Board of Ed for December: LOOK Act

we're starting here with some data that I'll attempt to plug in later...learning that Worcester has the highest percentage of ELL students in the state...
majority of students who are ELL are first language Spanish speakers
vast majority of those students are enrolled in Sheltered English Immersion programs (over 90%)

Here’s what happens when you virtually outlaw other options. #MAEdu pic.twitter.com/DdHJLnc39c

— Tracy O'Connell Novick (@TracyNovick) December 19, 2017

• districts now have flexibility in choose language acquisition to best fit student needs
• department to develop and conduct comprehensive reviews of new acquisitions
• licensure endorsements for language acquisitions
• requires establishment of parent advisory councils
• state seal of biliterarcy
• state to establish English proficiency benchmarks, guidelines, and ELL student success programs

McKenna "hope that we can follow the spirit of the legislative intent"
Wulfson intent is not to overregulate
Peyser evidenced-based practice "not let a thousand flowers bloom"
federal scrutiny on meeting needs of ELL students; state has responsibility to ensure students are being well-served
McKenna: much research has been done, much evidence-based programming exists
seal of biliteracy already being piloted; will be bringing regulations starting in March
pilot has used national criteria
"all of this begins next year for us": that's alternative programming submissions due next January (for use the next year), parent advisory councils in 2018-19, endorsed educator list by June, benchmarks/guidelines/templates by September, reporting requirements for 2018-19, and seal of biliteracy for next year

SEI endorsement being run for vocational educators: right now a pilot with Worcester Tech and Greater Lawrence Tech
propose expanding SEI endorsement requirement to vocational teachers by providing SEI endorsement