Board of Ed for October: graduation standards

There is this memo which isn't particularly revelatory, but then there is a large PowerPoint that is not online. As the memo says:

The agency is currently developing guidance and tools to support districts towards full implementation of the proposed graduation framework. 

I am again going to point out that "fully implementing" a "proposed framework" that has yet to go through a legislative process makes no sense.

"the agency setting conditions to change practices in the field" is the theme of this year, says Commissioner Martinez

introducing MyCap and MassCore
And then hearing from researchers

regulations that the Department will bring forward for discussion next month on what?

"clarification" says Woo, that regulations proposed next month will set up requirements for what schools "must offer," not what individual students must complete

Board of Ed for March: college access

 Johnston: to increase college access and affordability

trends of college enrollment slowly increasing in the state after a decade of declining enrollment
huge increases in community college enrollment (preliminarily 24%); many taking advantage of tuition and fee free community college

May Board of Ed: opening comments

 You can find the agenda here. The livestream will be here.

Craven calls to order with "one member on the phone and two caught in traffic"
updating as we go

Some things to read this weekend

please enjoy this tree in Palmer

 I've shared much of this on either Twitter or Bluesky, but for those not on there, or who find this easier:

• I'm sneaking this in here due to her connection with the Worcester Public Schools: Senate President Karen Spilka recently asked for ideas on which woman deserves a statute in the state senate, and here is a suggestion it should be Frances Perkins (graduate of Classical High). 
  
  
• There's new research out on state takeovers of school districts, and, as EdWeek writes: 
  

  Politicians typically pitch state takeovers as efforts to help steer a sinking ship to calmer waters. But existing and emerging research offers a more mixed and less rosy view.

  And speaking of state takeovers, things are not great in Houston. 
  

• You may have heard a lot about Norwegian cell phone bans in school. Here's a blunt list of what was actually found.
  

• The bill that passed the House this week adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism, which classifies most anti-Zionism as antisemitic is what has been repeatedly called for in public testimony before the Mass Board of Ed; it happened at the January meeting, from the panel invited by Chair Katherine Craven, and then again in February and March. Lest you think it only happens elsewhere. 

• This opinion piece in the New York Times on college admissions spends too much time from the perspective of a wealthy student, but some of the points are useful. Sara Goldrick-Rab, meanwhile, reminds us of community colleges and decisions that need not be made in the spring.

• Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed into law this week new penalties for those passing a stopped school bus:
  

  Illegally passing a stopped school bus is now classified as a high and aggravated misdemeanor, resulting in a fine of no less than $1,000,12 months in jail, or both.

• A Marin County grand jury found that asking parents to provide school supplies was contrary the California education code:
  

  “Public schools in California are required to provide, at no cost to students or their families, all the supplies, materials and equipment necessary to fully participate at school,” the grand jury states in an introduction to the report. “As a result, it is improper for public schools to distribute lists of school supplies that are required or requested.”

• This piece on rules came in response to the college response to college protests this week, but I thought it applies well to how schools run, too:
  

  We spend our lives being socialized to believe that failure to follow rules is harmful to society. Less remarked upon is the equally important fact that overzealous, unthinking enforcement of the rules is just as harmful to society. Inflexible as rules are, they cannot function effectively without the ability of their enforcers to compare their text to the fluctuating exigencies of the real world. Small-minded determination to use rules as the final word on all human conduct is characteristic of goons, acting with the desperate meanness that comes from the need to have an easy club with which to beat back the imposing intricacy of life.

  And speaking of those, McSweeney's doesn't miss. 

March 21 Worcester School Committee meeting

 It's budget season, which means I am all over the state, so I'll do catch up on these as I can; I wasn't at this one and I can't make the next two, either, so they'll be coming later. Do note that the Committee meets this Thursday; the report of the Superintendent is on special education. 

The March 21 agenda is here; the video of the meeting is here. The report of the superintendent on future ready pathways is here.

Note that prior to the public session, there was an executive session on two worker compensation issues and negotiations with the Mass Nurses Association.

The consent agenda was passed. 

The Burncoat High School spirit team was recognized.

Board of Elementary and Secondary Education: vision and mission

 There's a backup on this here
Johnston: "you are our audience right now" 
as we go into this transition, want to be make sure we're grounding this work in the vision we have of change for our schools
when he was a superintendent, "I was on the receiving side" of DESE work
"while the creativity was always clear" was not always clarity in how those spoke to each other? were they timed well? 
for students who have been historically marginalized, there is no time for DESE to lose its footing

Joint Committee on Ways and Means hearing on FY25: local and education aid

 

Greenfield Community College atrium

I was just asked why I sit where I do, and the answer is "next to the outlet when there is one!"

