Help offered for MCAS

By Scott S. Greenberger, Globe Staff, 9/23/2001

igh-school juniors who failed the MCAS last spring will be able to use
state-sponsored online tutoring to polish their skills for retests. 

The Department of Education on Thursday announced that it will spend $400,000
on two separate online tutoring programs. The first, powered by software, will be
available between Oct. 22 and Dec. 10, and available to any student 24 hours a
day. It will diagnose students' weaknesses in math and English and help them
improve their skills. 

The second would be manned by math and English tutors providing real-time
instruction, but it would be limited to 1,000 students who would be recommended
by school districts. It would run from January through April 2002.

Education Commissioner David P. Driscoll said it is significant that the programs
will allow students to get help privately. ''Unfortunately, some students won't show
what they don't know in front of their peers,'' he said.

Both programs will be free to students.

The class of 2003 is the first that will have to pass the English and math sections of
the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System to graduate. Students who
failed the exam last spring - scores are due in October - will have four more
chances to pass before the end of 12th grade. 

Scott S. Greenberger can be reached by email at greenberger@globe.com