Webinar: Using Early Warning Indicators to Support Every Student

MASC members are invited to join a free webinar on March 27 "Using Early Warning Indicators to Support Every Student", to hear from experts and practitioners about how schools are using early warning systems (EWS) that are updated daily to address core challenges like reducing chronic absenteeism and assigning tiered interventions, as well as promoting students’ social-emotional learning (SEL) and college/career readiness.

Dr. Robert Balfanz, a pioneer for using early warning indicators, will share his evidence-based models for identifying and monitoring at-risk students through early warning systems. Superintendent Dr. Drew Echelson and administrators from Waltham Public Schools, along with an administrator from Metro Nashville Public Schools, will discuss how their districts are using data indicators to prepare their students for success in the 21st century.

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2nd Annual MA Summit on Poverty - March 9, 2018

Poverty in Massachusetts:

• It’s reality for over 25% of children and families in the state.
• It’s the 800-pound gorilla stalking the best efforts to close the student achievement gap.
• It’s the great, grey smoldering issue that too many policy makers, community leaders and folks at the local coffee club have been reluctant (or unwilling) to acknowledge for too long.

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Emerging Issues in Education Law 2017

Presented by the Massachusetts Council of School Attorneys

Meeting Details

Date: Friday, December 8, 2017
Location: The Parker House, Boston, MA (get directions)
Registration: 11:00am - 11:45am
Program and Lunch: 11:45am - 2:00pm

Program Moderator: Rebecca Bryant, Esq., President, 2017, MA Council of School Attorneys

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Provide Feedback on the Emerging High Quality College and Career Pathways Designations

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Education, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and Department of Higher Education are developing designation criteria for Early College Programs as well as the newly introduced Innovation Career Pathway. Both initiatives fall under the broad category of High Quality College and Career Pathways. They are requesting input from stakeholders and field partners in the critical work of preparing all students for college and career to help inform their efforts.

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MASC 2017 Summer Institute

Presentations from the 2017 Summer Institute are now available - download them here (must be logged in).

Topics Include:

• New updates on ESSA
• School budgets (including the impact on your budget of key federal changes)
• Goal setting and monitoring
• Issues surrounding opioids and marijuana legalization
• Equity in education (and its role in student achievement)
• The role of the chair (yes, Virginia, it’s true—school committee meetings don’t have to last till midnight!)

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Workshop: Beyond Spreadsheets and Powerpoints: Basics and Budget Development

No single document in your district is more important than your budget. It not only allocates millions of dollars: it also delineates the policies those dollars support and advances your district goals.

The first challenge of a school district budget is creating it; the second, and more critical challenge, is communicating it. Is your budget being presented to your community in a way that is transparent, informative, and easy to understand? Are you doing all that you could with your budget presentation?

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