March Board of Education: MCAS achievement levels

Sagan: I gather from some correspondence this week there is still a robust debate
understand that we don't need to rush the vote
Chester: set of recommendations around the performance levels, the labels and descriptions
"developed through a very deliberative process"
standard-setting policy committee
teachers, others in the field
ID number of performance levels as well as names and descriptors
wanted to end up with labels and descriptors that spoke plainly to parents
too often labels don't make it clear that a young person is falling behind
has heard from at least one Board member
need to get it done in the March meeting
Wulfson: "I'm not sure we have anything else to add"
McKenna "I would say (Wulfson) met the expectations"

Bob Lee: wanted to send clear signals
proficiency doesn't signal readiness for college and lack of proficiency doesn't necessarily signal not being ready for college
"nailing just that language"

• Exceeding expectations
• Meeting expectations
• Partially meeting expectations
• Not meeting expectations

Last had included "yet" but that includes some expectation that they're working on it

not clear that it is true

Noyce "if a kid's not yet meeting expectations, everybody should be treating that as an emergency"

Peyser: "if you're in the bottom category" additional assistance should be provided

on meeting expectations, "it's this question as to if you're on track"

"you're on track to being successful at the next grade level"

top level "You're doing wicked well"

"mastery of content and skills"

ready for next year

Wulfson: will be in parents' hands in the next year

move away from old rubrics; people felt students were being told "you just can't make this"

"not just the student's problem; it's everyone's problem"

Sagan: ought to be up to district what support is provided

much of the wrangling at this point is around the accompanying description rather than the bullet points
Moriarity asks if this falls into regulation, or is this good enough in giving schools guidance in speaking to families
Wulfson: giving information to parents
Moriarity: that work isn't going to happen effectively at this level
Craven: keeping track of your kids is "an increasingly more technologically fraught endeavor"

back to this in March