Statement on the MCAS by the Arlington School Committee

Passed unanimously on 4/11/00

The Arlington School Committee supports the goals of education reform:
… sufficient funding
… high academic standards
… high standards and equitable funding for every child, no matter in which community they live.

Now, one year before the implementation of "high stakes" testing, it is apparent that we have fallen short of our goals. 

Before we hold the students accountable, we must hold the adults accountable:
… for finalizing the frameworks so that teachers and students know what is expected
… for testing students only after giving them ample time over their school careers to acquire the skills and knowledge required by the frameworks
… for designing test questions that truly measure the depth and breadth of students¹ knowledge
… for developing alternative tests and accommodations that meet the needs of special education and bilingual students
… for assessing the impact of the Mass. Frameworks and the MCAS tests on the quality of the local curriculum and instruction.

The Arlington School Committee urges the Department of Education and the state legislature to delay the implementation of the graduation requirement in order to re-assess the MCAS, to evaluate the frameworks, and to determine how both are impacting what is happening in the classrooms throughout the state.

In addition, the Arlington School Committee asks that our administrators and department heads work with our teachers to ensure that as we align and implement our curriculum, the driving force will not be the MCAS, but the quality of education for our students.

And that a copy of this motion and the documentation developed by the Arlington students be sent to the Commissioner of Education and the Board of Education, our state legislators, and the chairs of the Education Committees in the Senate and the House.