Massachusetts Coalition for Authentic
Reform in Education

 

Press Advisory
 

May 24, 2005
 

Contact: Prof. Jonathan King 617-253-4700 (day)
                                        617-864-0842 (eve)
 

SCIENTISTS URGE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO VOTE AGAINST SCIENCE MCAS AS GRADUATION REQUIREMENT
 

With a rallying cry of "Deeper Science Education, Not More MCAS tests," a group of scientists and science educators will release a statement Thursday urging the Massachusetts Board of Education to vote against imposing science and technology MCAS exams as graduation requirements. The statement will be presented at a press conference on May 26, at 10 a.m. at the State House, Room 222.
 

The group, including science professors from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, education professors, secondary science teachers and developers of science curricula, will address what they believe is necessary to prepare students for further study and practice in science. They will describe how a science graduation requirement test will undermine the goal of better science education in Massachusetts public schools. Speakers will include: Prof. Jonathan King, MIT Biology Department; Prof. George Hein, Lesley University; Prof. Eugene Gallagher, UMass Boston Dept. of Environmental, Earth and Ocean Sciences; and Monty Neill, Co-Director, National Center for Fair & Open Testing, Inc.
 

WHAT: Statement urging the Massachusetts Board of Education not to impose science and technology MCAS graduation exams
 

WHEN: Thursday, May 26, 10 a.m.
 

WHERE: State House, Room 222
 

SPONSORS: Massachusetts Coalition for Authentic Reform in Education (MassCARE Inc.); Alliance for High Standards, NOT High Stakes; Citizens for Public Schools.
 

 

Click here to see a copy of the letter  Massachusetts Students Need Deeper Science Education, Not Another MCAS Test”

 Photos from the Press Conference May 26th, 2005

Jonathan King                                     Larry Ward- CARE                                                                Alice Wolf- Representative
Professor of Molecular Biology
MIT

 

Andrew King                                                                        Monty Neill
Student at Cambridge Rindge and Latin                          FAIRTEST