The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education
Briefing for December 15th Joint Meeting of the Boards of EEC and ESE: Building the Foundation for Early Literacy and Student Success
On Monday, December 15, 2014, from 5-7 p.m., the Board of Early Education and Care (EEC) and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) will hold a special joint meeting to discuss early childhood education. The theme of the special joint meeting is Building the Foundation for Early Literacy and Student Success.
Overview
We have two main topics on the agenda for the special meeting, both of which include a brief presentation followed by discussion. The first portion of the meeting involves Dr. Ralph Smith, Managing Director of the Campaign for Grade Level Reading at the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Second, staff from DESE and EEC will highlight a few examples of current inter-agency collaboration to strengthen early learning. We will also discuss possible next steps with the two boards.
Dr. Ralph Smith, Campaign for Grade Level Reading
This portion of the meeting includes a presentation and discussion with Dr. Smith on the topic of ensuring children reach the critical developmental milestone of reading on grade level by the end of third grade. The ability of a student to read proficiently by the end of third grade is a key predictor of high school graduation and career success. Key approaches in the Campaign for Grade Level Reading include addressing readiness gaps, attendance gaps, and summer learning loss.
Current Inter-Agency Collaboration to Strengthen Early Learning, and Possible Next Steps
Staff from EEC and DESE will present a brief overview of several current inter-agency initiatives to strengthen early learning, to be followed by discussion. The highlighted initiatives include Building the Foundations of Future Success for Children from Birth through Grade 3, PK-K Social Emotional Standards work, joint curriculum development, and an update on the Massachusetts Kindergarten Entry Assessment (MKEA) initiative. Several attachments outlining this and related work are included with this memo.
If you have questions about any agenda items for the special meeting, please contact either of us. We look forward to seeing you at the joint board meeting on December 15.
Attachments:
