Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
Thank you to everyone who attended the July 20 public meeting! More than 250 Minnesota school administrators, teachers, parents, legislators and community members attended the meeting at MDE and another 300+ joined us online. If you weren't able to attend, don't worry, this was the first of many stakeholder outreach opportunities related to the new Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
Visit the department's ESSA webpage for more information.
Minnesota’s PreK-3 Implementation Series
The Minnesota Department of Education is excited to offer the PreK-3 Implementation Professional Learning Series beginning this August. This three-part series is designed to guide Minnesota schools, communities and districts in implementing pre-K through third grade systems that ensure all children are ready for school and schools are ready for children, achievement gaps are closed and all third graders are reading at grade level.
View the series overview flier.
Visit the Early Learning webpage.
Capitol Mall Set for Summer with Help from St. Paul Students
The Department of Administration's groundskeepers once again got the assistance of local school children to plant the summer flowers on the State Capitol Mall and surrounding grounds. In what has become a tradition dating back more than 20 years, students from St. Paul Public Schools join our groundskeepers for a day of service each year. Hundreds of students joined us to plant the summer flowers while learning about plants, bees, and the State Capitol. Read Admin's Blog for more.
New Mobile-friendly App!
GetMyFuture.org is a new, mobile-friendly web application that helps youth plan their careers, explore education and training options and search and apply for jobs. The app was developed with input from young adults and includes career interest assessments, interactive informational videos, job search engines, and tips and best practices. Read more about this tool, available from the U.S. Department of Labor, on the Minnesota Works blog.
Three Ways Parents Can Help Teens Gear Up for AP, IB Classes This Summer
Parents can make sure teens have the resources they need to complete summer work for Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) classes. Forget basking in the sun – some high schoolers are spending time this summer preparing for the Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate classes they'll take this fall. Parents, however, may be less ready to dive in. Their role in helping their teen get ready for these college-level courses might not be as obvious.
View U.S. News & World Report resource.
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Boosting Early Language Learning
Not everyone is naturally inclined to hold a conversation with a toddler or make a bedtime story interactive with questions. But these are the sorts of things that can drastically increase a child’s vocabulary, putting them at an academic advantage once they enter kindergarten. Read full story in MinnPost.
Legislature Didn't Ignore Education
Lost amid the rancorous legislative session earlier this year, which ended with the 11th-hour collapse of a major bonding and transportation bill, was a small victory for advocates of universal preschool. Read full story in Star Tribune.
Tutors Wanted at Anoka-Hennepin School District
Anoka-Hennepin School District officials say about 25 percent of Minnesota’s third-graders don’t read at grade level. To change that statistic, the school district is looking for tutors to work with students in kindergarten through third grade as part of a partnership with the Minnesota Reading Corps. Learn more at 5 Eyewitness News.
Resources for Discussing Police Violence, Race, and Racism With Students
Most public schools are out on summer vacation, but that hasn't slowed the calls for educators to prepare to discuss the events of the last week with students when school resumes in the fall.
Read full Education Week feature.
Summer Learning Challenge Accepted!
A couple of weeks ago, Deputy Commissioner Steve Dibb challenged all of us at MDE to make this a summer of learning and to let our readers know what we’re doing. So here goes … I visited Richmond, British Columbia, Canada recently and in the best tradition of a vacation, had some fun and learned a lot without even trying. What was our state librarian doing and learning in Canada?
Read the July 12 blog!
Annual Back-to-School Superintendent's Conference
Make plans to join us for the 2016 Back to School Conference! Hosted by the Minnesota Department of Education and the Minnesota Association of School Administrators, the conference is August 9-10 at the Minneapolis Marriott Northwest. Speakers include day one keynoter Joanne Quinn and Ted Christ for day two. Valuable breakout sessions and a Q&A with Commissioner Cassellius are included. Register online.
Eleventh Annual PACER SYMPOSIUM
PACER Center will hold its national symposium about children and young adults with mental health and learning disabilities on Tuesday, August 9, 2016 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Scheduled speakers include musician and advocate Adam Levy, child and adolescent psychologist L. Read Sulik, M.D., and mental health expert BraVada Garrett-Akinsanya, Ph.D. Register at the PACER Center website. For more information, contact PACER Center at 952-838-9000 or PACER@PACER.org.
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