Study Action Teams

We believe Berkshire communities need good information to make wise decisions about K12 education. Study-action teams engage participants across six teams (professional development, dual enrollment/shared courses, out-of-school time programming, curriculum, back office, and talent recruitment/development). Participants include K12 educators, school leaders, out-of-school time educators, college professionals, business sector leaders, and community members. Study-action teams meet quarterly and are tasked with analyzing data, consulting research, national models, and best practices, and working collaboratively with community and education partners to develop high-promise strategies for Berkshire K12 education. The teams make actionable recommendations and provide information that communities can use.

As one example: The Staffing and Talent Development study-action team is composed of representatives from Berkshire Hills, Southern Berkshire, and North Adams school districts, along with representatives from MCLA and 1Berkshire. The team published a report in May 2022 that analyzed trends for the local education workforce, areas of greatest staffing need, and conditions affecting staffing shortages in K12 education. The team made concrete recommendations to address these challenges at the district, town, and regional levels. The study and recommendations can be found HERE. This kind of research and analysis is vital if we are to make progress on a range of challenges confronting Berkshire K12 schools.

Our Out-of-School-Time (OST) study action team is also gaining momentum. They have organized a network of district and community partners who deliver OST programming to discuss standards, evaluation, administration, and equity/access. The team prepared a proposal to support a part-time regional OST facilitator and presented it to the BERK12 board (March 2023, HERE). The aim is that this role will better organize, categorize, and support the OST network - communications, resources and access. The proposal has since been considered as part of a targeted funding request to the Berkshire United Way. BERK12 representatives have met twice with the BUW Executive Director and expect to file a formal proposal in alignment with their funding cycle. This sort of targeted solution is an example of how teams can move from Study…to Action.

Study action teams include: