MCIEA Conference

I was at UMass/Boston this morning for the MCIEA Conference (Massachusetts Consortium for Innovative Education Assessment); their website is HERE

Technical glitch with my laptop kept me from live-blogging the event, but I was able to do some tweeting (#newaccountability) and took notes, so, better late than never!

Today's Agenda (in bold, with program notes; my notes):

Networking and Poster Session: Enjoy breakfast while exploring posters that highlight MCIEA’s School Quality Measures and Quality Performance Assessments
Poster images currently in my instagram story (@mastewartma) and also as a featured highlight (MCIEA), along with a few other slides from today's presentations

Welcome: Arthur Mitchell, Senior Director of Programs, Center for Collaborative Education

Center for Collaborative Education website HERE
Arthur Mitchell with a warm welcome

Says, we're working on something transformative 

accountability has negative connotations for a lot of people
lots of interest in this new accountability -- not only for students in this region, but across the country
this is a movement
lots of people interested in what we're doing here
accountability to each other
want students to be able to demonstrate what they know and can do
want to transform performance
pencil and paper has a place
State Legislature supporting this [MCIEA] in the budget
Acknowledges presence of Legislators in the room: Rep. Tami Gouveia, Rep. Tim Hawkins, Sen. Pat Jehlen, and Sen. Jason Lewis -- Sen. Lewis will address in a little while

Introduces Dr. Ricardo Rosa for the Keynote

Keynote: Gettin’ Critical Wit It: Dr. Ricardo Rosa, Associate Professor, UMass Dartmouth 

Says, Schools, like any institutions, are like rubber bands -- change requires sustained pressure from below, or nothing will change

is drawn to this work because of the engaging communities

Says he is sometimes dismayed by "constant critique"

of those who only engage in endless critique w/o doing the work of imagining what's possible

gives a shoutout to districts, unions, educators, and students who are doing the work 

Reads from Bertolt Brecht's poem, Questions from a Worker Who Reads

Superintendents are not creating the schools

Corporate CEOs are not creating the schools

Schools are owned by the communities they are placed in

has witnessed the destruction schools [by] test-taking

watched the opt-out movement at a distance

the pressures of school leaders on immigrant students to pass the test after only one year in this country

Says he never really pushed back, but did have the impulse to push back after seeing the impact high-stakes testing had on his own child, ultimately

Then, he began to encourage opt-out

wrote a letter to the paper -- Washington Post reprinted it

high scores on high-stakes tests do not show evidence that learning has occurred

would be interesting to look at mental health disorders in relation to high-stakes testing

says, the drill and kill approach to learning is concrete violence against people

school to prison pipeline, as if schools are the problem

it is really a cradle to prison pipeline and it's a problem of our social policies

is encouraged by those who are acting up on MCAS
About the racist question on MCAS: 'for me, that's only the surface'

sees high stakes testing, in and of itself, as racist

communities must be involved if there is to be transformative educational leadership
students are critical piece of the process of critically thinking about performance-based assessment
Dr. Rosa introduces Senator Jason Lewis

Keynote: Where Education in Massachusetts Stands Now: Senator Jason Lewis, Fifth Middlesex District of Massachusetts, Chair of the Joint Committee on Education
Begins talking of 'the importance of education' in MA, via Constitution; esp Chapter V, Section II 
#cherish

Quotes Horace Mann, MA's (and the nation's) first Secretary of Education; it's the oft-quoted "Massachusetts mining..." passage (that I first read in a Globe article and is also what Sen. Lewis said at the start of the Joint Committee's public hearing on school finance bills that I attended, and what Tracy Novick reported on and provided a citation to):

"Having no other mines to work, Massachusetts has mined into the human intellect; and, from its limitless resources, she has won more sustaining and enduring prosperity and happiness than if she had been founded on a stratification of silver and gold, reaching deeper down than geology has yet penetrated" ~ Horace Mann, 1846

Says, while 2017 high achievement results are the envy of many, they obscure large achievement and opportunity gaps, esp for students of color, English learners, students with disabilities, economically disadvantaged

These are failures to our constitutional and moral obligation to "cherish" education
global economic demands that we have skilled, thoughtful workers
Sees measuring student learning and school quality as a pressing issue
a top priority in the MA Legislature is to finally update and reform our school funding formula
adequate and equitable funding regardless of community wealth
FBRC convened back in 2014
in 2015 FBRC published its report that pointed to underfunding of our public schools by $1-2B, esp for those stus with greatest needs
MALeg is looking at all of the options
continues to listen to all stakeholders
fixing funding formula is high up, not the only, priority
other priorities include:

• expand access to high quality childcare and early education to all families, esp;
• costs of higher education;
• students better prepared to succeed in college and career; 
• improvements in K-12 system also how we measure student and school quality so all students can thrive and reach their full potential

sees the value of MCIEAs/o to his hometown of Winchester
thanks his colleague Sen. Pat Jehlen, instrumental in securing budget line item [for MCIEA] and launching the consortium
looks forward to working together with MCIEA

Introduction to MCIEA and The New Accountability:
Adeline Bee, President, Attleboro Education Association, MCIEA Governing Board Member
Dianne Kelly, Superintendent, Revere Public Schools, MCIEA Governing Board Member
Believe that standardized testing raised the bar, and also contributed to the gap
Different experiences require different assessment
acknowledges student experience, voice, and their own learning
Performance tasks support teachers and students
Student learning is not limited to ELA and Math, and sometimes science
Students need English, Maths, Arts, creativity, critical-thinking, compassion, enthusiasm, sense of wonder, lots more!
MCIEA process generates collaboration between teachers, not top down from the superintendent

Workshops: Choose from one of the following two workshops:

• Building Quality Together: Jumping into the Assessment Design Process: Hear from teachers about Quality Performance Assessments, how they’re designed, and try it out for yourself with the Rapid Prototyping Protocol
• More Than a Score: A Holistic Vision for Measuring and Improving School Quality: Explore how MCIEA is gathering data about what we value most in our schools via the School Quality Measures 

I chose Session #2

This session features Jack Schneider & James Noonan
different data can help to tell us different things
What Makes a "Good School"?
Schools are complex ecologies
describing schools in all of their complexity
a deliberate move away from one high-stakes test towards a more robust system of multiple measures of school quality
look on the MCIEA website for more about their framework
Outward facing: telling the full story of schools and districts
Inward-facing: helping schools and districts improve
better and more data is critical
too much weighting on one test leads to distortion
School quality measures (SQM) because multiple measures are important (i.e.): % of teachers teaching 5 years or more; counselors to student ratio; number of electives
Student surveys: 66 total questions total, grades 4-12; 44 Qs presented; translated into 9 languages
T surveys: 70 Qs to all teachers
all surveys are taken on line
SQM data dashboard is design to allow stakeholders to see the full measure of what makes schools work and how they can continue to improve
Setting high expectations for all students: Ts and L'ship; School Culture; Resources; Academic Learning; Community and Wellbeing
Collaboration for adults
What can SQM tell us about schools?

• What is this school doing well?
• How can you tell?
• What can this school improve?
• How can you tell?

Then, my table (and some others) looked at an accountability from DESE (to answer the above bulleted questions):

Other tables looked at SQM Data Excerpts for a MCIEA schools:

Then:

A Conversation with Students and Q&A: Students from MCIEA schools

Paul Tritter, Director of Professional Learning, Boston Teachers Union, MCIEA Governing Board Member [and moderator]
Judith Evans, Superintendent, Winchester Public Schools, MCIEA Governing Board Member

We were introduced to a teacher, 4 students, and Superintendent Evans; each introduced themselves, their role at the school, and a little something about themselves

Lindsay Gallagher, 5th grade teachers, Abraham Lincoln School in Revere
Cassandra, 5th grade at the Lincoln School
Jade, 5th grade at Lincoln School, draw paint
Omar, 8th grade, Susan B. Anthony Middle School, Revere
Dion, 8th grade, Susan B. Anthony Middle School, Revere
Judy Evans, Superintendent, Winchester Public Schools supt
(I apologize for not getting all of interesting things panelists are interested in! Likewise, for not seeing who said what among the students, at times)

