Our Condition of Education in the Commonwealth series is an annual look at where our education system is and where it’s headed. This year, as students and educators continue to cope with living and learning amid a pandemic, we'll be releasing a week's worth of tools, resources, new data, and conversations in addition to a virtual event on January 26, all in the hopes of shining a light on what school communities need in this challenging time and in the years to come. Here is a preview of what you can expect during the last week of January:
January 24: Community Conversation
This year our Action Guide looks at how the education system can support teachers in navigating the current crisis, adapting to the changing times, and providing culturally responsive, innovative, and engaging learning experiences. So before we release our report, we want you to hear from organizations and school districts doing innovative work to support educators. We're kicking off our COE Week with the release of a recorded conversation featuring educators and community leaders highlighted in our report.
January 25: Data Dashboard
Each year, we release a Data Dashboard that tracks a range of indicators on educational access, key inputs, engagement in schools, and equitable outcomes for students in the Commonwealth. This year's Data Dashboard examines how the education system is functioning amid the pandemic, delving into state and local data on the impact of COVID-19 on schools, students, and communities. The dashboard highlights the massive racial and economic inequities that continue to plague our education system and points to areas where progress has been made. In addition to bringing together this wide-ranging set of indicators, the dashboard provides an analysis for each, explaining what the numbers mean and why they are important in understanding the current state of our education system.
January 26: State of the State of Education
This virtual conversation on the future of our education system featured a panel discussion with all three state education commissioners—Early Education and Care Commissioner Samantha Aigner-Treworgy, Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley, and Higher Education Commissioner Carlos Santiago and remarks from Massachusetts Secretary of Education James Peyser.
January 26: Action Guide
Over the past two years expectations of teachers have grown exponentially. As students face the instability and trauma of life in a pandemic, educators have become even more critical in supporting and facilitating students’ mental health and social-emotional development. Our system needs to find ways to support educators through current and future challenges. Our action guide provides recommendations for how we can support teachers in enacting innovative, culturally responsive, and trauma-sensitive practices.
January 27: Tools and Resources
Following up on our Action Guide focusing on supporting teachers, we shared a curated selection of research-based resources and tools that schools and communities can use to help support educators now and for years to come.