DRAFT
Board of Early Education and Care Motion 2009-
Approval of FY2009 Strategic/ Master Plan
Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 15D, § 4, the Commissioner of Early Education and Care, following consultation with the board, shall prepare and submit to the Secretary of Education (“Secretary”), for the Secretary's review and approval, a 5-year master plan for achieving a well-coordinated system that promotes positive social and emotional development, high educational achievement, and quality care in the Commonwealth. The master plan shall reflect the goals and standards established by the board and the Secretary.
On July 1, 2008, Chapter 15D of the Massachusetts General Laws was amended. This amendment requires that the contents of the 5-year master plan include, but not be limited to: enrollment projections, identification of measures for age-appropriate child development and school readiness, expulsion rate projections, utilization of existing facilities, promotion of research, programmatic excellence, recommendations for construction or acquisition of new facilities, program distribution, the addition of new programs, the elimination of existing programs, and the need for program revisions.
In February of 2008 the Board of Early Education and Care (Board) formed a Strategic Planning committee, to develop the 5-year master plan. With facilitated input from key internal and external stakeholders, the committee developed a strategic framework that lays out a practical five-year vision for the agency and establishes key strategic directions that guide the agency to:
o Create and implement a system to improve and support quality statewide
o Increase and promote family support, access and affordability
o Create a workforce system that maintains worker diversity and provides resources, supports expectations and core competencies that lead to the outcomes we want for children
o Create and implement an external and internal communications strategy that advocates for and conveys the value of early education and care to all stakeholders and the general public
o Build the internal infrastructure to support achieving the vision
The strategic framework was disseminated to key stakeholders for additional input and feedback on the plan’s vision, mission, strategic directions and success indicators. This input and feedback were incorporated into the proposed Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care Strategic Plan. The Department continues its efforts to address the amended legislative requirements of the 5-year master plan and will update the master plan accordingly with next year’s submission.
MOVED: that the Board of Early Education and Care hereby approves the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care Strategic Plan, and authorizes the Commissioner of Early Education and Care to submit the strategic plan to the Secretary of Education for review and approval.
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