Tritter: Can you tell us some examples of your Project Based Learning?
Omar: At Susan B. Anthony (SBA), students looked at 'anchor texts'. One of them was What sparks revolution? He chose Martin Luther King, Jr to better understand what he was learning at school. Reading was structured around 1-2 weeks to understand the essential question itself; students were given a rubric on different 'presentation styles'; he chose PowerPoint and spoke along with the slides.
Cassandra: We had a 'slime project'; had to figure out if it was solid, liquid, or gas; we determined it was a liquid bc it took the shape of the container that held it
Dion: We did research on the Grand Canyon: looked at plants, animals, and resources like food; had questions about what limits the population to grow or shrink? Considered coyotes, rabbits. it was fun. most of research was computers with a partner. researched for a week
Jade: We had a playground project -- build your dream playground; We had to determine "area and perimeter"; find the area and perimeter for each space in the playground that we wanted; we did it; it was really fun bc we got to use our brains and imagine anything, no limits! We had a zipline and a trampoline
Tritter: Sure, it was fun, but did you learn anything from it?
Jade: Sure! There were no limits to anything; if only rules, that's boring and some kids don't like rules. We could do whatever we wanted to do with the project
Tritter: what helped you to understand area and perimeter/
Jade: I learned more about area needed for putting in a zipline

Tritter: Ms. Gallagher -- talk about performance-based assessments
Gallagher: In the beginning, it was hard letting go; wanted to control. Now, make sure I have all of the materials they need for trial and error so I do more on the planning side of things, not on the control side of things. It's not me grading their paper at night; it's me looking at them while they're doing this to see what they know and what they still need to know
5th stu: In third grade we didn't really do much project-based learning, mostly tests. Things got funner bc you got to pick your partner most of the time
8th stu: my first experience with PBL was 1st grade and it wasn't a big standard and my teacher wasn't really pushing; churning butter, making cookies, carving pumpkins and counting pumpkin seeds; I can have fun and learn at the same time
5th: we're not sitting down doing tests all the time; there's a mix
Tritter: how are you making sure they are learning while they are having all this fun?
Gallagher: It's all about planning; planning came down to what do we need to know and do to plan for this? Stus have to defend their answer

Tritter: what is your experience of MCAS and performance assessment?
8th stu: I have never liked MCAS bc it never properly showed what I know. stus that have bad days and get so stressed do worse, which places them at a disadvantage
5th stu: MCAS is an important test and too many students get stressed out about it; need more hands-on tests. Hands-on let you be creative and have fun, it's more like an assignment

Tritter: In the state, all across MA and the country, are students really learning stuff they need to know? If I came to your school, what should I look for to know if students are learning at the school?
5th: look for how students 'look'; student participation; look at their learning
Omar: walk into a class and look to see if students are bored; see if they are looking at the T; raising their hand: asking Qs about the topic
Tritter: How do I actually know how stus are learning? How would I know?
Dion: I would like you to look directly at my science teacher; it's a crazy class; mats, bouncy balls, fairy lights; any kid will tell you they learn; her tests are formatted such that questions on rocks are followed by questions on reproduction; it's all important that we need

Tritter: MCIEA work, not just you and your classroom. What's involved?
Gallagher: Cross-school validation; cross collaboration; talking with other Ts to test ideas improves my planning
Tritter: turning it over to Supt Evans in Winchester...What comes to mind when thinking of the differences [between MCIEA/PBL and traditional/MCAS]?
Evans: Students are more reflective and thoughtful [with MCIEA]; there isn't only one 'right' answer. With [traditional/MCAS] 'smart equals fast', values compliance over taking risks. Students talk about 'test stress and anxiety'; [MCIEA]widens out perspective. Student choice and voice is the direction for schools

Q from audience: There's basic teaching. How to balance?
Gallagher: Balance is something I'm still working on. I'm math and science. Thinking through how we get there. Students learn in their own way and their own style. Vocabulary. Exploring and taking ownership of their own learning

Q from a Teacher of students in Special Education: Uses students with disabilities MCAS/ALT test
Evans: Waiver from state to more accurately asses students. Students talk repeatedly about working with other students, taps into unique strengths; SWD, ELs;

Q from a parent: How to join the consortium? What is the process?
Noonan: Briefly -- Agreement between district Union and Superintendent.

I had to leave at this point

Closing Remarks: Craig Consigli, Assistant Superintendent, Milford Public Schools, MCIEA Governing Board Member
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Image credit: This question is at the heart of what drives two very different accountability systems in Massachusetts. MCIEA fact sheet HERE ~ mas

State Education Laws Enacted in 2017

Sharing a document from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education: the following laws relate to the Department and were enacted in 2017 (in chronological order):

LEGISLATION

An Act relative to the Mohawk Trail Regional School District and the Hawlemont School District: Chapter 31 of the Acts of 2017 (see H.2859), effective June 30, 2017. This is follow-up legislation to a 1993 law filed to confirm the Mohawk Trail Regional School District's budget process and their right to approve future amendments in accordance with law and the terms of their agreement after the participating towns approved a change in their regional agreement.

