Good evening-
I hope you enjoyed the long weekend. Thank you to the Veteran's on our staff.
IMPORTANT- PLEASE READ: Tomorrow, during the X-block time period, students will take a survey regarding iDecide, a program we are piloting with Mass General around youth substance abuse. Please review the attached letter and read the script at the beginning of the x-block time period. Students will receive an email with the link but can also access it by typing in the address on the letter.
As you know, the grading window is now open and will remain open until Wednesday, November 16 at 9am. A reminder that 50 is the grade minimum a student should receive, unless you have had a conversation with a Dean.
If you have Level 1 ELL students in your classes who do not participate in the currciculum at the same level as other students, please give them a CR (credit) or NCR (no credit) for a grade. If you have questions about any of these students please reach out to Sara or Yolanda.You can review The list of students who receive ELL services here.
Check out the blog written by the Make a Wish students on the service trip to the Give Kids the World Village.
News from DESE-
New Mental Health Law:
On August 10, Governor Baker signed into law Chapter 177 of the Acts of 2022 (An Act Addressing Barriers to Care for Mental Health). The Department’s Mental and Behavioral Health and Wellness Supports webpage has a brief overview of parts of the law that may be of interest to school districts, and school and district leaders should be aware of the requirements around alternatives to student suspension and expulsion mentioned below. Please email DESE’s Office of Student and Family Support with questions via achievement@doe.mass.edu. Additional information is available in “How the Commonwealth's New Mental Health Act Impacts Schools,” provided by the Rennie Center, which has partnered with DESE on several mental health initiatives.
Alternatives to Student Suspension and Expulsion: School and district leaders should be aware of new requirements concerning alternatives to student suspension and expulsion, which take effect on November 8, 2022 per section 29 of Chapter 177 of the Acts of 2022 (An Act Addressing Barriers to Care for Mental Health). This section replaces paragraph (b) in section 37H3/4 of G.L. c. 71 with the following:
“Any principal, headmaster, superintendent or person acting as a decision-maker at a student meeting or hearing, when deciding the consequences for the student, shall consider ways to re-engage the student in the learning process; and shall not suspend or expel a student until alternative remedies have been employed and their use and results documented, following and in direct response to a specific incident or incidents, unless specific reasons are documented as to why such alternative remedies are unsuitable or counter-productive, and in cases where the student’s continued presence in school would pose a specific, documentable concern about the infliction of serious bodily injury or other serious harm upon another person while in school. Alternative remedies may include, but shall not be limited to: (i) mediation; (ii) conflict resolution; (iii) restorative justice; and (iv) collaborative problem solving. The principal, headmaster, superintendent or person acting as a decision-maker shall also implement school- or district-wide models to re-engage students in the learning process which shall include but not be limited to: (i) positive behavioral interventions and supports models and (ii) trauma sensitive learning models; provided, however, that school- or district-wide models shall not be considered a direct response to a specific incident.”
The Department anticipates providing more guidance on this subject and plans to incorporate additional professional development on alternative remedies through the ongoing Rethinking Discipline Initiative: Student Discipline Resources and Information.
9. Feedback Sought on Draft Classroom Teacher Evaluation Rubric:
The Department’s Center for Instructional Support recently released a draft updated classroom teacher evaluation rubric grounded in equity-centered practices that foster all students’ academic achievement, cultural competence, and sociopolitical awareness. The Department continues to seek feedback from educators, students, and families in order to refine the draft before piloting it during the 2023-24 school year. Districts are asked to share the surveys with members of their district community. The draft rubric and the student and family survey are available in English, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Please email educatordevelopment@mass.gov with any questions about the rubric and survey.
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