MA Early Learning Updates

A message from the
Massachusetts Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education

JUNE 2018

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Early Learning Team Update

The Early Learning Team would like to congratulate Mary Jane Crotty on her retirement. Mary Jane has been a member of the Early Learning team for over 5 years. Before joining the team at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), Mary Jane was Director of Early Childhood in Connecticut for 20 years.

We wish Mary Jane the best of luck in her retirement!

Contact Us:
Donna Traynham
Early Learning Team Lead
Mary Jane Crotty
Early Learning Assistant Coordinator
Emily Taylor
Early Learning and Safe and Supportive Schools Specialist
Jane Haltiwanger
Early Learning Specialist

Contact any member of our team or others in the Office of Student and Family Support

Family Engagement Meetings

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), Department of Early Education and Care (EEC), 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 External Family Engagement Stakeholder Coalition (EFESC) meetings took place in May 2018 and brought 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 currently underway to draft the Framework.

The next regional meetings of the EFESC are scheduled for: September 12^th (Holyoke), September 14^th (Worcester) and September 17^th (Malden). Additional regional meetings may be scheduled. Please mark your calendars for one of the September 2018 regional meetings. Registration for these meetings will be launched this summer. If you know groups that may be interested, or would like to provide feedback on work in progress, please complete this short survey.

Summer Section for Online Course on Pre-K and K Standards for SEL and Approaches to Play and Learning

Early childhood educators are invited to register for a facilitated, online version of an introductory course on the Massachusetts Standards for Preschool and Kindergarten Social and Emotional Learning and Approaches to Play and Learning. The Collaborative for Educational Services developed the course in collaboration with the Department of Early Education and Care and DESE. The course will be offered across five weeks with the first section to be held July 9^th through August 12th, facilitated on the Blackboard learning platform by a DESE-approved instructor: Caroline Blackman. Each section is limited to 20 participants. Educators who complete the course earn 10 PDPs or 1 CEU. To learn more or to register, please email caroline.blackman@gmail.com or view this flier.

Elementary School Principals Networking Meeting

The Early Learning Team and Massachusetts School Administrators Association (MSAA) hosted 3 rounds of regional network meetings for elementary school principals this school year. These sessions provided the principals with the opportunity to network with area colleagues on topics related to early learning (preschool-3rd grade), receive professional development, and discuss problems of practice.

We plan to continue to offer regional networking opportunities during the 2018-2019 school year for principals. Please complete this survey if you are interested in participating to help shape the next round of networking meetings (e.g., location, time of day, structure of the sessions, etc.).

SIMS Early Childhood Experience Data Element

During the 2017-2018 school year, districts across the state piloted a new Student Information Management System (SIMS) data element on the early childhood experiences of children entering kindergarten. As part of the pilot, families were asked to report on their child's learning experiences prior to entering kindergarten through a brief survey. The feedback from districts on the pilot and the experience of administering the survey was positive and the Department has decided to move forward with adding this data element to SIMS beginning with the October 1, 2018 SIMS data collection.

Local SIMS data coordinators have been trained on any new or changed data elements for October 1^st. Please contact your district's SIMS data coordinators for more information. We will also be posting resources and information for districts this summer via the early learning webpage (revised website to be announced soon).

Apply or nominate a teacher to be a CURATE Fellow!

DESE is partnering with Teach Plus and the Rennie Center to launch a new initiative called CURATE: CUrriculum RAtings by TEachers. Fellows will meet in panels during the 2018-19 school year to review evidence on the quality and alignment of commonly used curricular materials, focusing initially on early (PK-K) and elementary (grades 1-5) literacy, middle grades (6-8) math, and science (grades still to be determined). Applications are due July 30, 2018 and require signed acknowledgement from the applicant’s principal or other supervisor. Learn more, apply, or nominate a teacher for this impactful leadership opportunity here.

Strategies for Children

“Leading the Way,” is a blog series by Strategies for Children featuring the next generation of leaders in the field of early education and care.

Leading the Way: Lynn Santiago-Calling and MAAEYC, May 17, 2018 For Lynn Santiago-Calling, leadership means connecting people. Santiago-Calling is the new executive director of MAAEYC, the Massachusetts Association for the Education of Young Children, and she is working to help the organization grow. Read Full Post »

Leading the Way: Ola Friday is Massachusetts’ new associate commissioner of workforce development, May 8, 2018 Ola Friday grew up with educators. Her mother was a teacher and an assistant principal, and her father was a teacher. Friday knew she wanted to be in education, but when the time came to […] Read Full Post »

Leading the Way: Kretcha Roldan’s work in Somerville, April 19, 2018 Kretcha Roldan has spent her career combining social work and education. That’s what she loved about her job as executive director of AVANCE, a nonprofit organization in Waco, Texas, that runs a two-generation education and […] Read Full Post »

Leading the Way: The East Boston Social Centers, March 29, 2018 For Justin Pasquariello and Michele Dambrosio, leading the way in early education means making substantial investments in people. Last year, Pasquariello became the executive director of the East Boston Social […]»Read Full Post »

Copyright © 2018 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, All rights reserved.

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