An Act relative to language opportunity for our kids (LOOK): Chapter 138  of the Acts of 2017 (see H.4032), Sections 47-54 inclusive, shall take effect on May 1, 2018. The new LOOK law establishes language acquisition programming flexibility for districts and oversight requirements for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

• Provides districts with flexibility in choosing a language acquisition program that best fits the needs of their English Learner (EL) population, while ensuring accountability through Department oversight.
• Requires districts that intend to offer new programs for ELs to submit specific information for review by the Department and the District's Parent Advisory Council. All programs must be based on research and best practices.
• Directs the Department to notify a District and provide the corrective steps that a district must take before commencing a program if the Department finds that a proposed program fails to meet the applicable requirements.
• Districts that intend to offer a new sheltered English immersion or alternative instructional EL program in the next academic year must submit the required information to the Department and the District's Parent Advisory Council by January 1 of the current academic year, which means new EL programs may open no earlier than the 2019-2020 school year.

Increased input from Parents and Guardians 

• Requires Districts that serve a significant population of ELs to create EL Parent Advisory Councils, made up of parents/guardians of ELs in the District.
• Requires Districts to provide notification to parents/guardians of ELs regarding various topics, including their right to choose a language acquisition program among those offered by the District.
• Parents/guardians of ELs may select any language acquisition program offered by the District, provided that the program is appropriate for the age and grade level of the student.
• Parents/guardians of ELs may request a transfer of the student to another language acquisition program available in the District, subject to approval by the Superintendent.

Educator Qualifications

• Requires the Department to establish licensure endorsements for various language acquisition program types (for example, Two-Way Immersion Programs).
• Requires the Department to annually provide Districts with reports of all educators who have current language acquisition program endorsements.
• Requires Districts to verify, prior to the beginning of each school year, that each educator in an EL program is properly endorsed for that program.

Benchmarks, Guidelines, and Templates

• Requires the Department to establish:
  • (i) benchmarks for attaining English proficiency for ELs;
  • (ii) guidelines to support districts in identifying ELs who do not meet benchmarks;
  • and (iii) an EL success template for use by districts to assist ELs who are not meeting English proficiency benchmarks.

• Requires Districts to provide a copy of these materials from the Department to parents/guardians of ELs within the timeframes specified in the law.
• Requires districts to adopt procedures to identify ELs who do not meet the English proficiency benchmarks and establish various processes relating to them.

Data and Reporting

• Expands EL related reporting requirements for Districts to the Department.
• Establishes a Data Commission to study the collection and dissemination of data on ELs and to make recommendations on streamlining data reporting.

State Seal of Biliteracy

• Directs the Board to establish the State Seal of Biliteracy. Districts may award the Seal to students who meet the state criteria in attaining a high level of proficiency in English and at least one other language.

Pre-K English Learners

• Expands the student census requirement for Districts to include ELs who are in Pre-Kindergarten.

FY18 BUDGET LAWS

An Act Making Certain Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2018 Before Final Action on the General Appropriation Bill: Chapter 25 of the Acts of 2017 (see H.3775), effective June 26, 2017. Directs the State treasurer to make advance payments for some or all of periodic local reimbursement or assistance programs to any city, town, regional school district or independent agricultural and technical school that demonstrates an emergency cash shortfall, as certified by the Commissioner of Revenue and approved by the Secretary of Administration and Finance, pursuant to guidelines issues by the Secretary.

FY18 General Appropriations Act (GAA): Chapter 47 of the Acts of 2017 (see H.3800) effective July 17, 2017. The GAA includes total state spending of $39.4 billion, representing a $652 million (1.7%), increase over FY17 spending. This spending recommendation is based on a projected 3.4% increase in tax revenue for FY18.

• The Department's recommended appropriations total $5.324 billion, which represents an increase of $113.5 million (2.2%) over FY17 spending. The GAA affirms a commitment to fund education aid for our Districts but does include reduced spending to a number of the Department's accounts due to the lowered revenue forecast for FY18. In signing the budget, the Governor vetoed spending of $5.6 million in Department accounts, most of which represented legislative earmarks for specific local projects. These vetoes were subsequently overridden by the Legislature.

