FY26 SOA Guidance, Other Resources, and Timeline

FY25 SOA Plan Progress Reports offer districts' key stakeholders important highlights about the implementation of SOA plans and progress being made to reduce disparities in learning opportunities and outcomes for student groups experiencing those disparities. Progress reports, due April 1, 2025, cover three key topics:

1. Summary of progress to date (Academic Year 2024-2025)
2. Key changes to your plan and next steps in implementation
3. Ongoing activities to engage families/caregivers and other stakeholders

Details on guidance and resources for developing FY25 SOA Plan Progress Reports, other resources, and a timeline appear below.

FY25 SOA Plan Progress Report Guidance and Resources

• FY25 SOA Plan Progress Report: blank template and submission checklist
• FY25 SOA Plan Overview Webinar slide deck (including guidance)
• Instructions for Completing FY25 SOA Plan Progress Reports in GEM$
• FY25 SOA Plan Progress Reports: Frequently Asked Questions

Please continue checking this website for additional resources. Coming soon:

• FY25 SOA Plan Overview Webinar (recording)
• FY25 SOA Plan Progress Report: Example of completed report

Other Resources and Supports

• Data Tools. For further data analysis of data collected by the Commonwealth, districts are encouraged to visit DOE profiles, Edwin Analytics, and the Massachusetts Education-to-Career Research and Data Hub . To learn more about customized MCAS and ACCESS dashboards for your district, please reach out to our partners at Open Architects (Student Opportunity Act Support ).

• Student Outcome Comparison Tool . (Update available soon!) This tool enables districts to review data across student groups for critical indicators to pinpoint where disparities in learning experiences and outcomes are most prominent.

• SOA Office Hours. Beginning in February, our SOA Team is once again offering ½ hour consultations to support districts with overall plan development. Use this link to schedule a time to meet with us . Districts can also email questions to the SOA Team at SOAPlans@mass.gov .

Timeline

• February – March 2025

  • Updated SOA District Resources page available week of February 10; resources continue to be added on a rolling basis
  • FY25 SOA Plan Progress Report template available in GEM$ week of February 17
  • SOA Office hours available beginning February 10
  • FY25 SOA Plan Progress Report Overview Webinar , Thursday February 27 (4–5PM) Note: this is a repeat of the February 12 webinar.
  
  

• April – July 2024

  • Plans Due on April 1, 2025, by 11:59 p.m.
  • DESE reviews SOA plans and provides feedback — April through June 2025
  • DESE publicly posts all FY25 SOA Plan Progress Reports — July 2025
  
  

Overview

The Student Opportunity Act requires each district to create an evidence-based plan for reducing persistent disparities in achievement across student groups. Plans must be submitted for the Commissioner's review on a three-year cycle, with annual progress updates submitted in subsequent years. Please review the FY24 SOA Plan Guidance Materials for more details on submission requirements. New 3-year SOA Plans are due April 1, 2024.

Details on the FY24 guidance and timeline for developing new 3-year SOA plans, and other resources available to districts appear below:

FY24 SOA Plan Guidance

• FY24 SOA Plan Guidance Materials
• FY24 SOA Plan Overview Webinar (recording)
• FY24 SOA Plan Overview Webinar slide deck
• FY24 SOA Plan Examples
• Instructions for Completing SOA Plans in GEM$
• SOA: Frequently Asked Questions

Timeline

• December 2023 – March 2024
  • FY24 3-Year SOA Plan Guidance released — December 2024
  • FY24 3-Year SOA Plan Overview Webinar — January 9, 2024
  • FY24 3-Year SOA Plan Addendum Guidance released for priority districts — Winter 2024
  • Data collection window opens in GEM$ (with technical guidance) — Winter 2024
  • SOA Plan supports (Office Hours and priority district outreach) — Ongoing
  • Submit all questions to Karen Johnston at SOAPlans@mass.gov
• April – July 2024
  • Plans Due on April 1, 2024, by 11:59 p.m.
  • DESE reviews SOA plans and provides feedback — April through June 2024
  • DESE publicly posts all SOA plans — July 2024

Other Resources and Supports

• Student Outcome Comparison Tool . To help districts easily access the data needed to develop a thoughtful plan, DESE has created a new, publicly available Student Outcome Comparison Tool. This tool will enable districts to review data across student groups for critical indicators to pinpoint where disparities in learning experiences and outcomes are most prominent.

• Additional Data Tools. For further data analysis, districts are encouraged to visit DOE profiles and Edwin Analytics. To learn more about customized MCAS and ACCESS dashboards for your district, please reach out to our partners at Open Architects (Student Opportunity Act Support ).

• SOA Office Hours. Our SOA Team is once again offering ½ hour consultations to support districts with overall plan development. Use this link to schedule a time to meet with us . Districts can also email questions to the SOA Team at SOAPlans@mass.gov .

• Consultations for Priority Districts. A team from DESE will reach out directly to priority districts to provide direct assistance in completing the FY24 3-Year SOA Plan addendum.