IN THE HIGH-STAKES battle over charter school expansion, the impact of charters on school finances has come front and center. Supporters of Question 2, which would allow up to 12 new charter schools or expansion of 12 existing schools per year, argue that the funding formula for charter schools holds districts harmless when students move
MA Board of Elementary & Secondary Education Looks at ESSA Implementation
The Massachusetts Board of Elementary & Secondary Education met on September 27th and heard from agency staff on ESSA outreach and implementation. In materials made public for the meeting, the Department published a list of indicators suggested by external stakeholders during outreach performed by the department over the spring and summer. A couple of observations
Establishing Principles for Accountability
Perspectives from small-to-midsize urban districts and their allies
The Next Generation Accountability Learning Community (NGALC) is a group of roughly two dozen New England education leaders who have come together to look at the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) from the perspective of small-to-midsize urban districts. Members of the NGALC gathered twice this summer to hear from experts and exchange ideas on this
Exploring Foundational Questions For Next Generation Accountability
These reflections have been prepared by the staff of the Next Generation Accountability Learning Community (NGALC). The NGALC is a group of roughly two dozen New England educators interested in the implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) from the perspective of small-to-midsize urban districts. In the pages that follow, we summarize foundational questions
NGALC Meeting #3 Recap
Hearing the voice of urban school leaders
NGALC members gathered on September 20th for a third and final meeting. Unlike the other sessions, there were no expert presentations. This gathering focused on hearing from the members and hashing out their thinking on next generation accountability after three months of reflecting together on the opportunities and challenges ESSA presents. For the first two sessions,
NGALC Meeting 2 Recap
Measuring social-emotional skills, school climate, and CCR
Last Thursday, the NGALC convened to look at how next generation accountability frameworks integrate college and career readiness, school climate, and social-emotional skills. The group’s discussion pivoted on how accountability policies ensure that we don’t undercut nonacademic learning, while avoiding the unintended consequences that the introduction of high-stakes measures can produce. Our expert presenters explored
Entering the fray on education accountability
The Gateway Cities Journal
Recently MassINC convened education leaders from across New England for a dialogue on redesigning state accountability frameworks to comply with the new federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). We’ll be bringing this group together for several dialogues focused on how states should approach accountability with particular attention to Gateway Cities. The arguments are compelling: small-to-midsize
NGALC Meeting 1 Recap
Measuring Academic Achievement and Student Growth
On June 29th, MassINC hosted the first meeting of the Next Generation Accountability Learning Community for small to midsize urban districts. State and local education leaders from across New England gathered to discuss the opportunities presented by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Session one focused on measuring academic achievement and student growth. Ryan Reyna
Marilyn Flores and Kevin Zeno
This Week’s Gateway Cities Leaders
Cities are shaped by their citizens. From New Bedford to Pittsfield, passionate young leaders are spearheading innovative efforts to reinvent their communities for a new generation. The Gateway Cities Leaders series profiles their work and introduces their ideas, visions, and aspirations to the wider Gateway City world. Is there a young leader in your city
Harnessing the ‘Third Way’ to improve communities
The Gateway Cities Journal
When I was in graduate school studying urban planning in the early-2000s, there was a lot of talk about how cities need “good” schools, but surprisingly little discussion or study about how you build community to nurture a good school, and vice versa. Luckily, I had the opportunity to work for a professor engaged in