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New Boston school superintendent opposes a state education-reform measure
By adamg on Fri, 05/03/2019 - 10:42am
CommonWealth reports Brenda Cassellius, named earlier this week as Boston's next school superintendent, opposes a current state rule that makes passing 10th-grade MCAS tests a requirement for graduation. She says Minnesota had a similar requirement, but as education commissioner, she found it made more sense to pay for prep classes for one of the tests many colleges use in considering applicants.
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Comments
This is already a requirement
Passing the 10th grade MCAS has been a statewide graduation requirement for a long time. To clarify, Cassellius would support eliminating this requirement.
I like to hear that.
I'm not sure, but unfortunately I don't think she gets to decide if the test is or isn't a grad requirement for 10th graders in Boston. Maybe she could influence the folks who set those rules, but I doubt it's her decision alone. She's got bigger fish to fry in her first 100 days anyway.
She definitely does not...
...have that decision-making power. Furthermore, those tests were a direct response to districts like Boston graduating students who could not demonstrate basic proficiency in high school skills after graduating from high school (they got to college and were not ready).
The Massachusetts Department of Education could care less about the opinion of administrators in Boston. In fact, the DOE likely views such statements as an effort to dodge accountability and dig in harder on the testing/gradation requirement.
She didnt say or imply that
She didnt say or imply that its her decision. But, hopefully the state at least listens to educators about their education proposals, and in particular from the superintendent of the largest district in the state. It makes sense for her to weigh in on reforms that affect her district, and voice opposition/criticism on ones she things/has found to be detrimental.
????
Ok if I understand this which I may not. I never went to college.
Graduate ignorance, hope colleges accept that as a pre requisite, then pay for requirements for college acceptance.
Doesn't graduate ignorance
I read the article and I think following the Minnesota model would require replacing the10th grade MCAS with the college entrance exam ACT (like the SAT) and paying for all 10th grade students to take it. That would accomplish two things: 1) testing what the students have learned, 2) getting all students to take the ACT, which might reveal college-level ability in students who were too poor or lacked confidence. Right now, BPL students who want to go to college must take two high-stake exams: MCAS and ACT/SAT. Under her system they would take one. I think this is an excellent idea.
ACT costs $46 for a student. I don't know how that compares with the cost of administering MCAS, but the cost of MCAS in missed class time is significant.