Top 10 by 20 UPDATE: Thank You Educators for All You Do

MAY 2012

Video Message from Commissioner of Education

Missouri Commissioner of Education Chris Nicastro talks about the State Board of Education's decision to close the Imagine charter schools, shares details about the upcoming School Administrators Conference and thanks educators in light of National Teacher Day in May. View video via YouTube or webstream.

In This Issue

Questions? Contact Us!

Thank You Educators for All You Do
In observance of National Teacher Day on May 8, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education would like to extend its sincerest thanks to all educators across our great state. Because of your passion, dedication and commitment to your students, they receive the quality education that they deserve. We recognize your hard work happens year-round, but we wanted to take this opportunity to say we truly appreciate all you do.

Goal #1 - All Missouri students will graduate college and career ready.

Registration Open for MSIP 5 Meetings
A series of webinars and face-to-face meetings have been scheduled over the summer months to provide technical assistance for the MSIP 5 and the new scoring guide. The meetings will address questions on the decision frameworks used in scoring guide development, piloting data use and building reporting models for the various purposes the system is designed to fulfill. There will be three rounds of monthly meetings, each of which will cover different components.
View available meeting times and register online

New Summer Academy Allows Career Exploration
A new partnership between the St. Louis Public Schools and Linn State Technical College will provide an opportunity for 12 high school juniors to learn more about careers in civil engineering and construction technology this summer. The program will be held June 11-28 and will be free of charge to the students who are selected. Students completing the academy will have the opportunity to earn three hours of college credit, obtain industry certification and receive an iPAD. More information can be found on the Linn State Technical College website.

Programs such as this allow students to explore career and/or training options prior to graduating high school. For more information about Career Education, visit our website.

Goal #2 - All Missouri children will enter kindergarten prepared to be successful in school.

Early Childhood Assessment Pilot Application

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 formative and summative assessments, including measuring status at kindergarten entry. Schools, programs and family child care homes that are interested in participating in the Early Childhood Assessment Pilot can download and fill out the application on the Department's website. Applications are due Friday, May 11.

Draft Early Learning Standards
Draft birth to kindergarten-entry early learning standards will be released for comment over the next few weeks. The proposed standards will be open for comment one developmental domain at a time. The Department encourages your thoughts and input throughout this process. Additional details to come.

Goal #3 - Missouri will prepare, develop and support effective educators.

Featured Speaker Named for 2012 Administrator's Conference

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is pleased to announce that Dr. Robert Marzano will be a featured speaker for the 2012 Administrators Conference to be held July 29-31 in Columbia.

Robert J. Marzano, Ph.D., is cofounder and chief executive officer of Marzano Research Laboratory in Englewood, Colo. A leading researcher in education, he is a speaker, trainer and author of more than 30 books and 150 articles on instruction, assessment, writing and implementing standards, cognition, effective leadership and school intervention. Marzano's practical translations of the most current education research and theory into classroom strategies are internationally known and widely practiced by teachers and administrators.

Additionally, Andreas Schleicher, special advisor on education policy to the OECD's secretary-general and head of the indicators and analysis division, has been invited to speak at the conference as well.

More information and registration details coming soon.

Final Revisions Being Made to Educator Evaluation System
Based on feedback from 174 pilot project districts around the state, final revisions are being made to Missouri's educator evaluation system. This is a culmination of a nearly 18-month collaboration with practitioners, universities and associations to craft a uniform evaluation system for teachers, principals and administrators, which will allow for progression from candidate to distinguished educator. The system will be presented to the State Board of Education at its meeting in June. In addition, information on this system will be provided throughout the summer, and more in-depth trainings are being planned for the fall.

Work Continues on Educator Preparation Redesign
The Office of Educator Quality gave four presentations at the Missouri Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (MACTE) Spring Conference in April. The presentations centered around the redesign of educator preparation, the Missouri education evaluation system, the development of a multi-dimensional annual performance review for educator preparation, and the work of the student growth pilot project.

In addition, the Department continues its work on the redesign of educator preparation accreditation measures and processes. PreK-12 school districts, colleges and universities, and other members of the professional community have attended nine regional meetings that were conducted to gain feedback regarding best practices associated with field and clinical experiences within educator preparation programs. The information collected will be reported via webinar on Monday, May 7, 9:00 a.m.

Preparation Begins for the 2012-2013 Teacher of the Year Program
The Office of Educator Quality hosted a Teacher of the Year Clinic in April. The clinic provided practical tips to help candidates prepare their application for the 2012-2013 Missouri Teacher of the Year program. Featured presenters were: Michelle Baumstark, community relations coordinator, Columbia Public Schools; and 2011 Missouri Teacher of the Year Finalists Jeni DeFeo, Jefferson City School District, and Vicki Nelson, Special School District of St. Louis County. This year's Teacher of the Year applications are due Monday, June 4. For more information about this program and the application process, visit the Teacher of the Year webpage.

Goal #4 - The Department will improve efficiency and operational effectiveness.

State Adult Education and Literacy Program Achieves Top Ten Performance
Each year, the U.S. Department of Education's Division of Adult Education and Literacy requires every state to prepare and submit a performance report about the state's adult education and literacy (AEL) program for the previous fiscal year. For program year 2010-2011, Missouri's AEL program met or exceeded top 10 performances on 9 of 11 academic measures in comparison to other states and territories. In the remaining two areas, Missouri was ranked 11th and 13th. Federal performance data is reported to the USED's National Reporting System. Actions such as the promotion of managed instruction, professional development and targeted technical assistance have been utilized by local programs to improve performance.

Missouri Vocational Rehabilitation Recognized as a High-Performing State Agency
The Rehabilitation Services Administration through the U.S. Department of Education has recognized Missouri Vocational Rehabilitation (MVR) for its high performance on substantial gainful activity case closures for social security disability insurance customers. MVR is one of eight state vocational rehabilitation agencies across the country chosen to participate in a case study under the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) Project because of its successful work with SSDI employment outcomes. The Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) at the University of Massachusetts Boston and Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. are conducting the case study research. Learn more about the SGA Project

DDS to Pilot National Disability Case Processing System
Missouri Disability Determination Services (DDS) has been selected as one of five states to pilot a national Disability Case Processing System (DCPS). This one system will eventually replace five different platforms used to process disability claims across the nation. Missouri's participation in the pilot provides an opportunity to influence the functionality of DCPS, ensure its features will facilitate service to Missouri citizens and meet the needs of its staff. Last fiscal year, Missouri DDS provided disability determinations for nearly 100,000 citizens.

In addition, Missouri Disability Determination Services has positively impacted the national pending disability workload. A rise in the number of individuals applying for first-time benefits has created the need for state-to-state assistance. In the past year, Missouri DDS has assisted with the disability workload from two other states, while meeting or exceeding national production goals. Missouri DDS has accepted over 5,000 case receipts from other states during fiscal year 2012.

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.

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

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.