ces annual board report

97 Hawley Street, Northampton, MA 01060 413.586.4900 | 413.586.0180 fax

FY11 End of Year Report

November 9, 2011

TO: BOARD OF GOVERNORS, COLLABORATIVE FOR EDUCATIONAL SERVICES

FROM: JOAN E. SCHUMAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

RE: END OF YEAR REPORT FOR FY11

FY11 for the Collaborative for Educational Services began on a high note with the rollout of our new name. The initial phase of branding and launch of the Collaborative’s new name was completed during the summer with the design of a new logo, color palette, tag line, and type faces. Roll out began with an announcement to staff at orientation sessions beginning in September, 2010. By the end of the fiscal year, most of our members, our clients, and our funders referred to us by our new name without much hesitation.

As befits the primary raison d’être for the organization, we had many successful collaborations throughout the year. CELE continued its partnership with PIRC, in Boston, to provide ELL category training to Boston teachers. The Licensure programs continued a very successful collaboration with Fitchburg State University and forged a new partnership with the Five College Credit Union so that students across the state can now take out loans to pay for the program.

Collaboration and partnerships with the host agencies in our SEIS contract: DMH, DPH, DYS, and CHC have yielded major results in building priorities around education for these agencies and for the students within their jurisdiction. These initiatives have also led to greater collaboration within the Collaborative between the direct education services, professional development, and technology/data services.

Another partnership of note during FY11 is the one we now have with the Library of Congress to train teachers across the state to use and bring original source material into history courses.

Mt Tom Academy was able to continue to operate this fiscal year, despite low student enrollment, because of the generosity of Holyoke Community College and the determination that HCC and CES have in keeping the program going for disaffected youth in the region. Our partnership with the Franklin-Hampshire Regional Employment Board allowed us to continue the school to work partnership we created in Hampshire County many years ago, benefiting youth who obtained internships, jobs, and mentorships through the Continuing Activities funding we received from the REB.

The Early Childhood department continued its partnership with PET to deliver professional development to early childhood/day care providers. The department also continued its work with the Western MA Leadership Association to offer courses and develop leadership qualities in early childhood providers throughout Western MA.

The Technology department has forged a number of partnerships with technology providers that will result in cost savings for those districts who choose to take advantage of the prices we have negotiated on their behalf.

2

Collaborative for Educational Services, FY11 End of Year Report (July 1, 2010-June 30, 2011)

SPIFFY, the mother of all partnerships, is a community-wide coalition established by HEC/CES between school districts and human/social service agencies in Hampshire County. While focus has been on substance abuse prevention and positive youth development throughout the county, SPIFFY’s success has stimulated the development of local partnerships in Northampton and in Easthampton.

Of course, the most critical partnerships CES has are with its school districts. Whether we come together for a grant: e.g., Literacy Partnership grants, or, individually to obtain cost savings: e.g., cooperative purchasing, only with the support of our members will we succeed in the long term. Examples of such services that have been not only successful for students and districts who participate, but have also been financially beneficial for CES, are the SES program and Cooperative Purchasing.

The details of all of these partnerships and many more are found throughout this report. The results of our work have led to acknowledgement by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and The Department of Early Education and Care that we have special attributes as an agency. Therefore, CES has been approved as a qualified vendor in four areas:

• Race to the Top initiatives (supporting the “Conditions for School Effectiveness”) • Professional Development services K-12 • Data Warehouse training • Consulting and Professional Development in Early Childhood

That approval allowed CES to apply for and be considered qualified to become a turnaround partner for low performing (Level 4) schools and school districts. And so the year ended with CES being chosen as the educational management organization to “RESTART” the Dean Technical High School in Holyoke, MA. This partnership with the Holyoke Public Schools will allow us to use our depth of knowledge in working with low income, disenfranchised, ELL and Special Needs students and their teachers in one of the poorest performing school districts in the Commonwealth. This work matches our mission completely; it is work that will assist hundreds of youth who deserve a quality education that prepares them for work, life and future schooling; and it is work that will improve the caliber of teaching that these youth deserve. I look forward to updating you on our progress with this challenging initiative throughout the next year.

I hope you enjoy reading about the work we have done this past year with many of your districts as well as throughout the Commonwealth. It is work all of us feel very fortunate to be able to do. It is work critically needed; and it is work that improves the teaching and learning for everyone we are able to reach.

3


I. PREPARE CHILDREN AND YOUTH TO SUCCEED

Special Education Programs OVERVIEW / GOALS

The Special Education Department will provide quality programming and services for students with low incidence disabilities that will enable them to live independently and become productive participants in their communities.

The goal of the Middle Alternative Learning Program is for students to transition to high school or vocational school. For the High School Alternative Learning Programs, the goal is for students to obtain a high school diploma and transition to post-secondary education and/or employment.

The goal of the Prevocational Program is for students to transition into a high school vocational program or school. For the Community-Based Work Experience Program, the goal is for students to live independently and become productive participants in their communities.

The Special Education Department also promotes educator skill development and school and district capacity to better serve students with a range of special needs.

Program Services and Population Served:

• As compared to the previous year, special education program enrollment increased slightly in both the summer and school year educational programs.

• The numbers of students from our member towns was approximately the same this year as the past year.

• About 70%` of our student enrollment came from member towns. • We enrolled 67% of the students who were referred to our programs. • CES has developed a new high school Alternative Learning Program, located in Sunderland, to

expand and make services more accessible to Franklin County school districts.

Enrollment 2009-2010 2010-2011

Summer 71 64 School Year 64-77 69-80 Referrals 49 61 Number Enrolled 31 41

Student Achievement: MCAS Results OUTCOMES

• Results for all regular grade level tests were consistently higher in ELA. • Results for the Spring 2011 tests indicate the highest results in ELA, followed by Science,

and then Math. • The majority of students who participated in the MCAS Alternate Portfolio assessment scored in

either the emerging or progressing categories.

4


MCAS Results

# NI or P Needs Improvement

Proficient

MCAS Alt. Emerging

Progressing Spring 2011

ELA 82%

100%

Math 50%

100%

Science 63%

50%

Graduates: At the Greenfield Accelerated Learning Program, three students completed graduation requirements in June 2011, and a fourth will be finished at the end of October. Participation in Community College: Two students from the Greenfield Accelerated Learning Program attended Greenfield Community College in 2010-2011, taking a total of seven classes. One of the students will fully matriculate at the end of the fall 2011 semester, having completed the last of his prerequisites.

From HEC Academy, two students attended Holyoke Community College in 2010-2011, and five are projected to take classes this year. Notable Student Activities:

• Participation in the farm program • Community Service Learning project at the Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum – restoring functionality

to the tracks, painting the trolley, clearing brush around the trolley, painting inside of the museum. • Internships at the Arbors, Arizona Pizza, Greenfield High School Custodial Department, Yankee

Candle, Greenfield Elementary School • Mentors for the middle school students • Built a new hiking trail at Mount Tom • Built the shelves for the computer writing lab and school store • Installed a new foundation for the basketball hoop

Staff Accomplishments:

• Instituted curriculum groups • Improved the building aesthetic • Built new computer lab for writing classes • Enrolled five new staff in the CES Licensure Program • Established new high school program in Sunderland • Promoted two new staff to teacher positions, Maloy Hall and Chrissy Beebe • Pedro Gomes hired as a Program Coordinator • Planned development Patty Walsh-Cassidy Lending Library • Drew Chapman of Greenfield ALP, received his teaching license in both History and Science, 9-12.

5


ITINERANT SPECIALIST SERVICES Our staff of highly qualified professionals provides direct and consulting services to students in their school districts. Consultative services are also available to support local programming efforts and provide training for district specialists. Services provided and districts served: CES has provided specialist services including speech, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and vision and mobility to the following member districts: Amherst, Belchertown, Deerfield, Easthampton, Erving/Leverett, Granby, Greenfield, Hampshire Regional, Hatfield, Mohawk Trail, Northampton, Smith Voc, South Hadley, Southampton, and Ware. Vision and Mobility Services continue to be in demand.

COLLABORATIVE CENTER FOR ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY AND TRAINING CCATT specialists provided evaluations and consultative services to HEC programs and member districts, including: Amherst, Belchertown, Deerfield, Easthampton, Franklin County Tech, Mohawk Trail, Northampton, and Pioneer Valley Regional. Additional services provided to non-members included Agawam, Center School, East Longmeadow, and Step Program.

In collaboration with DESE, the Center also developed and provided a content institute to enhance teacher skills in using assistive technology to support effective instruction (Accessible Learning through Technology).

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY CENTER The Collaborative's Occupational Therapy Center provides individual and small group treatment services on motor development, handwriting, and sensory processing issues, as well as services to families, schools and childcare centers, and other agencies. In the past year, we continued to provide service for evaluation, consultation and treatment in 8 members schools / districts and 6 other schools or districts.

Special Education in Institutional Settings (SEIS) Project OVERVIEW / GOALS At the beginning of FY 2009, the Collaborative was awarded a contract by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to assist in the coordination and delivery of special education services to students in the care of the Department of Youth Services (DYS), Department of Mental Health (DMH), Department of Public Health (DPH), and the County Houses of Correction (CHC). CES’s major responsibilities for the contract include recruiting, hiring and training educators; collaborating with host agency leadership in education program improvement; designing and implementing a statewide web-based student information system; supporting coordinated technology development and improvement; and monitoring compliance with federal and state special education regulations.

SEIS goals for the period 2008-2011: • Provide high quality special education services to SEIS students to support individual and statewide

learning objectives. • Operate an efficient and effective program that delivers services resulting in successful educational

outcomes for SEIS students. • Ensure collaborative agency relations that promote coordinated and appropriate program services to

SEIS students.

