DESE Update: September 07, 2018

Reminder about Privacy of Employee Information:

Districts are asked to remember that employees’ home addresses, personal email addresses, and home and mobile telephone numbers should not be released to third parties, although there are limited exceptions for collective bargaining representatives to receive such information. More information is available in this advisory from the Attorney General’s Office.

Picture of the Week:

On September 5, 2018, Governor Baker, Secretary Peyser, Commissioner Riley and other state and local officials visited Chelsea High School to see the early college program the school offers with Bunker Hill Community College. Here, student Jose Gutierrez, recent graduate Gymara Morales, and student Yesica Deleon talk with the governor about what the early college program has meant to them. On September 6, Lt. Governor Polito visited Holyoke High School, where she learned about that school’s partnerships with Westfield State University and Holyoke Community College. (Photo by Josie Pettigrew)

MassHealth School-Based Medicaid Program Expansion Update:

The Commonwealth is pleased to announce that it received federal approval to expand the School-Based Medicaid Program (SBMP) to cover additional provider types and health services. This expansion will take effect July 1, 2019. The additional health services must meet Medicaid Medical Necessity requirements and may include services pursuant to an individualized education program (IEP) (currently covered), as well as an individual health care plan (IHCP), an individualized family service plan (IFSP), or a Section 504 plan, or be otherwise medically necessary.

Preparation efforts for this expansion need to begin during the current (2018-19) school year. During this year, districts must execute amended provider contracts, participate in trainings that explain program implementation changes districts need to undertake, and obtain parental consent.

Regarding consent, in accordance with DESE’s student records regulations and federal law, school districts must first obtain parental consent for MassHealth-enrolled students in order to seek reimbursement via services claims or inclusion in eligibility statistics. An updated advisory (28M/13) is available along with updated model parental consent forms in five languages. Schools and districts are encouraged to communicate with MassHealth eligible parents about completing consent forms as early as possible in order to be ready for July 2019. Additional details about the School-Based Medicaid Program expansion can be found in a May 2018 bulletin from MassHealth.

School-Based Medicaid Program Back to School Trainings will take place on September 24, 25, and 28 (the same training on three different dates) in Shrewsbury. These trainings are for Random Moment Time Study coordinators, Medicaid billing staff, special education directors, health services directors, and business managers. Please email SchoolBasedClaiming@umassmed.edu to register or to learn more about the trainings or the School-Based Medicaid Program in general.

Anyone with questions about the consent process can contact DESE’s Office of Student and Family Support at (781) 338-3010 or achievement@doe.mass.edu.

Chap. 74 New Program Application Process Open:

The Office for College, Career, and Technical Education is pleased to announce the opening of its Chapter 74 New Program Application process for the 2018-19 school year.

For 2018-19 submissions (for programs intended to open in September 2019) the timeline is as follows:

For further information on the process, including links to online submission forms and a series of application process webinars, visit our Chapter 74 New Program Timeline webpage.

Anyone with questions can contact Marnie Jain at 781-338-3908 or mjain@doe.mass.edu.

Model MOU for School Resource Officers:

Earlier this week, the Attorney General’s Office, the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, and DESE released a model memorandum of understanding (MOU) governing the role of school resource officers in Massachusetts schools.

As part of the criminal justice reform law enacted in April, MOUs between school districts and police departments must provide new details about school resource officers’ roles and responsibilities, ensuring that school resource officers do not take the place of appointed school disciplinarians, enforcers of school regulations, or school-based mental health providers. The new law ensures that school resource officers do not use police powers to address traditional school discipline issues and restricts law enforcement action in response to certain school-based offenses.

ESE Resource Corner

Massachusetts educator licensure video series: The Department is pleased to introduce the Massachusetts Educator Licensure Series, a series of informational videos designed to help current and aspiring Massachusetts educators navigate the licensure process. The series currently consists of seven videos that provide an overview of teacher licensure in the Commonwealth, including how to obtain Provisional, Initial and Professional licenses and what the process is for out-of-state applicants.