The number of students experiencing homelessness in Massachusetts has grown substantially over the last few years. More than 31,000 Massachusetts students experienced homelessness during the 2023-2024 school year, a 20 percent increase from the previous year. We know homelessness puts an immense strain on child development and that experiencing…

Embedded within school discipline policies, dress codes, or codes of conduct are gender and racial biases that manifest in exclusionary punishments that have more to do with who girls are rather than what they do. Girls of color face some of the greatest barriers to educational opportunities and social emotional growth inside schools with poor…

Teacher shortages continue to be a challenge for state policymakers, and while national media coverage paints a picture of widespread shortages, a closer examination reveals that shortages tend to be concentrated in specific subjects and schools. The primary policy response to shortages is often to recruit more teachers, but research demonstrates…

This report is drafted with state leaders and policy makers in mind, including those who work with or support these education leaders. The information shared in this report will likely be most relevant to states that have either not yet considered a new data system on teacher preparation providers, are only now starting to consider the idea, or…

This Policy Guide draws on work with five states to provide context and guidance for policymakers looking to strengthen the pre-K to K-3 continuum and create opportunities to close the achievement gap. It includes a tear-out page of guiding questions at the end.

In many high-wage industries, a high school degree no longer prepares students to enter the workforce. By 2020, labor market analysts predict that 65 percent of all jobs will require postsecondary education or training. Though high schools across the Commonwealth seek to prepare students for both higher education and the workforce, too many…

States in the midst of implementing evaluation reforms face a common dilemma: how to ensure that all your districts are implementing quality educator evaluation systems while still providing them with the flexibility to design systems best suited to their own unique needs. One answer is to create an equivalency process (also known as an approval…

With the establishment of the Bureau of Institutional Schools (BIS) within the Division of Special Education, educational specialists have been appointed to represent the bureau in each of the division's six regional offices. The primary role of the BIS representative is one of assistance in the development of educational programs for children…

Materials contained in this Massachusetts curriculum guide are based on concepts and procedures developed by the Highway Users Federation for Safety and Mobility. The guide examines the philosophy of driver education, discusses such legal aspects as certification of students and teachers, presents a comprehensive classroom and behind-the-wheel…

Many states have created professional development systems to support the ongoing and increased education and training needs of early care and education professionals. This guide describes lessons learned in Massachusetts about conducting a study of the capacity of institutions of higher education (IHEs) to prepare the early education and care…

The Charter School Office has created the Opening Procedures Handbook as a tool to assist charter school founding groups prepare for the exciting, yet challenging, task of opening a Massachusetts public charter school. The Handbook summarizes the opening procedures process, identifies the action items that must be completed prior to the school's…

The guide is designed to help states and localities create or strengthen their own youth councils. It is a synthesis of theory and practice that provides a general framework for thinking about youth councils, explaining the principles for youth action and the importance of youth engagement. It also incorporates advice and lessons from people in…

This program guide on establishing community education/work (E/W) linkages presents a variety of program options which have been tested at twelve Massachusetts E/W linkage sites. Community E/W linkages are defined as arrangements among members of the community to facilitate the transition of young people between institutional education and…

Part of the Project CAREER guidance component, this manual provides detailed, step-by-step instructions for preparing career preparation analysis charts called "careerograms," which are visual devices that synthesize information contained in the "Dictionary of Occupational Titles" (DOT) and the "Occupational Outlook…

Part of the Project CAREER guidance component, this manual was developed to provide a resource to educators interested in establishing a center to house informative job and career materials for students. Information presented includes functions of the career resource center, minimum physical and personnel requirements, basic information materials,…