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MARCH 2012
Video Message from Commissioner of Education
Missouri Commissioner of Education Chris Nicastro discusses submission of the Department's ESEA waiver application, FY12/13 budget, legislation and a new student information system. In addition, she encourages everyone to get involved in Missouri School Read-In Day on March 9. View video via YouTube or webstream.
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Goal #1 - All Missouri students will graduate college and career ready.
Missouri Submits Request for NCLB Flexibility
Missouri is among 26 new states and the District of Columbia that have formally submitted requests to the U.S. Department of Education for waivers from key provisions of No Child Left Behind. All 11 states that applied in the first round received waiver approval in February. A copy of Missouri's application, as well as a side-by-side comparison and FAQ, is on the Department's website. The Department hopes to announce in early May whether the request for flexibility has been approved.
Student Growth Pilot Project Update
Since January 2011, the Missouri Student Growth Pilot Project has been helping the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and participating school personnel determine the best ways to support use of student growth data. The Department and 157 school districts and charter schools across the state are field testing two different models of student growth: the Value Added Model (VAM) and the Student Growth Percentiles (SGP). Student growth is the change in achievement for an individual student between two or more points in time. Currently, a series of professional development webinars is under way to provide more information about the use of growth data at the local level and explore practices and policies that will place the use of data within the larger context of school improvement. More information
Model Curriculum Development Project
Department staff is currently working on model curriculum development projects for English language arts, mathematics, social studies, and 25 career and technical education courses. The models will be aligned to the Common Core State Standards and include unit plans with course descriptions, suggested timelines, measurable learner objectives, assessments, activities, instructional strategies and resources. When completed, the model curriculum will be housed on an interactive website for teachers to access this summer.
SBAC Item Specifications Released for Third Round of Review
The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) is developing assessment item and performance task specifications to provide guidance on how to translate the Common Core State Standards into actual assessment items. Draft item specifications and guidelines are now available for a third round of review. Item specifications provide specific guidance on the development of high-quality items/tasks that will allow the assessment system to measure the breadth and depth of the Common Core State Standards. Feedback on these documents is due by Friday, March 16.
In addition, SBAC has launched a new and permanent website at www.smarterbalanced.org. The SBAC has also created a number of fact sheets and other resources to help explain key features of the Smarter Balanced system most relevant to specific audiences including parents, teachers, business leaders and others. |
Goal #2 - All Missouri children will enter kindergarten prepared to be successful in school.
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 will include both formative and summative assessments, including measuring status at kindergarten entry. A steering committee will guide the project. There will be a meeting of individuals from public schools and community-based early childhood programs on March 30 in Jefferson City.
Attend the Conference on the Young Years
More than 1,650 early childhood professionals will be attending the 39th annual Conference on the Young Years at Tan-Tar-A, March 8-10. There will be registration on-site for anyone who would like to attend. More details |
Goal #3 - Missouri will prepare, develop and support effective educators.
Student Teaching Survey Extended
A statewide student teaching survey will remain open through Friday, April 6. Educators are invited to provide feedback and insights about field and clinical experiences as cooperating teachers and student teachers. Preliminary results from the statewide survey and recent regional meetings were presented via webinar in March. The recorded presentation can be viewed online. The regional meeting schedule will conclude March 28.
Educator Evaluation System
The Office of Educator Quality is continuing its work on the new Educator Evaluation System, which will be made available in June upon adoption by the State Board of Education. More than 170 districts statewide are assisting in the final revision and refinement of this system. The state's new system focuses on the growth of professional practice as an essential strategy for improving student performance. Draft documents are available for review on the Department's website. More information
In related news, the Office of Educator Quality is pleased to announce a new partnership with the Marzano Research Laboratory. Dr. Robert "Bob" Marzano will be a member of the evaluation team assisting the Department in assessing the overall effectiveness of Missouri's new educator evaluation system. This collaboration will help reach the statewide goal of offering a high-quality evaluation system model to assist districts in their continuous improvement efforts.
Educator Prep Program Standards Redesign Update
As mentioned in the last UPDATE, a redesign effort is under way for how Missouri approves educator preparation programs. The next stakeholder meeting will be held March 9 in Jefferson City. The agenda will include a detailed review and discussion of draft performance and process indicators and resources. A series of small group discussions will provide input about the standards and quality indicators and how they connect to the Annual Educator Preparation Performance Report. |
Goal #4 - The Department will improve efficiency and operational effectiveness.
University Research Partners Taking on Top 10 by 20 Projects
Many universities, faculty and students are taking part in the Top 10 by 20 initiative by conducting studies and research that have been identified in support of Missouri's Top 10 by 20 plan. For each of the four goals, a list of research questions, literature reviews and identification of best practices has been developed. Researchers are invited to submit research proposals. A number of projects are currently under way. For more information, visit the Top 10 by 20 website.
Statewide Student Information System Option
The focus of goal 4 in the Top 10 by 20 initiative is efficiency and effectiveness. The Department recently announced that Missouri-based Tyler Technologies, Inc. has been selected by a competitive bid to offer a Student Information System (SIS) option to school districts across the state. The SIS will assist districts in managing student data, planning for educational programs, and complying with state and federal reporting requirements. School districts can purchase the system at a predetermined rate without going through a separate RFP process. Visit Top 10 by 20 Dashboard
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has a Top 10 by 20 dashboard that includes a number of state and national measures, data and comparisons. It continues to be updated with the release of new data. Visit our Top 10 by 20 website to view the monitoring dashboard. What Do You Think? We Want Your Feedback
We'd like to hear from you about our Top 10 by 20 UPDATE. Please take a minute to give us your feedback about our e-newsletter and how we can make it better for you. We appreciate your thoughts! |
Missouri's Top 10 by 20 Initiative
Become a Supporter!
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.
- More information about the Top 10 by 20 strategic plan
- Information and materials for supporters
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Questions? Contact Us!
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. For more information about the Department visit www.dese.mo.gov. |
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, or disability in its programs and activities. Inquiries related to Department programs and to the location of services, activities, and facilities that are accessible by persons with disabilities may be directed to the Jefferson State Office Building, Office of the General Counsel, Coordinator - Civil Rights Compliance (Title VI/Title IX/504/ADA/Age Act), 6th Floor, 205 Jefferson Street, P.O. Box 480, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0480; telephone number 573-526-4757 or TTY 800-735-2966; fax number 573-522-4883; email civilrights@dese.mo.gov. |
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