6


SERVICES PROVIDED

In collaboration with DESE, the CES SEIS project provides special education services throughout the Commonwealth to approximately 708 students per month in CHC facilities, DMH residential treatment programs, DYS settings, and the Massachusetts Hospital School, a program of DPH. Through the SEIS contract, the Collaborative recruits, hires and trains special education teachers, and collaborates with host agency leaders in improving the educational programs in each facility. In DYS settings, SEIS educators work closely with general educators to develop and deliver effective instruction for students with IEPs. SEIS teachers consult with general educators and provide direct instruction in general education classrooms and in pullout sessions. In DMH programs, SEIS teachers act as special and general educators, providing standards-based instruction to all students. In CHC programs, SEIS educators consult with the general educators and provide special education to students. At the Massachusetts Hospital School, CES hires and supervises classroom-based paraprofessionals, specialists, and art and library educators.

As part of the SEIS contract, CES is responsible for the hiring and deployment of educators and administrative staff for the four host agency settings—approximately 120 people. CES sets clear standards regarding skill development and appropriate licensure for all staff. In SEIS in FY 11:

91% of all teachers had a license, and 84% of all teachers were appropriately licensed, either by content area or special education.

In Collaboration with the CES DYS Education Initiative, SEIS provided extensive professional development supports to all educators in 2010-2011. Three full-day workshops on special education issues were conducted for teachers working in DYS, CHC, and DMH programs:

• Best Practices – IEPs, IEP Planning Notes, Progress Notes • Assessment Strategies for Special Educators • Specially Designed Instruction: Providing Accommodations and Modifications

All DYS, CHC, and DMH educators also received extensive workshops and on-site coaching on working with other educators on structured Learning Teams, literacy across the curriculum, and culturally responsive practice. Learning teams were trained to use a structured inquiry process, use asset-based language to discuss student strengths and challenges, establish goals and action plans, co-plan, and increase opportunities for integrated service delivery.

Educators in DPH settings received specialized training to enhance the quality of services provided to students at the Massachusetts Hospital School. Training focused on:

• developing and delivering standards-based instructional units • identifying and building upon a student’s prior knowledge to plan and deliver content instruction • understanding how to use The Resource Guide to the Curriculum Frameworks to determine

appropriate entry points • understanding how to develop and use formative assessment techniques to measure student’s

progress • understanding how to use information on a student’s IEP to inform instructional planning • strategies and tools for promoting universal design for learning.

Population Served: The SEIS student population presents complex and enormous challenges for educators. Learning challenges may be physical, cognitive, and/or psychiatric, and educators must find ways to help students access the material and demonstrate what they have learned. During the school year 2010-2011, SEIS provided special education services to a monthly average of 708 students across the four host agencies. The largest number of students was in the Department of Youth Services, followed by the Department of Mental Health residential

7


treatment programs, the Massachusetts Hospital School of the Department of Public Health, and the County Houses of Correction (see Table 1). The major school districts we worked with include all the large urban districts in Massachusetts, although SEIS serves students from districts throughout the Commonwealth.

Table 1: Number of Students Served Monthly by Host Agency

Host Agency Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun AVG

CHC 69 75 87 82 83 78 88 93 104 96

86

DMH 103 98 97 102 108 110 114 117 112 114

108

DPH 92 92 92 92 92 96 96 98 99 95

94

DYS 425 456 452 394 397 369 471 402 441 394

420

GRAND TOTAL 689 721 728 670 680 653 769 710 756 699

708

Working in collaboration with DESE, CES was very effective in accomplishing many of the objectives established for the first three years of this contract (2008-2011). Some of the highlights are described below.

OUTCOMES

Student Achievement MCAS results:

• 69% of SEIS students in DYS settings passed the ELA MCAS; 45% passed in math, and 37% passed the science MCAS (spring 2010 MCAS is the most recent data available at this time).

• In DMH programs, 1/3 of students in all grades scored in the advanced, proficient, or needs improvement categories on the ELA MCAS, and about 1/3 scored in these categories on the Math MCAS.

Educator Skill Development Professional development made significant gains in establishing essential skills and practices for effective learning teams and providing effective instruction:

• Almost 100% of DYS and DMH programs were having weekly 45 minute learning team meetings for most of the year and documenting their discussions in a standard log.

• By November, almost 100% of teachers reported that their teams were consistently using a structured inquiry process.

• Between September and March, there was a 40% gain in the percent of teachers who understand learning team roles and processes; a 40% gain in the use of asset-based language; and a 30% gain in the use of student work and data to assess student needs.

• Between September and June, teacher knowledge regarding software and hardware to provide accommodations for individual student needs increased by 20 percentage points.

• All Evaluation Team Liaisons (ETLs) received training on transition planning and legal and special education topics related to their roles as liaisons for the IEP team.

8


Increasing System-wide Efficiency through Effective Management Systems • CES has implemented an integrated student data management system in DYS, DMH, and DPH to

more effectively manage and share data among educators. • Standardized reporting of census, attendance, length of stay, IEP status, staffing, sending district

data is updated monthly and utilized by Leadership to make staffing and program improvement decisions.

• Over the course of the year, SEIS staff worked with school districts to ensure that teachers had access to up-to-date IEP information. On average, 95% of IEPs were either “current” or “in progress,” while 5% of IEPS for SEIS students were expired.

Building Statewide Capacity through Collaboration with Host Agencies • DMH and SEIS administrators developed a joint vision for supporting youth in DMH programs and

collaborated on areas for system improvement. • SEIS staff developed and delivered an overview of SEIS policies and practices (“What is SEIS”) to

all DMH program directors and to CHC Education Directors to increase understanding and collaboration between the two agencies.

• DMH Adult Practice manual was issued and DMH social workers were trained. • Student study teams meet regularly at DMH programs to support student-based conversations

between education and clinical staff. • The ETL Coordinator co-presented with DYS staff to DYS Teaching Coordinators on the Agency

Coordinated Process and MCAS-Alt. ETL Coordinators has also presented trainings for Teaching Coordinators on “What is SEIS?” and MCAS accommodations.

• The SEIS DYS Host Agency Coordinator collaborated on joint initiatives with DYS Regional Education Coordinators to support ISD teams, effective use of itinerant teachers, and teacher evaluation and skill development.

• The DPH Host Agency Coordinator has been an active participant on several MHS working groups and committees supporting effective communication and collaboration with MHS administrators.

• SEIS administrators met quarterly with the CHC Advisory Committee to address CHC educational needs and areas of joint practice.

DYS Educational Programs OVERVIEW / GOALS: The DYS Comprehensive Education Partnership’s (CEP) vision is to provide quality education combined with a positive youth development approach that enables youth, in partnership with caring adults, to be active participants in all aspects of their life planning. Youth will attain knowledge, skills, and access to resources that enable them to engage in positive pathways leading to successful transitions back into their communities. Through a range of coordinated education and employability strategies, program activities, and efforts, the Education Initiative will develop in youth:

• Proficiency in literacy and numeracy; • Social and emotional skills; • Job readiness, vocational training, work ethics, and employment skills; and • Thinking tools for lifelong learning.

9


In addition, the DYS Education Initiative aims to build educator skills and systemic improvements to better serve youth in DYS programs.

SERVICES PROVIDED:

The DYS Education Initiative provides direct services to children and youth in 41 DYS programs statewide. Educational services are designed to promote academic achievement, positive youth development, and the development of social-emotional, vocational, and/or life skills.

Over the past three years, we have been developing, refining, and implementing an effective, rigorous, research based life skills, career development, and employability curriculum guide—Empower Your Future (EYF). In 2011, we finished the pilot of Life Skills Curriculum, in six assessment settings. This completes the development of a comprehensive life skills curriculum for DYS treatment programs and creates a firm foundation for career exploration and vocational development within DYS programs. As a result of these efforts, we are confident that we have developed a guide that effectively suits our populations learning needs and context.

In addition, beginning in 2009, CES has gradually increased access to health and wellness teachers and related programming to programs across the state as a result of a federal grant award. Through this partnership with DYS, the Collaborative is carrying out the Healthy Opportunities, Positive Effects (HOPE) program, the goals of which are:

• Students will develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required for lifelong health, fitness, and well-being aligned with the MA state health and fitness curriculum frameworks.

• DYS will develop the systemic capacity to promote and support the attainment of health, fitness and well-being aligned with the MA state health and fitness curriculum frameworks.

In the second year of the program, CES expanded the HOPE project from the initial 10 pilot sites to 36 programs. Trained fitness and nutrition teachers work with students to set and reach fitness goals, create healthier eating habits, and adopt life-long skills for health living. Fitness teachers also work with DYS program staff to expand the opportunities for fitness activities beyond the school day.

CES also provides professional development to all teachers throughout the state working in DYS settings. CES sets high expectations for ongoing skill development and appropriate licensure for all staff in CES-managed programs. Professional development, including on-site coaching, has been a major component in the enhanced quality of instructional delivery and the reduction of overall detention and commitment numbers throughout the state. The primary goals of the 2010-2011 professional development have been:

• Establishing Professional Learning Teams (Learning Teams) in all DYS programs that bring general and special educators together to utilize a structured approach to understanding student needs and strengths, and plan effective delivery of instruction.

• Enhancing teacher skills in implementing reading and writing across the curriculum. • Building teacher skills in providing culturally responsive practice and supporting positive youth

development. • Promote ongoing use of formal and informal assessments to document and understand student

needs and progress. • Increase skills in working with students who are English Language Learners (ELLs).

POPULATION SERVED: On any given day, the DYS system has custody of about 1,500 young people in its 56 facilities across the state. Most youth are between 14 and 17 years old, are from high-risk, high-poverty, and high-

10


truancy backgrounds. Typically, they are functioning two to three grade levels below their peers; more than 45% require special education services; and most have a history of family dysfunction. They come from cities and towns throughout the state. Students may attend as little as one day to several years depending on severity of charge and court proceedings, frequently move from one program to another, and have a wide range of educational needs. These characteristics present a myriad of challenges for our educational staff.

