Draft changes to model educator evaluation rubrics open for public comment until July 27, 2018. After all the SMART goals, observations,…
Four “Early College” Program Designations
Holyoke, Worcester, Lawrence, Westfield and Springfield schools included in second round of Early College designations in July 2018. The High…
2018-19 Charter School Season Begins
Seven new charter schools are vying for a rose in 2019. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education received seven…
Finally. A MA Budget for FY19
Nearly three weeks into the FY19 fiscal year, the legislative conference committee charged with developing a compromise FY19 state budget…
Micro-Credentials – Free for NEA/MTA Members!
New professional learning options from the NEA in supporting English learners, classroom management, being a cooperating teacher, leadership and organizing!…
SEI for Voc Tech Educators
The BESE approved regulations that will require many vocational technical educators in Ch 74 programs to get the SEI Endorsement.…
Civics Education in Massachusetts
Civics education bill moves to conference committee. On May 30, the House of Representatives passed 4545, An Act to promote…
SMK Public Comment Open (Again!)
Public comment is open through June 29, 2018 for the Subject Matter Knowledge (SMK) requirements for educator licenses. In you…
Accountability System – MTA Public Comments
The MTA submitted public comment on the proposed amendments to the school and district accountability regulations on May 18, 2018.…
Rethinking School Accountability Report
Sen. Pat Jehlen releases school accountability report that highlights the lowlights of Massachusetts school and district accountability rankings. In a…
Seal of Biliteracy – Public Comment
Public comment is open on the propose language for the Seal of Biliteracy as required under the LOOK Act. At…
NAEP Day!
Results released for the 2017 NAEP testing! Massachusetts tops the nation again. Today is a high holiday for education policy…
MTA Comments: Subject Matter Knowledge (SMK) Requirements
The MTA submmited comments on the proposed changes to the SMK Requirements for educators. A 30-day public comment period was…
Professional License Renewal – Public Comment
Public comment is open on changes to Professional License Renewal related to the LOOK Act. At the March Board of…
Bilingual Learning Endorsement & license regulations Public Comment
Public comment is open on changes to academic educator licenses related to the LOOK Act. At the March Board of…
Vocational Tech SEI Endorsment – Public Comment
Public comment is open on changes to vocational technical educator licenses related to the LOOK Act. At the March Board…
BESE March 2018 Agenda
It is a regulation-palooza! Accountability, English learners, Vocational Education and the Seal of Biliteracy are all on the list! The…
Proposed Options for Digital Literacy & Computer Science License
Want to add that Digital Literacy & Computer Science license? Here is one proposed pathway from DESE. The Department of…
Pathway to Special Education Licenses
A license with no required coursework? DESE wants your comment on proposed “Structured Guidance and Supports” pathway for some teacher…
Report: Roadmap to Expanding Opportunity
Ten strategies for public schools are explored in a joint report from the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center and the…
Warren & Clark Review DeVos’ First Year
For profits and against civil rights. The offices of Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Cambridge) and Congresswoman Katherine Clark (D-Melrose) released a…
Teacher License Content Guidelines
Should teachers know more than the students’ curriculum? The February 2018 Draft Subject Matter Knowledge Guidelines are open for public…
Ed Prep Guidelines – Round Two
Revised Pre-Practicum Guidelines are out! Public comment is open until March 4, 2018. The latest version of proposed guidelines for…
BESE Meeting – Feb 27, 2018
BESE expected to vote for new Charter school for Lawrence/Methuen/Haverhill. The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) is scheduled…
History & Social Science Frameworks Public Comment
Public comment is open through April 2, 2018 on the draft History and Social Science Frameworks. Don’t miss out on…
Baker & Education Funding FY19
Early budget recommendations from Beacon Hill have cuts for education programs across the Commonwealth. On Wednesday, Governor Charlie Baker released…
GIC Options Gutted
GIC Slashes Public Employee Health Benefits… Then Schedules Vote to Reconsider On January 18, the Group Insurance Commission (GIC) voted…
Jeff Riley Recommended for DESE Commissioner
A nationwide search yielded the Lawrence Public Schools appointed receiver Jeff Riley as the next Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary…
Selection of Commissioner set for January 29
Save the date for the final step in the selection of the next Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education! A…
Teacher Shortages & Local Solutions
Teacher turnover and lack of qualified applicants for open teaching positions is hardly news in Massachusetts. The latest brief from…
MA Ed Commissioner: Interviews & Public Feedback – Jan. 26
Public interviews are Friday, January 26 for the three finalists for Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education. Learn about the…
BESE Meeting Jan. 23, 2018
Join from the comfort of your teacher’s room. Watch the live stream starting at 11:15am: livestream.com/accounts/22459134 The Board of Elementary and…
The Great Commissioner Race is on!
