Summers are always exciting times here at the Research and Curriculum Unit (RCU). When students head out for the break, it's our time to provide teachers and administrators with the best practices, new curricula and updated methodology that will spark success for all who enter the classroom.

Our biggest event, the annual MS ACTE Summer Conference, is almost here, and virtual seats are still available. Registration is extended through Thursday, so sign up soon! Our operations and curricula teams are hard at work finalizing informative breakout sessions for a myriad of career and technical education (CTE) pathways. Please see the story below for more information about the state's biggest and most impactful CTE event and how to register for the conference.

Looking across the various departments here at the RCU, it's easy to see the impact we're making on education just by noting how busy we've been and how many projects we have coming down the pipe.

Our professional development staff was already connecting with educators before the start of the new academic and fiscal years. More than 200 educators registered for our virtual Innovative Institute in June, which presented best practices for administrators, teachers, counselors and instructional coaches interested in innovative and nontraditional school methods. We're already planning a face-to-face conference for next summer at Meridian's Riley Center, so stay tuned for more information. Our team also held Highly Engaged Classroom: Strategies for Student Engagement in June for new early college high school teachers and other interested educators.

We also graduated a new cohort of CTE teachers as part of our New Teacher Induction program's ninth cohort. This month, we're continuing a variety of Methods training programs across the state for the 10th class, while a new cohort of CTE Administrator Endorsement Academy will have boot camp meetings this week at the CAVS Extension in Canton. Additional meetings for these new CTE directors are scheduled in September, November and February. Also, onboarding for the year-long Coach University is this week. Approximately 15 new or anticipated instructional coaches and lead teachers are part of this year's cohort.

Over in assessment, our project managers administered facilitated spring testing for 20,000 test administrators of secondary and postsecondary students using statewide assessments and national certifications. Our team also finalized spring assessment reports in May and June and updated training materials and Mississippi Career Planning and Assessment System (MS-CPAS) documentation ahead of the MS ACTE Summer Conference and current academic year. Additionally, RCU staff developing 12 online courses as part of a coronavirus relief package collected content this past quarter for Canvas implementation and progressed toward finalizing the classes for a fall delivery to stakeholders across the state.

You can stay up to date with our assessment team by subscribing to the MS-CPAS Minute.

Our curriculum team is finalizing documents set to go before the State Board of Education (SBE) in November and is preparing a new round of documents slated for approval in February. Do note that the revision cycle is changing this year. Please visit our curriculum download page for updated resources and changes to the proposed cycle. Also, be sure to check out our updated staff listing for an updated list of pathway managers.

Our communications group recently wrapped up the spring semester edition of Connections, the Mississippi Department of Education's CTE-focused magazine, and will soon publish a new issue of School Focus, which highlights best practices and other great educational happenings across the state. Visit this link to download the latest edition of Connections and read about the great things happening in Mississippi's CTE classrooms. You can request printed copies of both magazines by filling out this form.

Finally, I would also like to welcome a new crop of RCU project managers to the fold. Avery Adkins, a five-year veteran teacher, joined our department of Research Development and Strategic Initiatives as an online learning project manager; Mandy Scarpulla, a seven-year educator and former principal who also has five years of experience as a forensic chemist in New York City, joined our assessment team as a project manager and will assist with improving instructional and assessment strategies for every CTE pathway at the secondary and postsecondary levels; Annabelle Alsobrooks moved to a part-time project manager's position for online coursework in professional learning; and Rob Fyke, a former secondary science teacher and coach for the last two decades, joined the curriculum team and will oversee STEM pathways (i.e., engineering and polymer science).

 

The 2021 MS ACTE Summer Conference is scheduled for July 26 and 27, and this year's theme is "Back to the future and dreaming beyond."

 

Our July 26 keynote speaker is Dr. Adolph Brown III, a businessperson, investor, author, urban and rural school educator, research scientist and keynote speaker known for his talks on unconscious bias, equity, diversity and inclusion. His presentation,

"CTE Is a Key, Learning Today, Earning Tomorrow," is sure to inspire and inform. On July 27, U.S. Army Lt. Col. Christopher J. Garvin will speak on behalf of March2Success, an online study program that helps students prepare for standardized tests, improve schoolwork and review materials. The program also provides tools for educators and parents to track and encourage their students. 

Five specific breakout sessions will be held for the following tracks: administrators; agriculture and forest resources; architecture and drafting; automotive services and collision; business, lodging and hospitality; career academy and Keystone; computer science; construction and manufacturing; counselors and student services coordinators; culinary arts; digital media technology, simulation and animation design and TV broadcasting; early childhood; engineering and polymer science; family and consumer science; health sciences and sports medicine; information technology; law and public safety and fire science; teacher academy; and work-based learning.

 

Additionally, three concurrent sessions on assessment, technology tools and navigating board certifications will be held both afternoons.

 

To register for the event, visit our GoSignMeUp page.    

Educators from across the state gathered last month at the RCU for training on Advance Placement Computer Science Principles (AP CSP). The five-day sessions helped teachers understand the curriculum, develop empathy for and understanding of the student experience and become familiar with the AP CSP exam. Participants will continue their training in four additional one-day sessions throughout the academic year.