5. Elementary Principals Convenings:
On Wednesday, January 20 and Wednesday, January 27, DESE’s Early Learning Team will host a book group on “Unconscious Bias in Schools: A Developmental Approach to Exploring Race and Racism” in collaboration with the Massachusetts School Administrators’ Association (MSAA) and the book’s authors, Tracey Benson and Sarah Fiarman. Elementary school principals who are interested in participating in the discussion are asked to register as soon as possible.
The Department’s Early Learning Team and the MSAA will host the next round of networking on topics related to early learning from 3:30-5:00 p.m. on Monday, February 1; from 3:30-5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 3; and from 7:00-8:30 a.m. on Monday, February 8. Elementary school principals who would like to participate in one or more of the networking sessions are asked to register no later than Tuesday, January 26.
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6. Upcoming LearnLaunch Workshops:
Cultivating a Culture of Caring will guide educators through strategies for building a strong culture of caring in remote, hybrid, or in-person models. Participants will explore strategies and resources that cut across the 10 Building Blocks, with an emphasis on communication, cultivating 1:1 relationships, and building community. The workshop will be held on at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 19. Register here and explore the Engage Learners Building Block tool.
Relationship Mapping to Support Social Emotional Well-Being will guide district and school leaders through the process of relationship mapping. A positive, stable relationship with a caring adult (whether a teacher, administrator, coach, or staff member) has proven benefits for students’ social emotional, personal, and academic well-being. This workshop will be held three times, at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 20; Monday, January 25; and Thursday, January 28. Register here and explore the Include Social-Emotional Learning Building Block tool.
Beyond Screens: Using Zoom to Deepen Engagement will guide district leaders, school leaders, and secondary school teachers through actionable tips and strategies for using Zoom to deepen engagement in remote, hybrid, and in-person instructional settings. This workshop will be held three times, at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 21; Friday, January 22; and Tuesday, January 26. Register here and explore the Engage Learners Building Block tool.
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7. Middle School Science Grant Opportunity:
The Department is partnering with the One8 Foundation to launch a new middle school OpenSciEd Cohort Program! The school grant application is due Friday, February 12. To learn more about the grant opportunity, eligibility, and expectations, see this flyer and the online application. Building off the three-year middle school pilot, DESE is working to scale the innovative middle school science curriculum to schools across the Commonwealth. As part of the new cohort, schools can apply for grants to help implement the program, access in-state training, and receive additional support and complimentary programming.
The One8 Foundation is hosting an information session and office hours to help schools complete the application. Please click on a link below to register.
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8. Bullying Webinar:
School and district administrators are invited to join Anne Gilligan from the Office of Student and Family Support and Shelagh Peoples from the Office of Planning and Research for a one-hour webinar on bullying at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 28. Anne will discuss the current bullying legislation in Massachusetts and update administrators on the latest data reporting requirements that relate to this legislation. Shelagh will summarize key findings from the latest bullying research brief; these findings are based on students' perceptions of school climate. Meeting details are provided in the registration form.
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9. Request for Temporary Changes to Federal Accountability Requirements:
In March 2020, to address widespread closures of schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Education (USED) invited each state to request a waiver of certain assessment, accountability, and related reporting requirements for the 2019-2020 school year. The waiving of these requirements impacts how each state implements its accountability system following the 2020-2021 school year. As a result, USED has created a streamlined process for states to amend certain federally required aspects of their accountability system for one year.
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is requesting the following temporary changes to certain accountability requirements described in the state’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) state plan:
- Revise state-level long-term goals and measurements of interim progress by shifting the timeline forward by one year for the academic achievement, graduation rate, and progress in achieving English language proficiency indicators;
- Revise the timeline for identifying federal Comprehensive Support and Improvement, Targeted Support and Improvement, and Additional Targeted Support and Improvement schools by shifting the timeline forward by one year; and
- Revise the timeline for removing schools from federal Comprehensive Support and Improvement and Additional Targeted Support and Improvement status by not including the 2019-2020 school year in the number of years in which a school must meet the criteria in order to be exited.
The requests will be posted on DESE’s Accountability Lists, Materials, and Tools page. The Department welcomes comments regarding these requests. Comments may be submitted via email to esea@doe.mass.edu until Friday, January 29.
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10. Guidance on CvRF School Reopening and Remote Learning Technology Essentials Grants:
The federal stimulus package that was signed into law on December 27, 2020 extends the availability of Coronavirus Relief Funds (CvRF) through December 31, 2021. This extension applies to CvRF School Reopening grants (fund code 102) and Remote Learning Technology Essentials (RLTE) grants (fund code 118).
Because the purpose of these funds was to support school reopening and technology costs for the 2020-21 school year, DESE expects that districts will draw down and expend all CvRF and RLTE funds by the end of the fiscal year, June 30, 2021. Additionally, spending CvRF and RLTE funds should be prioritized before spending Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding.
Please be aware that districts’ CvRF and RLTE January payment request in EdGrants will be listed as the final payment, because the original grant deadline was December 30, 2020. If districts have funds remaining after the January draw down window, DESE will add payment windows for each month until June 30, 2021.
Any district with questions and any district that needs to amend its grant is asked to email the district’s CvRF program contact or the RLTE program grant contact, Jackie Gantzer at Jacqulyn.m.gantzer@mass.gov.
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11. Honoring Teachers:
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, DESE did not hold the teacher and district recognition ceremony that was planned for fall 2020. The Department has, however, recognized the honored educators with this video. Congratulations to all! To learn how to nominate an educator for the awards mentioned in the video, please visit our educator recognition web pages.
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- Girls on the Run: Girls on the Run, a nonprofit after-school program for girls ages 8-13, will hold an open house via Zoom from 6:00-6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 19 for educators interested in learning the next steps for starting a Girls on the Run team, either in-person outdoors or via online meetings. Registration is open online.
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- Tech tips to increase student engagement: Citizen Schools will host a virtual coffee hour from 4:00-5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 27 called “Top Notch Tech: Teacher Tips That Elevate Student Engagement.” The discussion will focus on how technology can serve educational content without becoming the content. Registration is open online.
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