Stripped of its appealing rhetoric, Laurie Gagnon’s recent op-ed is an argument for dismantling the very mechanisms that protect the students most likely to be left behind.
MCAS
Posted inOpinion
For new high school graduation requirement, Massachusetts doesn’t have to choose between standards and innovation
Reciprocal accountability is a system where the state sets high expectations for outcomes, but grants districts flexibility in how students demonstrate mastery, with the state responsible for providing the support communities need to succeed.
Posted inOpinion
Passing end-of-course assessments should be part of new graduation requirements
Students should be required to pass end-of-course assessments to measure whether they have mastered core academic content and foundational skills that prepare them to think critically, creatively, and innovatively. These assessments would provide a clear, consistent, and objective signal of readiness regardless of where the student lives or their socioeconomic status.
Posted inEducation
Senate and House aligning on evidence-based reading instruction
While the state continues to rank among national leaders, MCAS data show that only about 42 percent of third-graders are meeting state expectations in English language arts, with significantly lower rates among students of color, low-income students, English language learners and students with disabilities.
Posted inOpinion
Voters said no to one-size-fits-all tests. The governor’s graduation framework can’t let them go.
Piling multiple layers of new requirements on our students will create new obstacles rather than providing opportunities for them to increase their life skills and pursue their individual goals.
Posted inThe Codcast
‘In every difficulty, there’s an opportunity,’ Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler says about developing a post-MCAS high school graduation requirement
On this week’s episode of The Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon executive editor Michael Jonas sits down with Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler to discuss the work of a state commission tasked with proposing a new graduation requirement to replace MCAS.
Posted inEducation
Putting MCAS to the test
SCORES RELEASED LAST WEEK from the spring 2022 MCAS paint a pretty worrisome picture, showing that student achievement in the state still lags below levels seen on the 2019 test, […]
Posted inEducation
As parents, we’re all now superintendents
I RECENTLY DECLARED a “snow day” for my school district. I made the call early after my oldest son complained of a toothache and my younger two boys came down […]
Posted inThe Download
Latest MCAS scores are troubling
The state released its latest MCAS results on Tuesday, and the scores seem alarming. According to the Boston Globe, 61 percent of 10th graders statewide met or exceeded expectations on […]