January 26, 2018

Commissioner Finalist Interviews and Expected Board Vote:

The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education will interview the three finalists for commissioner today, Friday, January 26, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Omni Parker House in Boston. The meeting will also be streamed online at https://livestream.com/accounts/22459134. The interview with Penny Schwinn, chief deputy commissioner of academics at the Texas Education Agency, will start at 9:15 a.m., the interview with Angélica Infante-Green, deputy commissioner of the Office of Instructional Support P-12 in the New York State Education Department, is scheduled to start at 11:30 a.m., and the interview with Jeffrey C. Riley, superintendent/receiver of the Lawrence Public Schools, is scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m.

Individuals who wish to give the Board feedback on the finalists can do so by attending the interviews and filling out a feedback form at that meeting or by using the form posted at http://www.doe.mass.edu/bese/  and emailing it to boe@doe.mass.edu. Individuals can also submit comments simply by emailing that address. All comments must include the commenter’s name and must be received by noon on Saturday, January 27, 2018 in order to be forwarded to Board members. There will not be any public comment period at Monday’s special meeting, so interested individuals should weigh in through the feedback form or other correspondence before noon on Saturday.

On Monday, January 29, the Board will hold a special meeting from 12:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at ESE in Malden to discuss the finalists and to vote to recommend one to Education Secretary James Peyser. The meeting will be streamed online at https://livestream.com/accounts/22459134. Under state law, the recommendation requires a two-thirds majority vote of all members (Secretary Peyser has a vote as a member of the Board), and the secretary decides whether to appoint the recommended candidate or ask the Board to submit another candidate for consideration.

Board Meeting Recap:

The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education held two meetings on January 23, and the video for both is available online. The first, a joint meeting with the Board of Higher Education, included a vote charging the two commissioners with convening a work group to develop a proposal to increasethe number of high school students who study computer science/computational thinking as part of MassCore, the recommended high school program of studies, and increase the number of students interested in studying computer science after graduation.

The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education also met separately and at that meeting voted to solicit public comment on the draft revised History and Social Science Curriculum Framework. The draft document is available for public review and comment via a public survey through April 2. Information about the revised framework, the public survey, conference calls, web conferences, and presentations will be updated online.

The Board also voted to grant Bentley Academy Charter School (a Horace Mann charter) a waiver from regulations requiring approval by the local collective bargaining unit of its accountability plan, and  approved probationary renewal of the Paulo Freire Social Justice Charter School’s charter (download).

New Requirement for Districts to Implement a Substance Use-Related Screening Tool:

The Department has posted guidance explaining a new state law requiring all public school districts to verbally screen students at two grade levels for substance use disorders. This initiative can assist school staff with prevention efforts and with identifying early risk of substance use and misuse among middle and high school students.

Mass. General Laws chapter 71, section 97 (as amended by St. 2016, c.52, s.15) provides that, subject to appropriation, each city, town, regional school district, charter school and vocational school is required to use a verbal screening tool to screen students for substance use disorders. Funds have been appropriated to the Department of Public Health (DPH) to support school districts in implementing the law, including related training.

Beginning in the current school year, districts are expected to:

1. Conduct screenings on an annual basis at two different grade levels (grades 7 and 9 are recommended),
2. Notify the parents or guardians of the students who will be screened before the screening takes place, and
3. Permit a student or the student’s parent or guardian to opt out of the screening at any time by giving written notification.

The guidance memo includes more details. Other online resources include Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral for Treatment in Schools (SBIRT), which has information about training in the CRAFFT-II verbal substance use screening tool prescribed by DPH. School districts may choose to use an approach other than the CRAFFT-II by submitting to ESE an alternative substance use prevention program form (these will be available online) signed by the superintendent or charter school leader and including a description of the chosen alternative program. For more information, please contact the Office of Student and Family Support at atod@doe.mass.edu or Anne Gilligan at 781-338-6309.

FY19 Preliminary Chapter 70 Calculations:

The Department has posted FY19 preliminary Chapter 70 aid and net school spending requirements. Individuals with questions about the Chapter 70 program can contact Rob O’Donnell by email or at 781-338-6512.

Guidance for Ensuring the Educational Stability of Students in Foster Care: 

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Department of Children and Families (DCF) have developed a joint memo and guidance to support the implementation of the foster care provisions outlined under Title I of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act. Please register to join one of ESE’s informational webinars, which will be held from 12:00–1:00 p.m. on February 6and 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. on February 14. Foster care contact information for ESE and DCF is available on ESE’s foster care page.

Massachusetts Green Ribbon Schools Competition:

Massachusetts is now accepting applications for the 2018 Green Ribbon School Awards. The program honors schools that are exemplary in reducing environmental impact and costs, improving the health and wellness of students and staff, and delivering effective environmental and sustainability education that incorporates science, technology, engineering and math; civic skills; and green career pathways. Applicants may enter the competition as either a school or a district. Massachusetts will select one or more schools or districts to be honored at the state level; those honorees are then elevated to the U.S. Department of Education, where they will have the opportunity to be honored as a national Green Ribbon School winner. Applications are due by March 15. For more information, visit ESE’s Green Ribbon Schools website.

Lead in School Drinking Water Assistance Program:

Funding for Massachusetts’ Lead in School Drinking Water Program is still available for the 2017-2018 school year. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, through its partnership with the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, will provide technical assistance to ensure that public school districts can sample the taps and water fountains in their schools and to identify any results that show lead and copper concentrations over the action level.

The program is open to public schools and childcare facilities that have not previously participated. There is limited funding available; eligible applicants will be accepted as they apply and until funding has been exhausted. Information about the program and how to apply is available online.