Joint Board of Ed meeting

The K-12 Board of Ed meets jointly with the Higher Ed Board this morning at Bridgewater State. They'll be talking about early college and about MCAS.
Then the K-12 Board has its regular meeting.
scheduled to start at 9...we'll see...
meeting called to order; members now introducing themselves. As I don't know the Higher Ed members, I'll do my best. 
Bridgewater State president introducing his campus, which is the state's single largest producer of teachers.
Commissioner Chester: terrific discussion, to advance a conversation,
focused on early college

earning college credits before students finish high school
largely one-off examples from partnerships locally
have lacked a systematic approach to "elevate early college as a strategy for preparing them well for the world after high school"
looked at districts that have been taken over; have seen that secondary schools need to provide multiple pathways
creating a more deliberate state strategy in that regard
Commissioner Santiago (Higher Ed); increased alignment between K-12 and higher ed
"it is necessary that we have this alignment for the future of the Commonwealth"
Massachusetts at a bit of a demographic crossroads
traditional college-going population has been quite flat
significant numbers of retirements of our most educated population
highest educated state in the union
need to bring in new numbers of students
"open doors to opportunity" to wider population
Santiago cites NY Times article on colleges that promote socio-economic mobility
Gabrieli: "this is about opportunity"
"structures traditionally haven't been student centered...what is like to be a high school senior in May"
"great chasm" before college
recommendations to act: specific path forward
Gabrieli: Senator Moore has introduced legislation that parallels that today
what Governor Baker has asked us to do: not just stay in our lane, but think more broadly
joint committee between agencies
charged with high quality: increasing completion rates post-secondary
review and designation approval process, including performance measures to aid in evaluating performance and effectiveness
funding and how to sustain work going forward

• equitable access: prioritize students underrepresented; elminating barriers to student participation
• guided academic pathways: experiences beyond the classroom; students required to complete 12 credits; required to expose to "high demand fields" 
• enhanced student support: wraparound services
• connect to career: expose students to a variety of career opportunities; targeted pathways leading to careers
• effective partnerships: at least one higher ed, one secondary, may include one or more emploers

video from Marlboro High School's STEM Early College program
giving kids access who might not otherwise get access
companies have "a variety of opportunities for how they're going to be involved in the school"
"if students don't know how to fail well...they won't be as successful in what comes next"
pursuit of high-level employment
post-secondary STEM pathways
"increasing the future employee base for STEM careers"
Joint resolution from two boards now being considered (wording not available) which creates an early college designation (which "may at some point include financial support"), creates joint standing committee from both boards to oversee it, attachment laying out design principals 
such that fall would be first set of designations, with following year being first year
sounds as though DESE expects the current programs to apply for this "designation" they're creating
Sagan: work Parthenon is doing supported by the Barr Foundation
"there are proof points here and across the country"
"real data, real young people, real schools out there" doing this
knit them together into coherent pathways that schools and students can follow
"more than 20% there, maybe more than halfway there"
"this is doable"
grant "New Schools for Youth"
more pathways for career pathways throughout the state
"going to address some of the key workforce" needs across the state

Q: kind of support for teachers to execute this kind of program?
mentoring between college faculty and high school faculty
Q: in context of free college programs in NY and RI, excited about this proposal, as it addresses some key things
Accuplacer results
targeting to skills gap
Chester: anxious to see "any and all possibilities" opening up
Marlboro: aimed at students in the middle, raising their academics, their standing
"prioritized access" for students who most need it
"unleveled classes" so all take honors
"breaking down silos"
McKenna: very supportive of this
"I've seen across the country what was started as a effort to target those who were not going to go to college"
kids who might not get through high school
"I've seen it evolve or devolve into something quite different"
"keeps moving up the scale to gifted and talented kids who would make it to college"
focus on kids who would not make it without this support
"have seen the creep that this replace AP courses"
focus on teachers: "It all depends on them that this works"
concern about 12 credit minimum: "if we're talking about the kids who are at risk of dropping out...minimum to be offered...suppose I am a kid who takes this package but doesn't pass it"
seen graduation rates leap for those targeted
echoing of McKenna: helping the students who need it most
citation of some sources of diversity of students who complete through these programs
"Massachusetts has really been a laggard" on early college
Morton: concern about equitable access
"as the program began to experience more success, the students changed"
suggests amending to include "equitable access"
Gabrieli points that it's in the backup, if not in the resolution
"dual enrollment is a good thing" but need at least 12 credits
Q: just for STEM students or is it open to everyone?
multiple access points
Q: are there majors besides this?
three iterations of the program, this is most recent
speaks to where state might go with this
Gabrieli: early college as proposed would accept and expect a wide variety of programs
"and I would hope that we would see a wide variety; I agree with you"
Stewart: facing an educator shortage
really look at engaging students into potential work as educators in the future
Moriarty: receivership cities out to have a particular relationship
"how well integrated these are with the redesign being launched"
passes both boards unanimously