While I did post this below, it's buried in notes about the Race to the Top proposal. Since it so seriously moves around what we do, I thought it warranted a pull-out.
Jeff Nellhaus of the DESE commented that:
- this coming year, the MCAS will be as it has been.
- next year (spring of 2012), it will be the "intersection" of the Mass Frameworks and the Common Core.
- the year after (spring of 2013), it will be entirely Common Core.
That's a fairly breakneck pace, when you're talking about testing accumulated knowledge and skills.
Any details on how this will specifically change the test materials? In the current atmosphere or school accountability planning to increase MCAS scores, it seems that changes to the test would be an essential piece of the "improvement" puzzle. Will any of this correlate to changes in the assessment measures? Or reverse the DESE misguided MCAS AYP scoring system that places zero value on student who move up in testing scores from barely proficient to highly so or to advanced? Or is the systemic change to effect the questions on the test, but not the inherent structure and use of the test?
ReplyDeleteYes to your last question, as far as I know (and it was clear from what Nellhaus was saying that they were still working this all out internally). As they're also working on this new national test with other states, there's also some question as to when/if/how that will be phased in; one assumes after 2013.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'd expect scores to drop the year after next. Curriculum doesn't change that fast.