February Board of Ed: awards and recognitions

 Colin Moge of West Springfield High School is being recognized as School Counselor of the Year
introduced by noting need for counselors in schools: mental health, bullying, college admission and financial aid

Two further FAFSA issues

 You may or may not have been following the ongoing issues with the new FAFSA (some of us have to live in this world alas), but the new form, which is finally out, but which is going to delay when colleges get information and thus can get back to families had two other issues highlighted recent I thought of interest:

• If you have or will have two kids in college, what had been the rule that the colleges split what the calculation thinks you can afford in half is no longer the case. (Gift link to the NY Times there) It's not yet clear how colleges are going to handle this--there's some hope that they'll make up the difference rather than have families decide that they simply cannot afford it--and only time will tell. 
  
  
• What all the changes didn't fix was the requirement that the parents have Social Security numbers to fill out the form. Children whose parents are immigrants thus cannot fill it out.

If this isn't you this year, cross your fingers they work it out! 

As Harvard goes...

 ...this is really bad news in the ability of education to resist, frankly, fascism.

To read on Students for Fair Admissions, Inc v. President and Fellows of Harvard College

 aka, the affirmative action case decided Thursday

May Board of Ed: early college

 there is a backup here
established in 2018/19 school year
now 48 designated programs; 58 high schools
projecting 8200 students across the state
early college students succeed in college at a higher rate despite earlier academic levels
they're now listing the new ones which is a lot but mind-numbing to listen to
grants from DESE using ESSER funds

...what we aren't getting: any data on outcomes. or intakes

There are zero statistics being offered of who is in these programs, what the demographics are, and what is happening to the students who graduate from them.

But we're expanding like topsy. 

Canavan: ESSER going away: any plans?
A:Yes; notes legislature has been generous (but those are also grants)
West: what are the cost?
A; five year cycle grant
plus $180/credit (which we know isn't enough)
Have estimated $1000 a year for students 
Moriarty: outcomes, look forward when work is done
think first or second cohort have had a chance to earn a bachelor
A; third year of college for first cohort
Moriarty: impact on families
A: looking ahead, data to analyze
Moriarty: talk about onramping
A: students go through MCAP (?), provide tutoring for students
"My College and Career Academic Plan"
Rouhanifard: how many whole school models?
A: Five?
also larger high schools may have both two and four year partners
Rouhanifard: what does a typical day look like?
A: autonomy in making it work for the high school
Scheduling is a major stepping stone
built-in time for transportation is a requirement
huge variency
academic supports built into college coursework over course of week
Moriarty: thinks of his work on this "as happy time"
"Good stuff without the bad stuff"
"complex but sort of simple"
"it's almost inspiring...the way government is supposed to be working"

Craven asks Tutwiler for thoughts: "We go as far and as wide as we can"

On the House FY24 budget

First, mea culpa for essentially sitting out all of the House budget. I was scrambling when it came out, and I just never caught up. 

With the Senate budget due out the week after next (why does it feel like no one ever knows this for sure?), let me walk through what the House did, however.

Do please note that my K-12 education account by account spreadsheet is up to date through the House passage of the budget, meaning it also incorporates the amendments. Because the House passes amendments in a way that is designed to be opaque, I waited for the Legislature to sort them out before I tried to post. That is now up to date. 

On the big stuff particularly in what differs from the Governor's budget:

• Yes, the House fully funds year three implementation of the Student Opportunity Act.
  HOWEVER, the House also (in a separate line) adds an additional $30/pupil minimum increase, bringing it to $60/pupil, which I know was asked for, and I'm sure many are going to see as the House doing a favor to districts. It's a problem, though. It is in no way tied to need (plenty of those dollars will go to districts that have funding capacity and relatively low needs student populations). It will also create a larger hole of hold harmless funding next year (this additional funding does get added to that), pushing some districts that were on the cusp of getting out of hold harmless funding and minimum increases back into it, rather than getting them out into foundation aid. 
  (I'm sure I've lost some of you, and I should write more on this.)
  (For some reason, the House version is $280K less than the Governor's version, and I don't know why.)
  
  
• BIG DIFFERENCE #1 from the Governor's budget: The House budget includes $161M in the budget for free school lunch reimbursement for districts. The Governor, you might remember, put this into a supplemental budget. DESE CFO Bill Bell last week said there's some question as to if the amount is sufficient, but the intent is there for free lunch for all in all districts. Some districts (like Worcester) are of course still funding by the community eligibility provision of USDA. 
  There are also two studies on school lunch in the outside sections, one to study school food waste, and one to study nutritional standards for school lunch. 
  
