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:
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.
Districts' plan amendments were reviewed against statutory requirements described in the 2019 Student Opportunity Act and against the guidelines DESE provided to districts for engaging in a meaningful plan development process and submitting a well-documented SOA plan. These recommendations and guidelines were designed to ensure that districts' SOA plans would effectively communicate to all of the Commonwealth's stakeholders (i.e., districts' and schools' local stakeholders, the state legislature, the broader education community, and the general public) that we are making strong collective efforts to close opportunity gaps for student groups—particularly students with disabilities, English learners, students of color, and students from economically disadvantaged communities—and are setting ourselves up to successfully address them through the implementation of evidence-based programs and strategies.
Timeline
Please see the FY22 Student Opportunity Act Plan Amendment Review and Feedback Process and FY22 Student Opportunity Act Plan Amendments: Additional Detail on Review Criteria documents below for more information.
FY22 Student Opportunity Act Plan Amendment Review and Feedback Process
FY22 Student Opportunity Act Plan Amendments: Additional Detail on Review Criteria
Frequently Asked Questions
Guidance for Developing and Submitting FY22 SOA Plan Amendments
FY22 Evidence-Based Program Area Descriptions
FY22 SOA Implementation Indicators Resource
SOA FY22 Plan Amendment Overview
The resources below include communications for districts describing SOA priorities and outlining district and state responsibilities. Additional resources include SOA plan templates, examples of completed SOA plans, and guidance for developing SOA plans.
Evidence-Based Program Examples
FAQ for SOA Plans
Student Opportunity Plans — Short Form Guidance
Last Updated: March 19, 2024
General Inquiries SOAplans@mass.gov
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 135 Santilli Highway, Everett, MA 02149
Voice: (781) 338-3000 TTY: (800) 439-2370
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