Massachusetts boasts one of the top-performing school systems in the country, as evidenced by its strong performance on the national test known as NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress). Some credit this success to the state’s testing and accountability program, while others argue that the state test, MCAS, is overused and misused as a high school graduation requirement. Critics of the high-stakes exam as a graduation requirement argue that it was not intended for this purpose, lacks diagnostic value, and disproportionately impacts students with disabilities and non-native English speakers.
Over 90% of tenth graders pass the MCAS on their first attempt, with only a few hundred out of more than 65,000 students failing the test. Of those who fail, 85% have disabilities or are English language learners.
Opponents of the MCAS as a high-stakes graduation requirement have put forward a referendum called Question 2.
I urge Massachusetts voters to vote YES on Question 2.
The faith in standardized testing as a solution for low test scores has been misplaced for years. While some argue that testing motivates students to study harder, research shows that standardized test results are more reflective of family income and education levels than student effort and ability. Students at the bottom of the scores tend to be those with disabilities, non-English speakers, and those from high-poverty backgrounds.
If standardized testing were the answer to academic achievement, the U.S. would have eradicated failure by now. After more than two decades of administering these tests, progress has stagnated, and achievement gaps between racial and economic groups persist.
Massachusetts educators understand that when schools have adequate resources, smaller class sizes, and the time to support students in need, positive outcomes follow.
The YES vote is endorsed by the Massachusetts Teachers Association, numerous local school boards, and Senator Elizabeth Warren.
The NO vote is supported by Governor Maura Healey and the business community.
The effort to maintain the MCAS as a graduation requirement recently received a $2.5 million donation from former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg. Bloomberg, known for his belief in high-stakes testing and charter schools, has contributed significantly to the “Vote No on 2” campaign.
The Boston Globe reported:
Former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg gave $2.5 million to the group trying to beat back a ballot question that would eliminate the MCAS test as a graduation requirement, offering a significant infusion into the heated campaign just ahead of Election Day.
Bloomberg’s seven-figure donation is the largest contribution the “Vote No on 2″ campaign has received, and accounts for more than half of the $4.8 million it has reported raising this election cycle, state data show.
It’s not the billionaire’s first time pouring money into a Massachusetts ballot campaign. Bloomberg donated $490,000 in 2016 to a failed ballot question that would have expanded charter schools in Massachusetts.
If approved by voters, Question 2 would repeal a provision of the state’s landmark 1993 education law that makes earning a high school diploma contingent on students passing MCAS exams in English, math, and science. In its place, the ballot measure would establish a new mandate: Students would need to complete coursework certified by their districts in those subjects that meet state academic standards. The state would be able to add new subjects to that list.
Maurice Cunningham, a retired professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts, writes on his blog that Bloomberg’s involvement clarifies the key players in this debate. He frames it as capital versus labor, the oligarchy against the teachers’ union.