April 13, 2018
Massachusetts NAEP Scores Lead the Nation (Again!):
On April 10, 2018, the National Center for Education Statistics released the 2017 results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as NAEP or the Nation’s Report Card. For the seventh consecutive NAEP administration, Massachusetts fourth and eighth graders scored first or statistically tied for first on the NAEP math and reading tests. Massachusetts is the only state to have average scores at the top on all four tests. In addition, black students and Hispanic students had their highest average scores ever in fourth and eighth grade reading.
“I’m pleased to see our national standing, but we need to consider areas where we appear to have plateaued,” Commissioner Riley said. “Standing still will not help all of our students be prepared for opportunities after high school.”
Professional Development Opportunities on Safe and Supportive Learning Environments:
The Department, in collaboration with the Department of Early Education and Care, the Collaborative for Educational Services, and Massachusetts Advocates for Children’s Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative, has created a free, yearlong professional development series on aligning aspects of social emotional learning, trauma sensitivity, and positive behavioral approaches. The series includes webinars, regional networking events, and a statewide convening. The webinar series, which is hosted by American Institutes for Research (AIR), has been updated. Registration is open for several upcoming events: a webinar from 2:00-3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 25 on assessing discipline trends and calculating disparities and regional networking meetingson safe and supportive learning environments on May 7 in Worcester, May 17in Holyoke, and May 31 in Bedford. More details on these and other events and updated dates can be found by downloading the professional development calendar posted on DESE’s Safe and Supportive Schools web page.
April Is the Month of the Military Child:
Massachusetts is a member of the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3). The goals of the MIC3 are to ensure the timely enrollment and proper placement of students, as well as on-time graduation of children of military families. The Department is committed to providing support for the military-connected student who experience high mobility, resulting in educational interruption. People are invited to show their support by wearing purple on April 25! Further information about this initiative and guidance can be found under the related resources section of DESE’s MIC3 webpage. Other resources available through MIC3 include a Guide for Parents, School Officials and Public Administrators.
Family Engagement External Stakeholders Regional Meetings:
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Department of Early Education and Care, and DESE are working collaboratively to create a comprehensive birth-grade 12 family engagement framework for use in home visiting programs, early intervention services, childcare centers, public school settings, and more. Regional meetings of external stakeholders involved in family engagement will bring together members of the cross-agency team, national partners, and stakeholders from a variety of fields to provide insight, guidance, and feedback on the work that is underway to draft the framework. The regional meetings, which will take the form of focus groups, will take place on May 2 in both Bedford and Millbury and on May 3 in Springfield.
Community members, parents, grandparents, practitioners, and school and district personnel with an interest in informing a family engagement framework are encouraged to register and participate. We will email logistics a few days before the scheduled date to people who have registered.
Anyone who is unable to attend the dates listed above is invited to take an online survey that will be available beginning May 1. There will also be other opportunities to participate in the future.
Spring Early Learning Regional Network Meetings:
In collaboration with the Department of Early Education and Care, DESE will co-host spring early learning networking meetings from 12:30-3:00 p.m. on May 7 in Worcester, May 17 in Holyoke, and May 31 in Lawrence. Early learning professionals, including coordinated family and community engagement (CFCE) specialists, representatives from community-based early education and care and Head Start programs, and early childhood coordinators and early childhood special education coordinators from public schools, are encouraged to attend one of the sessions. Participants will have the opportunity to hear and share best practices and will have time for planning or discussions around topics such as safe and supportive early learning environments, addressing gender identity in the early years, and building a birth to grade 12 family engagement framework. Please register online.
Elementary Principals Network Meetings:
The Department’s Early Learning Team and the Massachusetts School Administrators Association will host six regional network meetings for elementary principals this spring beginning May 16. Similar to the fall and winter network opportunities, these sessions will provide elementary principals the opportunity to network with area colleagues and discuss problems of practice. Network topics will be based on the interests of the participants and may include but not be limited to:
- Early literacy and math curriculum and instruction,
- Assessment practices,
- Social and emotional learning,
- Safe and supportive early learning environments,
- Serving with English language learners;
- Addressing gender identity in the early years; and
- Birth to grade 12 family engagement.
Elementary school principals can register online for one of the sessions and are encouraged to share the information with other elementary school principals.
Computer Science Training Grant:
On April 12, the Baker-Polito Administration announced that Massachusetts has a received a $364,000 grant from the College Board and the Chan Zuckerberg Foundation. The money will be used to train public high school teachers in computer science coursework. To qualify for the professional development, teachers will submit online applications to Code.org beginning this spring. Information on how to apply is available online. Preference will be given to teachers working in Level 4 and 5 schools and to teachers from districts with a high percentage of economically disadvantaged students.
Registration Open for July 24-26 Civic Education Institute:
The Department will host a three-day statewide Civics Education Institute for 250 educators from July 24-26 in Marlborough. The Collaborative for Educational Services (CES) is planning the content for the event in partnership with the Massachusetts Center for Civics Education, Generation Citizen, and DESE staff.
The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education will decide in June whether to approve the draft revised History and Social Science Curriculum Framework. If approved, the institute will focus on helping districts implement the revised framework.
Each district team (to be identified by the superintendent, not at the school level), must complete an application for all members of the team. Most districts are invited to send teams of two to three educators; Commissioner’s Districts and Gateway Cities, including Southbridge, are invited to send teams of four. At a minimum, each team must include a curriculum leader and a middle school history-social science teacher. Register here. For questions about the Institute, please contact CES directly.
Following the institute, CES will host a statewide network that will provide support to history and social science educators during the 2018-2019 school year. More information about the network will be provided in late spring.