I. Education Local Aid & Reimbursements

• Chapter 70 aid (7061-0008) is increased by $118.9M (2.6%) over FY17. The increase is designed to allow for a minimum aid increase of $30 per pupil over FY17 for every school District and provides $25M to begin addressing the increased costs of employee and retiree healthcare.
• GAA funding for the Special Education Circuit Breaker account (7061-0012) is increased by $4M over FY17. Regional School Transportation (7035-0006) has a $500,000 increase. The METCO grant program (7010-0012) and Charter School Tuition Reimbursements (7061-9010) are level funded. The Department estimates the latter will cover 100% reimbursement for the capital facility component of Charter Tuition ($893 per student) and 69.3% of first-year tuition increases.
• Non-Resident Vocational Student Transportation (7035-0007) and Transportation Reimbursement for Homeless Students (7035-0008) were reduced by $7,500 and $250,500, respectively, from FY17 levels.

II. Student Assessment

• The GAA funding for the Student Assessment account (7061-9400) was insufficient to meet the Department's planned program spending for the upcoming school year. The Governor made a reserve draw to bring the account total to $31.1M.

III. Departmental Grant & Targeted Support Programs

• The majority of Department grant and targeted support programs were either level funded or reduced.
  • Targeted Assistance (7061-9408) reduced by $183,955 from FY17.
  • Copnnecting Activities (7027-0019) increased $555,250 for both earmarks and additional grant funding.
  • Adult Basic Education (7035-0002) increased $829,289 for both earmarks and additional grant funding.
  • ELT Grant Program (7061-9412) reduced by $197,685 from FY17.
  • After-School Grant Program (7061-9611) funded at $3.5M to fund both earmarks and additional grants.
  • Consolidated Literacy Program (7-1--0033) is $76,907 higher than FY17 spending, while Bay State Reading received an increase of $206,167.
  • Special Education in Institutional Settings account (7028-0031) received an increase of $4M over FY17 level.
  • Safe and Supportive Schools Grant Program (7061-9612) is funded at $500,000, an increase of $101,400 over FY17.
  • The GAA transfers of the WPI Schools of Excellence (7061-9624) account from the Department of Higher Education to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, funded at $1.4M.

IV. Administrative & Operational Resources

• The GAA reduces the Department's administrative funding below its maintenance level for FY18. This reduced funding totals $756,764 in the following three accounts that fund agency staff:
  • 7010-0005 Main Administration $256,096
  • 7028-0031 Special Education in Institutional Settings $233,061
  • 7061-9200 Education Data Services $267,067
• Outside sections that are of significance to the Department and to Elementary and Secondary Schools:
  • Section 90. Designates the Secretary of Education as Chair of the Homeless Student Transportation Commission established by Chapter 133 of the Acts of 2017
  • Section 126. Requires a feasibility study to be conducted by the Executive Office of Education on minimum number of instructional hours substituted for the minimum number of days as required by the Board of Education. As part of the study, the Executive Office of Education shall determine cost savings associated with an instructional hours based system including but not limited to, energy costs, administrative costs, and transportation costs.
  • Section 127. Requires a feasibility study to be conducted by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education on rural school district aid.

The State's FY18 Budget

We're less than halfway through the Fiscal Year (FY18), and, as I was re-reading MassBudget's FY18 budget analysis, I thought it worth noting a few of their key points.

Early Education: Quality early education and care helps prepare our young children for success in K-12 education and allows them to thrive more generally. Early education and care is also a critical work support for parents with young children, by offering safe and reliable care for kids while parents provide for their families. Funding for early education is -22% since 2001.

K-12 Education: Providing an excellent education to all children in Massachusetts supports future generations in the Commonwealth while contributing to our economy over the long term. Chapter 70 education aid is the main program for delivering state support to local districts across Massachusetts, and ensuring that schools have sufficient resources to provide the necessary services to all students.* The current (FY18) budget increased Chapter 70 Aid by $118.9 million (2.6%) to $4.75 billion.^ The FY18 Chapter 70 budget also includes a modest step to implement recommendations made by the Foundation Budget Review Commission (FBRC) in 2015.** The FBRC noted that current underfunding reduces the capacity of schools across the state to provide services to help all children succeed.

