Senate to Tackle Charter School Reform
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Bulletin MASC www.masc.org January 2016 V.50 n.1 Massachusetts Association of School Committees Senate to tackle charter school reform ITHOUT A GUARANTEE THAT HE CAN While much of the discussion on ate Ways&Means Chair Karen Spilka Wmuster enough support for Beacon Hill and among charter ad- will lead the effort to write a charter charter school expansion, Senate vocates and opponents has centered reform bill. President Stanley Rosenberg has an- on lifting the cap on charter school An incentive for moving ahead nounced that a new group of sena- seats, Rosenberg has insisted that the with charter legislation before the tors will try to write a charter school cap will be just one component of a end of the current session is concern reform bill that could clear that broader review of charter schools the about putting the issue before voters branch later this spring. Senate team will undertake. Other in November in the form of a ballot Charter school advocates and issues that will be studied will include question. The ballot question, which Governor Baker, who has made finance, admission and retention prac- is a simple “yes” or “no”, addresses expanding access to charter schools tices, and governance. only the issue of raising the charter a priority, have been waiting for the In discussing the bill’s prospects, cap and does not tackle any of the Senate to resolve an internal debate the Senate President indicated that larger, more complex funding and over whether it made sense to try quite a number of additional votes enrollment concerns. again to pass charter reform legisla- would have to be found before the In a radio interview earlier this tion two years after a bill that would bill would clear the chamber. Sena- week, Auditor Suzanne Bump said have lifted the cap was defeated. tors Sonia Chang-Diaz, Patricia Jehlen that the state still lacks key data about In 2014, only nine Senators sup- (Chair and Vice Chair respectively of the demand for charter schools and ported similar proposed charter the Senate Education Committee) as whether existing schools are mirror- legislation. well as Senator Dan Wolf and Sen- continued on page 4 Novick Joins MASC as Field Director MCAS and/or PLEASE JOIN MASC IN WEL- of concern to the member- PARCC: The Debate coming Tracy O’Connell ship. Novick, a former member A lifetime Massachusetts on Opting-Out of the Worcester School resident, Tracy started her As districts prepare to decide whether to Committee, who joined the advocacy in elementary administer the traditional MCAS or newly MASC staff as a Field Direc- school when her mother developed PARCC assessments this com- tor as of January 11. In ad- told her to “tell someone ing spring, many parents are considering dition to her responsibilities who could fix it” about her the prospect of “opting out” of the test as a Field Director, which concern that McDonalds for their children. To assist school leaders include providing training and policy had stopped serving root beer. Tracy in making their decision and present- services to the Connecticut Valley has been attempting to tell someone ing parents with their options, MASC has prepared the following advisory on geographical area, Tracy will also who could fix it ever since, first as a the PARCC/MCAS debate and an “opt- coordinate social media and advo- high school English teacher at Algon- out” checklist of issues that parents and cacy activities of the Association. This quin Regional in Northborough, then districts might consider (the checklist is will include educating members as as a parent of three in Worcester and, available online at www.masc.org). to the value and use of social media most recently, as a six-year member and technology to enhance local of the Worcester School Committee. Background communications and advocate on a On the Committee, she served a term The Massachusetts Comprehensive state-wide level for education issues continued on page 6 Assessment System (MCAS) provides continued on page 2 prove the performance of a teacher or continued from page 1 MCAS and/or PARCC, in making an employment decision, for annual standardized testing in In response to the heavily politicized including termination of an underper- English and Math in grades 3-8, in rhetoric in the testing debate, the state forming educator. science once between grades 3-5 Board of Elementary and Second- • High school students who do not and 6-9; and at least once in high ary Education recently approved the pass (score of 220 or better) the school in English, Math, and Science. Commissioner’s recommendation to MCAS English Language, Math and A History/Social Studies test is to be create a hybrid test with some of the Science tests may not receive a high implemented in the future. best of both tests. It is tentatively and school diploma unless they qualify Until 2015, the ELA and Math tests unofficially called MCAS-II and will be for an alternative test. at lower grades and at high school implemented over three years. • Political implications of opting out were based on a state Curriculum Because of the complexity of the may influence how local or state of- Frameworks that evolved over more issue, the nature of the debate, and ficials respond with funding for your than 15 years. Over the past few the intense arguments around many district. years, the tests have been modified elements of the tests, some parents and from the traditional frameworks that teachers have encouraged students The following points are used to ex- stressed carefully structured stan- to “opt-out” of standardized testing. plain why parents and students may dards, fact-driven studies, and testing Parents may exempt their children from elect to “opt out”: on the academic content to accom- testing by writing to the principal, but • Testing has been a source of distress modate the standards in the Com- the principal may ask the student to for some students who experience mon Core curriculum, a proposed take the test even with the parental anxieties, sleeplessness, emotional nationally based and modernized set “opt-out” request. distress and parents wish to address of standards designed to encourage the best interest of their children and/ critical thinking, research, and ana- The following arguments explain the or school. lytic writing and to improve readiness rationale for taking the examinations: • Educational professionals have for college and career. Proponents • DESE has opined that the local mixed opinions about the value of of both Curriculum Frameworks and school districts must implement the standardized tests. Common Core have debated the mer- tests and that students should take • Tests that require use of a computer it of both systems. Some argue that them. It is important to comply with add to the stress for some children any change from traditional MCAS is regulations and law. and in other cases, lower scores. detrimental to student achievement. • There is no legal basis of “opting • According to the Commissioner, Others have advocated for an alterna- out” even it there is no clear mandate other than being declared absent or tive that does not encourage “teach- to comply. being assigned to an alternative pro- ing to the test.” • Families reserve the right to opt-out gram for the day, there are no penal- Additional testing may be mandat- in a subsequent year if their concerns ties for elementary school students ed by the state. For the 2015-16 year, continue to grow. who do not participate. districts will have a choice of MCAS • With ESSA as with NCLB, districts • A child may be stereotyped in or the new Performance for Readiness with lower than 95% testing partici- some way based on results of a stan- for Assessment for College and Career pation may have sanctions imposed dardized test. (PARCC) while policy makers debate on them. Those sanctions now will • Parents and students may be con- the most appropriate examinations include: cerned that test data will be used for the future. • Lowering a school’s ranking, includ- to make an unfair assessment of a State education officials, parents, ing designating a school as high risk, teacher or principal. and teachers, as well as other aca- subject to additional sanctions. • Some object to the value of the demic stakeholders and the business • A student may be declared “not state and federal testing program or to community, have also debated proficient.” standardized tests in general as bad amongst themselves about the best • A district may face financial sanc- educational theory and practice and testing tools. Some weighed the tions by the federal government includ- poor public policy. merits of MCAS vs. PARCC while ing limits on federal funding or restric- • Some families wish to make a others questioned the merits of stan- tions on how funding may be used. statement of objection to testing, dardized testing for students per se, • State financial aid may be withheld, excessive testing, or student/educator citing a range of reasons including although the legal basis of this is not assessment based on standardized concern about how the test would be clearly established. tests. used, time spent on test preparation, • Student test data may be used to For a more in-depth criteria/proce- diagnostic values of testing, costs of help teachers target the best strategies dural checklist of opt-out concerns, testing, and the social and emotional to improve student achievement. go to www.masc org. well—being of students being tested. • Testing data may be used to help im- refugees from Germany as poten- Schools, Polyglots, and Xenophobes tial terrorists, but also wanted to expel existing Jewish citizens.