Parents Give Failing Grade to Massachusetts Board of Education
MassParents,
the citizens’ group concerned with skewed state MCAS testing, has issued the
following M-SCAM report card to the Massachusetts Board of Education on its 1999
performance.
|
M-SCAM
Massachusetts System for Citizen Assessment of MCAS |
Advanced |
Proficient |
Needs
Improvement |
Failing |
|
Develop
“Comprehensive Assessment System” to evaluate schools, students |
|
|
|
X |
|
Develop
a test of reasonable length (shorter than Mass Bar Exam) |
|
|
|
X
|
|
Develop
age-appropriate tests |
|
|
|
X |
|
“Employ
a variety of assessment instruments” |
|
|
|
X |
|
Promote
equity |
|
|
|
X |
|
Devolve
power to local schools |
|
|
|
X |
|
Improve
curriculum |
|
|
|
X |
|
Show
sensitivity to language diversity & special needs |
|
|
|
X |
|
Raise
educational standards |
|
|
|
X |
|
Set
reasonable high school graduation requirements |
|
|
|
X |
Overall
Performance
|
|
|
|
X |
