Race to the Top. Massachusetts Report. Year 3: School Year 2012-2013. [State-Specific Summary Report]
Author: Department of Education (ED)
Date: 2014-03-19
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Academic Achievement,Academic Standards,Accountability,Achievement Gap,Administrator Effectiveness,Alignment (Education),Budgets,Career Readiness,Charter Schools,College Readiness,Core Curriculum,Data,Educational Assessment,Educational Change,Educational Improvement,Elementary Secondary Education,Federal Legislation,Federal Aid,Educational Legislation,Federal Programs,Formative Evaluation,Grants,Higher Education,Language Arts,Leadership Effectiveness,Literacy,Low Achievement,Mathematics Achievement,Measurement Objectives,Models,Outcomes of Education,Partnerships in Education,Poverty,Principals,Professional Development,Program Effectiveness,Program Implementation,School Districts,School Effectiveness,School Turnaround,State Government,State Standards,STEM Education,Teacher Effectiveness,Teacher Evaluation,Student Characteristics,National Competency Tests

This State-specific summary report serves as an assessment of Massachusetts' Year 3 Race to the Top implementation. The Year 3 report for Phase 1 and Phase 2 grantees highlights successes and accomplishments, identifies challenges, and provides lessons learned from implementation from approximately September 2012 through September 2013. In School Year (SY) 2012-2013, Massachusetts fully implemented the Common Core State Standards (CCSS)-aligned Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks in English learning arts (ELA) and mathematics. The State continued to build local capacity for implementation of college- and career-ready standards through the delivery of regional trainings and webinars and the development of instructional resources such as model curriculum units and maps. Massachusetts procured, piloted, and launched Edwin Teaching and Learning--the teaching and learning platform through which educators will be able to access an array of curriculum and assessment tools and resources. Although delayed procurement led to a shorter timeframe for SY 2012-2013 activities in this project, Massachusetts rolled out Edwin Teaching and Learning to 34 local education agencies (LEAs) in fall 2013. Further, many of the State's projects related to promoting college- and career-readiness (e.g., STEM Early College High Schools) progressed on schedule. Massachusetts continued its efforts to build capacity and raise student achievement in its low-performing schools and districts in SY 2012- 2013. Nine schools initiated intervention models, and 34 schools continued to implement the intervention models they initiated in SY 2010-2011. Level 3, 4, and 5 LEAs collaborated with Priority Partners to implement differentiated strategies to support school improvement. Initiatives such as Turnaround Teacher and Leader Teams and Wraparound Zones expanded in Year 3, providing further support to low-achieving schools across the State. Massachusetts continued its efforts to build capacity and raise student achievement in its low-performing schools and districts in SY 2012- 2013. Nine schools initiated intervention models, and 34 schools continued to implement the intervention models they initiated in SY 2010-2011. Level 3, 4, and 5 l(LEAs) collaborated with Priority Partners to implement differentiated strategies to support school improvement. Initiatives such as Turnaround Teacher and Leader Teams and Wraparound Zones expanded in Year 3, providing further support to low-achieving schools across the State. Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) results from SY 2011- 2012 indicated that the State's lowest-achieving schools are making progress in improving student outcomes. In fall 2013, 14 schools exited Level 4 status. The State improved the performance of and expanded the data and reports available in Edwin Analytics, in Year 3. Two new components -- the Early Warning Indicator System and Postsecondary Enrollment and Outcomes reports -- were rolled out, and Massachusetts reported that upgrades to the system have increased the number of users and decreased the occurrence of performance issues. Implementation of the Schools Interoperability Framework (SIF), a key component of the State's efforts to improve educator access to and use of data to inform instruction, continued to be significantly delayed in SY 2012-2013. Because SIF will enable educators to access real-time data within Edwin Teaching and Learning, delays in this technology initiative have significant impacts on educators' ability to use data to inform instruction. Although the State made progress in implementing its educator evaluation system and provided a variety of trainings and guidance documents to LEAs and educators regarding educator evaluation, the State encountered challenges in SY 2012-2013 which led to delays in certain components of this initiative. Thus, Massachusetts did not fully implement its educator evaluation system as committed to in the State application and Scope of Work. Further, Massachusetts made limited progress in establishing a comprehensive professional development system in Year 3. As a result of delays in this initiative, the planned Professional Development Toolkit, Planning and Implementation Guide, and processes for identifying and monitoring preferred professional development providers will not be completed until Year 4. The State continued to face delays in instituting MassCore, a rigorous diploma track designed to promote college- and career-readiness, as the default curriculum for high school students in Massachusetts. Year 4 will present an opportunity for the State to continue to refine implementation of the CCSS through the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks in ELA and mathematics. The State intends to continue providing ongoing training and support for implementation of its college- and career-ready standards, including by making an array of resources available through Edwin Teaching and Learning. By the end of SY 2013-2014, the State plans to roll out Edwin Teaching and Learning to all LEAs that committed to using the system and intends to provide additional data and reports through Edwin Analytics. Although the State fell short of its target for the number of LEAs in which SIF is fully operational in Year 3, Massachusetts aims to implement SIF and provide educators with real-time access to data in all LEAs in Year 4. In SY 2013-2014, the State will continue to support LEAs as they prepare for full implementation of qualifying educator evaluation systems. Massachusetts expects LEAs statewide to pilot DistrictDetermined Measures (DDMs), student growth measures for nontested grades and subjects, in Year 4 and utilize elements of their new educator evaluation systems to evaluate educators. Low-performing schools and LEAs will continue to receive support through initiatives such as Wraparound Zone grants, the State's review process for Level 3 and 4 LEAs, and Priority Partners. A Glossary is also included. [For &quot;Race to the Top. Massachusetts Report. Year 2: School Year 2011-2012. [State-Specific Summary Report],&quot; see ED539239.]