DESE Update: February 15th, 2019

1. Board of Elementary and Secondary Education Meeting:

The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education met on February 12 and voted to allow Excel Academy Charter School to add 56 more seats for students in Chelsea. The school has campuses in both Boston and Chelsea.

The Board also voted to extend the probation of Paulo Freire Social Justice Charter School, continue some of the conditions that were already in place, and impose others. The school plans to move to Chicopee (another part of the region it serves) for the 2019-2020 school year, and the new conditions include showing the readiness of the school’s proposed facility in Chicopee by May 1, 2019. The Board also agreed to approve the school’s request to decrease its maximum enrollment from 500 to 320 students and to remove Westfield and Northampton from the districts in its charter region.

In other business, the Board voted to send the draft updated arts curriculum framework out for public comment and established an interim competency determination standard on the high school science MCAS.

A video of the meeting is available at https://livestream.com/accounts/22459134.

Picture of the Week:
Commissioner Riley spent part of February 14 teaching a third grade class at Charlton Street Elementary School in Southbridge. The day also marked the start of #LoveTeaching Week.

3. MCAS Updates:

New accommodations for English learners participating in next-generation tests and high school retests: This year, English learners will have access to several English learner accommodations that were not previously available. Pages 27–29 of the Accessibility and Accommodations Manual contain a list of these accommodations and their descriptions.

Infrastructure trial window is open: The window for conducting an infrastructure trial opened on February 11, when the updated 2019 computer-based test practice tests became available in the PearsonAccess Next training site. An Infrastructure Trial is an opportunity for districts, schools, and students to prepare for MCAS computer-based testing by simulating test-day network utilization. This “dress rehearsal” will help to confirm that all testing devices are properly configured, that school and district networks can handle online testing, and that staff members are familiar with their roles in administering an online test. This trial is also an opportunity to introduce students to TestNav and allow them to practice using the online tools.

Grade 10 resources: This is the first year of the computer-based, next-generation 10th grade MCAS. Resources related to grade 10 are available online.

4. Grant to Increase Student Access to Behavioral and Mental Health Services:

The Department is offering a new competitive grant to help schools and districts improve student behavioral and mental health. The grant’s priorities are to help schools:Create plans with goals related to improving student access to behavioral and mental health services;
Develop and improve comprehensive continuums of care among schools, community-based providers, and other organizations; and
Access relevant professional development that DESE or its partners offer.
All Massachusetts public school districts are eligible to apply for up to $110,000, and a total of approximately $5.5 million in one-time state funds are available. For more information, see the request for proposals (Fund Code 336). Applications are due March 12. Applicants interested in more information may register for one of the upcoming information sessions that DESE will hold in late February and early March.

5. Potential State Support for Fiber Upgrades:

Although districts and the state have made great strides in upgrading district networks, there is a list of districts that may have remaining needs. A state budget proposal would effectively fund the gap between the district’s E-rate Program Discount and any non-discounted project costs. While this is a budget proposal, and the budget is not yet final, districts with potential fiber needs should take the following steps now to be eligible for potential state funding in the future:Schedule a time to talk with Christine Yoo at EducationSuperHighway;
File a Federal Communications Commission Form 470 requesting fiber services by February 27; and
File a Federal Communications Commission Form 471 by the March 27 deadline.
Please note this does not obligate the district in any way, but it does position the district to be eligible for state funding. In filing for E-rate, districts should indicate on the associated contracts that service is contingent on state funding availability. Someone from Education Superhighway will follow up with each district indicated.

Anyone interested in taking advantage of a potential state match should contact Christine Yoo or Ken Klau for further information.

6. Identifying Strong Digital Tools:

The Department is teaming up with the Massachusetts Personalized Learning Edtech (MAPLE) Consortium to give educators a voice in recommending evidence-based digital instructional tools for districts. Called dCURATE (for Digital CURATE), this 18-month initiative complements DESE’s CURATE (CUrriculum RAtings by TEachers) initiative.

All districts in the Commonwealth have free access to an online platform that lets them identify which digital tools classrooms use and collect teacher feedback. Districts will be able to assess the cost effectiveness of those tools and see what other districts are using.

Select districts can apply to receive coaching in conducting their own evaluations of the digital tools that their district is using or digital tools that their district is considering for wider adoption. The select districts will be able to share the results of those evaluations with other districts to inform professional development and purchasing decisions. Districts interested in being in this cohort should apply by February 28.

The initiative’s goal is to identify a specific set of digital instructional tools, supported by teacher feedback and emerging evidence of effectiveness, that MAPLE and DESE can make more affordable for districts through collaborative purchasing agreements. Additionally, districts will receive support in protecting the data that their digital tools collect. More information is available on the dCURATE website.

7. New Grant for Summer Programming:

The Department recently released a new summer grant for districts and schools where at least 45 percent of the student population is economically disadvantaged: Development and Enhancement of Quality Summer Programming (FC527/250). Applications are due by March 7.

The requirements for proposed programs include offering at least 150 hours of programming with a focus on academic and college and career readiness skills, engaging and innovative hands-on programming, and enrichment activities that will help close opportunity gaps.

Interested parties may apply for up two programs per district for up to $25,000 per program to expand an existing program or up to $50,000 per program for the development of a new summer program. Please contact asost@doe.mass.edu with any questions.

8. VISTA 2019 Survey Reminder:

The Department asks superintendents and principals to complete the 2019 Views of Instruction, State Standards, Teaching, and Assessment (VISTA) survey. The Department uses the feedback from the survey to inform its policies and improve its services and resources to districts and schools.

Superintendents and principals who have not received a survey or who are having issues accessing their surveys can contact the VISTA Study Help Desk at MAVISTA@westat.com. For help with questions that do not relate to access, please email VISTA Coordinator Shelagh Peoples at speoples@doe.mass.edu.

9. For your info:

Advanced Placement success: For the third year in a row, Massachusetts is the top state in the nation in terms of the percentage of the graduating class that scored a 3 or higher on an Advanced Placement exam, according to AP results from the class of 2018 that the College Board released this month.