MBAE Hosts Forum on Common Core State Standards Initiative
In partnership with the Rennie Center for Education Research and Policy, MBAE is hosting a panel discussion regarding Massachusetts and the Common Core State Standards Initiative.
Massachusetts has a lot at stake in its decision whether or not to adopt the Common Core State Standards. With the state's Board of Elementary and Secondary Education scheduled to vote on the standards by August 2nd, there are many questions to be addressed.
Do the Common Core State Standards meet or exceed what we already have in place in Massachusetts? Is the potential $250 million Race to the Top award worth forcing this decision? What is in the best interests of students in Massachusetts
Join us on Tuesday, June 29th from 8 to 10am at the Omni Parker House for a forum to examine a range of perspective on the adoption of the Common Core State Standards.
|
MBAE Supporters include:
Abt Associates
AT&T
Associated Industries of Massachusetts
Bank of America
Citizens Bank
The Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation
EMC Corporation
EF Education First
IBM
Intel
MassMutual Financial Noyce Foundation
Pearson Evaluation Systems
Slowey/McManus
SolidWorks
The Barr Foundation
The Boston Foundation
Verizon
and generous individuals! |
|
|
|
As schools are letting kids out for the summer, things are heating up in Massachusetts as the state grapples with the Common Core, budget cuts, and the second Round of Race to the Top. This EdNews includes an invitation to a forum on the Common Core co-hosted by the Rennie Center, as well as the following news and reports that have crossed MBAE's desk. Your suggestions and submissions are always welcome! |
|
|
Education Stimulus Update
Massachusetts submits application in second Round of Race to the Top
After signalling its displeasure with the outcome of the first round of Race to the Top, and despite the Massachusetts branch of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) withdrawing support, the state did submit an application for the second round of Race to the Top on June 2nd. Notable changes from the first round application include detailing a process to adopt the Common Core Standards by August 2nd as well as allowing AFT districts to participate in the program without union support.
Massachusetts may have to make further cuts in state budget.
The Governor, House, and Senate revenue projections have all previously relied on the U.S. Congress extending the Temporary Increase in Federal Medicaid Matching Rate (FMAP) included in the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA). However, the extension, worth over $600 million to Massachusetts, has yet to pass, and failure to receive those funds may impact education funding across the state. |
|
Post-Secondary Education and Employment
The Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) at Georgetown University reports that "by 2018, we will need 22 million new college degrees but will fall short of that number by at least 3 million post-secondary degrees." Since 1973 the share of jobs in the U.S. economy which required post-secondary education increased from 28 percent to 59 percent, and in the next decade it'll reach 63 percent.
MA Perspective: For Massachusetts, the intensity of education requirements is even greater. Based on projections, by 2018 the Bay State will rank first in the nation for having the highest proportion of its jobs requiring a bachelor's degree, and in the top 5 states for percentage of jobs requiring some form of post-secondary education. Further, there is a significant income disparity between higher paying jobs requiring post-secondary education and those which don't as show by the recent Occupational Outlook Handbook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Read the Massachusetts Analysis
|
Turning the Page: Refocusing Massachusetts for Reading Success
This report, comissioned by Strategies for Children, Inc. calls for language-rich environments across all settings where children, from birth to age 9, grow, learn and play. "There is a limited window of time in which to prevent reading difficulties and promote reading achievement," the report states. "For most children what happens (or doesn't happen) from infancy through age 9 is critical. By third grade, reading struggles are strongly linked to later school difficulties, as well as behavioral problems, depression, and dysfunctional and/or negative peer relationships."
MA Perspective: Solving the dropout problem Forty-three percent of Massachusetts third graders - and nearly two-thirds of low-income children - read below grade level,  putting them at significant risk of not graduating from high school or contributing to the state's knowledge-based economy. Strategies for Children, Inc. has launched a 10-year campaign to ensure that all children in Massachusetts are proficient readers by the end of third grade, adding a renewed sense of urgency to their long-standing - and ongoing - campaign to ensure that all children have access to high-quality early education.
Read the Full Report |
|
You can support MBAE every time you search the web or shop online!
Just start at www.goodsearch.com for searches or www.goodshop.com for shopping and designate the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education as the charity you want to support. A percentage of advertising revenues and purchases will be donated to MBAE!
|
|
|