Angélica Infante-Green, Jeffrey C. Riley and Penny Schwinn named as finalist for MA Commissioner of Education position. The search process for a…
More on “Blizzard Bags” from DESE
DESE released updated guidelines advising careful planning for districts considering using home assignments in place of snow days. The January…
SEI for Ch. 74 Voc- Tech Educators
DESE is ramping up SEI professional learning courses for educators in Vocational Technical programs. When the Rethinking Equity and Teaching…
Early College Programs in MA
Expanding early access to college in Massachusetts also comes with an expanding list of questions. A joint effort of the…
New Year, New Accountability System
Test scores, student attendance, 9th grade course passing and English language proficiency are some of indicators in the proposed redesign…
The LOOK Act & Educator Licensing Requirements
Yes. The SEI Endorsement requirements remain in place. An Act Relative to Language Opportunity for Our Kids (LOOK) was signed into law…
BESE Meeting – Nov 28, 2017
Join from the comfort of your teacher’s room. Watch the live stream starting at 8:30am here: livestream.com/accounts/22459134 The Board of Elementary…
Part 2 of Re-Writing History (Frameworks)
The long-awaited proposed draft revisions to the History and Social Science Curriculum Frameworks have arrived! The November 2017 Board of Elementary…
MA Scores High on 2015 PISA Collaborative Problem Solving Assessment
Massachusetts public schools are a top performer in the international PISA Collaborative Problem Solving Skills assessment. United States students outperformed…
MTA Ed Prep Public Comment
Check out the MTA public comments on educator preparation programs. The Massachusetts Teachers Association submitted public comment on the draft…
New ESL Bill for Massachusetts
The Massachusetts legislature passed an ESL bill removing roadblocks for districts to provide a variety of language acquisition programs. The…
2017 MCAS Results
The 2017 MCAS results and accountability rankings are now public for both the “Next Generation” MCAS and “legacy” Grade 10…
October 2017 BESE Meeting
Wonder what BESE has to say about the MCAS results? Watch it live! The next Board of Elementary and Secondary…
CEPP Guides for Draft SMKs
CEPP has created guides to help educators better understand the draft SMKs. UPDATE: Public comment open until November 17, 2017…
2017-2018 BESE Members
The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) members are posted on the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website.…
Draft Provisional License Validity Period Guidelines
Got thoughts on how to explain 603 CMR 7.15(14)(g)? See our post on public comment for DESE guidelines here. Provisional…
Draft Foreign Teacher Panel Guidelines
Got thoughts on what should be required for international educators ? See our post on public comment for DESE guidelines…
Ed Prep and Licensure Public Comment Period
In case you thought the license changes were complete…there is more work to do. Sharpen your public comment pencils! ICYMI…
Draft Ed Prep Pre-Practicum Policies
Got thoughts on what is covered in educator preparation programs? See our post on public comment for DESE guidelines here.…
Sesame Street Resources for Helping Kids
Educators know students needs are not captured by analyzing test score data. Since students need more than test preparation to…
Study: Students do better in Unionized Charter Schools
We here at The Policy Minute could tell you all the benefits communities, school administrators, educators, students and families gain…
Early Updates on Early College
The prospective partners in the Massachusetts Early College Initiative sent off their application packages and are eagerly awaiting the acceptance…
BESE Charter School Schedule. Mark Your Calenders!
The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) has released a tentative schedule for discussion and vote on charter school…
$516 Million Bill to Local Districts
Local school districts are picking up a larger tab for the state-authorized charter school system. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary…
Re-Writing History (Frameworks)
The future looks busy in the world of history and social science. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education…
Two Charter School Proposals Advance
Earlier this year, eight proposals to open new charter schools or expand existing charters schools were submitted to the Department…
US ED Approves DESE’s MA ESSA Plan
Bonus points for you if you knew all those acronyms. For the rest of us, the United States Department of…
Just for New Teachers 2017
The 2017 Just for New Teachers conference registration is now open! Are you an early career teacher or aspiring educator…
Professional Development – Approved Providers
Educators seeking professional learning opportunities to earn Professional Development Points (PDPs) for renewing a Professional License can check the Department…
DESE Special Education Professional Development
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has posted a number of professional development opportunities related to topics in special…
New English Language Arts & Literacy Curriculum Frameworks
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education published the final form of the updated English Language Arts and Literacy curriculum…
New Mathematics Curriculum Frameworks
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education published the final form of the updated Mathematics curriculum frameworks in late June.…
2017 Charter School Applications & Expansion Requests
Tis the Season for new charter school proposals and expansion requests! The Class of 2017 includes four applications for new…
DESE Guidance on License Changes
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is slowly releasing guidance and updates related to the changes to…
DESE’s School & District Profiles – Feedback Wanted
Have you ever checked the DESE School and District Profiles pages for information on your school? DESE publishes public data…
Licensure Changes Approved by BESE
In a short meeting on Tuesday, June 27, 2017, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education approved the proposed amendments…
2017 MTA Summer Conference
Calling all Summer Conference veterans, rookies and interested parties! The workshop list is UP and registration is OPEN. MTA Summer…
Status Check: Licensure Regulations
Public comment on the proposed amendments to the regulations guiding educator licensure and licensure renewal closed on Monday, May 1,…
Help Wanted! Your thoughts on Educator License Changes
In February 2017, a set of proposed changes to educator licensure was released by DESE. Public comments are open until…
Comments due March 9 on ESSA draft plan!
