2014 ESE Accountability Changes  and Webinar

Click on 2014 Preliminary Accountability Review Webinars to sign up for an upcoming ESE webinar on interpreting the preliminary 2014 district and school accountability data (reports now available in the Accountability 2014 Data application in the Security Portal).  

Webinars will be held on the following dates and times: Wednesday, August 27 at 3:00 PM; Wednesday, September 3 at 12:00 PM; and Wednesday, September 10 at 10:00 AM.

On last week's conference calls, some of this information was discussed.  An example of two points of information from last week:  for 2014, the state median for SGP is 50 on all assessments; and high schools that reengaged 2 or more dropouts in the 2012-2013 school year will earn 25 extra credit PPI points (all students & high needs groups only).  The powerpoint for last week's calls, including information on reporting discrepancies (All Discrepancies to be reported by THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 2014) was posted on the MCAS Service Center.  

More information regarding 2014 accountability determinations, including the 2014 Accountability Data Overview and the School Leader's Guide to the 2014 Accountability Determinations can be found at http://www.doe.mass.edu/apa/accountability.

EWIS Use Workshop Sept. 23, 2014

Early Warning Indicator System (EWIS) Data Update:

The MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education anticipates releasing the 2014-15 school year Early Warning Indicator System (EWIS) data via Edwin Analytics by early September. The EWIS identifies students in grades 1-12 as being at low, moderate, or high risk of not meeting an upcoming education milestone. The data may be used to help to systematically identify students who may need additional supports to meet key academic goals. 

The  Department is offering a daylong workshop on how to use EWIS data thoughtfully and cohesively in conjunction with other initiatives and data sources throughout the school year. All participants will receive a copy of a new EWIS guide at the workshop. More information (below) and online registration is available at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/EWIS9-23-14.  The workshop is scheduled to take place at the DoubleTree in Leominster, MA on Tuesday, September 23, 2014 from 8:45 AM - 2:30 PM.  Registration closes on Friday, September 12, 2014.

PARTICIPATION

This workshop is intended for participation by school-based teams of 3-6 staff (including but not limited to school leadership, student support, teachers). District-level staff are also encouraged to be included as members on school-based teams. There is no limit to the number of school-based teams participating from a district. For example, a district may send 2 elementary school teams, 1 middle school team, and 1 high school team. 
No prior EWIS use experience is necessary; the workshop is designed for users of various experience levels. 


TENTATIVE AGENDA
8:14-8:45 -- Registration
8:45-9:15 -- Welcome and overview of the day
9:15-10:00 -- What is EWIS? An Overview to ground everyone in the basics
10:00-11:30 -- Digging in on your data - a guided team exercise
11:30-12:15 -- Introduction of the EWIS use guide and the 6-step cycle
12:15-1:00 -- Lunch (on your own, available for purchase)
1:00-2:00 -- Applying the 6-step EWIS implementation cycle to your school context
2:00-2:30 -- Next steps, final Q&A, and closing

To ensure that your district receives its 2014-15 EWIS data on time, please: 1) certify all student data collections (i.e., SIMS, SCS, and SSDR) according to the schedule posted at http://www.doe.mass.edu/infoservices/data/schedule.html, and 2) complete the student claiming process by Aug. 22 for all students who are new to your district or who are in a new school within your district. If you have any questions, please contact the Edwin Analytics team at EdwinAnalytics@doe.mass.edu.