North Shore superintendents are split over the state Board of Education’s decision to raise the minimum score students are required to attain on the MCAS test to graduate high school, with some praising the more rigorous standards and others expressing disappointment, saying the decision could put undue pressure on students and schools.
The heightened requirement, approved by the board on Aug. 15, applies to this year’s incoming freshman class and at least the four classes that follow. Students will now be required to earn a scaled score of 486 on the English and math exams (or 470 with the completion of an educational proficiency plan) and meet a threshold set at 470 for science and technology/engineering tests.
The score thresholds are currently 472 for English, or 455 with an educational proficiency plan, 486 for math, or 469 with an educational proficiency plan, and 220 for science/technology for students who took a test by February 2020.
Lynn’s Interim Superintendent of Schools Deb Ruggiero said that increasing the MCAS standards will place an unnecessary burden on the students and faculty of a school district still recovering from the pandemic.
“This is unfortunate and is somewhat premature. After coming out of a two-and-a-half-year pandemic and the impact it has caused for all students, it seems unfair to raise the bar even higher than before,” Ruggiero said. “I understand the need for accountability especially since a great deal of money is spent on education and the need to be held accountable for our student’s success, but to increase the expectations of scores now is just going to raise anxiety for our students and educators and seems unnecessary right now.”
Lynnfield Superintendent of Schools Kristen Vogel, on the other hand, said she supports the board’s decision.
“I agree with the board’s approval of the commissioner’s proposal to increase the required competency determination as we have moved from legacy MCAS to next-gen MCAS,” Vogel said. “The new baseline raises the expectations from low, not meeting expectations, to mid-way, partially meeting expectations. I also like how they are starting with the Class of 2026 and looking at the data for three years. When MCAS was introduced, there was a period of adjusting the score… as they looked at data.”
The MCAS system was created in a 1993 education reform law aimed at improving accountability and school performance. The first tests were administered in 1998, and students have been required to achieve sufficient scores to graduate since the class of 2003.
Most students take the tests linked to graduation in 10th grade, though they can retake exams up to four more times if they do not score high enough. MCAS has long been a controversial test and measurement of student achievement, with opponents arguing that setting the exams as a bar all students must clear forces teachers to narrow their focus on test preparation and creates unnecessary stress in the classroom.
Saugus Superintendent Erin McMahon, in a statement, said the MCAS is not the “end-all, be-all” in determining college readiness.
“MCAS provides helpful information that assists us in planning and preparing our students to future success,” she said. “In reviewing past data, we’ve found that our students need and deserve more opportunities to prepare for life after high school. This is one reason why we have already taken steps to provide additional emotional and academic support for the 2022-23 school year.”
Swampscott Superintendent of Schools Pamela Angelakis said tests like MCAS should be placed in proper context, and not garner undue weight.
“This is a complicated issue. Obviously, it is not a bad idea to increase standards in the interest of better preparing students for their next step,” she said in a statement. “However, we must remain cognizant of the fact that, if not put in the proper context, high-stakes testing can result in the opposite of the desired effect. We don’t want students to be more prepared for a standardized test and less prepared to achieve in their everyday studies.”
Peabody School Superintendent Dr. Josh Vadala said while he was not surprised by the decision, he is disappointed.
“I’m the first one to promote high expectations for our students but I think the timing of this decision is disappointing,” he said. “We don’t know the full impact that the pandemic has had on academic achievement or mental health. Adding more stress to high stakes should not be our priority right now.”
Vadala said there are other ways for students to show they can meet a higher standard.
“Instead, we had an opportunity to find other ways to demonstrate mastery,” he said. “Unfortunately, I feel they missed the mark on this one.”
Marblehead Superintendent of Schools John Buckey expressed concern about the board asking for more from schools without providing additional assistance.
“I would like to think raising the bar and setting more rigorous expectations is positive, but I fear this is yet another unfunded mandate in education,” he said. “It will not come with the financial support and resources necessary to help all students achieve at higher levels. We simply cannot continue to ask our educators to do more with less and expect a better outcome. We will not test our way out of failing to fund public education appropriately.”
Buckey emphasized the importance of not teaching to a test but teaching holistically.
“Our students will continue to achieve at high levels because of the excellence of our educators. As they have never, they will not teach to a test,” said Buckey. “My confidence comes as a result of the confidence I have in our teachers.”
Superintendent of Revere Public Schools Dianne Kelly said that the MCAS has held educators accountable for providing quality education, but there are fundamental flaws in the system.
“MCAS has served the Revere Schools well over the last two decades. It forced us to make sure all students had access to rigorous, high-quality instruction,” said Kelly. “We have learned a lot about student assessment over those two decades and have realized that in many cases MCAS does not adequately capture the skill set some students have.”
“I feel the state should be moving to more progressive assessment systems that focus on deeper learning, are project-based so students can demonstrate critical thinking skills, and that give students choice in how they demonstrate their knowledge,” she added.
