The Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI) issued the final version of K-12 standards for college and career readiness in math and English. Designed by subject experts, the standards will now be reviewed for adoption by the 48 states involved in their development. MBAE has summarized information about the standards and the process for consideration in Massachusetts.
 

"Promise Neighborhoods" is a federal program to improve the education and development of children in the country's neediest communities. Funding will support plans for comprehensive “cradle-through-college-to-career” solutions that will significantly improve results for children. The program is modeled on the success of programs like the Harlem Children's Zone.
 

MBAE has updated its summary of key funding opportunities available to Massachusetts through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). These federal grant programs offer more than financial resources - these also can spur progress in our education reform efforts to ensure every child a high quality education that will prepare them for success!
 

MBAE has issued a letter of support on behalf of the Massachusetts Race to the Top application that pledges our organization's assistance and participation in making the most of this opportunity to increase college and career readiness, ensure effective teachers and leaders in every school, and help our lowest performing schools and districts raise student achievement.
 

This chart offers a short overview of how Massachusetts Race to the Top application compares to the winning applications of Tennessee and Delaware. The final scoring for each application is also included.
 

In its Phase II American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) application for State Fiscal Stabilization Funds (SFSF), Massachusetts has outlined plans for further development of its education data systems infrastructure and reforms around making education data more accessible to educators and the public. Massachusetts previously received approximately $725 Million from the federal government in SFSF Phase I, and was awarded an additional $268 Million in Phase II.
 

MBAE and the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) issued a report on Boston Public School policies that have an impact on teacher quality, concluding that while the district has many smart, strategic policies already in place, improving teacher rules could help the district do a better job attracting and retaining effective teachers.
 

As a strong supporter of high standards and accountability for meeting these, MBAE finds the MCAS exam to be a high quality assessment of basic skills. The data gained from MCAS has helped teachers improve instruction and contributed to gains in student achievement. Click the title above to read MBAE's statement on the 2009 scores.
 

Given the continuing dependence of the Massachusetts economy on knowledge-based industry, and projections for its future growth, a public policy focus and investment in the STEM fields are of primary importance for many of the state's employers. In “Tapping Massachusetts Potential: The Massachusetts Employers' STEM Agenda,” 15 of the state's leading business and technology organizations have formed a unique, collaborative call-to-action for STEM to become a statewide policy priority.
 

This call to action on High School reform was issued by a commission convened by MBAE to propose a plan of action for the business community. Meeting the challenge of preparing all students for college and career will require changes in the way high schools are structured because, “like it or not, students are acting like consumers,” disengaging from schools when they fail to see connections between what is being taught in the classroom and their own personal goals and postsecondary plans.
 

MBAE's goal in this project is to inform educators and policy-makers about the work readiness skills that employers expect of Massachusetts high school graduates, and to describe the skills and characteristics these corporations require for entry-level positions with potential for growth and advancement. This is part of our work on high school reform.
 

In 1991, MBAE developed this detailed reform plan that would ultimately become the conceptual framework for the 1993 Massachusetts Education Reform Act. In it, MBAE outlines its designs for financial equity, standards and accountability.
 

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