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A message from the
Massachusetts Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education


June 28, 2021
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News from Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Contents:

  1. Board Recap
  2. Picture of the Week: Whitcomb Middle School in Marlborough
  3. Leveraging Technology to Strengthen Student Learning
  4. Acceleration Roadmap Implementation Support
  5. Emergency Connectivity Fund Program 
  6. Special Education Leadership Institutes
  7. Summer P-EBT Outreach
  8. Developing Well-Being for Students, Staff, and Families
  9. New Early College Designations
  10. For Your Info: Kids Count

1. Board Recap:


Members of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education met on Tuesday, June 22, and approved amendments to regulations on vocational technical education admission standards (download),  regulatory changes related to the COVID-19 emergency, and the commissioner’s annual performance evaluation (download). They also voted to send a proposed amendment to Competency Determination regulations (download) out for public comment. The amendment would extend the interim standard through the class of 2025. The full agenda is posted online, and a video of the meeting is available at https://livestream.com/accounts/22459134.

2. Picture of the Week:

This joyful display marked the end of the school year at Whitcomb Middle School in Marlborough. (Photo courtesy of Marlborough Public Schools)
Row of life-size people cutouts with "Yes we did!" sign

3. Leveraging Technology to Strengthen Student Learning:


In partnership with Google and EdTechTeacher, DESE is providing free professional development on effective uses of educational technology. Interested educators and system leaders can explore and register for the summer workshop series here. The following workshops are available on Tuesday, June 29:
  • Blended Learning with Google Workspace for Education: Blended learning strategies - where specific instructional experiences, tasks, and activities take place in a digital environment while face-to-face learning experiences are also taking place - are a powerful approach to leveraging 1:1 technology. This one-hour session will explore educators’ opportunities to create high-quality blended learning experiences for all learners with the use of Google Workspace for Education tools. Register here.
  • Supporting All Learners with Multimedia and Google Workspace for Education: Technology can help educators personalize learning based on student needs. This one-hour session will show how to quickly create digital learning content that includes both audio and video to connect, clarify, and explain ideas. Additionally, participants will explore how students can use multimedia tools in Google Workspace for Education to capture and demonstrate their thinking. Register here.

4. Acceleration Roadmap Implementation Support:


Following the release of the Acceleration Roadmap, DESE is partnering with TNTP to provide professional learning opportunities and office hours for schools as they plan to implement acceleration strategies this summer and fall. The first learning series for building and system leaders kicks off this week on Tuesday, June 29, with “All Means All – Acceleration for Students with Diverse Learning Needs.” Those interested in attending can register here and view the entire series and additional resources here.

5. Emergency Connectivity Fund Program:


The application window for the Federal Communications Commission’s new $7.2 billion Emergency Connectivity Fund Program opens Tuesday, June 29. The money will be distributed through the federal E-rate program, and school districts have only 45 days to apply for funding to help students who lack broadband connectivity and connected devices at home.
 
To help districts navigate the application process, DESE’s partners at the non-profit EducationSuperHighway have created new tools and resources to help school districts identify unconnected households, research the best solutions to connect students, and run successful procurement.

6. Special Education Leadership Institutes:


The Department’s Special Education Planning and Policy unit is working with three vendors to offer training for special education district leadership staff. Each leadership institute is free to participants and will have at least 62 contact hours over the course of the school year. ​Institutes will allow participants to
  • ​network ​and apply concepts of systemic change to improve student outcomes,
  • better understand legal requirements for special education, and
  • learn more about implementing evidence-based practices to create inclusive environments.
The four Special Education Leadership Institutes are as follows:
  1. New Special Education Directors (less than five years of experience): institute provided by ACCEPT Collaborative, apply here by Thursday, July 1.
  2. Experienced Special Education Directors: institute provided by Teachers21, apply here by Thursday, July 15.
  3. Special Education Early Childhood Coordinators: institute provided by AnLar, apply here by Wednesday, June 30.

7. Summer P-EBT Outreach:


The Department would like to thank districts for their hard work and attention to P-EBT food benefits and ask for their continuing help to make it a success this summer. Summer P-EBT is a joint effort between the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA), DESE, and school districts. Success depends on all three to ensure eligible families receive this benefit and to ensure families’ questions are answered.
 
Districts can help by sharing information about Summer-P-EBT with households. Communication resources include flyers, social media resources, and email, call and text message templates for Community Eligibility Provision and non-Community Eligibility Provision schools. All materials are available in English and Spanish, and up to 11 languages will eventually be available.
 
Other nutrition resources for students and families include Summer Eats and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a program administered by DTA. Many families eligible for P-EBT are likely eligible for SNAP, and SNAP benefit amounts are temporarily higher than usual. SNAP outreach materials are available online in 11 languages.

8. Developing Well-Being for Students, Staff, and Families:


LearnLaunch, in partnership with DESE, is offering a workshop series that will guide educators through a strategic understanding of trauma; staff-student relationships; and strong, sustainable partnerships with families. Each workshop in the series is open to educators at all levels, from the classroom to a district’s central office. Participants are welcome to attend any one or all three of the workshops in the series. Register online and explore the Building Blocks tool for additional resources.
 
The workshops are:
  • Understanding the Impact of Trauma and Building Educator Resilience, offered at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 21 and 10:00 a.m. on Monday, July 26.
  • Strategies for Building Secure Relationships and Positive Classroom Culture, offered at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 22 and at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 28.  
  • Building Strong and Sustaining Partnerships with Students’ Families, offered at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, July 23 and at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, July 30.

9. New Early College Designations:


The Baker-Polito Administration recently announced five new Early College programs that will launch in September. The newly approved programs are:
  • Gardner Academy for Learning and Technology in partnership with Mt. Wachusett Community College
  • High School of Commerce in Springfield in partnership with Springfield Technical Community College
  • North Quincy High in partnership with Quincy College
  • Quincy High School in partnership with Quincy College, and
  • Waltham High School in partnership with Framingham State and Massachusetts Bay Community College
Congratulations to all!

10. For Your Info:

  • Kids Count: The Annie E. Casey Foundation recently released the 2021 Kids Count Data Book on state trends in child well-being and ranked Massachusetts first. The report considers factors related to economics, education, health, and family and community.
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