In the 2010-2011 year, Department of Youth Services added 2 new schools to CES to manage the educational services, increasing the total number of schools under the direction and management of CES to 44, including 9 in the Boston Metro region, 10 in the Northeast area, 10 in Central Mass, 10 in the Southeast and 5 in Western Mass.

There were 2993 new detention admissions during the calendar year 2010, a decrease of 172 from 2009 and 1059 from 2008. On January 1, 2011, the committed caseload was 1,210 with 1,098 males (85.2%) and 190 females (14.8%). The committed caseload decreased by 112 youth (9.3% decrease) since January 1, 2010. The decrease over the last decade – from January 1, 2001, was 1,973 – a full 60.5%.

Over calendar year 2010, we served the following population of youth (student data chart below):

Student Data: Committed Caseload by Region, January 1, 2010 vs. January 1, 2011

Total Committed

Area 1/1/2010 Caseload

7/1/2011 Caseload # Change % Change

Western 263 242 -21 - 8.0%

Central 195 190 - 5 - 2.6%

Southeast 318 295 -23 - 7.2%

Metro 203 165 -38 -18.7%

Northeast 231 206 -25 -10.8%

Total 1,210 1,098 -112 - 9.3%

OUTCOMES: The DYS CEP has made great gains in meeting student needs, building expectations, and enhancing education, transition, and social and life skills outcomes for students. Some highlights follow.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT: The DYS initiative also continued in its commitment to provide multiple pathways to students committed to the care and custody of the Department. This commitment is born out of the reality that less than one in four of our students pursue the traditional direct path of kindergarten to either post-secondary or job. Therefore, we continue to create options for our students to achieve in a number of ways, e.g. MCAS, GED, and college studies. The chart that follows indicates our progress in this area.

11


DYS Student Achievement

Year

GED Earned While Com-mitted

High School Diploma Earned while Com-mitted

Combined GED+HS Diploma While Com-mitted

Students Enrolled in Com-munity College

MCAS 10th Grade Science

MCAS 10th Grade ELA

MCAS 10th Grade ELA Retest

MCAS 10th Grade Math

MCAS 10th Grade Math Retest

11 66 57 123 Not Avail.

Not Avail.

Not Avail.

Not Avail.

Not Avail.

Not Avail.

10 62 64 126 Not Avail.

26/42 62%

56/61 91.0%

48/65 74%

40/57 70%

34/82 41%

09 75 88 163 55 48% 48/53 90.6%

12/18 67%

40/50 80%

19/37 52%

08 66 78 144 36 67/82 90.1%

10/13 77%

47/82 57%

19/26 73%

07 114 71 185 75/106 71%

15/35 43%

41/94 44%

21/53 40%

06 127 76 203 110/155 71%

15/36 42%

68/163 42%

20/58 34%

05 118 87 205 51% 57% 38% 31% 04 101 75 176 47% 48% 28% 24% 03 69 50 119 49% 50% 21% 22% 02 54 53 107 35% 34% 17% 41% 01 48 62 110 44% 46% 15% 27%

Spring 2011 MCAS results are not yet final, so the most current data is from spring 2010 and the fall retests.

STUDENT HEALTH AND WELLNESS OUTCOMES: Through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Carol M. White Physical Education Program grant, CES has been implementing the “Healthy Opportunities, Positive Effects” (HOPE) initiative to promote physical activity and nutritional instruction. Student testimonies clearly demonstrated the value of the HOPE program to enhance not only student health, but their investment in health habits and their sense of their ability to change their habits. As one student described:

This program helped my confidence boost to a new high. Before your program I had low self- esteem and I really wasn’t talkative at all, but now after I lost 20 pounds I’m so happy with myself. I have no one to thank but you, Brian, for teaching me that if I really try my hardest I will reach my dreams, and I did. I will never forget the games and activities that you have taught me. You showed me that losing weight and burning calories didn’t have to be stressful or extremely tiring. It can actually be fun and exciting. My favorite thing was when we did our fitness test that tested us on our strengths and weaknesses. The best thing about you, Brian, is that you never judged any of us on our faults. So thank you, Brian, and I hope you stay in business until you grow old.

12


Quantitative data also demonstrates the success of the HOPE program. One of the key goals is that 75% of participating students will engage in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) for at least 225 minutes/week. Data was collected at five different points in time during the 2010-2011 year, and each time the program exceeded the goal. Measurements ranged from 77% to a high of 90% in May 2011, indicating that HOPE is effectively promoting fitness activities for youth in the targeted programs. In addition to increasing time spent being physically active, the HOPE project has set and achieved several other wellness-related goals, including:

• 72% of students had set a fitness goal, and 67% had a nutrition goal. • 48% of students demonstrated increased self-efficacy to engage in physical activity and eat healthier

within 3 months of entry. • 8 of 11 students (73%) who had unhealthy heart rates at their first observation had heart rates in the

healthy range at their last observation. • 51% of students (short of the 60% benchmark) reported an increase in the number of days they

consumed fruits and vegetables.

Further data will be collected in the 2011-2012 year to continue documenting student outcomes and to explore system-level outcomes, including changes intended to support the sustainability of health programming for students in DYS facilities.

EDUCATOR SKILL DEVELOPMENT:

One of the primary professional development initiatives this year was the implementation of Learning Teams. In collaboration with SEIS, professional development staff planned for a yearlong effort to providing training and on-site supports designed to engage general and special educators in weekly meetings, using a structured inquiry process to focus on the needs for individual students. Findings from the evaluation of professional development efforts were quite positive and are highlighted below.

First, Learning Team meetings were regularly observed by administrators, and logs of meeting discussions were reviewed regularly to support teacher practice. These data show that almost all programs had weekly Learning Team meetings of at least 45 minutes October through March (data was only compiled through March).

• In a pre and post survey of teachers regarding their work on Learning Teams, DYS general education teachers demonstrated the greatest gains in terms of:

• Use of asset-based language when discussing students (36% percentage point gain); and • Using data and student work to assess students strengths and needs (also a 36% percentage point

gain).

The data also indicated gains in:

• Regular collaboration among teachers at program sites to assess students needs and plan instruction (16% gain); and

• Teachers sharing written unit plans with each other and providing input on the planning process (9% gain).

Professional development during 2010-2011 also established goals relating to the use of technology, increased understanding and use of culturally responsive practice positive you development approaches, and enhanced teacher skills in implementing reading and writing across the curriculum. The pre and post teacher surveys indicate:

• a 13% increase in teacher sense that they have the ability to and use software and hardware to provide accommodations for individual student needs; and

13


• a 12% increase in terms of identifying and building upon a student’s prior knowledge to plan and deliver content instruction.

Professional development coaches and facilitators reviewed year-end teacher projects and noted that teachers need further work in understanding the concepts and developing skills related to reading and writing across the curriculum.

STATEWIDE SYSTEMS CAPACITY BUILDING AND IMPROVEMENTS:

The CES Director of Education for the Department of Youth Services Education Initiative, Woody Clift, was invited to recommend changes to the design of revocation programs in DYS. The revocation programming redesign group will be looking at both short term and long term revocation programs that serve a mostly older and under-credited population of students. For the short-term programs, the focus will be on returning the youth to the community as soon as possible while dealing directly with the reason that the youth had his/her liberty revoked. For the long-term programs, the focus will be on the development of clinical, educational and recreational services which are based on a more individualized approach to treatment appropriate for a revocation population. The idea is to broaden the educational and vocational options as part of revocation programming, and to promote a more individualized clinical track that complements the work identified in the client’s individualized Community Service Treatment Plan (CSTP).

Mount Tom Academy Program Goal

The Mount Tom Academy program at Holyoke Community College serves local schools by providing an alternative setting for students who are unable to succeed in the traditional high school classroom. The goal of the program is to provide a learning environment that addresses and removes students’ objections to study and learning, engages them in self-directed learning, and promotes achievement among students who would otherwise be likely to dropout.

Program Design

Mount Tom Academy, located on the Holyoke Community College campus, offers a small flexible class environment with a curriculum provided in step-by-step learning modules. Students complete their work in a schedule that they work with staff in developing. Qualified teachers and college staff provide instruction and remediation to students. The school curriculum is backed up by the Plato Educational software–an online curriculum and learning system. Textbooks and materials are standard high school versions. The program offers a college dual enrollment option with HCC. Students achieve success in the program because the program accommodates individual learning styles, allowing each student to find opportunities for success.

The program is entering its twelfth year, and faces the challenge of continued funding. Started as model state-supported program for alternative education in 1999, Mount Tom was funded with an alternative education state grant for six years. The program is now sustained and supported by a relatively low-cost tuition charge to the participating school districts.

Population Served

Enrollment is accepted on a rolling basis throughout the school year. Mt. Tom served 13 students from seven school districts this past year. The districts were: Granby, Hampshire Regional, Gateway Regional, Smith Academy, Easthampton, Agawam, and Holyoke. In two cases, parents paid the tuition.

14


Program Outcomes

Five students graduated from their sending schools in May, 2011, with one student awarded as the “Most Improved Student” at Hampshire Regional. All five graduates enrolled at HCC, and five other students returned to Mt. Tom in 2011-12.

All 13 students in 2010-11 passed the MCAS English and Math, and all took the Ability to Benefit test for HCC. Five students participated in work-study for credit program.

After School Programs 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC)

OVERVIEW

The Collaborative’s school year and summer programs provide students with a balance of academic and social-emotional skill development through a variety of student-centered enrichment activities which promote academic achievement and healthy adult-to-youth and peer-to-peer relationships.

