Information

May 29, 2018

Closing the Skills Gap with Credentials

New Regional Labor Market Blueprints created for the Regional Workforce Skills Planning Initiative by teams of educators, workforce and labor market development professionals in seven regions across Massachusetts identify workforce trends and challenges as well as growth strategies for key […]
May 21, 2018

New Accountability Regulations Don’t Define School Rankings

The proposed regulations governing K-12 public school and district accountability and assistance in Massachusetts have been under review for several months by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) and include some significant shifts.  The most salient is abandoning […]
May 26, 2017

MBAE & Affiliates Take Action to Protect Reforms that Made MA #1

The MBAE Affiliate Network let Senators know this week why employers oppose Senate budget amendments that would dismantle education reforms that have made Massachusetts number one in the nation in student achievement. The Network urged the Senate to reject budget […]
January 31, 2017

Changes Would Weaken Teacher Evaluation

A proposed change to the state’s teacher evaluation regulations would substantially weaken them and make it harder to achieve the critical goal of ensuring every student in the Commonwealth is taught by a highly effective teacher every year. In written […]
August 20, 2015

Independence: A Recommendation for School Reform

As we celebrate Independence Day, many school districts are bringing on new leaders who have plans and ambitions for improving the education opportunities for students in their communities.  The Superintendent’s job is a tough one – demanding the skill of a diplomat, […]
November 7, 2014

Business Stake in Education for US Competitiveness

At Harvard Business School the faculty leads the U.S. Competitiveness Project which is “…a research-led effort to understand and improve the competitiveness of the United States – that is, the ability of firms operating in the U.S. to compete successfully […]
July 14, 2014

New Standards Require a New Assessment

The early deadline for districts’ to choose giving the PARCC test or the now 17-year-old MCAS exam next school year has passed. As of June 30th, 297 districts have made a binding decision of which assessment to administer next spring […]
May 19, 2014

Prepared for College? Massachusetts 12th Grade NAEP Results

There is a new measure from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) tying 12th grade results to college preparedness.  In 2009, for the first time, NAEP reported state results for 12th Graders from 11 volunteer pilot states including Massachusetts, […]
March 24, 2014

The New Opportunity to Lead

In the Constitution adopted in 1780 and in force today, the people of Massachusetts recognized that the “opportunities and advantages of education” were “necessary for the preservation of their rights had liberties,” and directed the representatives of the people to […]
November 7, 2013

MBAE to Wage Campaign to Raise Student Achievement

Massachusetts has made dramatic gains in student achievement over the past twenty years through the systematic implementation of cutting edge reforms.  Today, our students lead the nation on national and international assessments. Although the state’s performance is impressive and envied […]
August 29, 2013

Debate Over Science Standards Continues

According to the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, Massachusetts’ current state science standards are “clearly superior” to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) which were issued earlier this year.  The Fordham report spurred a counter-statement by the National Science Teachers Association […]
August 27, 2013

Start Early with STEM

Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education is a critical component to developing a globally competitive workforce.  Business leaders across industries agree:  Investing to ensure a pipeline of workers skilled in STEM competencies is a workforce issue, an economic development […]
August 26, 2013

New York Connects Teacher Prep to Classroom Performance

This month New York City became the first district in the nation to release reports on how teacher preparation programs relate to performance in the classroom. The Teacher Preparation Program Reports, released by the NYC Department of Education, evaluated the […]
August 12, 2013

AP Opportunities Reveal Participation Gaps

Participation in Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs has increased significantly over the past decade, but participation data indicates that not all qualified students are benefiting from AP programs.  Students can earn college credit if they score strongly […]
July 30, 2013

“Navigating the Swamp” of Educational Technology: A New Guide

Educational technology is a growing force across the country: investment nationally is at an all-time high, with $427 million in funding going to 74 early-stage K-12-focused companies in 2012 alone (according to the NewSchools Venture Fund). Massachusetts is exploring these […]
April 23, 2013

AIM Honors MBAE

Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) announced on April 12 that it will honor the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education (MBAE) with its Legacy of Leadership Award at the association’s 98th annual meeting on May 10th, in recognition of MBAE’s 25 […]
March 25, 2013

Technology Can Supercharge School Improvement

It has become a truism to say that schools are the only sector that citizens of 2013 could visit that would look like they did 150 years ago, when fewer students graduated from high school or college.  Yet today society […]
November 20, 2012

Report Measures Progress on State’s Education Data Systems

Data is an essential tool for teachers and school leaders as they work to bring about positive student learning outcomes.  Last year MBAE Board Member Beth Gamse blogged about a report from the national Data Quality Campaign (DQC) on states’ progress […]
November 7, 2012

Visit to a Swedish Charter School

This guest blog shares “random commentary on what we learned” by Maureen LaCroix, Retired Superintendent of Schools, The MA Delegation to Finland and Sweden Visits Gymnasium School: Viktor Rydberg High School Private School Run by a Foundation Background This is […]