5. Workshops about the First Three Months of School and Supporting Parents:
LearnLaunch has three new workshops coming up that are sponsored by DESE: Support Parents/Caregivers, Communicate Clearly, and Support Educator Well-Being.
- Support Parents/Caregivers is an interactive 90-minute workshop that will explore strategies to build trust, communicate clearly, and share resources with parents, families and/or caregivers. It will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 15. Register online.
- Communicate Clearly is an interactive 90-minute workshop that will help school and district leaders ensure that internal and external stakeholders are aligned throughout the critical first three months of reopening school. The workshop will be offered three times: at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 27; at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 28; and at noon on Monday, November 2. Register online.
- Support Educator Well-Being is an interactive 60-minute workshop that will lead school and district leaders through steps to be able to support the development and well-being of educators during the first three months of school. The workshop will be offered at 3:30 p.m. on three days: Tuesday, October 20; Wednesday, October 21; and Friday, October 23. Register online.
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6. Virtual Manufacturing Day:
MassHire Workforce Boards across the state are holding the first Make It in Massachusetts Virtual Manufacturing Day to provide an opportunity for students to experience how STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics) is making manufacturing cutting edge in the Commonwealth. This event, sponsored by DESE’s Connecting Activities team, will be held during Massachusetts STEM Week, October 19-23. To register one or more schools for the event, please click here.
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7. National Principals Month:
October is National Principals Month, and DESE would like to thank all of the Commonwealth’s principals for the work they do for their students every day. The Department would also like to acknowledge the principals and assistant principals who were honored by the Massachusetts School Administrators’ Association this year: Principals of the Year Stephen Wiltshire of North Street Elementary School in Grafton, Stacy Monette of Paul R. Baird Middle School in Ludlow, and Michael Rubin of Uxbridge High School; and Assistant Principals of the Year Mary Coakley of Millbury Street Elementary School in Grafton in Christopher Cost of Joseph Case High School in Swansea. Congratulations to all!
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8. PD Related to Edgenuity and FLVS:
The Department is pleased to announce additional free professional development (PD) for Massachusetts districts partnering with Edgenuity and FLVS Global. The professional development provides opportunities for customized support for each participating district based on the particular needs of its educators, students, and families. Districts with an executed contact with either partner as of October 31 are eligible for up to three hours of live, customized PD via webinar. The PD must be selected and used by December 30. Edgenuity and FLVS will provide information directly to partner districts about available offerings and how to register.
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9. MyCAP PD Series:
My Career and Academic Plan (MyCAP) is an individual planning tool that provides opportunities for students to map their academic plan, personal/social skill attainment, and workplace readiness activities to become college and career ready and prepared for civic engagement. The 2020-2021 Professional Development Series to support MyCAP implementation will begin on Thursday, November 5. The three-workshop series is designed to guide school teams of four in the creation of a scope and sequence for MyCAP implementation. The team should include at minimum a school counselor, an administrator, and a teacher. Teams can register for the series here. For more information, email Lisa Harney at lisa.m.harney@mass.gov.
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10. January High School ELA and Mathematics MCAS Tests:
The Department recently released the January high school English language arts and mathematics MCAS schedule. The January administration will be for students in grades 11 and 12 and beyond who have yet to earn their Competency Determination. The January MCAS tests will be legacy tests administered on computer, with a paper version available for students who require that as an accommodation. More information about the January administration is provided in the October 9 edition of the Student Assessment Update, which will be posted here soon.
The Department recognizes that conditions may change because of the evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and will update plans and schedules as needed.
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11. DESE Resource Corner:
New resources to support educator evaluation in 2020-2021: The Center for Instructional Support has developed a suite of resources and practical tools to help focus and streamline evaluation in order to ensure that both teachers and administrators are supported, receiving high-quality feedback, and recognized for their efforts this year. The 2020-2021 Resources for Educator Evaluation Implementation include:
- Focus Indicators for Teachers and Administrators: recommended practices for teaching and leading during the COVID-19 pandemic, around which educators can focus feedback, support, and collaboration
- Tools for self-assessment and setting goals
- Adapted feedback surveys for students and staff
- Best practices for evidence collection, including recommendations for conducting observations in remote and hybrid settings
Please direct any questions to EducatorDevelopment@mass.gov.
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- Family survey from Boston Children’s Hospital/Children’s Mental Health Campaign: Boston Children’s Hospital and the Children’s Mental Health Campaign have developed a survey about families’ experience with school-based services and supports for the social, emotional, and behavioral health and well-being of their children and family. Families’ opinions are critically important and will guide the direction of Children’s Mental Health Campaign’s work. All participation is voluntary, and all responses are anonymous. Parents/caregivers can skip any questions that they do not feel comfortable answering. Please contact Daniela Reyes at daniela.reyes@childrens.harvard.edu or 617-919-3069 with any questions.
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- Lights On Afterschool: Lights On Afterschool, the national celebration of afterschool programs, will be held this year on Thursday, October 22, which Governor Baker has proclaimed Lights On Afterschool Day. Afterschool programs have been particularly critical during COVID-19, as many have provided virtual programming, cared for children of essential workers, and provided meals and learning support.
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