Education reform should help, not punish
Somerville Journal, by Sen. Jehlen, Rep. Provost, and Rep. Sciortino
2/2/10
"Dan" arrived at Somerville High School last spring speaking little English. He's studied hard this year while working 40 hour a week at a job, but his teacher doesn't think he'll pass the MCAS.
If he doesn't, his failing score will count as evidence that Somerville High School is "low performing." Meanwhile, if a Wellesley College professor's child passes the test, that counts as evidence the Wellesley High is "high performing."
Under the new state education law, schools that don't measure up are subject to state interventions and loss of local control. It's called "An Act Relative to the Achievement Gap." Like the federal "No Child Left Behind" act, it features an aspirational title, over-reliance on standardized test scores, and a lack of resources to accomplish its goals.
The bill aspires to increase educational achievement by poor and minority students. Its basic flaw -- using MCAS scores as the major or sole basis for declaring districts and schools to be "underperforming." School MCAS scores correlate 85 percent with social class. They mostly measure student characteristics, not school "performance."
Districts with a high percentage of low-income, limited English speaking and disabled students are always among the lowest on combined MCAS scores. As further proof that MCAS doesn't measure school "performance," middle-class students in supposedly low-performing schools generally match the achievement of their peers in wealthier suburbs.
Somerville is one of the districts with many low-income, disabled and immigrant students, though students in our schools score better than those in many districts with fewer such students.
So, is Somerville "low performing?"
When outside groups compared schools with similar student backgrounds, they found that Somerville schools excelled. U.S. News and World Report ranked Somerville High among the best high schools in the state. Standard and Poors rated Somerville as one of the best-performing school districts in the state. America's Promise Foundation named us "one of the 100 best communities for young people" in the U.S., citing our public schools.
Somerville High has a strong graduation rate, high attendance at post-secondary education, and 25 percent of graduating seniors receive John and Abigail Adams scholarships.
Perhaps instead of threatening state intervention, the state should ask what Somerville's doing right.
Can we do better? Of course! Individualized support and enrichment are needed for all students. Lengthening the school day and year, protecting our low class size, mentoring individual students, expanding early childhood education -- they all cost money. The education "reform" bill is intended to allow Massachusetts to compete for federal "Race to the Top" money, which will be welcome, but will dry up in four years.
Schools alone can't end the achievement gap. Worldwide, countries with less poverty also have a smaller achievement gap.
Poverty, foreclosures, rising rents and homelessness keep some students from steady school attendance. Others are held back by health problems, domestic violence, or family substance abuse.
Teachers and schools alone can't solve these problems. Good jobs that support families, health care, and affordable housing will give more students the chance to succeed.
We reject the law's assumption that collective bargaining is a major barrier to student success. If it were, we would model our schools on Mississippi and South Carolina, where school boards don't have to bargain. Blaming teachers and their unions will not help "Dan" and his fellow students get a better education.