DESE UPDATE: April 12th, 2019

1. Board to Meet:

The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education will meet at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 23 in the auditorium of Newton North High School, 457 Walnut St., Newton. The location is the school that the Board’s student member, Maya Mathews, attends.

The agenda includes a report from the State Student Advisory Council, a discussion of the FY 2020 education budget proposal from House Ways and Means Committee, and an update on the Massachusetts Individualized Education Program (IEP) Improvement Project.

The Department plans to stream the meeting online at https://livestream.com/accounts/22459134.

Picture of the Week:.

On April 12, Commissioner Riley visited Brockton High School, where students showed him the biotech lab. His other visits that day included schools in Stoughton and Abington.

3. New Innovation Pathways:

The Baker-Polito Administration recently announced that programs at 11 high schools have received official designation as Innovation Pathways, which are designed to connect students’ learning to a particular career pathway through college-level coursework and work-based experiences. Congratulations to all 11! The programs join a growing list of designated Innovation Pathways.

• Family engagement webinar: The National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement will hold a webinar on using qualitative and quantitative data to evaluate family engagement from 3:00-4:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 24. Registration is open online.

• Guide to school climate resources: The U.S. Department of Education has released its Parent and Educator Guide to School Climate Resources. The document is structured around frequently asked questions and provides guidance and resources for creating a safe and supportive learning environment.