Higher Education: Higher education helps the people of our state contribute to their communities and gain the skills to succeed in a knowledge-driven economy. Our public higher education institutions – including the University of Massachusetts (UMass), the state universities, and our community colleges – educate a majority of Massachusetts high school graduates who go on to college. Graduates from public higher education are also more likely to stay in-state after graduation, contributing to our economy over the long term. Higher education funding is -15% since 2001, which has contributed to a doubling of tuition and fees between 2001-2016.

Environment & Recreation: The state budget funds programs that keep our air, water, and land clean, maintain fish and wildlife habitats, and staff and maintain our parks, beaches, pools, and other recreational facilities. The current FY18 budget provides $200.0 million for environment and recreation programs, which is $6.8 million more than in FY 2017. The Governor vetoed $4.8 million from the Legislature’s budget, largely by eliminating funding for specific environment and recreation projects located throughout the state. The Legislature overrode all of these vetoes. Even with this slight increase in funding in FY18, the environment and recreation budget is 35% below FY01 after adjusting for inflation.

Libraries: The state budget supports local libraries; the Boston Public Library, which serves as the primary research and reference service for the Commonwealth; and other library programs in Massachusetts. The current FY18 budget provides $25.5 million for libraries, which is slightly above the FY17 budget. The Governor vetoed $250,000 in funding for libraries, which the Legislature overrode. Even with a slight increase over FY17, funding for public libraries has fallen by 48 percent since FY 2001 after adjusting for inflation.

Unrestricted Local Aid: General local aid helps cities and towns fund vital local services such as police and fire protection, parks, and public works.^^ The current FY18 budget allots $1.06 billion for Unrestricted General Government Local Aid. Also known as UGGA or “general local aid,” the amount is an increase of $39.9 million over FY17 levels. The Commonwealth’s capacity to fund general local aid has been hindered by a series of significant state-level tax cuts during the 1990s and 2000s combined with the Great Recession. While over the past several years, general local aid funding has increased in step with or slightly above inflation, it still remains 40.5 percent below FY 2001 levels, when adjusted for inflation.

Tax Revenue: The budget adopted several “tax modernization” changes that would deliver a mix of both one-time and ongoing revenue. The Legislature did not adopt a number of proposals for additional revenues: higher taxes on flavored cigars, tighter eligibility and salary caps for Film Tax Credits, and extending the room occupancy tax to short-term rentals such as those made through Airbnb. Nor did the Legislature include an earlier proposal for a Tax Expenditure Review Commission to systematically review and make recommendations about many of the tax breaks provided by the Commonwealth. The budget expands the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) by making it easier for married victims of domestic abuse to claim the credit without filing a joint return with their spouses. Along with this change, the budget limits the size of state EITC benefits for part-time residents and eliminates access to the credit for nonresidents. The Legislature also agreed to create a new business tax credit for employers that hire qualified, Massachusetts-based veterans.

- - -
* For further background on the state’s education funding system, see MassBudget's Demystifying the Chapter 70 Formula. 
^ This increase is close to the 2.5% ($113.0 million total) increase from FY16 to FY17. 
** Wherein the Commission found that according to the state’s estimate of what it takes to educate children (called the “foundation budget”), school districts are significantly under-resourced.
^^ For more information on general local aid, please see MassBudget's Demystifying General Local Aid in Massachusetts. 

Federal FY17 Budget

With his final State of the Union address presented earlier this month, President Obama's FY17 budget request to Congress is expected *around* the first Monday in February (though it could be issued anytime between the first Monday in January and the first Monday in February).

Since it's the final budget request of his administration, the President's request is important in at least two ways:

1. As a policy document, it signals what's most valued by the administration; and
2. we can expect to see some clarity around implementing ESSA

The federal fiscal year is the 12-month period beginning October 1, ending September 30.

MASC/MASS

Here's a quick post, languishing in drafts since the Conference last fall...

Images are from the breakout portion of the session I presented at the MASC/MASS Annual Joint Conference with Margaret Driscoll of the Melrose School Committee and Kim Savery Hunt of the Plymouth School Committee.

We opened the session with thoughts on how School Committees can use family engagement in their three priority areas of budget process, policy development, and evaluation of the superintendent. Then, we broke the large attending group into three smaller groups so they could turn and talk, providing the info captured below.