Commissioner's Update
June 5, 2008

Dear Superintendents,

I've had a busy couple of weeks getting settled here in Massachusetts, and have been touched by the many notes of congratulations and encouragement I've received from many of you. As Commissioner I hope to get to know you all and encourage you to contact me or a member of my staff directly if the need arises.

In my first few weeks I've visited schools in Fall River, Brockton, Lynn, Boston, Worcester, Salem and Lowell. In each of these communities I have met with students, teachers and parents and have been impressed with the level of commitment, dedication and enthusiasm I have witnessed. All of these communities are facing significant challenges, but are tackling them strategically and are making admirable progress.

As you may be aware both the House and Senate have passed their versions of the FY09 budget, which now lies in the hands of the conference committee. The Local Aid Resolution passed in March allowed the presentation of your final Ch. 70 numbers to assist you in your planning. I am encouraged that despite the state's current financial constraints, both chambers supported significant increases in education, and am hopeful the final version of the budget will reflect that universal support.

I wish you all luck in the final weeks of the school year and look forward to getting to know you in the coming months. I will see you at the MASS Summer Conference.

All the best,

Mitchell D. Chester, Ed.D.
Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education

In this Update I have three announcements and three items for your review.

Commissioner's Hotline for Educator Licensure Related Matters

Many of you have used the Commissioner's Hotline (781-338-3065), which was established to provide priority access for districts that need assistance on Educator Licensure related matters. I am pleased to report that Nancy Perkins has been appointed to monitor this line to replace Alan Cassidy, who retired recently after 12 years of service.

While Nancy will provide you with personalized service when needed, I ask that you first attempt to use the Expedite Drop Box and Licensure Status Drop Box. These drop boxes are accessible after logging into the Security Portal. This year alone more than 500 requests were sent to the Expedite Drop Box, a significant increase over the 2006-07 school year. If an applicant's status is "Ready for Review," the request to expedite that application can be made through the expedite drop box and will be reviewed within two days. Applicants that are in the "Pending" or "Not Ready" status cannot be processed for an expedite.

The Licensure Status Drop Box is another useful tool that can provide you with the license status of all your district staff, school building, or selected staff. After submitting a file with the necessary information, the complete status file is ready to be retrieved from "Drop Box Central" the next day.

I thank you for your hard work and dedication to the students of the Commonwealth. Should you need assistance in utilizing the drop boxes or need assistance with licensure beyond that of an expedite, please contact the Commissioner's Hotline at (781) 338-3065.

Summer 2008 Professional Development Institutes Available At No Cost To Educators

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is pleased to announce that we will be offering Professional Development Institutes this summer at no cost to educators. This year's Institutes will focus on effective standards-based teaching skills and strengthening teachers' content knowledge in mathematics, science, and technology/engineering. This statewide program will sponsor more than 30 institutes that address both content and special topics including Sheltered English Immersion, mathematics coaching, using formative assessments, addressing students' misconceptions, increasing accessibility for special education students, and more. Follow-up sessions will be held in the fall and winter to support educators as they implement content instruction in the classroom. All institutes will offer professional development points (PDPs) and optional graduate credit that can be applied toward educator licensure. Registration priority is given to teachers from high-need districts who need to become licensed and knowledgeable in the subject area that they teach. A list of all institutes and information about other professional development experiences being offered this summer is now posted at: http://www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/cinstitute/08/.

Announcement of Competitive Technology Grants

I am pleased to announce two FY2009 Technology Enhancement Competitive Grant Programs, funded through Title II, Part D, Enhancing Education Through Technology, under the federal No Child Left Behind Act:

Technology for Data-Driven Decisions (Fund Code: 164)

Technology Enhancement Competitive Grants (Fund Code: 170-B)

Approximately $1,200,000 will be available for each program. Grant awards will range from $35,000 to $125,000 for the grant period (subject to appropriation).

Proposals are due at the Department by 5 p.m. on Monday, June 30, 2008. If you have any questions, please e-mail Connie Louie at clouie@doe.mass.edu or call her at 781-338-6865.

Three technical assistance workshops will be held on:

To participate, please register online at http://www.doe.mass.edu/conference/?ConferenceID=500.

I encourage you to take advantage of this grant opportunity to advance education reform and the goals of No Child Left Behind.

Items Posted at www.doe.mass.edu:

1. Release of Spring 2008 IDEA Proficiency Test (IPT) Results for English Language Learners in Grades K-2 in Title III Districts
2. June Release of Multiple-Choice Results: Grades 3 and 10 English Language Arts (ELA) Reading Comprehension and Grade 10 Mathematics
3. Release of Spring 2008 MEPA Results