PROGRAM MODEL

One of the Collaborative’s primary goals as an out-of-school time provider in Western Massachusetts is to provide programs that meet both the academic and social-emotional needs of students. The agency researches various sources of local data demonstrating risky behaviors and the needs of local students; interviews an array of school staff (superintendents, principals, guidance counselors, and teachers) regarding any academic and social-emotional needs of students; and interviews local agencies serving special sub-groups of at-risk youth to ascertain how the community is or is not meeting those needs.

Stakeholders (including parents) are recruited to the local advisory council to identify which need(s) the prospective 21st CCLC program can address. HEC facilitates and supports the process of pooling together potential resources each partner can provide. Our role is to help each program and school: 1) identify the most pressing academic and social-emotional needs of at-risk students; 2) determine how best to address those needs through after school programming; and 3) use data to measure the effectiveness of meeting those needs each year.

Crucial to the success of the CES’s 21st CCLC programs is high ‘average attendance hours’ or ‘dosage’ by participating students. To keep students engaged in programs, Project-Based Learning (PBL) activities are offered to immerse at-risk students in hands-on learning experiences that develop both their academic and social-emotional skills. The PBL approach makes connections between learning and real world applications. Projects can increase a student’s sense of belonging and self-worth. Since our network implemented PBL activities at all of its programs starting in FY05, the average attendance hours have increased each and every year.

Population Served

School year and summer programs serve kindergarten through high school and all students are invited to participate. Special recruitment efforts are put into place to assure that a majority of students from low-income homes, students with special needs, and other students considered at-risk are able to attend.

Nine 21st CCLC programs served 665 students during the 2010-2011 school year. Six of those programs are continuation sites serving 402 students, and the remaining three are exemplary programs serving 263 students. Exemplary programs are older programs deemed high quality by DESE. Approximately 53% of students were

15


from low-income homes and 20% were students with special needs. Approximately 30% of our student participants scored in the lowest two levels of the math MCAS and 40% at the lowest two levels of the English language arts MCAS.

Locations of the Collaborative’s 21st CCLC programs in 2010-2011 are noted in the Appendix. In addition, the Collaborative facilitated two non-21st CCLC programs in Greenfield at Federal Street Elementary and Greenfield Middle Schools.

Program Outcomes for the Six Continuation Sites

Of the 402 youth served at the continuation sites last year, approximately 302 or 75% of these students were part of our SAYO data measurement process (Survey of Afterschool Youth Outcomes). The SAYO consists of a pre- and post survey obtained from After School staff (SAYO S) and school day teachers (SAYO T) in all participating schools.

The following are the primary outcomes measured in 2010-2011 for the six continuation sites. The percent change shows the progress made between the students’ pre- and post survey. The academic outcomes are not shared by all programs–some after school programs promote ELA while others promote math, depending on their school’s lowest MCAS scores.

• Relationships with adults improved by 24% • Relationships with peers improved by 24% • Verbal communication improved by 27% • Written communication improved by 22% • Reading improved by 10% • Math problem-solving improved by 11% • Math communication improved by 11% • Math reasoning improved by 13%

Program Outcomes for the Three Exemplary Sites.

Of the 263 youth served last year in the three exemplary sites, approximately 166 or 63% of these students were part of our SAYO data measurement process (Survey of Afterschool Youth Outcomes). The SAYO consists of a pre- and post survey obtained from After School staff (SAYO S) and school day teachers (SAYO T) in all participating schools.

The following are the primary outcomes measured in 2010-2011 for the three exemplary sites. The percentage change shows the progress made between the students’ pre- and post survey. The academic outcomes are not shared by all programs–some after school programs promote ELA while others promote math, depending on their school’s lowest MCAS scores.

• Relationships with adults improved by 34% • Relationships with peers improved by 27% • Verbal communication improved by 34% • Written communication improved by 39% • Math problem-solving improved by 25% • Math communication improved by 25% • Math reasoning improved by 21%

16


After School Programs Supplemental Educational Services

Overview / Goal

CES offers a tutoring program to students in grades K-8 that helps at-risk students master concepts in the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks and pass the MCAS.

Program Design

The Collaborative offers an after school tutoring program to students in grades K-8 as per the requirements of No Child Left Behind. Highly qualified tutors provide small-group instruction intended to raise achievement in math, reading and writing. The curriculum used, Compass Learning Odyssey, helps students master the concepts in the MA Curriculum Frameworks and pass the MCAS. Tutors design learning paths tailored to each student’s needs using the compasslearningodyssey.com framework. Students work independently and with their tutor’s guidance on this self-paced online learning module, and also engage in games and other offline learning activities designed by their tutors. Parents and school staff are regularly informed about students’ progress in the program.

The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education standards require that each student attend a minimum 25 hours of tutoring. CES strives to engage students twice a week; thus, students attend receive at least 2 hours per week of tutoring over approximately 12.5 weeks.

Population Served

SES tutoring is meant to help at-risk students improve upon their MCAS scores. Schools that have not made Adequate Yearly Progress for two years in a row are required to offer free SES tutoring to students eligible for free or reduced lunch. In schools with large free or reduced lunch populations, services are offered first to students who have demonstrated the most need, either through MCAS scores or classroom performance.

The Collaborative served 232 students from 13 districts in 2010-2011. The participating schools and districts were:

• Amherst-Pelham Regional School District Crocker Farm Elementary Fort River Elementary Wildwood Elementary

• Belchertown Public Schools Swift River Elementary

• Easthampton Public Schools White Brook Middle School

• Gateway Regional School District Chester Elementary School

• Greenfield Public Schools Federal Street Elementary School Greenfield Middle School

• Ludlow Public Schools Veteran’s Park Elementary School

17


• Mohawk Trail Regional School District Buckland Shelburne Elementary School

• Northampton Public Schools Jackson Street Elementary Ryan Road Elementary JFK Middle School

• Palmer Public Schools Old Mill Pond Elementary School Converse Middle School

• Pioneer Valley Regional School District Bernardston Elementary School Northfield Elementary School

• Ralph C. Mahar Regional School District Ralph C. Mahar Regional School

• Shrewsbury Public Schools Floral Street Elementary School

• South Hadley Public Schools Mosier Elementary School

PROGRAM OUTCOMES

The Collaborative served 232 students from 13 districts in 2010-2011. Of those, 97 percent of the students who completed their contracted hours made progress toward their goals; 43 percent of those students met or exceeded their goals.

Connecting Activities

Program Goal

CES promotes school-to-career activities by partnering with schools to find and utilize resources to support internship programs for students. The goal of this effort is to boost school capacity to serve young people, and improve their education and career preparation by incorporating real life and work experiences into their schooling.

Program Design

The program provides resources to schools, including linkages to local employers, program funding, and materials support, especially support for the Career Cruising online software program, considered an optimal tool for achieving a range of career skills developmental goals with high school students across a range of populations.

Population Served

The program serves the school districts of Hampshire County. Partnership towns/districts include: Smith Vocational, Northampton High, Easthampton High, Hampshire Regional, HEC Academy, Reunion Center, South Hadley High, and Amherst High. Franklin County is served by the Regional Employment Board.

18


• In 2010-11, the program placed 318 students with more than 200 employers throughout the County. • Construction Career Day and all other types of job shadowing, field study, and job fairs are not

included in these figures. Student participation in these activities included approximately an additional 125 students.

The internship placements ranged from simple afterschool placements tracked with a Work Based Learning Plan, to more complex work-and-learning experiences where the tasks and skills emphasized in the placement are also developed, in parallel, in a classroom setting. The Reunion Center summer program and Smith Vocational are examples where such placements occur. Students range from those who are A+ and college-bound, to those who are developmentally challenged.

PROGRAM OUTCOMES

As part of Connecting Activities, CES does not collect comprehensive assessments of skill development, or longitudinal data. However, studies have clearly indicated that supported internship placements have a very important effect on the at-risk population, especially those students that CES’s Connecting Activities target and serve. Supported internship placements give these students a feeling of engagement and a sense of efficacy and success (even if they do not excel in the academic realm). Supported internships demonstrably help prevent students from dropping out.

The Reunion Center (Easthampton) Program Goal

The Reunion Center is an adult learning center located in Easthampton that serves older teenagers and adults who have not completed high school. The program is designed to help students develop academic and life skills and/or acquire a GED.

Program Design

The Center provides assessment, customized instruction, and career counseling through free day and evening classes and individual counseling. The Reunion Center offers classes in employability skills, preparation for a GED diploma, English language skills and preparation for the MCAS 10th grade exam. It also offers classes that will increase students’ English language, self-advocacy, literacy and parenting skills.

Population Served

The Reunion Center serves young adults and adults from the ages of 16 through adulthood. Participants must live in Easthampton and not be enrolled in a public school system. In 2010-11, most of the students enrolled in the Reunion Center were immigrants or students who dropped out of school and never earned a high school diploma.

A total of 53 teens and adults participated in Reunion Center programs in 2010-2011. The majority of participants were white, low-income, unemployed or underemployed, and below 30 years old. Roughly 16% were Hispanic and/or female heads of household.

Program Outcomes

Outcomes are described in the table, below.

19


Reunion Center Outcomes

Projected Goal Category Projected Number

Actual Number

Participants 45+ 53 GED Services 30 22* Will pass all 5 GED subtests 10 12 Will improve basic literacy and numeracy 2+ grade levels 10 13 Will become more fluent in English as their second language 8 10 Will earn a driver’s license 4 6 Will upgrade writing skills through separate mini-course 5 NA**

Accuplacer test at a Community College 5 7 Will receive workplace readiness services 8 11 Easthampton high school students will pass the MCAS and qualify for a diploma

5 7

* The number of students who needed GED services was lower than projected. ** Intensive writing instruction is happening through integrated classroom instruction rather than through a separate class. The focus of this course is on MCAS remediation. The MCAS focus is an adaptation necessitated by the needs of the population being served.

