Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is the state education agency responsible for overseeing public schools and charter schools from pre-kindergarten through high school in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It operates under the direction of the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and is part of the broader Massachusetts Executive Office of Education. The department is charged with implementing state and federal education laws, distributing funding, and ensuring accountability for the academic achievement of over 900,000 students.

History

The department traces its origins to 1837 with the creation of the Massachusetts Board of Education, a pioneering state agency championed by reformer Horace Mann, who served as its first secretary. This model influenced the development of public education systems across the United States. The modern department was formally established in 1993 through the Massachusetts Education Reform Act, which centralized authority and created the frameworks for state standards and the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS). Key historical milestones include the 1995 adoption of the Common Core of Learning, the 2003 ruling in the landmark school funding case Hancock v. Driscoll, and the 2019 passage of the Student Opportunity Act.

Organization and leadership

The department is led by a commissioner, appointed by the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, which is an independent nine-member board whose members are appointed by the Governor of Massachusetts. The current commissioner is Dr. Jeffrey C. Riley. The department's central office in Malden is organized into several divisions, including those for District and School Accountability, Instructional Support, and Student and Family Support. It works in coordination with other state agencies like the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care and the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education.

Responsibilities and functions

The department's core responsibilities include setting academic standards for all core subjects, licensing all public school educators and administrators, and administering the distribution of state Chapter 70 aid and federal funds such as those from the Every Student Succeeds Act. It provides guidance and monitoring to local school districts, approves the creation of new charter schools, and oversees the education of specific student populations, including those in career/vocational technical education programs and students with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Assessments and accountability

The primary tool for statewide student assessment is the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS), first administered in 1998. Performance on the MCAS is a graduation requirement for all students and is a central component of the state's accountability system, which classifies schools and districts based on metrics like achievement, growth, and graduation rates. The system also incorporates federal requirements under the Every Student Succeeds Act and assessments for English language learners like the ACCESS for ELLs. The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education sets the annual accountability targets.

Initiatives and programs

Notable department initiatives include the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks, which detail learning standards in subjects like mathematics and English language arts. It administers targeted programs such as the Targeted Assistance and School Redesign Grant programs to support underperforming schools. Recent major efforts focus on expanding access to early college programs in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, implementing the Social and Emotional Learning standards, and executing the Student Opportunity Act to address inequities in district funding and support for low-income students.