4. New Members Needed for State and Regional Student Advisory Councils:
Massachusetts is proud to have a student elected by students to represent them as a full voting member of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. Supporting this student is the State Student Advisory Council (SSAC) and five Regional Student Advisory Councils (RSAC). These councils offer students amazing leadership opportunities in a safe environment. In the past, students have worked on projects related to civic education and engagement, health and wellness policies, mental health, and college and career readiness.
The Department is seeking student council members for the 2020-2021 school year. Election information is available online and includes suggestions for conducting elections during school closures as well as a Survey Gizmo link to register your students and school for membership. High schools should hold elections for council members by Friday, May 29. Anyone with questions can contact Donna Taylor at 781-338-6320 or dtaylor@doe.mass.edu.
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5. New Deadline for SOA Plans:
In light of the need to focus on efforts to support and instruct students during the COVID-19 pandemic and consistent with St. 2020, Ch. 56, § 9, Commissioner Riley has extended the deadline for district Student Opportunity Act (SOA) plans to Friday, June 19. (Charter schools will submit their SOA plans by Friday, July 31.) He may extend the deadline further as the timeline for the state budget becomes clearer.
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6. Chapter 688 Referrals:
The Department urges schools and districts to continue to submit Chapter 688 referrals during the COVID-19 crisis. These referrals, mandated by state law, are essential so that state agencies, such as the Department of Developmental Services, the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, and the Department of Mental Health, can request correct levels of funding from the legislature to serve students with disabilities who will turn 22 and are eligible for agency services. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has heard from these agencies that 688 referrals are down by as much as 75 percent during the pandemic. This could result in a corresponding plunge in state funding for students when they turn 22, unless 688 referrals rebound. Referrals should be completed two years before the student’s anticipated date of exit, but late referrals are always accepted. The Department acknowledges that, during the current emergency, schools and districts face many barriers in submitting 688 referrals and is grateful for districts’ efforts on behalf of students.
During this time of crisis, state agencies have modified 688 referral submission requirements. Schools and districts should continue to use the Virtual Gateway, but they do not need to collect a wet signature from the parent. Parental consent may be obtained through a wet signature or e-signature, email consent, or verbal consent documented in school or agency staff notes. At a minimum, 688 referrals should be submitted with the student’s most recent individualized education program (IEP) and most recent three-year evaluation.
For questions about 688 filing or referral, please contact Kathy Stern in the Bureau of Transition Planning at 857-352-1741 or kathleen.stern@mass.gov.
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7. Preschool Remote Learning Guidance:
The Department’s Early Learning Team has created a Preschool Remote Learning Guide for use during the COVID-19 school building closures. It features background information about teaching remotely as well as prerequisite content standards for all content areas of the Massachusetts curriculum frameworks, including the Preschool and Kindergarten Social and Emotional Learning and Approaches to Play and Learning Standards. This guide is a companion to the elementary and secondary guides and is also posted on the DESE Learning at Home page.
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8. ST Math Access for Massachusetts Schools:
Student progress in math is at greatest potential of a “COVID-19 slide,” according to a report that NWEA published in April. To help mitigate student learning loss, the One8 Foundation, MIND Research Institute, and DESE are partnering to give schools access to ST Math at no cost for grades K-6. ST Math (Spatial-Temporal Math), created by MIND Research Institute, is a visual instructional program aligned to grade-level standards that helps students learn through challenging puzzles, non-routine problem solving, and informative feedback. Schools interested in ST Math will be able to use the program over the summer and through the 2020-21 school year. Visit mass.stmath.com for the more information, and please email massprogram@mindresearch.org with any questions.
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- Principals of the Year: The Massachusetts School Administrators Association (MSAA) recently announced that Michael Rubin, principal of Uxbridge High School, has been selected as the 2021 MSAA High School Principal of the Year, and Stacy Monette, principal of the Paul R. Baird Middle School in Ludlow, has been selected as the MSAA Middle School Principal of the Year. Congratulations, Mr. Rubin and Mrs. Monette!
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- Remote learning Twitter chat: Massachusetts 2020 Teacher of the Year Takeru Nagayoshi (@TK_Nagayoshi), an English and research teacher at New Bedford High School, and DESE (@MASchoolsK12) will host a Twitter chat for teachers at 7 p.m. Monday, May 18 using the hashtag #RemoteLearningMA.
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