Public comment on the Massachusetts draft state plan for ESSA closes on March 9, 2017 Please submit feedback through this…
Public Comment 101
Rules governing amending regulations are similar for all agencies. Let’s focus on how to comment on regulatory changes proposed by the…
Charter School Votes – 2017
On February 27, 2017, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) voted on proposals for new charter schools and…
Freezing School Levels for 2017
Commissioner Mitchell Chester is proposing to freeze school and district accountability for level 1-3 for 2017-2018. A proposed change to…
Licensure: Public Comment is Open til May 1
Changes to educator licensure are open for public comment. The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted to solicit comment…
February 2017 BESE Meeting
Can’t make it? Watch it live on Livestream at https://livestream.com/accounts/22459134. From the Commissioner’s Update 2-24-17 The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education…
Educator Evaluation – Proposed Regulations & Changes (Feb 2017 Edition)
The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) is voting to approve the final changes to the regulations on the…
Agenda released for BESE Meeting – February 2017
The agenda has been posted for the February 27-28, 2017 Board of Elementary and Secondary Education meeting in Malden. This…
Educator Licensure – Proposed Changes
DESE has released the set of proposed changes to educator license regulations as part of the Board of Elementary and…
MA ESSA State Plan for School Accountability
Fire up the comment machines. Massachusetts’s draft state plan for school and district accountability is now available. Public comment is…
Federal Accountability and Teacher Prep Regs- Going, going…gone?
It appears that the Obama-era regulations governing school and district accountability under ESSA and teacher preparation programs under the Higher…
School Spin: Reports and Analysis of Turnaround Practices
Massachusetts wonks got a late holiday gift in the release of two sets of reports on school and district turnaround…
BESE January Meeting Quick Read
LiveStream videos of the BESE/BHE January meetings are available! Monday, January 23, 2017 The BESE discussed the proposed state…
A delay for ESSA?
An executive order by the current White House administration to delay any regulations that have not yet taken affect for…
Follow along! Betsy DeVos hearing for Secretary of Education.
https://www.theatlantic.com/liveblogs/2017/01/senate-confirmation-hearings-day-4/513287/ Follow along at home and enjoy the Betsy DeVos hearing tonight with The Atlantic.
History Frameworks Revision: Out with the old…
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is diving into the past and reviewing the History and Social Sciences…
Now open! Comments on the English Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics Curriculum Frameworks
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has revised the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks for English Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics. The…
BESE meetings live stream!
Watch the excitement of policy making from the comfort of your own couch. Board of Elementary and Secondary Education meetings…
Public Forums on School/District Accountability: ESSA Part 2 of Many
Do you have an opinion about your schools? Probably. Does your opinion match with what MAssachusetts uses to measure schools…
Next Generation High Schools
The United States Department of Education has released guidance on stragies for supporting innovation in high schools. Spoiler alert: Nothing…
Redesigning Massachusetts School & District Accountability: ESSA Part 1 of Many.
The federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was reauthorized in December 2015. The most recent iteration of this law…
Out with Instructional Technology, In with Computer Science?
Are we throwing out the digital baby with the bathwater? In June 2016, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education…
Charter School Newsletter – September 2016
The September 2016 Charter School Newsletter from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is available online. Topics in the…
Technology and Shiny New Objects!
The September 9, 2016 Commissioner’s Weekly Update was a virtual playground of DESE news on computer-based testing, funding opportunities and real-life…
Autism Endorsement
Massachusetts established an Autism Endorsement in 2016. As certain as death and taxes, there will be confusion over this new…
10th Grade MCAS til 2018?
MCAS 2.0 development is kicking into high gear for grades 3-8. It looks like Massachusetts may be sticking with the…
English Learner Toolkits
Not sure where to jump in and find out how to better support English learners in you classroom, school or…
National Clearinghouse for English Langauge Acquisition (NCELA)
NCELA is a virtual waterpark of policy and instructional resources for wonks and practitioners alike regarding English language learners issues. Wade…
2016 MCAS Results – Preliminary Data
Preliminary 2016 MCAS Results: Districts and schools now have embargoed access to their full preliminary MCAS and MCAS-Alt results in…
