MASC 2018 Summer Institute

Back by popular demand!

Let MASC’s summer learning program launch you to success (and enhanced student achievement) in the upcoming school year.

Everything you need to know about:

• School/district accountability update
• Social/emotional learning in an academic setting
• Goal setting
• High school start times
• Restorative justice
• School and student safety

All this in six (centrally located, air-conditioned) hours in July, and your meetings this Fall will glide along like a summer breeze. Register for one day or both, but register. You will thank yourself for the rest of the year.

Presentations and handouts now available for download! Get them here.

Conference Details

Date: Friday, July 20 (4pm - 6pm) - Saturday, July 21 (8:15am - 12:30pm)
Location: Courtyard Marriott, Marlborough (directions)
Cost: 1-day - $50; Both Days - $75

Registration includes all materials, Friday and Saturday coffee/snack breaks and Saturday continental breakfast.

A limited number of discounted hotel rooms are available for attendees staying overnight on Friday at the hotel. Use this link by July 1 to book a discounted room at the hotel.

Sign Up

Sessions at a Glance

Friday Sessions (4:00pm - 6:00pm):

Alert: Accountability Changes Ahead!
New MCAS, no levels, and something called “extended engagement.”Big changes are underway on how Massachusetts evaluates how well students are learning in our schools and districts. Be a part of this conversation and learn what changes are underway in the state’s accountability system, what changes are still to come, and what these might mean for your district.
Presenters: Rob Curtin, Associate Commissioner for Data and Accountability, DESE; Kathleen Kelly, Vice Chair, Cambridge School Committee; Tracy Novick, MASC Field Director (moderator)

Social and Emotional Learning: What School Committee Members Need to Know and Do
There’s a lot of talk about social and emotional learning these days. What do we as School Committee members need to know about this field, why it’s important, how it can be implemented and integrated most effectively in our own districts? How can we support our superintendents and their senior staff to provide the best climate for learning, and learning experiences that foster achievement and success for life, community, and work? In this interactive session, we’ll share research that helps districts launch or deepen their SEL efforts, and connect those efforts to positive school climate, the achievement gap, and culturally responsive pedagogy. You will come away with key questions and resources to take back to your district.
Presenters: James Vetter, Executive Director, SEL4MA; Ellen Gibson, Chair, Policy & Advocacy Committee, SEL4MA; Rachel Poliner, Consultant, SEL4MA, MASC Glenn Koocher, MASC Executive Director (moderator)

Saturday Sessions (8:15am - 10:15am):

Goal Setting & Monitoring: Working toward Continuous Improvement
School Committees have a responsibility, along with the superintendent, to articulate a vision and set goals for the school district. By planning its work around defined goals, the committee can truly have a positive impact on student achievement. In this session, we’ll discuss a process for setting goals and monitoring progress toward accomplishing the goals. We’ll also talk about the importance of defining and measuring goal outcomes that lead to true progress for the benefit of students in the district.
Presenters: Dorothy Presser, MASC Field Director; Jim Hardy, MASC Field Director

High School Start Times
If you are considering changing your High School start time, come and listen to districts who have made the decision and made the change. The research on teen age sleep needs is compelling but the process of changing school times is complicated! Do the pros outweigh the cons. Learn from those who have implemented the change.
Presenters: Laurie Tosti, Chair, Ashland School Committee; Scott Carpenter, Superintendent, Monomoy Regional School District; Margaret Driscoll, Chair, Melrose School Committee (moderator)

Saturday Sessions (10:30am - 12:30pm):

Restorative Justice
Restorative practices, evolving from restorative justice, is a social science that focuses on improving human behavior. Through a continuum of verbal strategies that effectively enhance and repair relationships, school-based misconduct is addressed with students rather than to them or for them. During this session, educators will learn the essential components of restorative practices and how these elements can establish a supportive social climate.
Presenters: Melissa A. Ugarte, Executive Director, The Education Edge; Jim Hardy, MASC Field Director (moderator)

Critical Incidents in Schools: Preparation, Response and Recovery
In today’s world schools are faced with addressing critical incidents within their schools and communities as well as at a national and international level. Preparing, responding and recovering from these events is vital to the well-being of students, staff and families as well as the successful transition to a “new normal”. This workshop will provide an in depth understanding of what a critical incident is, how to prepare students and staff in case of an incident and best practices related to response and recovery.
Presenters: Kristin Kirby, LICSW, Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (NEMLEC) School Threat Assessment and Response System (STARS) Crisis Response Team Coordinator; Dorothy Presser, MASC Field Director (moderator)