MCAS

Raising MCAS bar was a move in the wrong direction

Posted on Friday, August 26th, 2022 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Todd Gazda, CommonWealth Magazine
Date: August 25, 2022
Link: Complete Article

Authentic learning, not test-driven compliance, is crucial as we emerge from the pandemic The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education’s recent decision to raise the score high school students must reach to pass the MCAS and graduate from high school is yet another slap in the face for public educators across the Commonwealth. Coming out… [Read More]

Due to coronavirus pandemic, Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education looks to waive MCAS testing requirements for certain students

Posted on Wednesday, May 27th, 2020 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Jackson Cote, Masslive
Date: 5/26/2020
Link: Complete Article

State education officials are looking to waive certain high school testing requirements for many students in Massachusetts due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley posted a memo ahead of the board’s Tuesday afternoon meeting in which he recommended modifying the “competency determination” for high school graduation for… [Read More]

MCAS Requirement Waived for Mass. Students This Spring

Posted on Monday, April 13th, 2020 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Josh Sullivan, NBC Boston
Date: 4/11/2020
Link: Complete Article

Students in Massachusetts won’t have to take the MCAS exams this spring, amid school closures across the state due to the coronavirus outbreak. Gov. Charlie Baker signed the law that cancels the exam requirement for graduating high school. “Cancelling MCAS testing for the remainder of this school year will enable our teachers and students to… [Read More]

Franklin County has two Schools of Recognition

Posted on Saturday, October 12th, 2019 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Domenic Poli, Greenfield Recorder
Date: 10/11/2019
Link: Complete Article

Two Franklin County schools are among the 67 recognized by the state for strong MCAS achievement or for exceeding their performance targets. Whately Elementary School and Swift River School in New Salem were named as Schools of Recognition in the “High Growth” category by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and their principals… [Read More]

Swift River School forum on standardized testing draws large crowd

Posted on Tuesday, January 19th, 2016 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Martha Maloney, Collaborative for Educational Services
Date: 1/19/16

The Swift River School School Committee hosted a public forum on standardized testing Thursday evening. Sharing information about standardized testing was one of the goals of the forum during the planning stages, according to Johanna Bartlett, school committee chair. Town officials and school committee members from Wendell and Union #28, Hatfield, Longmeadow, Holyoke and Gill-Montague… [Read More]

State education board approves new hybrid test

Posted on Wednesday, November 18th, 2015 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Steve LeBlanc/Gena Mangiaratti, The Gazette
Date: 11/17/2015
Link: Complete Article

BOSTON, MA – Massachusetts students will soon be facing a new standardized test after the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted to combine elements of the existing MCAS test with another test aligned with Common Core state standards. Approval of the hybrid test came on an 8 – 3 vote Tuesday after two… [Read More]

PARCC test pros and cons debated at Massachusetts Board of Education hearing

Posted on Thursday, July 9th, 2015 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Jeanette DeForge, Republican
Date: July 8, 20115
Link: Complete Article

SPRINGFIELD, MA – College professors were pitted against public school educators and parents over the question of changing the state’s main standardized exam from the MCAS to the new PARCC test during a public hearing Tuesday. The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education held its fifth and last hearing to discuss the proposed switch… [Read More]

Buckland-Shelburne Elementary climbs from a ‘lowest-’ to a ‘highest-performing’ school

Posted on Monday, May 11th, 2015 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Diane Broncaccio, The Recorder
Date: May 11, 2015
Link: Complete Article

SHELBURNE FALLS, MA — In 2011, the Buckland-Shelburne Elementary School MCAS scores caused the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to declare BSE a “Level 3” school, which meant it was among the lowest-performing 20 percent of schools and districts. That’s when the Mohawk Trail Regional School District sought help from a state agency… [Read More]