New Meridian

Kudos to the Montana Office of Public Instruction for taking action! They have approached Federal officials with a Field Test Flexibility Waiver, which could eliminate the need for double testing next year as they pioneer a new assessment system that can benefit the people who need it most: teachers and students. This would save valuable instructional time and resources to make summative assessment more useful at the classroom level. This waiver is a step to revolutionize summative assessment in the classroom, and it’s thrilling to see Montana pioneering this work.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3IFKYvr

Montana looks to expand alternative school testing model following pilot program The state of Montana is trying out a new model for student testing – based on more assessments throughout the year instead of a single large test at the end of the year.

We recently chatted with Eileen Shihadeh, Chief Operating Officer about her vision for the future of DEIB work at New Meridian. We asked, "When you talk about monitoring progress for a DEIB task force, how would you do that?"

"There is both quantitative and qualitative feedback that can inform our progress. On the quantitative side, we look at demographic data, not just as a whole company, but also within departments. We also measure attrition, advancement, pay, recruitment and the candidates being considered for open positions. We also regularly survey employees to solicit feedback to understand how we’re doing. You can measure progress through a combination of metrics and hard numbers as well as commentary from the people we’re aiming to serve."

See more from our conversation with Eileen: https://bit.ly/40FygTI

The Value in Prioritizing Belonging in the Workplace Eileen Shihadeh recently joined New Meridian as chief operating officer in March of 2023. Her appointment comes at a time of growth for the company, and with that, opportunity. Shihadeh works across several departments to spearhead the company’s growth strategy and improve operational efficiency. ...