  
• BIG DIFFERENCE #2 from the Governor's budget: The House budget lifts the cap on the Mass School Building Authority to $1.1B (this is in an outside section, so I initially missed it). THIS IS A BIG DEAL (and, as you might remember, something some of us asked for in public testimony). It also then ties increases annually to increases in sales tax revenue, capping at 4.5%
  (Nothing on accelerated repair; nothing on inflation)
  
  
• Circuit breaker, which this coming year is going to be reimbursing for that 14% increase in out of district tuition, is funded at $506M, up from the Governor's budget of $503M. Is this enough? It is intended to be, but we'll see. And of course districts still have to fund it this and and THEN get reimbursed. 
  
  
• House Ways and Means submitted charter school reimbursement at $13M less than the Governor's budget did at $230M. The House budget passed brings it up about $1.5M. In all cases, this was said to be fully funded; as there haven't been many charter school enrollment increases, this would largely be funding simply the growth in charter tuition caused by the Student Opportunity Act being implemented. 
  
  
• Regional transportation reimbursement, which the Governor's budget funded at $97M, the House funded at $107M, which is seen as 100% reimbursement. There is no reimbursement for municipal districts. 
  
  
• The House budget establishes a clean energy infrastructure fund of $100M for schools, which would be administered by the Department. 
  
  
• MCAS continues to be funded at $32M.
  
  
• METCO overall is up a bit over $2M from the Governor's budget, to $31M.
  
  
• Early college, funded at $13M by the Governor, passed at $15M. 
  
  
• Rural aid, which the Governor funded at $7.5M, the House passed at $10M. 
  
  
• The Governor had zeroed out the extended learning line, but the House puts it back at $4.8M.

• The civics education line kicks $100K for an anti-racism initiative and $500K for the USS Constitution museum into the line, which already includes funding for the JFK Museum and the Edward M. Kennedy Institute, which now totals $2.1M.

• The Governor submitted the safe and supportive schools line at $1.6M; the House budget passed has $640K. 
  
  
• The Governor's budget funded the alternative assessment consortium (MCIEA) at $550K; the House did not fund it. 
  
  
• For those who wonder every year about the mystery of the JYK Networks (account 7061-9406, billed as "college and career readiness"), their line is back to funded (it was not in the Governor's budget) at $875K. 
  
  
• The 21st century ($5M) and civics project ($1.5M) trust fund lines are funded as in the Governor's budget, but the genocide education trust fund, funded by the Governor at $1.5M, was funded at $500K during the amendment process (the House Ways and Means budget had not funded it at all). The House budget does not fund the STEM Pipeline fund, which the Governor's budget funded at $1.7M. 

Live from the April Board of Ed: Mass Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment Initiative

 backup is here though there also is a Powerpoint which is on the stage but tiny

Mass Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment Initiative--MAICEI ("macy")--state funded program and the funding offers inclusive college options for students id'ed as having an intellectual disability, autism, or developmental disability

alternative non-matriculated pathway: person centered pathway, individual support plan, focus on employment goals
have coaches, internships
have access to courses that don't require a prerequisite
two of the campuses have a resident life component as well: Salem State and Bridgewater State (which also was the first campus to have this)

student at Mass Bay Community College in the MAICEI program now speaking about the classes he took, the use of public transit, involvement in the extracurricular programs, starting a glee club(!), getting involved in politics
"has prepared me for my career...for the last nine years I have worked at the State House"

Testimony about the long-term post 18 or so options for students 
hope that the Board can support districts 
"the MAICEI answer to what does life look like? Anything you want it to"

Additional testimony from another student

I want to know where the funding for this is? Higher ed line?

Moriarty wants to know about space in the program
has been interest: only one had a waiting list, but all students got in
will see more and more as start to present to more and more families who are no longer in school districts
"we've had families relocate...from all over the country just for their son or daughter to participate"

Mohamed asks about interaction with IEP and planning
guidance coming out from DESE on that
also with early college: has been discussed as part of early college discussions

Canavan asks at what age students are eligible: 18 plus

August Board of Elementary and Secondary Education : public comment and MCAS

 This is the "one on the MCAS" though note that updating the state's accountability regs is also on today's agenda, as is a bullying regulation change, and an update on the budget. Because this was not a regularly scheduled meeting, I will not be liveblogging it all, but will catch up later. 

