MTA statement on Annenberg Institute MCAS report
MTA statement on Annenberg Institute MCAS report
MTA President Max Page and Vice President Deb McCarthy issued the following statement in response to the release of a report by the Annenberg Institute at Brown University, “The MCAS as a Graduation Requirement: Findings From a Research-Practice Partnership.” A coalition of MTA members, parents, students and public education advocates has proposed a ballot initiative, Question 2, which will ask voters on Nov. 5 to replace the MCAS graduation requirement with local certification that a student has completed work aligned with the state’s academic standards.
The report suggests that several factors contributed to improvements in outcomes for students in Massachusetts public schools, especially a significant increase in funding and the creation of nation-leading academic standards, the basis for all the teaching and learning in our schools. The MCAS does not deserve the weight that some have attached to it.
Releasing students and educators from the confines of a single, high-stakes test will help every student receive a robust education aligned with high academic standards and focused on the skills needed to succeed in the workplace and college.
While Massachusetts has an excellent public education system, the MCAS graduation requirement has narrowed curriculum and learning for every student. This requirement has also resulted in about 700 students every year not receiving a diploma, even though they have passed their classes and met all other graduation requirements. Students who would benefit from a more holistic education aligned with the state’s high academic standards are harmed by the current MCAS graduation requirement.
As has been pointed out throughout the campaign to replace the MCAS graduation requirement, the students most harmed by the high-stakes test are those learning English as an additional language and students who have disabilities, creating greater obstacles to their future success. Furthermore, the report indicates that MCAS greatly underestimates the abilities and future accomplishments of English learners, calling into question the reliability of the test and its high-stakes use.
The report also raises the concern — well-documented by our members, the state’s public-school educators — that some schools may be investing resources and attention to “teaching to the test,” rather than building students’ knowledge and skills in ways that improve college and career readiness.
Removing the graduation requirement will not end the use of the MCAS exams: All students in the third through eighth grades, and in tenth grade, will continue to take annual MCAS exams, and districts will receive all data they currently get from them. But releasing students and educators from the confines of a single, high-stakes test will help every student receive a robust education aligned with high academic standards and focused on the skills needed to succeed in the workplace and college. This is the best way to improve the lives of our young people and the quality of life in all our communities.
Learn more about Question 2 to replace the MCAS graduation requirement.