Worcester Public Schools Split on Standardized Testing Initiatives

Friday, September 05, 2014

Nicholas Handy, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

The Worcester School Committee – in a 5-2 vote – elected to split the Worcester Public School District between two different standardized tests, the MCAS and PARCC testing.

Following the lead of the Worcester Public School District’s administration, the district will implement a hybrid model, with a percentage of schools taking the MCAS test, a percentage taking a computerized PARCC test, and a percentage taking a paper version of PARCC.

“It is the recommendation of the Administration that the district make use of this hybrid option during 2014-15 with some schools continuing to use the MCAS while other use PARCC,” read the report from the Superintendent. “Of the 39 schools in the district that serve students in grades 3-8, 16 schools (41-percent) have indicated a preference to continue using MCAS in Spring 2015 while 23 schools (59-percent) prefer to assess students using PARCC. Of the 23 school that prefer to use PARCC, 18 schools (78-percent) would assess students using paper-based tests and five schools (22-percent) would administer computer-based tests.”

Of the other two districts that have been given a choice to implement a hybrid model (Boston and Springfield), Springfield has elected to split their district 50-50, while Boston has not yet voted.

A Split State

While all states are working to transition to Common Core-aligned assessments, Massachusetts is currently one of four states - Arizona, South Carolina, and Louisiana are the others – that is still undecided.

As one of the three largest cities in Massachusetts, Worcester has been given the option to split their district, but results are showing that the state is still very much split about which standardized test the state should use in the future.

Of the 303 districts that have made a decision, 59-percent have chosen to try out PARCC testing this year.

According to Glenn Koocher, the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, the state ultimately wants to transition to PARCC testing in the coming years. While districts are given the choice now, Koocher says that this may be a luxury they are not afforded in the future.

“The state is all over the place on standardized testing,” said Koocher. “Districts are making choices that seem appropriate to their needs and resources as a district. Ultimately, the state wants everyone to take PARCC in the future. While some districts are better situated to stay with MCAS and others are better situated to transition to PARCC, the final push will be to implement PARCC everywhere.”

A Mixed District

Reception to the administration’s recommendation has been met with a mixed response, both within schools and by the school committee members.

School committee member Dianna Biancheria has long disapproved splitting the district, saying “the way I look at it is that the school district is prepared for PARCC testing or it isn’t. As a district, if we are ready and all factors are in place, then I see us moving forward. To split up the district would be irresponsible.”

Other members of the district feel that having both tests in the district is beneficial, giving the district the ability to better assess each test, while looking at results at the same time.

“I think that this is a sound plan,” said John Monfredo, a Worcester School Committee member. “This offers us to better evaluate where we are as a district. I think that we will be able to better make recommendations to the state. It will give us an opportunity to look at both tests and see which would be better for us down the line.”

Related Slideshow: MA Education Officials Debate Future of State Standardized Tests

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Mitchell Chester

Commissioner, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

“We are in the middle of a two-year tryout of the PARCC. You wouldn’t buy a car without taking it for a test drive. We know we have some items that need revision, that students found them confusing."

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Dianna L. Biancheria

Worcester School Committee

“I don’t want to see a hybrid of both tests; I want to see one or the other. The way I look at it is that the school district is prepared for PARCC testing or it isn’t. As a district, if we are ready and all factors are in place, then I see us moving forward. To split up the district would be irresponsible.”

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John L. Foley

Worcester School Committee

“There will always be some form of assessment tool in place to look at student achievement. The biggest concern that I have with moving to PARCC testing is that we lose the continuity of testing. Any sort of curriculum shift will render previous scores irrelevant. But then again, you always have to start somewhere.”

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David Perda

Chief Research & Accountability Officer, Worcester Public School District

“With any new initiative there is always a form of a learning curve. It would make it easier on the district if we could do some sort of hybrid. As a district, we don’t currently have any recommendation yet, but we are still giving it a lot of consideration; we have been asking a variety of people within the district about their opinion.”

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John F. Monfredo

Worcester School Committee

“I would like to get additional facts on PARCC testing. If PARCC is the next coming of MCAS then I want to find out exactly what we have to do and what some of the advantages could be. I would like a postponement of another year so that we can make an intelligent decision.”

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Tracy O'Connell Novick

Worcester School Committee

“I think it is unfortunate that we have to choose between two different standardized tests; we are choosing between two equally bad options. Teachers are evaluating students all of the time. We don’t need a formalized test which is something that is so outside of the classroom.”

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Linda Noonan

Executive Director, Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education

“MCAS is a good test for basic skills and testing for proficiency, but it is a basic test. It doesn’t test college readiness. We need to have an assessment in place properly tests whether or students are ready for higher education.”

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Brian A. O'Connell

Worcester School Committee

“The MCAS was developed specifically for Massachusetts as the standard. I’m concerned with PARCC testing because it is based on a national standard, whereas in Massachusetts we hold ourselves to a higher standard. I think that we should have a test that is tailor made to our state’s individual needs.”

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Hilda Ramirez

Worcester School Committee

“PARCC testing has been designed to test students on college readiness and 21st Century skills. A computerized test shouldn’t be a surprise; this is why the district put an emphasis of improving our technology infrastructure. I believe that the right steps are being taken to help districts align to PARCC.”

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JC Considine

Chief of Staff, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

“I wouldn’t be surprised if the state came down to a 50-50 split. We are hoping for a good split so that we can make sure that both sides are accurately represented, so that when the time comes, we can make a decision as a state.”