5. Seeking Providers to Implement the Performance Review Program for Initial Licensure:
The Department is seeking providers to implement the Performance Review Program for Initial Licensure (PRPIL). The program is a mechanism through which a provisionally licensed Massachusetts teacher can demonstrate the skills, knowledge, and abilities required for an initial license. The bid solicitation/request for responses is posted online. Interested bidders should email edprep@doe.mass.edu to sign up for a webinar that DESE will hold at 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, January 29.
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6. Dropout Prevention Winter Convening:
The Dropout Prevention and Re-Engagement Work Group’s winter convening will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 13 at the Devens Common Center. The event will include a brief presentation on My Career and Academic Plan (MyCAP) and dropout/graduation rate data followed by a presentation on social and emotional learning and well-being for adults. The next part of the morning will have breakout sessions about dropout prevention work for English learners, students with disabilities, and Latino students and a session about alternative education. The popular Case Consultancy will be afterward and will be followed by optional “office hours” from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. for schools to meet with DESE staff. Participants should bring laptops.
The Department encourages schools working on dropout prevention and re-engagement issues to register teams of three to six people by Monday, February 10. Please email Lisa Harney or Nyal Fuentes with any questions.
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7. Edwin 101:
Edwin users from schools who have heard about all the data in Edwin but who are unsure how to logon and access it are invited to join DESE staff at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, February 10 for February’s Edwin “Office Hours” Webinar, Edwin 101, a nuts-and-bolts guide on using Edwin. The webinar is designed for people who are brand new to Edwin. The “Office Hours” web page includes a link for registration and materials from previous sessions.
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8. Early Learning Book Discussion:
The Department’s Early Learning Team, in collaboration with the Massachusetts School Administrators Association, will host its first book group as part of this year's professional development series for elementary principals. The book is “The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog and Other Stories from a Child Psychiatrist's Notebook -- What Traumatized Children Can Teach Us about Loss, Love, and Healing” by Bruce Perry and Maia Szalavitz. The book discussion will be held online and by teleconference from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. on Monday, February 10. Registration is open online.
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9. Case Studies of Districts Reallocating Resources to Support Priorities:
The Department is releasing nine case studies highlighting stories of districts that won a grant to support strategic reallocation of resources. The four-page case studies cover a range of projects areas; district leaders can look for one relevant to their district. A webinar introducing several of the case studies will be offered from noon to 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 26, and registration is open online.
Districts interested in assessing and strengthening their own use of resources can also refer to Resource Allocation and District Action Reports (RADAR) and use tools for local program evaluation available on the How Do We Know Initiative website.
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10. 2019 School and District Report Cards:
The Department recently made the 2019 school and district report cards available on the report cards website. The site also contains supporting documentation related to report cards, including a glossary and a sample report card cover letter, both of which are available in English and nine other languages.
As a reminder, the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires that districts receiving Title I funds distribute report cards to all parents or guardians of students enrolled in district schools. The Department asks that districts distribute report cards to families by the end of February 2020. For more information, including details about electronic distribution, visit the website, email esea@doe.mass.edu, or call (781) 338-3550.
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11. March Elementary Principals Network Meetings:
The Department’s Early Learning Team, in collaboration with the Massachusetts School Administrators Association, will host the next round of elementary principal networking meetings from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 4 in Dedham; Friday, March 6 in Rowe; Wednesday, March 11 in Salem; and Friday, March 13 in Mashpee. Social and emotional Learning (SEL), safe and supportive schools, and trauma-informed practices are the theme for this year’s series. Anyone who would like to attend one of the sessions can register online.
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12. Application Period Open for Approval of “After Dark” Programs:
The next round of Chapter 74 Partnership Program (“After Dark”) approval applications will be open until Friday, March 13. The link above includes more information on these innovative partnerships to expand access to career/vocational technical education opportunities, and it also has a link to the application portal.
(Please note that transportation reimbursements may be available for this round of programs. For more information on transportation reimbursement, please contact Cliff Chuang at cchuang@doe.mass.edu.)
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