Posting as we go once the meeting starts...jumping in mid-public testimony
Interesting: the livestream missed this, but as the first panel was being introduced, there was a member of the public yelling about "no child is safe" though it was unclear on exactly what.

May 2021: Board of Ed on early college and innovation pathways

 which is discussed a bit here

Liveblog of FY22 Joint Ways and Means hearing

 ...which you can watch over here...

Cafeteria at Forest Grove Middle School,
set up for student lunch

Testimony at these, incidentally, is by invitation only, but you can email: SenateCommittee.Ways&Means@masenate.gov

Some things to read this weekend

 

Looking for something to read? 

By my count, I'm overdue on at least two blog posts--fingers crossed for this weekend!--but in the meantime, here are some things I recommend reading:

• This Vox piece on how school funding can be part of the repair for segregation, which even includes some parts about federal funding perhaps being used to push. 
  
  
• This piece from Erica Green in yesterday's New York Times on a program through the National Education Equity Lab that gets students into Harvard's Extension School courses and has shown that they have every ability to do the work. It has now expanded to other universities. The results are not only in terms of what it has shown about the students, but has shown the schools: 
  
  “We have not traditionally taken students from certain communities and certain high schools,” Mr. Quinlan said, “and that’s generations of work that we need to overcome.”
  
  
• A plea from a New York City teacher that we stop calling this a "lost generation" that speaks to some of the gains she has seen in her students this remote year.
  
  
• This piece from a rural North Carolina teacher where they're running their school on shifts that reflect the local textile mill. 
  
  
• I have talked a lot about the 1918 pandemic in Worcester and how it has been part of what I have reflected on this year, so it was neat to see more of that in this Telegram & Gazette piece this week. 
  
  
• Sarah Hosseini in The Atlantic asked the very reasonable question of why we have ever sent sick kids to school. 
  
  
• And from a not really education related perspective, this piece in The New Republic on our not-exactly-progressive Massachusetts was today's must read. 

January Board of Ed: college access

 update on college access for class of 2021
in a given year, about 70% of graduates attend college; for some groups, it's much lower
pandemic fall of 2020: zoom in state university system
11.6% drop in community college; 7.7% drop in state universities

data on gap years; "enrolling immediately matters"
those who enroll immediately earn much more money in their 30's than those who postpone or who never enroll

equity gaps increasing in who is access college
what about this year's seniors?
90% of students who fill out FAFSA by March 15 eventually attend college
gaps, but still, "timely completion of the FAFSA matters"

Allows students and families to keep options on a the table 

"we know that we have a little time here"
"we're not on fire yet" 
applications for college are down as well
March 1 to 15 is the critical time
community college remains an option; still time to work on this
"very little direct work to complete FAFSA" done by the department
"trying to rev people up to get out to their kids"
"how we message"
met with three largest districts
"there's a lot of things counselors are doing; their plates are full"
knowing we have to change things in this matter, shifting what and how
"most of those kids, if you don't complete FAFSA, there's no college at the end of it"
enrollments are down: "that's not a gap year; that's a gap decade"
there's work to be done about this

Morton suggest a public awareness campaign
people in communities who'd be willing to speak to young people about this 
Craven: coordinated effort through community learning pods
Hills: some high schools are "doing much much better work in setting up their graduates for financial success" than others
R: can only get out to mid-30's
is there variation? Yes, there's a lot of variation in high schools in the varying rates
some doing "a better job"
Hills: if schools don't have their seniors enroll right away (he's interrupted "on average, on average")
note that these are stacked bars with delayed enrolled

Coughlin: definitely something the student advisory council willing to take up
maybe a PSA from the Department going out to families and students

Peyser: think there were 121 views of individual student FAFSA reports, with fewer than last year (from EDWIN)
"if you don't have the data, if you don't know which ones filled it out and which ones haven't completed, you can't do the work to get this done"
previously, there was an urgent sense of data being needed; concern that is lost
counselors checking "every week" to see who has and can't get it done

Morton: and we lost sounds
...
work going on with counselors?
Target resources, communications to those places that we know that this is going to make a big difference

West: indicator in real time that allows to intervene
(snaps from Morton)

And for another view

This is higher ed, but I think you're find it resonates.

After measuring classrooms and examining our antiquated ventilation systems, our staff (those who haven’t been furloughed) reports that there’s absolutely no way our already scheduled and enrolled classes can safely fit in those spaces. But our university has always valued creative problem-solving, so we have posted NO COVID-19 ALLOWED PAST THIS POINT signs on the doors of every campus building. Plus, to show how seriously we take the situation, the signs have been laminated.

Yes, McSweeney's is satire. We think.