EARLY CHILDHOOD Services for Educators, Administrators, Providers, and Parents Overview / Goals The Early Childhood Department’s activities support parents, and early educators in achieving the following goals:

• Understand child development birth to Kindergarten • Understand developmentally appropriate practice • Set up learning environments that are play-based and maximize children’s development • Provide appropriate experiences for young children • Promote children’s social and emotional development • Respond appropriately and serve children with challenging behaviors • Recognize when a child has a special need and make appropriate referrals

Parents will have the skills and support to parent effectively and to support the development of early literacy skills. Educators and administrators will have the knowledge and skills to advocate for appropriate funding and services. Centers and family child care providers will improve their quality to address NAEYC accreditation, CDA certification and QRIS criteria and standards

20


Programs

The Early Childhood Department administers and coordinates grants that provide training, consultation and support to early childhood centers and family child care providers and parenting education and support in Belchertown, Easthampton, Hatfield, Monson, Palmer, Ware, Warren, and West Brookfield.

Under the Department of Early Education and Care’s Coordinated Family and Community Engagement grant (CFCE) we provide the following services:

• Provide financial support to Family Centers that serve the above communities as well as centers in Amherst, Cummington, Gateway, and Northampton. Centers provide playgroups for parents/guardians and children birth to Kindergarten.

• Parent workshops on topics of interest to parents such as dealing with issues with sleeping, eating, toilet training, setting limits, dealing with challenging behaviors, sibling rivalry, co-parenting, and others.

• Parent Child Home Program, an early literacy home visiting program for families whose children are at risk for poor literacy development serving children ages 18 months to three years residing in one of our communities. A home visitor makes two half-hour visits weekly to demonstrate use of a toy or book in developing literacy skills. Twenty-seven families were served.

• Referrals to services for families with young children. • Referrals for professional development opportunities for early educators. • Home visits and support for parents of children with challenging behavior. • Transitions of children from program to program. • Early literacy activities such as community StoryWalks and weekly story hour at the Hatfield library.

In 2010-11, CES was also a subcontractor for the EEC Regional Educator and Provider Support grant, providing professional development in all communities in Franklin and Hampshire Counties and the communities of Athol, Phillipston, Royalston and Petersham in Worcester County. Professional Development was provided for Early Childhood Centers and family child care providers with priority given to those serving high numbers of children with EEC tuition subsidies.

CES’s Early Childhood Department also provided targeted coaching and mentoring for Centers and family child care providers focused on National Association for the Education of Young Children accreditation, Child Development Associate (CDA), or the Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS).

CEU courses for parents and Centers included Math for Young Children, Cultural Competence, Selecting Appropriate Books, Assessment, Environments, Curriculum, Involving and Engaging Parents.

CES worked with parents, Centers, and family child care providers in developing Individual Professional Development Plans and Program Development Plans.

The Early Childhood Department managed the Western Massachusetts Leadership Network in Action (WLNA) with funding from Nellie Mae Education Foundation, Schott Foundation, and Davis Foundation. This Network provided two Wheelock College LEAP courses, sponsored Invisible Educator Day, held a Conference in Spanish for Latino Early Educators, and implemented other events to develop leadership skills in diverse early educators. Activities were open to all early and out of school time educators in Hampshire, Franklin, Hampden and Berkshire Counties.

CES sponsored professional development focused on social/emotional development to include the Center for the Social/Emotional Foundation of Early Learning (CSEFEL); this was also open to all early educators in the region. The Early Childhood staff provided coaching for a CSEFEL demonstration site at Deerfield Elementary School, the full day preschool program.

21


Population Served

CES’s Early Childhood Department provided important services to communities throughout Franklin and Hampshire Counties and beyond. Examples include:

• The Parent-Child Home Program served 28 families in Palmer, Warren, Ware, South Hadley,

Belchertown. • CEU classes taught by CES staff served approximately 65 participants from family child care,

center-based programs and public schools in Hampshire, Franklin and Hampden Counties as well as parts of Worcester County.

• Approximately 120 participants representing family childcare, center-based programs, and public schools in Hampshire, Franklin, Hampden and Berkshire Counties as well as parts of Worcester County took part in CES-sponsored professional development.

• Family Child Care Orientation sessions were attended by 21 participants from Hampshire and Hampden Counties; the trainings were held in Northampton and conducted by Kay Lisseck of the CES Early Childhood Department.

• Coaching and mentoring was provided through the Educator and Provider Support grant to approximately 115 early childhood educators in Hampshire and Franklin Counties as well as parts of Worcester County.

• The Conference in Spanish for Latino Early Educators drew more than 100 early educators and out-of-school time professionals from all over the state, but primarily from Hampden County.

• The Western Massachusetts Leadership Network sponsored Wheelock College leadership courses held in Worcester and Holyoke. 50 students from western and central Massachusetts participated.

• Hundreds of parents in Hampshire, Hampden and Worcester Counties attended play groups at family centers, story time and playshops in Hatfield and family literacy events, and received consultation from the CES Early Childhood Support Team.

II. PROMOTE EDUCATOR, ADMINISTRATOR, PROVIDER, AND PARENT KNOWLDEGE AND SKILLS

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, CURRICULUM, and EDUCATOR LICENSURE OVERVIEW/GOALS:

The Professional Development department offers extensive opportunities for educators and school systems to improve teaching and learning through high-quality, evidence-based, and data-driven professional development programs. Our statewide, regional, district-wide, and single school initiatives shape learning and leadership at each level: policy, program, and practice. We help administrators utilize data to assess critical staff development needs and build local capacity through customized

22


professional development. In addition, we offer regional and multi-district programs to meet professional development needs for specialized educator groups, such as special education directors, interventionists, and content teachers. Teachers, administrators, and career changers access our face-to-face and online programs to achieve Highly Qualified Educator status, Initial Licensure, and renewal of Professional Licensure.

SERVICES PROVIDED

The Professional Development Department offers a range of services, including:

• Educator licensure • Center for English Language Education (Category trainings, policy development, and program

improvement) • Emerging America colloquia: Teaching American History and Library of Congress Teaching with

Primary Sources • Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) for networks of educational staff (e.g., Curriculum,

English Language Learning, Technology) • School- and district-based math and literacy consultation, coaching, and courses • Preparation of instructional and learning team coaches • Curriculum mapping • Regional professional development days • Reading Recovery Teacher Training • Online and hybrid courses • Parent and community engagement technical assistance and training

Our professional development model supports systemic planning, delivery, and evaluation of student and teacher growth initiatives. Through collaborative data analysis and training design, engaging presentations, coaching, and learning teams, we build district capacity.

POPULATIONS SERVED AND OUTCOMES ACHIEVED FOR SELECTED PROGRAMS

In FY11, the Professional Development and Curriculum Department worked with over 7500 educators in 79 school districts in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, and New Hampshire. Below are some highlights of the services provided to state and local partners.

Educator Licensure

Twenty seven licensure courses were held this year, in a total of forty nine sections offered face-to-face in Lowell, Northampton, Holyoke, and Worcester, and online. Most courses are offered in both online and face-to-face format. The hybrid online course format has become increasingly popular with students; this year, 27 of 49 sections were offered online. Administration courses and ESL courses continue to be offered as Hybrid Online only. The Online Facilitation course for instructors, developed by the Licensure staff, was offered in each of three terms last year, to ensure consistent quality of instruction in the Hybrid Online course environment.

841 students completed courses during this time period. 82 students were admitted to the Initial Licensure program; an additional 10 candidates were admitted to gain an additional license. 109 candidates were endorsed to the DESE during this period; seven were recommended for an additional license. A special contract for two courses with the Fall River Public Schools served 40 teachers interested in earning the ESL license. 242 candidates completed the licensure program under this grant; all received full support from the grant.

23


An important development this year was developing a partnership with the Five College Federal Credit Union so that participants in our programs are now eligible for loans to pay for their Licensure. The loan program was approved by the Federal regulators as well as by the FCFCU Board. This program is innovative, serving students who are not eligible for student loans through the Federal loan system.

The final report for the Transition to Licensed Teaching program was submitted to USDOE. 60% of the newly-endorsed teachers are currently teaching in high need districts. We track our graduates for three years following completion of the licensure program. Our graduates stay in the field, a pattern that runs counter to national trends.

Increased efficiency in the infrastructure supporting online course delivery has allowed us to offer more courses without increasing administrative staff. Credit card processing of registration payments previously utilized a credit card machine, requiring significant manual intervention, photocopying, and mailing of receipts. This process was converted to a cost-effective web-based processing system, which automatically generates reports, and emails receipts. In addition, the web-based system is critical to the next step of automation, on-line registration. Additional efficiencies have been gained through the expansion of our Filemaker database capacity. Contracts, scheduled instructor payments, and payroll documents are now generated through the database.

Increased outreach relied on the use of Constant Contact, an email tool, to communicate with instructors, students, and potential students about program highlights, changes, monthly Information Sessions (First Fridays) which provide information on How to Become a Licensed Educator, and Channel 22 TV presence. Partnership with the Five College Federal Loan Credit Union yielded excellent public relations benefits.

School and District Based Coaching, Training, and Consultation

Collaborative staff worked on long-term projects building district capacity to address student achievement challenges in 15 member and nonmember districts. The focus of the work varied with the district. Highlights include:

• creating guides for improving student reading and writing • improving mathematics teaching and learning for middle school students receiving special education

services • improving standards-based mathematics teaching and assessment, • conducting workshops on writing and the effective use of readers • using formative assessment in ELA instruction

A group of middle school teachers built and pilot-tested a system that supports students' written responses to literary and informational texts, as part of a three-year state grant-funded program designed by Collaborative staff and funded by DESE.

Understanding student data is an essential element of professional development. Collaborative data specialists supported learning teams in the Orange Public Schools teachers to look at student data and select targets for skill development. Support included creating three custom views of MCAS data that make the information much easier to visualize. Intensive consultation and coaching addressing teaching students from poverty background using the Learning to Learn model in New Leadership and Sabis Charter Schools.

Districts receiving these services in 2010-2011 included member districts Easthampton, Granby, Hadley, Mahar, Mohawk, Orange, Pioneer, Rowe, and Ware, and non member districts Agawam, Berkshire Hills, Chelsea, Easthampton, Holyoke, Longmeadow, Ludlow, New Leadership, Sabis/Springfield, Seymour (CT), and West Springfield.

24


Data analysis for districts is currently in process. Preliminary findings indicate that professional development for teachers working with middle school math students in an inclusion setting was associated with significant gains for the special education subgroup in math in one district, and that professional development for teachers in the teaching of writing was associated with schools making AYP in three districts.

Center for English Language Learning (CELE)

CELE provided professional development in MA DESE approved Category trainings: strengthening ESL programming, working with struggling learners, administering schools with culturally and linguistically diverse learners, and identifying and working with English learners with learning differences and disabilities. Staff provided these trainings to 5600 teachers in 28 districts across the state, including member districts Belchertown, Frontier, Greenfield, Hadley, Mohawk, Northampton and non member districts Boston, Bridgewater-Raynham, Cape Cod Regional Technical High School, Four Rivers Charter, Gill-Montague, Leominster, Lowell Community Charter, Ludlow, , Haverhill, Holyoke, Holyoke Community Charter School, Millbury, Rockport, Quabbin, Salem, SABIS International Charter School, Springfield and West Boylston, the Common School, the Department of Youth Services, and the Southeastern MA Collaborative.

CELE staff also provided other services, such as ESL teaching, assessment; program planning and policy work; and state-wide professional development for the MA Dept of Early Education and Care on working with dual language learners and their families. The program director wrote district policies for Bridgewater-Raynham, Dover Sherborn, Smith Vocational School, and West Boylston.

Outcomes included provision and supervision of an ESL teacher to a member district, assessment of students for member districts, and ongoing support in understanding English learner populations, development of program policies and consultation with school districts to ensure aligned implementation, and support for administrators addressing the needs of English learners within a whole school context

Teaching American History (TAH)--Emerging America

The Emerging America history education program at CES began in 2006 with a U.S. Department of Education Teaching American History grant. Since then, the program has provided high quality professional development to hundreds of teachers, created a dynamic set of online resources, and established a skilled and dedicated cadre of teacher-leaders in history education.

Teaching American Freedoms: Rights and Responsibilities from the Puritans to the Present:

The overall goal of this project is to improve teacher knowledge and appreciation of traditional American history which will result in improved classroom instruction and student achievement. Participating teachers attend scholarly presentations that deepen and broaden their knowledge of American history and work with veteran teachers to learn and apply effective methods for teaching U.S. history at their grade level. the project is organized around three project objectives:

• To deepen teachers’ content knowledge of traditional American history by revealing the roots of freedom and responsibility in American democracy, rising from the American Revolution and U.S. Constitution and evolving through key periods of change in American history.

• To improve teacher’s ability to apply new knowledge and to improve the effectiveness of their teaching of American history as a separate academic subject, particularly in schools that have been identified for improvement, corrective action, or restructuring under NCLB.

• Increase student knowledge and achievement in American history

In total, 123 individual teachers (with 98% completing more than 75% of the required hours) participated in this year’s offerings. This group represents teachers from a majority of the Collaborative’s district

25


members, TAH partner districts, and charter schools, parochial schools and private schools, including 25 schools classified as “In Need of Improvement.”

Program highlights include:

• 25 teachers convened during the fall and received instruction from a range of scholars covering "The African American Struggle for Equality: From Slavery to Civil Rights".

• The Radical Equality website, which includes primary source documents for US History students and teachers, was launched in early October with an event at Historic Northampton.

• The Summer 2011 TAH program, “Let Freedom Ring,” provided four three-day colloquia to 85 teachers. The program focused on integrating teaching with primary sources into routine ELA instruction as well as Social Studies, and included presentations by nationally known scholars as well as field trips to the Massachusetts Historical Society in Boston, where participants worked with the Adams Papers and the Pickering Collection, and to New York City for the Lower East Side Tenement Museum and tour of Harlem.

Library of Congress, Teaching with Primary Sources Program of the Collaborative for Educational Services

In 2010-11, the Library of Congress selected CES to join its national Teaching with Primary Sources Consortium, providing professional development throughout Massachusetts. To date, the Collaborative is the only Consortium member in New England. The Library especially is interested in tapping the expertise of CES in working with English language learners, special education students, court-involved youth, and other struggling learners. The Collaborative also emphasizes its experience with online resources.

In 2010-11, this project:

• Provided workshops in April and May on history and Common Core state standards for nearly 400 teachers from school districts throughout Massachusetts.

• Trained and mobilized six teacher-leaders statewide to present TPS workshops. • Piloted a one-credit graduate course for regular classroom teachers on how to create High Quality

Learning Environments for Struggling Learners. • Aided teachers at a Mass DESE model curriculum-writing workshop led by Jay McTighe to

incorporate Library of Congress primary sources into their model lessons, as a means of addressing new state graduation standards.

In addition, the CES Project Director led the Library’s TPS Evaluation Committee and the Assistant Director co-led its TPS Technology Committee.

TAH Outcomes for Students:

Data was collected from students of participating fall and summer course teachers on a student survey with results verifying teacher survey comments and anecdotal observations that student interest in American history learning is improving and leading to increases in achievement. In addition, a written performance assessment and scoring system was developed and tested, which will be expanded in the coming school year.

TAH programs achieved the following outcomes for educator skill development:

• Survey data and informal project discussions have documented evidence of deepened levels of content knowledge among the participating teachers, with nearly every teacher on self-report surveys identifying, through ratings and written comments, increased content knowledge. Additionally there was nearly a 15% change in the average scores on the content assessment

26


pre/post tests administered to participating teachers during the fall, spring and summer semesters with 76% of the total group of participating teachers demonstrating increased knowledge.

• Self-report survey data indicates teachers have experienced improved ability to apply new knowledge and effective teaching strategies into the classroom, as their confidence with their level of knowledge increased and they were exposed to new and effective methodologies, strategies and resource materials through the courses. Results of classroom observations, focus group interviews and informal discussions and observations provide further evidence of this instructional progress.

Reading Recovery

CES is a regional Reading Recovery Teacher Training site serving western Massachusetts districts in four counties. In 2010-2011, our site provided training, coaching, consultation, and data analysis to 33 elementary schools in 17 systems, representing 54 teachers serving first grade 394 students. Of the students served, 44% are on free or reduced lunch, 24% are non-white, 18% were designated with a previously diagnosed learning disability, and 14% spoke a language other than English in their homes. Of the districts serve, Amherst, Deerfield, Easthampton, Pelham, South Hadley, Southampton, Sunderland, Southampton Westhampton, Whately, and WIlliamsburg are members. Other participating districts include Agawam, Central Berkshire, Ludlow, Southwick, Westfield, and West Springfield.

Students participating in Reading Recovery at the CES Reading Recovery Training Site began first grade demonstrating the lowest literacy performance in their schools. By year-end, 64% were reading at text levels determined to be in or above the average band when compared to readers in schools across the country implementing Reading Recovery. 22% were reading above an end-of-first-grade level by year-end. An additional 13% of students who received Reading Recovery lessons read at a low-average text level by year end. Past years’ studies have found that Reading Recovery students score slightly above the average for their class on the grade 3 MCAS, moving from the bottom 20% (grade 1) to the middle band of the class (grade 3).

Regional Professional Development days and open enrollment seminars

Hampshire County planned a regional workshop menu for Election Day. 213 educators participated in 22 workshops, all of which were offered at no cost to the districts.

Leaders from both Hampshire and Franklin counties planned a summer academy, 77 workshops and courses, offered in the summer of 2012.

The Annual Legal Issues Seminar, presenter Attorney Regina Williams Tate, was presented to 115 administrators.

Professional Learning Communities

CES supported Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) for networks of educational staff in our member districts; these included PLCs for Curriculum Directors, English Language Learning, Technology, and Curriculum.

As one example, the Math Professional Learning Community supported collaborative work with the Common Core K-8 helping 91 teachers and leaders from member districts work with new expectations around the Common Core, Early Education and Care guidelines, and DESE ELL guidance.

The Collaborative for Educational Services (CES) is approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) as a vendor to deliver a variety of training and consulting services to a range of education providers across the state.

27


III. SUPPORT EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM IMPROVEMENT AND CAPACITY BUILDING IN SCHOOLS AND DISTRICTS

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP FOR FAMILIES AND YOUTH (SPIFFY) Program Goal

SPIFFY is a coalition of over 60 community partners working together to improve outcomes for youth in Hampshire County. SPIFFY works to foster collaboration among schools and communities, promote strong families, support positive youth development, and create a local culture where youth are supported to make healthy choices. All of SPIFFY’s initiatives strive to reduce risk factors that increase the likelihood youth will engage in unhealthy behaviors, while promoting protective factors that increase the likelihood youth will make healthy choices. SPIFFY's prevention activities involve parents, youth, educators and community partners.

Program Design

SPIFFY’s initiatives are developed through a collaborative process that follows the Strategic Prevention Framework, a national model of community building. The five steps are:

• Assessment • Capacity Building • Planning • Implementation • Evaluation

SPIFFY has initiated several strategies aimed at creating a culture within communities that discourages underage drinking and other risky behaviors, and promotes positive opportunities for youth development. These initiatives include decreasing youth access to alcohol and other drugs through “environmental strategies” such as compliance checks of retail stores selling alcohol.

