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FEBRUARY 2012
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's new monthly newsletter is available to anyone who may be interested in keeping abreast of public education and the state's progress toward becoming a top 10 state nationwide by 2020. We invite everyone to subscribe to the Top 10 by 20 UPDATE at no cost. This newsletter, as well as the January issue, is available on our website at dese.mo.gov. |
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Video Message from Commissioner of Education
Missouri Commissioner of Education Chris Nicastro reflects on Missouri's International Education Summit, talks about her recent visit with student visitors from Beijing, China, briefly discusses the 2012 legislative session, and addresses the state's progress on developing an application for a flexibility waiver to the ESEA No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. View video via YouTube or webstream.
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We've Gone Social!
You can now find the Department on social networking sites Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. We encourage you to follow us to learn more about the Department and
education related information in Missouri.
You can also follow the Commissioner on Twitter @MOCommissioner. |
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Goal #1 - All Missouri students will graduate college and career ready.
Third Draft of ESEA Flexibility Waiver to be Released Soon
In January, the State Board of Education gave approval for Department staff to continue development of the state's application for an ESEA Flexibility Waiver. If given final approval by the U.S. Department of Education, a waiver could provide Missouri schools much-needed relief from elements of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) beginning with the 2012-13 school year.
The Department will have draft #3 ready for public review by early next week. It will incorporate feedback received to date from stakeholders, as well as suggestions for clarity received from the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) technical advisors and peer reviewers from the 11 states that participated in round one of the application approval process. Public feedback will continue to be accepted through the February 21 application due date and beyond. Based on experiences of other states, Missouri expects the application will continue to be fine-tuned throughout the process. Please check our website soon for the new draft.
International Education Summit Videos Online
The Department sponsored an International Education Summit on January 9 in Jefferson City, which featured presentations about international education opportunities, foreign language programs, and exchange programs for students, teachers and administrators. The summit program also included a panel discussion, "How Missouri Engages with The World," moderated by former Missouri Gov. Bob Holden. In case you were unable to attend the summit, links to videos and photos can be found on the Department's website.
SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium Update
The SBAC is working to develop a high-quality, balanced assessment aligned to the Common Core State Standards for communication arts and math. The Fourth Quarter Project Report for the period ending September 30, 2011, details the consortium's progress in key areas and provides updates for each work group. Regular email updates are being shared through the Department's curriculum list-serve.
SBAC Feedback Opportunity: Item Specs and Guidelines
A significant milestone in the assessment development process for the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium is the development of Item Specifications and Guidelines. The SMARTER Balanced Consortium is now seeking review and input from teachers, vendors, administrators and other school district personnel of draft SBAC item specifications and guidelines. See the Memo to the Field (pdf) for more information. Feedback can be submitted online. Please respond before February 9.
Resource and Process Standards Update
Approximately 70 committee members representing teachers, administrators, parents, school board members and others have been selected to serve on the Resource and Process Standards Advisory Committee. The first meeting of the Advisory Committee was held January 25 with 57 members in attendance. The participants worked in small groups to analyze the 4th Cycle MSIP Resource Standards and the implications the standards have on improving student learning. Additionally, the committee provided feedback on the educational resources necessary for students to be college and career ready. Committee feedback will be posted on the Department's MSIP 5 webpage. |
Goal #2 - All Missouri children will enter kindergarten prepared to be successful in school.
Stakeholder Meeting for Early Childhood Assessment Pilot
The Department's Office of Early and Extended Learning will soon be conducting a pilot project to identify an assessment model for use in preschool programs and kindergarten classes (children ages 3-6). The model would include both formative and summative assessments, including measuring status at kindergarten entry. A steering committee will guide the project. The committee is made up of people from school-based early childhood programs, Title I, ECSE, MPP and community-based programs. The process will begin with a meeting of individuals from public schools and community-based early childhood programs March 30 in Jefferson City. Space is limited, so if you are interested in participating, please check our website for registration information beginning the week of February 20. |
Goal #3 - Missouri will prepare, develop and support effective educators.
Educator Preparation Program Standards Redesign
Stakeholders have been working with the Office of Educator Quality to redesign the way future educators are prepared to meet the new educator standards. Now the Department is undertaking a comprehensive redesign of the approval system for educator preparation programs throughout Missouri. Initial work is under way with our partners in higher education to develop an Annual Preparation Performance Report that establishes new standards, identifies performance indicators and is publicly reported.
The Office of Educator Quality will be presenting an update on the redesign project to the State Board of Education during its February 21 meeting. The State Board of Education is responsible for approving educator preparation programs.
Standard #3: Regional Meetings, Student Teaching Survey and a Webinar
The development of highly effective educators for today's complex learning environments requires a collaborative effort by P-12 schools and educator preparation institutions. Regional meetings are being held throughout the state to hear from educators and share draft revisions to Standard #3 - Field and Clinical Experiences.
The Office of Educator Quality and the Redesign Work Group are now conducting a statewide Student Teaching Survey to collect feedback and insights from educators about field and clinical experiences as cooperating teachers and student teachers. Educators are invited to participate in the online survey through February 24. Information from the statewide survey and the regional meetings will be recapped and presented in a statewide webinar to be held at 9 a.m., Tuesday, March 1. The webinar, Redesign for Educator Preparation - Student Teaching Survey Results, is free and will be recorded for future viewing. |
Goal #4 - The Department will improve efficiency and operational effectiveness.
MCDS Portal Continues to Build Data Resources
The Missouri Comprehensive Data System is continuing to expand and provide a robust source of education data for schools and the public. A new section, District Info, contains data such as county demographics, district resources and processes, district summary reports and performance data. In addition, "guided inquiry" reports from the School Directory can now generate school district information organized by House and Senate districts. |
Missouri's Top 10 by 20 Initiative-Become a Supporter!
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Watch the Top 10 by 20 - Missouri Proud! video
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The Department has a vision and four strategic goals for improving the education that is provided to all students in Missouri public schools. The plan provides a roadmap for raising the bar to achieve excellence and for Missouri to become one of the top ten performing states in academic performance and student success. It is an essential plan for which our state as a whole will not thrive unless we are successful; a plan which will make Missouri Proud.
Let us know you support Missouri's Top 10 by 20 initiative! Individuals can sign on as supporters, and organizations can sign on as partners in this effort. We invite your ideas for helping Missouri reach this important goal. Send us a note, or better yet, send a letter to the State Board of Education and/or adopt a resolution at your next meeting. Samples are provided to help you get started.
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Questions or Feedback?
Please contact the Department with any questions or suggestions you may have about the Top 10 by 20 initiative or how you can become involved. Contact the Communications Office at 573-751-3469 or email communications@dese.mo.gov. |
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