MALDEN— The new MCAS tests have raised accountability in the city’s public schools, according to School Superintendent John Oteri.
“It is not suitable to compare the previous test to this test,” he said. “It’s not apples to apples, or even apples to oranges … It’s apples to trees.”
Oteri, who is in his first year in Malden’s schools, briefed School Committee members on the test Monday night. In a 25-minute presentation, he explained how the revised test, given to students in grades 3-8 last spring, is a next generation assessment tool designed to rate students.
“The Department of Secondary and Elementary Education really wants to see if you are ready for the next level as a student,” he said.
Statewide this year, many schools saw a decline in scores, compared to previous results.
Oteri said there is concern among educators that the playing field has changed, with MCAS now focused on subject matter mastery and not the ability to take a test.
“Some educators are looking at it moving the finish line in a road race or the goal line in a football game further than before,” Oteri said.
He said the revised MCAS is designed to be taken on a computer. Pencil and pad exams are available for those who are not proficient on the computer.
School Committeewoman Catherine Bordonaro echoed the superintendent’s concern with the computer-centered testing format.
In response, Oteri said “Lots of our kids are comfortable with testing on a computer, our kids are more digitally literate than they’ve ever been. But it’s not a race. It should not be a race.”
Expanded computer-based learning in the public schools will help Malden educators and students adjust to the new MCAS, he said.
The revised test presents other challenges, he said, such as the way student scores are described has changed.
Previously, the levels of achievement were: “Advanced,” “Proficient,” “Needs Improvement,” and “Failing.”
The new levels are now: “Exceeding Expectations,” “Meeting Expectations,” “Partially Meeting Expectations, and “Not Meeting Expectations.”
Mayor Gary Christenson, who serves as School Committee chair, asked the superintendent about participation levels in the MCAS testing and how those numbers relate to results.
“As I understand it, participation level is a key element of the results, is that accurate?” the mayor asked.
“We strive to have every one of our students tested, that is the directive from the state and that is our only goal in that part of the testing,” Oteri said. “We are over 90 percent in our last testing period and that is a key element in out Level 2 rating at this time.”
Oteri said he looks forward to presenting an in depth analysis of Malden’s results.
