CEE provides high quality technical assistance and professional learning opportunities to state departments of education, districts, and schools to improve educational policies/procedures, instructional practices, student engagement, and family/community engagement to close achievement and opportunity gaps. Our evidence-based approach is informed by over 25 years of collaboration with clients to respond to their unique needs and build capacity to improve outcomes for all students. Below is a sample of some of our services.
Comprehensive Needs Assessment
Beginning with a disaggregated data analysis of student achievement, student discipline, and school climate, CEE is able to effectively determine client strengths and areas of need. This collaborative inquiry approach enables CEE to examine multiple sources of data. Using a culturally responsive and equity framework, further creates opportunities to develop operational action plans to tackle complex challenges that pose barriers to gains in student achievement.
Policy & Procedural Reviews
In educational systems, policies and procedures often inform practice. However, some policies or procedures may have unintended consequences when implemented that serve to further silo organizational efforts to close opportunity gaps. To address this challenge, MAEC provides state departments, districts, schools, and organizations with policy and procedural reviews to ensure they are equitable, effective, and comply with federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
Strategic Planning and Program Design
MAEC assists schools, districts, and states in bringing key stakeholders together to identify needs, set priorities, and make realistic plans for STEM reform efforts. MAEC staff has expertise in STEM education research, organizational change, program management, and evaluation. MAEC’s experienced development team often partners with districts and universities on new projects and proposals to secure STEM-education grants from NSF, the U.S. Department of Education, and other funding sources.
Positive School Cultures and Climates
MAEC engages districts and schools in a review of school climate and disciplinary data in order to assess their strengths and areas of need. Students thrive when they are in schools that create: (1) Optimal conditions for learning; (2) Inclusive; (3) Honor the cultures of families and students; (4) Have common instructional and organizational targets; and (5) Create a strong culture of belonging. Transformative schools also adapt multi-tiered systems of support and interventions to proactively meet the non-academic needs of students and build their self-efficacy, academic confidence, resiliency, and leadership skills to increase ownership for their learning.
Culturally Responsive Pedagogy and Practice
Culturally responsive pedagogy is a theory and practice of teaching in which educators and providers build on the assets that their students and families bring into the classroom. As the populations of our students grow more diverse, staff must be better prepared to respond to their needs. This requires a greater understanding and knowledge of their students’ culture, strengths, and socio-political contexts. With this practice, schools can become hubs of learning focused on the well being of the students and families being served.
High Impact Culturally Responsive FSCE
High-impact, authentic engagement of families with diverse backgrounds requires targeted skills, perspectives, and other considerations in order to be effective. MAEC works collaboratively with districts and/or schools to develop comprehensive plans, tools, and monitoring instruments that are designed to measure effectiveness and alignment between FSCE programs and federal/state/district policies in order to increase achievement.
Community Resource Mapping
Since best solutions and ideas often arise within the communities in which our schools are located, our key stakeholders include: districts, schools, communities, and families. Together they are seeking to increase student achievement while building a cadre of future leaders. Using a strengths-based approach for asset mapping, MAEC conducts community walks and community resource mapping to identify potential strategic partners for effective and efficient delivery of services. This process includes attention to alignment between district and school priorities so, together, partners can build the social and human capital that will help students and staff thrive.
For more information on our services, or if you have any other questions, please contact us.