5. Expanding Access to STEM AP Courses:
With federal grant funding and a partnership with VHS Learning, DESE is establishing the STEM Advanced Placement Access Expansion Opportunity, a statewide initiative designed to increase Massachusetts students’ participation in advanced coursework. The initiative will provide eligible high schools with access to up to seven online AP STEM courses for free. The highest priority has been placed on schools that traditionally have not had the capacity or resources to offer classes, and within those schools, the focus is on students who have been historically underrepresented in STEM. There are still seats open in available courses for fall 2021, so beginning Saturday, May 15 and through early June, these seats will be distributed to additional schools. School leaders who think this initiative will complement their school’s existing work, are asked to please schedule a 30-minute consultation with Jennifer Gwatkin and David Baird.
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6. Building a Comprehensive School Mental Health System:
The Massachusetts School Mental Health Consortium, Bridge for Resilient Youth in Transition (BRYT), and the Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy have teamed up with DESE on a new initiative, Thriving Minds, to help educators build comprehensive school mental health systems that address their students’ holistic needs. Thriving Minds is offering a four-week set of training sessions and workshops, and each week will focus on a foundational component of building a mental health system:
- Week of May 17: Collecting and using mental health data: screening and initial assessment
- Week of May 24: Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with students
- Week of May 31: Establishing systems and practices to support quality, sustainable services
- Week of June 7: Developing a shared commitment to racial equity in school mental health
Click here for more information, to register for any of the sessions, and to sign up for the Thriving Minds mailing list.
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7. Reminder about Kaleidoscope PD Opportunities:
The Department’s Kaleidoscope Collective for Learning is pleased to repeat two professional learning opportunities this spring: Engaging Students as Complex Thinkers (Tuesday, May 18) and Designing for Equity (Tuesday, June 8). Each 90-minute session will also explore instructional practices that use authentic work to build and sustain student engagement in remote, hybrid, and in-person learning. Educators will engage with colleagues from across the Commonwealth to strategize how to apply these practices in their own classrooms. Registration will close on a rolling basis for each session. Please click here to learn more and to register.
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8. Evaluating and Selecting HQIM for ELA, Math, and Science Network:
Districts that will be selecting high-quality instructional materials are invited to join DESE’s 2021-2022 Evaluating & Selecting High-Quality Instructional Materials for ELA, Math, and Science Network. The network combines in-person differentiated sessions with monthly personalized virtual support to guide district teams through a strong instructional materials selection process (download) for English language arts, math, and/or science in any K-12 grade span. To learn more about the network, hear from previous participants, or get answers to preliminary questions, register to attend an information session at 3:00-4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 19 or at 2:00-3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 8.
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9. 21st Century Health Education Training for Families:
Pinnacle Partnerships, in partnership with DESE, will hold a workshop on 21st Century Health Education at 3:00-5:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 20. The immersive workshop is designed to help families be informed, involved, and empowered in the design and implementation of health education curricula in their school or district. Workshop participants will learn how schools and districts determine what is taught in health classes, the different ways that families can be involved in the process, and, if desired, how families can become an integral part of a school’s or district’s health and wellness team. Families, family engagement specialists, and district wellness team members and district curriculum leads seeking to engage families are welcome to join. Participants seeking to engage family partners in health education curriculum planning may complete the HECAT e-learning tutorial as pre-work. Those who join Pinnacle’s Community of Practice Alliance to support family engagement in Massachusetts public school education will have access to an online discussion board to share their ideas, priorities, and successes. Please register online.
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10. CVTE Equitable Access Grant:
The Department’s Office of College, Career, and Technical Education is announcing a new Career Vocational Technical Education Equitable Access Grant. This federally-funded, competitive grant program is designed to help build school and district capacity to address equity and access issues in CVTE programs by analyzing data, enhancing English learner recruitment and success, and building equitable structures. Districts with existing Chapter 74-approved secondary CVTE programs are eligible. Two rounds of funding are planned: Applications for round 1 are due Thursday, May 20, and applications for round 2 are due Monday, September 20.
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11. District Summer School Expansion and Engagement Matching Grants:
The indication of interest/intent for a non-competitive matching grant for districts to develop new summer school programs or expand and/or enhance existing programs is now available. Districts will be able to apply for up to $50,000 for one site/school or up to $100,000 for two or more sites/schools. The grant will include a wide-range of fund uses, such as extending the number of days, weeks, or students served; adding engaging enrichment and recreation activities; more effectively serving or engaging all students, including students with disabilities and English learners; and providing additional mental health and social-emotional learning supports. The tentative deadline for expressions of interest is Friday, May 21. For more information and to sign up to be alerted when the grant is posted, please see the form linked above.
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12. Building Resilient Schools Beyond Crisis:
LearnLaunch, in collaboration with DESE, will offer a workshop on building resilient institutions beyond the pandemic. Arjen Boin, an expert on crisis leadership, will facilitate the workshop, which will run from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 26. Register online.
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13. Nutrition Assistance:
In addition to school meals and Pandemic-EBT (P-EBT), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a program administered by the Department of Transitional Assistance, has helped many households get through this tough year. Here are some important messages to share with families returning to in-person learning who no longer qualify for P-EBT:
- All students can get free meals at school (P-EBT was created to supplement the availability of school meals during remote learning due to the pandemic).
- P-EBT will be available this summer, so families who qualified should keep their cards! (The Department of Transitional Assistance will share more information about this in the future.)
- Families can still use their unspent P-EBT money from previous months.
- Many families who were eligible for P-EBT are likely eligible for SNAP and are encouraged to apply. SNAP outreach materials are available in 11 languages.
For more information, visit www.map-ebt.org/snap.
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14. Multi-Tiered Systems of Support Academies Accepting Applications:
The Department is pleased to offer eight intensive professional development academies designed to help school and district teams implement tiered systems of instruction and support. Any school and/or district may apply for these Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) Academies for the 2021-22 school year. However, first priority will be given to schools that are designated as underperforming or chronically underperforming and/or schools requiring focused/targeted or broad/comprehensive support. Additional teams will be accepted for participation based on availability, readiness, and relative need.
These multi-year academies are available in the following areas: Culturally Responsive Practice Leadership, Culturally Responsive Teaching, Inclusive Tier 1 Instruction/Universal Design for Learning (UDL), Tiered Literacy, Tiered Math (currently full, but accepting waitlist applications), Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), Systemic Student Support (S3), and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)/Mental Health. The content and structure of these Academies will be adapted to meet the unique needs that districts are facing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Interested applicants can apply here.
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15. New “After Dark” Designations Announced:
Commissioner Riley recently approved the latest round of Chapter 74 Partnership Program (“After Dark”) designations, which involved six new programs and six new partnerships. They include programs in automotive technology, electricity, and plumbing at Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School; automotive technology at Greater Lowell Technical High School; and automotive technology and information support services and networking at R.L. Putnam Vocational Technical Academy in Springfield.
The new partnerships are Phoenix Charter Academy and Andover Public Schools with Greater Lawrence Vocational Technical School District, and the Rockport, Swampscott, Marblehead, and Lynnfield public schools with Essex North Shore. More information is available on DESE’s “After Dark” webpage.
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- Letter from Secretary Cardona to Teachers: In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona recently wrote a letter to teachers, saying “You are embodiments of possibility, champions of your students’ potential and stewards of their success.”
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