Fall is a time of transition: back to early mornings, back to school, back to assessments. For educators, this is a time of resolve: “We’re going to do something to make this year better.” But this year, teachers statewide are taking time to give themselves a pat on the back. Why?
MCAS scores rose dramatically across the state in 2014. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education reports that 90 percent of students in the class of 2016 scored proficient or higher in English Language Arts, 79 percent in Mathematics and 71 percent in Science, Technology and Engineering. In all grades, gaps between white and minority test scores have closed. Over 400 schools across the state have met their assessment goals for the 2014 round of testing, and the U.S. Department of Education is considering three Massachusetts public schools as National Blue Ribbon Schools. Marlborough alone saw a significant increase in test scores. Superintendent Richard Langlois was quoted in the Marlborough Enterprise saying that the growth in Marlborough’s scores, especially at the Whitcomb Middle School is “unparalleled.” Langlois noted the Student Growth Percentile, which measures the scores of students against other students with similar performances, increased “from 51 to 63 percent in English Language Arts and from 32 to 50 in Math” at Whitcomb. Whitcomb and most other Marlborough public schools are ranked as Level 2 schools on the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education scale. A Level 2 ranking indicates a schools with a 95 percent or higher participation in MCAS that has not met its gap-closing goals. The high school and Richer Elementary school did not meet that participation quota and remain Level 3 schools. However, Langlois also noted the district is challenging the high school’s rating because “administrators believe medical issues prevented some students from taking the test.” Teachers and faculty members of Marlborough High School attribute student success to a greater inclusion of writing across all subjects. English, math and science teachers incorporated more MCAS practice exams and essays into their curriculums during the 2013-2014 school year, and teachers in untested disciplines used writing as a means of assessments and expression. Students of music teacher Shannon McNulty responded on their class blog to articles about the music industry, as well as personal reflection prompts. State education officials highly praised schools in their 2014 MCAS School and District Results report. But at the same time, the state is considering whether or not to unroll the PARCC test, a potential replacement for the MCAS. A computer based test, the PARCC exam is based on the Common Core standards adopted in 2010 and tests skills critical to success in college and the workplace. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is currently “testing the test,” with a trial run having taken place in the spring of 2014, and a second round planned for the Spring of 2015. Based on student performance in these trial runs, the state will decide whether the PARCC test will replace the MCAS as the statewide standard assessment. The State gave schools the option to participate in these trials, and with 41 percent of schools choosing to administer MCAS in the spring, conclusions about the best test for the state will not reflect the entire Massachusetts student population. Two major roadblocks are preventing certain schools from piloting PARCC. The test is computer based, and many districts do not have the facilities to administer the test to all of their students. According to an October report in the Marlborough Enterprise, the Hudson School Board voted to keep using MCAS in 2015 largely because of the “financial implications” of the PARCC test. MHS chose 350 students across the district to take the pilot exam in 2014, and while the district is incorporating new technology into its schools, it will not have the implements necessary for all students to take the pilot exam in 2015. Some schools are also choosing to stick with MCAS this year due to the vast gains in standardized test scores within their districts and across the state. Like Marlborough educators, teachers who see the effects of certain curriculum changes on MCAS scores believe changing the structure of the test would invite setbacks. Parents worry that if teachers change their standards to the PARCC too early, their children will be left at a disadvantage if MCAS is not replaced with PARCC. In early October, Medway School Committee member Richard Eustis took a different stance, telling the MetroWest Daily News that transition to the new test will only be a problem if teachers are “teaching to the test”. The MCAS and PARCC tests are slightly different in format, but students taking either test should be able to execute the same math and critical reading skills if they are a part of the Common core framework. Massachusetts leads the country in educational standards and successes, and its educators are constantly working to raise the bar for their students. It will take the 2015 pilot exam to determine if the PARCC exam is the right method to test those initiatives. By: Jennie O’Leary Staff Writer |
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June 2019
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