Data are always at the forefront of coalition conversations, and strategies address identified community needs. SPIFFY has administered a Youth Prevention Needs Assessment Survey (PNA) in Hampshire County schools since 2002. The PNA was designed to assess adolescent substance use, anti-social behavior and the risk and protective factors that predict these adolescent problem behaviors. These data are utilized by SPIFFY and by local school districts to assess current conditions and prioritize areas of greatest need.

SPIFFY also collects data for social norms campaigns, including surveys of parents of teens in Northampton and Easthampton, and surveys of students at Amherst Regional Middle School. These surveys were developed by SPIFFY staff, with assistance from local school staff and evaluation experts.

Population Served

SPIFFY works with schools and community organizations to foster healthy youth development in all communities in Hampshire County. Community partners include public schools, nonprofit organizations, higher education, faith communities, parent groups, businesses, and local and state government, including law enforcement.

28


Program Outcomes

In 2010-11, SPIFFY had a full year of activities and accomplishments, including the following:

1. Bach Harrison PNAS Data Collection

For the first time ever, all the Hampshire county public schools participated in the PNAS youth survey with 8th, 10th, and 12th graders. This included Smith Vocational and Agricultural School and the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts charter school. Students were surveyed in the spring of 2011, and the results were presented to the larger community during our full coalition meeting in June. SPIFFY staff and evaluators have been meeting with school administrators and staff to analyze individual school district data and develop strategies to increase protective factors and decrease risk factors for local youth.

Data showed that 30-day use of alcohol and binge drinking dropped for all grades between 2007 and 2011. In SPIFFY targeted communities such as Amherst and Northampton, this could be a result of coalition activities including parent social norms campaigns, youth social norms campaigns, Safe Homes and regular compliance checks of alcohol retailers.

Data also showed that 30-day use of marijuana increased for 8th and 12th grades since 2007, and that use of certain drugs, such as amphetamines, increased since 2007. 30-day marijuana use for 10th and 12th graders is significantly higher than the national norm. As a result, SPIFFY is working with partner coalitions and prevention networks to identify effective strategies for reducing marijuana use by teens.

2. Social Norms Campaigns

SPIFFY partnered with the Amherst, Northampton and Easthampton public schools to conduct social norms campaigns that target parents and teens. At Amherst Regional Middle School, the campaign targeted students around school climate. At Easthampton High School, the campaign targeted drinking at prom and graduation. Campaigns targeted parents in Easthampton and Northampton. Campaign messages were displayed on billboards, posters, napkins at school/sports events, and in newspaper ads. Examples of messages included:

• “Most students in this school think it is wrong to make fun of someone because of their race or where they live.”

• “9 out of 10 Easthampton parents do not allow their teen to attend parties if parents will not be home to supervise.”

• “96% of Easthampton seniors do not ride with a driver who has been drinking on prom night.”

3. Easthampton Prevention Task Force

The Easthampton Prevention Task Force has been meeting monthly and developing a strategic plan for the group. They conducted a youth PhotoVoice campaign, developed a Safe Homes directory for the High School, and are in the process of organizing their first “Meet and Greet” for the larger community to generate enthusiasm and participation for the task force strategies.

4. Northampton Prevention Task Force

SPIFFY worked with Northampton Prevention Task Force members to secure a $125,000/year grant for five years for the local task force. Staffing has been hired and the task force has become its own prevention coalition, under the umbrella of SPIFFY.

29


Technology

OVERVIEW/GOALS:

CES Technology projects strive to build internal capacity and infrastructure, support educators, schools, and districts in effective use of technologies, and partner with state agencies to implement systems that increase efficiency. Specifically, the goals of CES Technology services are to:

• Support student achievement by developing and offering online courses that allow students to progress at their own pace with 24/7 access to content.

• Support educator skill development through expanded distance learning and face-to-face instruction to develop the skills of teachers, administrators, and coaches, preparing them to better serve their students.

• Build the Collaborative’s capacity to provide efficient services by enhancing our IT infrastructure and security, and further developing program websites.

• Build school and district capacity by providing network management services, website development, access to online courses, and MOODLE course design and management.

• Increase the efficiency of regional and statewide efforts by developing and promoting the effective use of technology and data (e.g., Technology and Curriculum PLC, student information systems for DYS and SEIS).

SERVICES PROVIDED AND POPULATION SERVED:

Direct instruction to students

During the school year, the online Algebra 776 sprovided student-centered learning for over 30 students in six districts (Easthampton Public Schools; Northampton Public Schools; New Leadership Charter School, Springfield; Frontier Regional High School; Amherst Regional Public Schools). CES provided participating member districts with two certified math instructors for the online Algebra course and a trained face-to-face eLearner Coach.

During the summer of 2011, the 776 Algebra Online Course served the districts of Amherst, Easthampton, Springfield and Ware. CES also worked with students from Smith Vocational Technical High School and South Hadley High School. In total, 776 serviced 20 students during these summer months (since April 15th).

Enhancing Educator Skills

• Provided training to teachers on use of Interactive Whiteboards at MassCUE. • Developed and delivered an e-Learner Coach course to coaches. E-learner coaches assist students

by helping them work towards becoming self-managing, self-monitoring and self-modifying learners. • Provided training to teachers on effective use of Promethean boards to staff in Athol and Leverett • CEDU staff worked with educators in Orange and Hampshire Regional to establish data teams and

data practices. CEDU also developed and demonstrated for the Tech and Curriculum PLC a new visual method of analyzing MCAS topic and item performance for schools, districts, and student groups. CEDU staff also worked with administrators in member districts to build skills in data management and utilization, and to promote effective organizational decision-making and instructional planning.

30


Enhanced school and district capacity to access and effectively use technology

Through our involvement in AESA, we have formed partnerships with many technology companies and have negotiated major price reductions for our member districts on their products. Through June 30, 2011 partner vendors included:

• Global Compliance Network for online compliance training • SchoolNet - Gradebook and Data visualization tools • Virtual High School offering supplemental distance learning courses • GovConnection providing technology supplies (hardware/software) at prices below state contract for

member districts • One Call Now providing hone Message service and emergency communication services • Atomic Learning, which provides online technology training and professional development tools for

educators and other professionals.

Additional services included:

• Facilitated the Technology and Curriculum Professional Learning Community (PLC), a series of collaborative conversations around topics of interest in the Technology and Curriculum realms. The PLC fosters increased technology utilization in member districts and disseminates effective practices among district staff.

• Expanded school access to online course offerings to better meet student needs, securing grants for course development and delivery and building partnership with online course vendors.

Building state and regional capacity building or supports

• CES Technology staff work closely with our DYS and SEIS statewide projects to enhance the use of technology for instruction and program management. We expanded implementation of a statewide student information management system (ASPEN) to support sharing of data across projects and to enable effective sharing of data with DESE and DYS partners.

• Technology staff assisted SEIS and DYS in offering webinars as part of the professional development offerings, allowing participants to train in one place, lowering project costs.

• Technology’s management of hardware and software purchasing, distribution, and supports allows for standardized systems and lower costs to schools:

• Global Compliance Network—Online compliance training • SchoolNet—Gradebook and Data visualization tools • Virtual High School—Supplemental distance learning courses • GovConnection—Technology supplies (hardware/software) at prices below state contract for

member districts • One Call Now—Phone Message service and emergency communication services • VoiceRoute (Socialwok) - social networking for business environment

31


IV. BUILD REGIONAL AND SYSTEMS CAPACITY TO IMPLEMENT EFFECTIVE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

Cooperative Purchasing Cooperative purchasing for FY11 had 21 districts, including 11 member districts, participating. Participating member districts are: Belchertown, Franklin County Tech, Frontier, Gill-Montague, Hadley, Hatfield, Hawlemont, Mohawk Trail RSD, Pioneer Valley, Rowe Elementary, and South Hadley.

Communications

Overview/Goals

CES’s Communication Department communicates the goals, depth and breadth of the agency, and works with the Development Department to build partnerships and relationships among school districts and community organizations. The goals of these efforts are to:

• enhance employee, member district, partner, and public understanding regarding the resources the Collaborative offers to support students, families, school districts, and regional and state efforts;

• ensure easy access to information for Collaborative programs and member districts; and • provide timely information on Collaborative, regional, state, and national initiatives affecting local

education.

Services Provided

The Communication Department staff coordinated media and public relations, agency communications, and publications. They manage development and distribution of press releases, web content development, design and use of social media, and content and design for print materials. he department has developed a monthly e-newsletter to keep Collaborative staff informed of program changes, outcomes, and new policies.

In FY 11 the department had primary responsibility for directing the rollout of the organizational name change from “Hampshire Educational Collaborative” to the “Collaborative for Educational Services” (CES or “the Collaborative”) and the related re-branding. Working from an extensive process in 2009-10 to involve all stakeholders in re-shaping the name, look, and key messaging of CES, the Communications Department developed and promulgated vision, mission and core value statements and identified the key qualities that need to inform our work. Consistent use of the new themes, editorial tone, and the new logo have been promoted in all Collaborative outreach and business materials, beginning with announcements to stakeholders.

A second major area of work in 2010-11 involved publications and design. Integration of the new identity continued as existing materials were updated and new designs and content were developed under the CES brand. These included course catalogs produced in advance of every semester for Licensure, CELE, and Emerging America as well as numerous brochures, booklets, flyers, self-mailers, postcards, organizational charts, specialized presentations, display ads, e-newsletters, and other items. Projects of special note include:

32


• After a study of organizational needs, a matrix of cost-effective quantities was developed and new CES business materials (from business cards to banners) were designed and ordered. A CES ‘toolkit’ of productivity templates, instructions, logo art, and other materials—along with staff training, aided employees in making the transition. Exterior and interior signage designed to utilize existing assets wherever possible was installed at three Northampton locations.

