5. Designing Powerful Learning Experiences:
LearnLaunch, in partnership with DESE, is offering a workshop on designing powerful learning experiences. Powerful Learning is a set of principles that enables educators to design learning experiences that fully engage learners. Participants will leave this workshop with actionable strategies and resources that emphasize voice and choice, purposeful assignments, and meaningful assessments. This 90-minute workshop will be offered three times: at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, July 12 and Tuesday, July 27 and at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 29. Register online and explore the Building Blocks tool for additional resources.
|
|
6. Facilitated Workshop on Setting Priorities for 2021-2022:
Due to popular demand, LearnLaunch is offering two more sessions of their DESE-sponsored facilitated workshop on Setting Priorities for Learning in the upcoming school year. This two-part workshop is for school leaders and instructional leadership teams who want targeted support to reflect on the past 15 months and set priorities for next year. Participants will receive curated resources for data collection and analysis, one-on-one problem-solving, and direct support building an action plan that addresses critical needs. To learn more or to nominate a school for participation, fill out this form. The workshop will be held from
- 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 13 and Tuesday, July 20, and
- 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 15 and Thursday, July 22.
|
|
7. Edwin Has Changed:
The Department has changed the application that is used to create reports in Edwin, a data and analysis tool. Edwin had been an IBM Cognos application and is now a Power BI application. Over the last year, DESE has migrated the reports over to the new application. Many of the reports look very similar. The Department has tried to balance consistency with changes designed to improve users’ Edwin experience.
Want to know more about new Edwin? Download the new Using Edwin guide or join one of the upcoming Edwin Office Hours webinars
- 10:00-11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 14; or
- 1:00-2:00 p.m. on Monday, August 9.
|
|
8. Tips and Tools to Create Safer Environments for Kids:
The Department and Children’s Trust are offering a Safe Kids Thrive! training for preK-12 district and school administrators. Join this 90-minute interactive workshop to learn how to identify concrete ways that schools can evaluate and develop policies, procedures, and protocols to prevent abuse. Using a new website called "Safe Kids Thrive," presenters will demonstrate practical and straightforward tools attendees will use to assess or create their own plan to promote child safety. The training will be offered at 9:00-10:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 15 and Thursday, August 26 and at 7:30-9:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 30. Please register online.
|
|
9. Innovation Schools Annual Evaluation:
The Innovation Schools statute requires superintendents in districts with innovation schools and/or academies to evaluate innovation schools at least annually. These annual evaluations must be submitted to the local school committee as well as to DESE by August 1 of each year. To complete this submission, DESE requests that superintendents use the updated innovation schools annual evaluation template (download) posted on DESE’s innovation schools website. Please note that with the absence of Next Generation MCAS scores for the 2020 school year, the template provides a list of alternative ways the school and/or academy may evaluate their academic performance.
Districts must email an evaluation to Brenton Stewart (brenton.stewart@mass.gov) by Friday, July 30 for each innovation school or academy in operation during the 2020-2021 school year. Please note that if innovation status has ended for any schools or academies in a district, the superintendent should complete all the applicable sections of the annual evaluation and include the date innovation status ended and as any other relevant updates within the final section of the template.
Anyone who wishes to open an innovation school or academy, has questions about the annual evaluation process, or wants to notify DESE of the recent creation or closure of any innovation schools or academies is asked to email Mr. Stewart, coordinator of school redesign and impact.
|
|
10. Perkins V Public Comment:
The Department is seeking public comment on proposed revisions to the State Determined Performance Levels for the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for 21st Century Act, commonly known as Perkins V. The U.S. Department of Education allows for revisions to performance measures, and due to the COVID-19 pandemic, DESE proposes changes to several (2S1, 2S2, and 2S3). The proposed performance levels are available for download, and people are invited to weigh in through this survey
before Monday, August 2.
|
|
11. Vaccines Available:
As the Commonwealth moves into the next stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Public Health continues to offer flexible vaccination clinic options, education and awareness materials, and engagement supports to groups and individuals to increase vaccine awareness and access. More details are available in this fact sheet: Ways to Increase COVID-19 Vaccination - Summer 2021.
|
|
12. Instructional Support Network Catalog:
The Department welcomes educators from across the state to participate in subject-specific network and workshop offerings during the 2021-22 school year. The workshops will be offered both in person and online and are a chance for classroom leaders, school leaders, and district leaders to collaborate across districts to innovate and to learn, test, and refine tools and strategies. The catalog is available for download, and updates will be posted on the Center for Instructional Support’s web page. Some of the networks begin meeting in August, and others start later in the school year.
|
|
|
|
