ok, good morning, I have a question (just getting to #MAEdu news from yesterday):
This MEEP claim that gaps have widened over the pandemic is based on...what exactly?
We don't yet have the last year's MCAS data. We don't yet have MA NAEP data.
The report cites 2019 to 2021 third grade reading scores, and then percentage of low income 9th graders passing their classes compared to wealthier peers.
Then enrollment in college, which we know dropped...everywhere?
I also think it's misleading (intentionally?) to talk about "three years after the signing of the Student Opportunity Act."
We have just begun the second school year in which it is funded.
We have had a SINGLE school year in which districts have had SOA funding.
happy to talk about early childhood, more inclusive education, better support for higher ed, but the foundation on which this argument is based here is flawed. I don't like the fearful framing.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
It's mesmerizing to me that the coverage of this always appears to exist in a space apart from those "Boston: worst traffic in the country" and "Boston grapples with melting public transit" articles
A series of what will probably be unpopular statements about yesterday's #MAEdu Board vote on the MCAS, but gosh, I hate seeing bad info circulating:
1. This was supposed to happen years ago. The change in competency determination is tied to the new MCAS. What has been used for literally YEARS now was an interim step as we switched from one to the other. It was delayed by the pandemic.
2. The creation and maintenance of a "competency determination" based on the tenth grade evaluation is a power of the Board per MGL Ch. 69, sec. 1 (d).
I know most of the attention is on the competency determination for tomorrow's #MAedu Board of Ed meeting; note a proposed shift in the state accountability system is also on the agenda: doe.mass.edu/bese/docs/fy20…
(all those in favor of the Department being banned from using the word "lite" as if we're talking about cream cheese?)
ok, seriously, though, it's--going to say this publicly--it's a thoughtful phase-in (and even responses to public comment, for those who wondered if that ever happened).