Updating the Statewide

System of Support
Sharing Information and Getting Input

Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education

Discussion Overview
Context

Continuing Assistance

New Assistance
Being Planned

Roll Out, Questions 2

& Input

Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education

Statewide System of Support

Assistance provided to L3, 4 and 5 Schools and

Districts to support turnaround through 5
collaborative offices:
Commissioners Districts Liaisons
District and School Assistance Centers
Systems for Student Success
Effective Practices in Turnaround
Strategic Transformation

Continuing New Assistance Roll Out, Questions

Context
Context Assistance Being Planned & Input

Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education

 Why adjust the organization and deployment of the SSoS?

1) Tighter alignment with agency priorities (ESSA, Early Literacy, Middle

Grades Math, High Quality College and Career Pathways, etc.)
2) Based on over 7 years of learning , we are ready to focus our
strategies based on what we know works in a bounded set of schools
and districts
3) Responding to changes in resources
4) Responding to inequities across the system (e.g., #s of schools
served by DSAC regions and ODST liaisons)
5) Adjusting a structure that is currently
not sufficiently flexible

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Continuing New Assistance Roll Out, Questions
Context
Assistance Being Planned & Input
Context
Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
Targeted Supports to Schools in or below the
10th Percentile and their Districts
Examples of Continuing Supports Provided or Arranged
by Liaisons and/or DSACs
Turnaround Plan development support
Data collection and use
Observations and school site visits
Self Assessment of Turnaround Practices
Related assistance in support of implementing
Turnaround Practices
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Continuing New Assistance Roll Out, Questions
Context
Assistance Being Planned & Input

Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education

Examples of Continuing Supports:
Level 3 Turnaround Planning & Support
Proactive approach to assisting Level 3 schools
SY16-17
Schools in Commissioners Districts and DSAC-served districts
engaged in processes that resulted in the development of a
turnaround plan
SY17-18
Schools will implement the plans they developed and receive
support with implementation and benchmarking from DSAC
and ODST Liaisons
Another set of Level 3 schools may engage in the plan
development process 6

Continuing New Assistance Roll Out, Questions

Context
Assistance Being Planned & Input

Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education

Examples of Continuing Supports:
Targeted Professional Development & Partnerships
Tiered System Academies: Four, 3-year academies for
school /district teams to receive PD , coaching and in-
district support in PBIS, Tiered Literacy, Tiered Math or
Inclusive Tier 1 Instruction. Click here for more info
Mass Focus Academy Courses (MFA): online, graduate-level
courses to support strong inclusive practice. Piloting new
approach this year for school/district teams to enroll a
cohort of educators and receive some in-district coaching.
Priority Partners: vetted providers that have a track record
of success in supporting schools /districts with work
aligned to the Turnaround Practices. 7

Continuing New Assistance Roll Out, Questions

Context
Assistance Being Planned & Input

Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education

Assistance Focus Areas
Options to access more targeted supports we
are piloting these resources statewide:
Instructional Leadership Teams (TP 1)
Inclusive Schools Support (TPs 2 & 3)
Whole Child Support (TPs 3 & 4)
Early Grades Literacy (TPs 2 & 3)
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Continuing New Assistance Roll Out, Questions
Context
Assistance Being Planned & Input

Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education

Focus Area: ILTs (Instructional Leadership Teams)
A trained facilitator partners with the school principal to use
resources and tools to form and/or improve the effectiveness of the
schools Instructional Leadership Team. Development includes:
Define ILT membership, roles, and responsibilities
Create a culture of collaboration built on the use of norms,
agendas, protocols, cycles of inquiry, use of data, and shared
accountability for student achievement
Implement, progress monitor, and, as necessary, adjust
improvement efforts that result in improved achievement and
outcomes for all students
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Continuing New Assistance Roll Out, Questions
Context
Assistance Being Planned & Input

Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education

Focus Area: Inclusive Schools Support

An Inclusion Mobilizer will collaborate with the

school leadership team to gather and analyze
data related to subgroup achievement gaps
The school leadership team will develop
strategies to address subgroup concerns
The Mobilizer will assist in the identification of
resources to support inclusion strategies
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Continuing New Assistance Roll Out, Questions
Context
Assistance Being Planned & Input

Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education

Focus Area: Whole Child Support
Urban Leaders Network for School Climate & Student Support:
PLC for individuals leading efforts around climate, SEL, student
support, and family & community engagement. Meets 5-6x/year

Challenge/ Rules, Roles,

Systems & Implementation
Root Causes Relationships &
Priority Strategies Steps
Resources

