the FY2020 State Budget mandates that public schools must serve breakfast after the instructional day begins if at least 60 percent of the school’s students qualify for free or reduced price meals. In recognition that changing breakfast service can be challenging, DESE and Project Bread have several free resources available to help with implementation. More information regarding the FY2020 state budget mandate requiring Breakfast After the Bell and the list of impacted schools are available online.

5. Elementary Principals December Network Sessions:


The Department’s Early Learning Team and the Massachusetts School Administrators Association (MSAA) will host a series of regional networking and professional development opportunities for elementary principals (preschool-third grade) during the 2019-2020 school year. Social and emotional learning and trauma-informed practices are the theme for this year’s series. Registration is now open for the December network meetings, which will be held Friday, December 6 in Northbridge; Wednesday, December 11 in Dartmouth; and Friday, December 13 in Holyoke. All three will run from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Anyone interested in attending one of the sessions should register by Monday, December 2. Details will be sent to registered participants a few days before the session.

6. High-Quality Curriculum: A Foundation for Student Success:


Join the Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy on Wednesday, December 4 to explore how curriculum can support deeper learning and better student outcomes. Participants will learn about DESE’s CURATE project and how schools and districts are identifying and using high-quality curriculum as an essential tool for advancing equity within schools and communities. This event will feature a keynote address from Commissioner Riley, an opportunity to experience high-quality curriculum firsthand (facilitated by Teaching Lab), and a panel discussion by Massachusetts educators.
 
The event will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the University of Massachusetts Club (1 Beacon St., Boston). Click here to register, or email Laura Dziorny at ldziorny@renniecenter.org for more information.

7. High School Computation Science Pathway Project Awarded:


The Education Development Center, in collaboration with DESE, was recently awarded funding from the National Science Foundation to develop a computational science pathway to college and career options for Massachusetts high school students. This project will integrate the Digital Literacy and Computer Science Framework and real world skills into traditional biology, chemistry, and physics courses. Educators selected for the pilot will be receive comprehensive professional development and coaching throughout the project.
 
High school educators interested in piloting any of these Science+C courses in the 2020-2021 school year are asked to complete an online Interest Form.

8. Action Required for FY2021 Grant Applicants:


The Department is asking all agency partners who receive grant funding to complete a revised Commonwealth of Massachusetts – Standard Contract Form (SCF) which will take effect July 1, 2020. This form is part of a master agreement that is good for 10 years. The form is published and issued jointly by the Executive Office for Administration and Finance, the Office of the State Comptroller, and the Operational Services Division for use by all departments for new grants/contracts and grant/contract agreements or renewals. 
 
Please review this memo and kindly respond by returning the required forms by January 31, 2020. The Department must have this documentation in place before it can release any FY2021 grants to applicants. Anyone with questions should call grants management at 781-338-6595.

9. DESE Resource Corner


A Parent’s Guide to Special Education: In collaboration with the Federation for Children with Special Needs, DESE previously created "A Parent's Guide to Special Education", a resource for parents and organizations that serve them. Now, DESE’s Office of Special Education Planning and Policy is excited to share the newly developed, online, interactive guide to complement the original. The interactive guide is in the form of an e-learning module. Both the original Parent Guide and the e-learning module highlight Massachusetts' special education systems, and both were designed for families who have children with disabilities. The e-learning module is accessible through DESE’s Special Education homepage or directly at http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/videos/parents-guide/index.html#/

10. For your info:

  • Poetry Out Loud for High Schools: High schools have until Friday, December 20, to sign up for this year’s Poetry Out Loud competition. Poetry Out Loud is the national recitation contest that celebrates the power of the spoken word and mastery of public speaking while cultivating self-confidence and an appreciation of literary heritage. Poetry Out Loud is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation and is run in Massachusetts by the Mass Cultural Council and the Huntington Theatre Company’s Education Department. The state champion wins a $200 cash prize and an all-expense paid trip to compete in Washington, D.C., plus $500 for their school to purchase poetry materials. For more information, visit www.huntingtontheatre.org/pol or email poetryoutloud@huntingtontheatre.org.
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