BOSTON (AP) — Gov. Charlie Baker wants to hear from the public about which of two statewide student assessment tests Massachusetts should adopt.
Baker said during last year’s campaign that he felt the state should stick with the existing Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System exam, rather than adopt the new Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, or PARCC, test.
Baker said it’s time for a public discussion about the merits of the tests.
Baker on Friday appointed Paul Sagan as chairman of the 11-member Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and asked him to schedule a series of public hearings around the state starting in June to hear from officials, teachers, parents and students on the tests.
“Paul Sagan brings decades of executive and philanthropic experience to the Board, but more importantly, a deep commitment to expanding high quality educational opportunities for Massachusetts’ students, especially in our highest need communities,” said Baker.
“Paul understands the critical role public schools play in providing our young people with the knowledge and skills they need for future success in their pursuit of higher education and careers,” said Secretary of Education Jim Peyser. “His sense of urgency about ensuring these opportunities are available to all children is inspiring.”
“I look forward to working with Paul Sagan, and I welcome Governor Baker’s plans to gather additional information during our trial of the PARCC assessment,” said Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Mitchell D. Chester. “The hearings and analysis will only strengthen the Board’s discussion and vote this fall.”
Sagan will replace BESE Board member Karen Daniels whose term expired in January. Outgoing Chair Margaret McKenna will remain on the Board; her term expires in 2019.
“I am honored to be joining the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, and I welcome the chance to work with the Baker administration to close the achievement gap and ensure that all students across the Commonwealth have access to a world-class public education,” said Sagan. “As an immediate matter, I look forward to establishing an open and fair-minded process to inform the administration and the Board about how best to maintain and strengthen the state’s well-earned reputation for high-quality standards and assessments.”
“I want to thank Karen Daniels for her dedication and hard work on behalf of the children of Massachusetts, not only through her service to the Board, but through her many years as a public school educator,” said Peyser. “I am equally grateful to Margaret McKenna for her service as board chair and I look forward to working closely with her in the years to come.”
The Governor has asked the new Chair to schedule not fewer than five public hearings around the Commonwealth, starting in June, to solicit public comment from local officials, educators, employers, parents and students, specifically on the implementation of the PARCC tests this spring and the impact of Common Core and PARCC on curriculum and instruction. In addition, the Governor also directed the Secretary of Education to convene an independent advisory group of researchers to assist him in analyzing and synthesizing the relevant studies and to design and oversee additional data collection needed to fill in gaps in the existing research, especially with regard to the predictive validity of the two competing tests.
Baker says he’s committed to a “standards-based education grounded in a high-quality assessment system.”
