The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education
Redesigned School and District Report Cards
At the January 14, 2019 special meeting of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (Board), staff of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (Department) will present a preview of the redesigned school and district report cards that the Department will publish later this month.
Background
Since 2007, the Department has published school and district report cards via our School and District Profiles website. The federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires all states and districts receiving Title I, Part A funds to report on school and district performance and progress in an understandable and uniform format. The law outlines specific information that must be included in the report cards and encourages each state to develop its own approach and format, consistent with the applicable federal requirements.
Since fall 2017, Department staff have been working on redesigned school and district report cards that meet federal requirements and reflect the priorities of families and community members in Massachusetts. In this work the Department has engaged with Learning Heroes, a national organization dedicated to helping parents support their children's success in school through useful and meaningful information. Learning Heroes provided the Department with valuable assistance in redesigning the report card with parents as the core stakeholder. The Department also received input from the Board's Accountability and Assistance Advisory Council (AAAC).
Bibb Hubbard, Founder and President, and Erica Gray of Learning Heroes will be at the special meeting on January 14 to share their research on parents' outlooks on education in Massachusetts. Senior Associate Commissioner Russell Johnston, Associate Commissioner Rob Curtin, and Erica Gonzales will also be available to discuss the report card redesign project, preview the new report card, and answer your questions.
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