PreK-16

Photo courtesy Berkshire Community College.

The Board of Higher Education considers education as a continuum from preschool through college graduation (PreK-16). The Board works closely with the Department of Education and Department of Early Education and Care to coordinate policies, and focus on statewide and nationwide strategic initatives.

College and Career Readiness and Success

Massachusetts Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career (PARCC)

Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career (PARCC) and Core to College are national K-16 initiatives that aim to ensure "college-bound" means "college-ready." The overarching strategy is collaboration at the national, state, regional and local levels and among K-12 and higher education educators and administrators.

GEAR UP

GEAR UP is a national initiative to encourage more young people to have high expectations, stay in school, study hard and take the right courses to go to college. GEAR UP Massachusetts is run through the DHE's Office of Student Financial Assistance.

Achieving the Dream

The Board of Higher Education is the lead state policy organization for the national Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count initiative to improve student success for underserved students.

Achieve

The Board also participates as a partner in the Achieve/American Diploma Project- an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit education reform organization dedicated to working with states to raise academic standards and graduation requirements, improve assessments, and strengthen accountability. 

Improving Teacher Quality

The Department of Higher Education administers the Improving Teacher Quality State Grant Program, funded by the Title II: Part A of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The goal of this funding is to improve student academic achievement through initiatives grounded in scientific research that provide high-quality training for teachers.

The Department of Higher Education administers these funds by awarding competitive sub-grants to eligible partnerships of higher education institutions and high-need public schools. These partnerships use grant funds to conduct professional development activities in core academic subjects for teachers, paraprofessionals, and (if appropriate) principals.