Systems for Student Success Initiative: Grants, targeted assistance

and networking to develop and implement an action plan to address students
barriers to learning, focusing on five domains: school climate, engaging instruction
for academic and social-emotional learning, proactive student support, systematic
family engagement, and strategic partnerships.
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Continuing New Assistance Roll Out, Questions
Context
Assistance Being Planned & Input

Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education

Focus Area: Early Grades Literacy
New competitive grant opportunity: Early Grades Literacy Grant
Priority for districts in Level 3, 4 and 5
Two entry points:
Group 1: participates in Statewide Literacy Institutes and
follow up regional meetings focused on integration of
standards
Group 2: Also receives school based support from early
literacy consultants
Deadline to apply: 9/1/17
Questions? Contact Lauren McBride at lmcbride@doe.mass.edu
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Continuing New Assistance Roll Out, Questions
Context
Assistance Being Planned & Input

Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education

New Assistance Focus Areas
Options that are in various stages of
development include:
Middle Grade Mathematics
Targeted Assistance to Support Curriculum and
Instruction Implementation
Turnaround Principal Development
Secondary Turnaround & Redesign
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Continuing New Assistance Roll Out, Questions

Context
Assistance Being Planned & Input

Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education

 New Assistance Focus Areas:
Middle Grade Mathematics
Purpose: Target classroom teachers in grades 4-7 and
focus on vertical articulation of standards (beginning with formal
fractal instruction in elementary to proportional reasoning in middle)
Regional networks begin in Fall 2017; Registration is currently open
Other in-district supports under development:
Math Ambassadors program
Partner Schools program
Online Resource Study
For more info, contact Melinda Griffin (mrgriffin@doe.mass.edu) or
Leah Tuckman (ltuckman@doe.mass.edu)
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Continuing New Assistance Roll Out, Questions

Context
Assistance Being Planned & Input

Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education

 New Assistance Focus Areas:
Targeted Assistance to Support Curriculum
and Instruction Implementation
Purpose: Provide customized targeted assistance on
systematic approaches to support the implementation of
essential C&I practices
Assess current practices and build on available resources,
exemplars and models to enhance C&I
Align with schools implementation of current Curriculum
Frameworks, Early Grades Literacy and Middle Grades
Mathematics and other C&I focus areas
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Continuing New Assistance Roll Out, Questions

Context
Assistance Being Planned & Input

Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education

 New Assistance Focus Areas:
Turnaround Principal Development

Purpose: To strengthen supports for coaching

Turnaround Leaders and building leadership pipeline
Will be gathering ideas from stakeholders about needs
Will be reviewing resources and practices currently in
place to identify best practice and make them more
universally available

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Continuing New Assistance Roll Out, Questions

Context
Assistance Being Planned & Input

Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education

 New Assistance Focus Areas:
Secondary Turnaround & Redesign

Purpose: Enhance implementation of Turnaround

Practices and accelerated improvement in grades 6-12
Integrate and build on a number of existing projects, in
close collaboration with colleagues from ESEs Office of
College, Career & Technical Education
Solicit input from schools and districts for additional areas
of need
Identify promising practices, resources, and strategies
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Continuing New Assistance Roll Out, Questions

Context
Assistance Being Planned & Input

Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education

2-Phased Roll Out
Phase 1 Phase 2
(SY17-18) (SY18-19)
Piloting deployment of staff outside Focus areas may shift (add, adapt,
of traditional DSAC/ODST assignments subtract) to better align with needs from
the field
Tighter focus on bottom 10%
Redesigned structure to allow for
Development of specially trained core & flexible teaming as well as
teams to support the new assistance equitable resource distribution
focus areas
Additional adjustments might be
Reviewing data, interest, and impact made based on:
of assistance offerings ESSA requirements and roll out
Feedback from Phase 1
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Continuing New Assistance Roll Out, Questions
Context
Assistance Being Planned & Input

Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education

Questions & Clarifications

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Continuing New Assistance Roll Out, Questions
Context
Assistance Being Planned & Input

Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education

Getting Your Input
Help us prioritize how we develop and staff our supports!
Meet with your Liaisons and DSAC teams to discuss:
What strikes you as most relevant to your interests/needs?
How does networking fulfill your needs?
Should we be investigating other assistance areas?

Please complete the survey with your Liaison or DSAC

(additional documents will be made available to help describe the
assistance focus areas and overall restructuring)
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Continuing New Assistance Roll Out, Questions
Context
Assistance Being Planned & Input

Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education