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A message from the
Massachusetts Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education

April 26, 2021
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News from Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Contents:

  1. Public Comment Open on SEI Guidance for Career Vocational Educators
  2. Reminder on State Student Advisory Council Information Sessions
  3. Reminder on Ed Prep Reviewer Opportunity
  4. Public Comment Sought on Proposed Amendment to Accountability and Assistance Regulations
  5. Acceleration to College Program for Students Earning the Modified CD
  6. Extended Licenses Will Expire July 31
  7. For Your Info: Massachusetts Civic Learning Week

1. Public Comment Open on SEI Guidance for Career Vocational Educators:


The Sheltered English Immersion endorsement requirements for career vocational educators were adopted by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education in June of 2018 and are a continuation of the Rethinking Equity and Teaching for English Language Learners (RETELL) initiative, which is designed to strengthen teaching and learning for English learners. The regulations laid out the pathways to obtaining the SEI Endorsement (the pathways are also included in this guidance document) as well as set certain timelines. Draft guidance has been posted  and reviews the cohort process, including the impact on a license for those who do not obtain the SEI Endorsement by July 1, 2021 and new requirements related to staffing that take effect on July 1, 2021. Public comment is open until Friday, May 14 and can be sent to  ccte@doe.mass.edu.

2. Reminder on State Student Advisory Council Information Sessions:


Commissioner Riley, State Student Advisory Council Chair Jasper Coughlin, and other Student Advisory Council members will hold two information sessions for high school administrators, educators, and students about holding school elections for Regional Student Advisory Council members and about the Student Advisory Council network overall. More information about the Student Advisory Council is available online, and registration is open online for the webinars. Interested individuals are asked to choose either 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. or 3:30 to 4:15 p.m., both on Thursday, April 29. The sessions will also be recorded and posted on the Student Advisory Council section of DESE’s website. Anyone with questions about the councils is asked to email Donna Taylor at DonnaM.Taylor@mass.gov.

3. Reminder on Ed Prep Reviewer Opportunity:


There are only seven days left to apply to serve as a 2021-22 educator preparation reviewer. Applications are due by Sunday, May 2!
 
The ed prep formal review process was designed to elevate educators’ diverse perspectives, and ed prep reviewers serve an integral role in evaluating the impact of preparation providers across the state. This application is open to all who are interested, including teachers, coaches, administrators, professional support personnel, district personnel, and non-profit leaders. The Department is seeking to amplify the voices of Black, Asian, Latinx, Native American, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander educators. 
 
Selected reviewers will conduct a document review, observe virtual focus groups, and work in partnership with a team of education professionals to evaluate a programs’ performance relative to program approval criteria (download). They will earn up to 30 PDPs.

More information, including FAQs, the application, and a nomination form, is available online. Anyone with questions on this issue is asked to email EducatorPreparation@mass.gov.

4. Public Comment Sought on Proposed Amendment to Accountability and Assistance Regulations:


The Department is soliciting public comment on a proposed amendment to 603 CMR 2.00: Accountability and Assistance for School Districts and Schools. Among other matters, the regulations describe the Commonwealth’s framework for district accountability and assistance and the process for issuing annual performance determinations for districts and schools. The proposed amendment would allow DESE to refrain from issuing new accountability determinations for districts and schools in fall 2021. Instead, DESE would use each district’s and school’s most recent accountability determinations (from 2019), to ensure that they continue to receive support as needed. The Department would resume its regular annual accountability reporting practices following the 2021-2022 school year.

A copy of the proposed amendment is posted on DESE’s Accountability Lists, Materials, and Tools page. Comments may be submitted via email to ElementarySecondaryEd.Act@mass.gov until Friday, May 28.

5. Acceleration to College Program for Students Earning the Modified CD:


The Department is funding summer 2021 programs at Massachusetts community colleges to help students in the class of 2021 who graduated under the modified competency determination prepare for college-level English and mathematics courses. The goal is to help students transition effectively into and ultimately complete college. These programs will be offered in 14 community colleges across the Commonwealth. Schools that have students who would be interested in such programming are asked to visit https://www.doe.mass.edu/news/news.aspx?id=26423 and reach out to the designated contact for their area.

6. Extended Licenses Will Expire July 31:


Any educator licenses that were extended as a result of Governor Baker’s Emergency Order #18 (which provided that professional licenses would not expire during the state of emergency) will remain valid through July 31, 2021. Under the terms of Emergency Order #41, the Department has established July 31, 2021 as the end date of the extension of validity for these licenses. Selecting this date ensures that educators and school districts are not disrupted during the close of this school year and provides at least 90 days, as indicated in the original executive order, for educators to complete any remaining licensure requirements. Additional information is posted online.

7. For Your Info:

  • Massachusetts Civic Learning Week: Massachusetts Civic Learning Week, April 26-30,  aims to build broader awareness of and support for civic learning; amplify and celebrate youth voice; and empower participants to envision themselves as changemakers in a democracy. The week’s 30+ programs, events, and activities are hosted and organized by the Massachusetts Civic Learning Coalition in partnership with teachers and students. All events are free and will be hosted virtually; a full list of events is available at: macivicsforall.org/clw2021.
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