Question 2: Is MCAS a Tool or Barrier? By Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:49PM / Sunday, November 03, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Those who oppose the removal of MCAS as a graduation requirement fear it will stunt accountability while supporters feel it bogs students down.
Voters will decide Tuesday if students must pass the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System test to earn a high school diploma. The competency test has been in the schools for more than 30 years, a result of the state's 1993 Education Reform Act.
A "yes" vote would remove the 10th grade MCAS (or any assessment test) as a graduation requirement; a "no" vote will keep it in place. The ballot initiative would not remove the testing, just the requirement for graduation.
iBerkshires.com has gathered stances from local and statewide stakeholders on the contentious ballot initiative.
Both a former and current governor have come out against Question 2. Former Gov. Jane Swift helped write the Education Reform Act as a state senator and strongly supported its implementation as governor.
Gov. Maura Healey has attributed the public school system's high performance to high standards. She regards the MCAS as an important benchmark for measuring performance.
During an Oct. 23 visit to North County, Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler said the ballot question reflects an event: education reform.
"Change in education should really happen through a process," he said. "When it doesn't happen through a process, there are usually consequences, and in this case, we can say there's some pretty predictable consequences."
The secretary said he and Healey adamantly oppose removing the MCAS as a graduation requirement and are even concerned that it could make schools inequitable.
"First, we think that assessment is important. It gives us a statewide view into how students are doing across Grades 3 through 8 and then again in high school so that we can develop a coherent strategy to address meeting the needs of students who aren't performing to expectation," Tutwiler explained.
"We also believe in a uniform standard for graduation. If the ballot question passes, we'll have up to 350 different definitions for what a high school diploma means, and we feel like that opens up some serious equity questions. Right? A diploma from Lawrence, Mass., should mean the same as a diploma from Newton, Mass., and if the ballot question passes, we won't be able to say that that's the case with confidence."
Those in favor of removing the MCAS requirement feel it will reduce barriers to student success — which include socioeconomic factors.
Hoosac Valley Regional School Committee Vice Chair Erin Milne said she has seen firsthand the amount of resources and stress that goes into making sure everyone passes the MCAS to graduate.
"I think yes on 2 would go a long way towards allowing school staff to focus on the kinds of education like we heard about today that is product-based," she said a recent School Committee.
"Applied learning is actually going to help them get jobs, as opposed to checking off this one box. It doesn't eliminate the MCAS, so it can still get all that kind of level data, and the data will help us move forward, but it will limit a whole lot of stress for a whole lot of students."
She feels the requirement has become a barrier to success that disproportionately affects students of color, low-income students, English language learners, and students with disabilities.
"Some say that this is a non-issue because most students who initially fail the MCAS eventually pass through retakes or appeals. But marginalized students struggle with retakes more than their peers, creating unfair obstacles to graduation and increasing drop-out rates," she wrote in a letter to the editor.
"To be clear, these students are not less capable: they are being failed by a system that isn't meeting their needs. The MCAS provides useful data to hold systems accountable for rigorous, fair learning outcomes in Grades 3-8 without making students bear the consequences of our failure to serve them equitably; why can't the same apply to sophomores?"
In September, the Executive Committee of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees unanimously approved a statement in support of Question 2:
"MASC does not support the use of a high stakes test as a requirement for a graduation diploma. We urge voters to vote 'yes' on Question 2. We urge the Legislature to act expeditiously to rethink the entire MCAS system to create a more equitable and reasonable set of competency standards for a high school diploma."
Similarly, the Massachusetts Teachers Association passed a resolution in support of removing the MCAS requirement, coining the test as "significantly limited in its ability to accurately and effectively measure whether students are meeting the Commonwealth's standards and developing the skills they need to thrive after high school."
On the other hand, opposers of the question believe it may spark equity concerns.
North Adams Superintendent of Schools Barbara Malkas said she remembers what it was like before standards and accountability.
"The disparate education provided to students with different levels of expectations meant that some students received an inequitable and subpar education in most cases dependent on demographic," she explained.
"While MCAS as an assessment does not represent the competencies for college and career readiness as a whole, in the absence of this accountability measure for districts, schools, and students, districts would still be held accountable to meeting targets and students would have no motivation to demonstrate their knowledge and skills to the best of their ability."
She would "happily" support a more comprehensive review of the MCAS assessment system with the opportunity for high school students to demonstrate competency through authentic applications of their learning.
"But that is not what this ballot question proposes. It does not eliminate the MCAS, only the competency determination for high school students."
Malkas noted that she supports the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents' position.
The MASS Executive Committee recently voted to oppose Question 2, believing it would undermine the high standards that are the "cornerstone of Massachusetts' successful work in education reform over the past 30 years."
"In voting to oppose Question 2, members of the MASS Executive Committee stated that their primary objection to the measure is that it fails to stipulate a replacement for MCAS as a statewide standard for earning a high school diploma," the committee wrote in a letter to state leaders.
"If Question 2 were to pass, there would be no standard by which every student in Massachusetts demonstrates their readiness to graduate from a public high school."
However, MASS asserts that Grade 10 MCAS exams alone are insufficient as the statewide standard for high school graduation. In the last legislative session, it unsuccessfully proposed a bill to explore alternatives for assessing student learning and holding districts accountable for success.
"While conceding the need to maintain MCAS as a graduation requirement rather than no standard at all, we are writing to insist once again that education and political leaders at the State level take seriously the repeated calls from our organization and many others to launch an inclusive process for developing and adopting alternative measures," the executive committee wrote.
"If Question 2 is defeated, as many of you have indicated you believe it should be, we simply cannot settle for the status quo moving forward."
The Mount Greylock Regional School Committee has debated the issue but not taken a stance other than to request that MASC remove language in its resolution for "moratorium" on testing. MASC holds its annual convention on Wednesday.
Actor and Cambridge resident Matt Damon weighed in on Question 2, in a video shared by the Massachusetts Teachers Association.
"We need to trust our teachers not some one-size-fits-all test," Damon says. "Teachers use multiple forms of assessment to determine whether or not a student deserves a diploma or not. So let's put the power back in their hands to make that decision."
The Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants supports a "No" vote so that the statewide education system can "uphold a culture of excellence and accountability."
The group alleges that repealing this requirement would force every public school in the commonwealth to create its own standardized graduation requirements.
"This would lead to a patchwork of standards across the state, resulting in disparities in educational quality and standards. If educational standards are lowered in high school, students may graduate without developing the analytical, mathematical, and problem-solving skills critical for success in fields like accounting," MassCPAs wrote in a statement on Question 2.
"This could result in a pipeline of future accountants who are less prepared for the rigorous demands of the profession. Additionally, creating new requirements, rather than the statewide MCAS tests, places an undue burden on local school districts, many of which may lack the resources and expertise to develop and implement effective assessments."
Additionally, MassCPAs feel that the MCAS creates a consistent benchmark for public schools and their students as well as an equalizer to help mitigate disparities in grading practices and varied curriculums.
"As educators, employers, and community leaders, we are unwavering in our commitment to maintaining rigorous academic standards that are vital to the success of our students and the future of our industry. Voting no on Question 2 is essential to preserving these standards and ensuring that students are fully prepared for careers that demand specialized knowledge, like accounting."
The Mass Opportunity Alliance showed its support for MCAS testing with a public education initiative to how statewide standardized testing helps make students "wicked smart."
MOA, a coalition of parties committed to building a stronger commonwealth economy, polled more than 500 registered voters on the question and found "strong public support for standardized testing, especially among parents and racial minorities."
The study showed 62 percent of residents in favor of standardized testing such as the MCAS, 70 percent of parents in support, and 80 percent of high school students.
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