• A 300-page U.S. History II Instructional Guide: Teaching Social Studies in Massachusetts Department of Youth Services Schools was designed and published for use by educators in DYS and SEIS settings throughout the Commonwealth.

• Communications staff collaborated to produce 500 lawn signs, 5500 lapel stickers, informational flyers, web pages with related graphics, and news releases as part of a 4-county early childhood PR campaign for Western Massachusetts Leadership Network in Action (WLNA).

Population Served

The Communication Department serves Collaborative departments as well as its member school districts in developing effective communication strategies and content. It also supports regional and statewide initiatives such as SPIFFY and the DYS and SEIS educational programs, providing informative and technical resources to parents, community members, educators, and policy-makers.

Program Outcomes

• In 2010-11, the Communication Department completed the transition to the new name and logo for the Collaborative with announcements to staff, member districts, and partner organizations, as well as a new look for the website.

• Press releases created by the Communication Department led to several positive stories about the Collaborative in local media including two local newspapers and a television news program. These include:

• “No more neglect: Allies stump for 'invisible' early childhood educators” (Hampshire Gazette, June 29)

• “When youngsters and caregivers need help, call ParentCoach” (Hampshire Life, July 8)

• Two articles about CES becoming the EMO for Dean Tech (Springfield Republican, 7/19 and Hampshire Gazette, 7/20)

• Three articles and a TV news segment on CES-sponsored Open House at Dean Tech (7/29-30)

The Communication Department also heavily promoted William J. Dean Vocational Technical High School after the Collaborative was awarded the contract to manage the school. Our communications team conducted extensive outreach—placing advertisements in print and media outlets; posters throughout the city; and outreach to clergy, social service agencies and business representatives to let people know that Dean Technical School was open for business, accepting students who wished to attend. This culminated in an open house at the school on July 28th and increased enrollment.

WEB CONTENT DEVELOPMENT:

As the Collaborative’s website is often the first contact with target audiences, the development of a strong online presence through the Collaborative’s website and satellite sites has been an important focus of the Communication Department’s work. Work to update and revitalize the website has involved joint efforts

33


between publications, Technology, and other departments across the organization. Website content outcomes for this fiscal year include:

• Developing a workflow process for posting new material to the Collaborative website and related satellite sites to better ensure that the quality and message of online material are consistent across the organization

• Convening a meeting of key figures from the organization to provide ideas, feedback, and guidance in the Collaborative website redesign process.

• Creating a committee of Communications and Technology Department members that is developing design specifications and a work plan for the new site that will better reflect the scope and depth of the Collaborative’s work and provide a more robust and vibrant online presence for the organization

• Working with various Departments and programs (such as CELE, Licensure, Early Childhood, Dean Tech) to restructure existing webpages and create and maintain content that is current and better geared toward reaching and promoting the Collaborative’s services to target audiences

Development PRE-APPROVED VENDOR:

Conditions for School Effectiveness

In 2010-11, CES became a DESE-approved vendor for the provision of education improvement services supporting the Conditions for School Effectiveness, defined by DESE as being "necessary for schools to educate their students well." These conditions are aligned with Massachusetts' Race to the Top efforts. Districts or schools may contract with CES for professional development, coaching, and technical assistance in eight elements:

• Principal certification and training • Teacher recruitment, hiring, and support • Data systems for ensuring student success, school success, and for making instructional and

management decisions • Teacher preparation • Teacher coaching • Teacher licensure • Professional development services • Collaboration models/facilitation

Education Data Warehouse

2010-11 marked CES’s second year as a source for Education Data Warehouse training. The Collaborative is one of only five DESE-approved providers, and the only approved provider west of Worcester, for the EDW training curriculum, which includes the following courses:

• Introduction to the Data Warehouse • Understanding MCAS Reporting • Informing Instruction with Data • Multi-Dimensional Analysis • Report Builder I • Report Builder II

34


Consulting/Professional Development

The Collaborative was in its second year as a DESE pre-qualified vendor for a range of consulting and professional development services, including:

• Project management for school/district performance reviews or assistance services • Targeted assistance for school or district improvement • Assessment and evaluation services, including the development of survey, assessment, and review

protocols/instruments • Educational leadership evaluation, development, coaching, and interim leadership services • Curriculum, performance, and achievement frameworks/standards, protocols and or processes

development, review and updating • Dissemination of standards, research finding, best practices, etc., including planning,

implementation, and management of dissemination activities.

Early Childhood Training and Consulting In 2010-11, CES became an EEC-approved vendor for training and consulting services for a variety of early education and care providers statewide. Child care centers, family day care centers, and public preschool and kindergarten providers can contract with the Collaborative in a range of areas, such as:

• Partnering with parents • Promoting school readiness • Accreditation validation • Cultural awareness in child rearing practices • Attention deficit disorder/attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity • Autism spectrum disorders • Child abuse and neglect • Gender bias awareness

GRANTS

CES received a number of grants to help support the work of the Early Childhood Department. Major grants included:

• Coordinated Family and Community Engagement (CFCE) Strategic Planning grant for the Blended Council serving Warren, W. Brookfield, Ware, Palmer, Monson, Belchertown, Hatfield and South Hadley.

• $100,000 grant from Nellie Mae Education Foundation for the Early Childhood Policy Coalition (ECPC), a leadership and advocacy development initiative.

• Received $8,000 grant from Community Foundation of Western MA for Success by Six; additional funds being sought for the program.

• Awarded $15,000 by the Schott Foundation for two early education and care leadership courses (LEAP)

• Received approval from Early Education and Care (EEC) to be a professional development vendor for Early Childhood courses, professional development, and consultation.

In addition, several major grants were submitted, but not awarded:

• Submitted major grant with Brown University to US Institute of Educational Sciences for development, delivery and evaluation of professional development activities for early care providers and teachers in working with ELL students (Invited to re-apply)

35


• Submitted proposal, with Fitchburg State University, for a National Professional Development Program grant to prepare pre-service and in-service teachers to teach English Language learners.

CES received a number of grants to help support the professional development, curriculum, and licensure work. Major grants included:

• Implementing Collaborative Teaching: DESE grant supports provision of online courses serving individual teachers across the Commonwealth

• Early Literacy Intervention: DESE grant supports Reading Recovery Teacher Training, serving teachers and students in 17 districts

• Literacy Partnerships: Awarded $171,000 for K-12 Literacy Development Partnerships; in Hampshire County, this includes initiatives in Reading Recovery, Lindamood-Bell, and writing. Involves @ 30 teachers and 830 students:

• Amherst (Crocker Farm, Fort River, Pelham, Wildwood) • Easthampton (Center-Pepin, Maple-Parsons, Whitebook) • South Hadley (Plains, Mosier) • Southampton (Norris) • Ware (Koziol Elem., Ware Middle, Ware High) • Westhampton (Westhampton Elem.)

This also supports literacy planning teams in other schools. • Teaching American History:

Received approval for Years 4 and 5 of the Collaborative’s “Emerging America-Teaching American History” grant from the US Department of Education.

• Library of Congress, Teaching with Primary Sources Program: In 2010-11, the Library of Congress selected the Collaborative to join its national Teaching with Primary Sources Consortium, providing professional development throughout Massachusetts. (To date, the Collaborative is the only Consortium member in New England.)

Other

• Awarded $7,500 from Easthampton CDBG for support of Reunion Center • Awarded $32,000 in Competitive Academic Support grant for Reunion Center • Awarded $9,000 in Competitive Academic Support (MCAS Preparation support) for DYS • Moving forward with establishing the Patty Walsh Cassidy Memorial Lending Library to make

assistive technology devices, software, and materials available for low- or no-cost. • Awarded proposals to DESE to conduct Summer Institutes in “Accessible Learning through

Technology.” • Received $25,000 from DESE’s After School and Out of School Time grant for summer Hasbro /

science programs at White Brook MS (Easthampton), Converse MS (Palmer),Philip G. Coburn Elementary (West Springfield) and Great Falls Regional MS (Montague).

36


Systems Design (LOFT) A cross-agency team, Launching Our Future Together (LOFT), completed most of their work this year on a new system design of CES. This work was based on “systems thinking,” and was guided by the following goals for the overall design process:

• To become more proactive and swiftly responsive to changes and trends • To continue to be a very successful agency--growing, responsive, and innovative • To discover ways to work smarter, not harder (or longer) • To design our preferred future (where we want to be) • Greater collaboration, teamwork and shared purpose

Working from these goals, LOFT generated a list of wicked problems (or obstacles) and created a diagram of the interactions among them (appropriately called “the map of the mess”). The team articulated 13 design specifications that outline CES’s vision for the agency’s preferred future. These framed the design by addressing process, structure, and function.

LOFT identified 6 Target Elements as the areas of emphasis for the design process. These were areas CES was not already actively working to improve when LOFT was working on the design. For each Target Element, LOFT crafted:

• the preferred state, including tools, processes and capacity we would have once we achieved the target

• the alignment of the Target Element with the design specifications • the benefit to the agency • key milestones in working towards the preferred state • SMART goals for each milestone–Strategic and Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic,

and Time-bound

The Target Elements, which CES will explicitly address in 2011-12 are:

1. Focus on innovation, research & development, and marketing

2. Expand and diversify funding core operations, innovation, research and development, marketing, and other activities

3. Standardize procedures and processes across the agency

4. Focus on staff development

5. Gather and use evaluation data

6. Clarity about the markets we serve, needs we address, and who we serve

ces annual board report

Documents

new partnership

fy11 fy11

educational services

fiscal year

partnership of note

fax fy11 end of year

technologydata services

new logo