ERIC EJ1148436: District, Union, and Community Collaboration: Massachusetts Consortium for Innovative Education Assessment

2017·0.3 MB·English

by  ERIC

District, Union, and Community Collaboration:
Massachusetts Consortium for Innovative
Education Assessment
Dianne Kelly and Erik Fearing
Consortium leaders discuss how their model – based on collaboration among districts, teachers
unions, and community organizations – aims to change the way school quality is assessed.
Since 1996, Massachusetts’s standardized tests tend to correlate
accountability system has been strongly with family income and
defined by a single standardized parental education (Reardon 2011).
test. While Massachusetts has received The state’s aggregate scores mask
accolades for its high scores on the significant inequities; Massachusetts
National Assessment for Educational ranks in the bottom third of states with
Progress (NAEP) and Program for the largest achievement gaps by race,
International Student Assessment income, and language. Additionally,
(PISA) tests, absolute results from the narrow focus on one set of metrics
Dianne Kelly is superintendent of Revere Public Schools. Erik Fearing is president of the Revere
Teachers Association and co-chair of the Massachusetts Consortium for Innovative Education
Assessment.
48 Annenberg Institute for School Reform
– test scores in three subject areas – has union presidents of consortium
incentivized narrowing the curriculum districts, with the Center for Collab-
and teaching to the test, particularly in orative Education (CCE) providing
urban districts that serve diverse coordination support and facilitating
students, due to the pressure to avoid the performance assessment initiative,
being designated as an underperform- and a team from the College of the
ing school or district. Holy Cross facilitating design of the
school quality dashboard.
The Massachusetts Consortium for
Innovative Education Assessment CCE’s executive director Dan French
(MCIEA) was founded in March 2016 sat down with Dianne Kelly, superin-
by a group of school districts, teacher tendent of the Revere Public Schools (a
unions, partner organizations, and a consortium district), and Erik Fearing,
key state senator, with the goal of Revere Teachers Association president
creating a new multiple-measures and MCIEA co-chair, to discuss the
accountability system. This system was consortium.
founded on the belief that there are
richer assessment methods than a single
What is the primary goal of the Mass
standardized test to truly assess student
Consortium?
learning and school quality, methods
that can provide a deeper, more Erik: The biggest impact would be a
dynamic understanding of students change in the state education culture
and schools. from a focus on punitive accountability
and multiple-choice testing to a holistic
The consortium is creating a multiple-
recognition of student knowledge and
measures school quality dashboard in
the value of schools and districts within
the areas of teachers and the teaching
their communities. I want to see
environment, school culture, resources,
teachers’ professionalism recognized
student learning, and civic engagement
and have them be involved in the
and well-being. The primary means of
formal assessment of students and
assessing student learning will be
schools. We need to move away from
robust teacher-generated, curriculum-
the extreme focus on one limited style
embedded performance assessments.
of assessment – standardized testing –
The completed dashboard will provide
and on limited subjects, and recognize
parents, students, educators, commu-
the broad value of schools across
nity, and policymakers with a
all academic subjects as well as
comprehensive portrayal of how a
non-academic areas.
school is progressing across all the
areas that contribute to students’ Dianne: Right now, in this state and
social-emotional and academic growth. across the country, there is a false
Rather than one single score, the narrative about the efficacy of public
dashboard will show the areas in which education. We constantly hear in the
a school is doing well and those where media about failing schools and
more progress is needed, providing schools that aren’t meeting the ac-
more complete and accurate data to countability standards in Massachusetts.
use in determining improvements that There are many powerful voices in the
need to be made. Such a dashboard commonwealth that support charter
eliminates the need for single scores, schools under the guise of our “failing
ratings, and levels that currently exist public schools” and the idea that the
merely to sort students and schools. public schools don’t innovate or meet
individual student needs. Those are
The consortium’s governing board
untruths about what is really happen-
consists of superintendents and teacher
ing in public education today.
Dianne Kelly and Erik Fearing VUE 2017, no. 46 49
The Revere Public Schools is a perfect dents to show us what they know and
example of an urban school district in can do in multiple ways instead of
which we have high levels of poverty pigeonholing them into “show me this
and a diverse student population, and one way to do this, which is the way I
yet our schools are succeeding. But want it done, and if you can’t, you’re a
there is no one beating down our doors failure.” MCIEA creates an opportu-
to do a story about that; instead, they nity for students to express themselves
are talking about how bad the public through learning that engages them.
schools are. So we need to find
Erik: One reason I am interested in
alternative ways of demonstrating that
MCIEA is to get a better measure for
our public schools are, in fact, succeeding.
districts. The current accountability
The idea isn’t that we abandon system2 is punitive for districts with
accountability. Rather, we want to high percentages of low-income
abandon having one test be used to students, almost guaranteeing that
make judgments about a student or these districts will be at the bottom of
school. A number on a standardized the list. We are looking to create
test does not speak to a student’s measures that everyone believes in
unique needs; single scores do not other than scores from multiple-choice
adequately describe the kinds of exams.
successes that a particular child may
have had in school. For example, for a
How does a district become a member
student with an interrupted formal
of the consortium?
education and the social-emotional
effects of living in a war-torn country, Dianne: From the very beginning, we
success might be to spend an entire day wanted to be sure each district was
in school with classmates and not have represented by a superintendent and
an emotional meltdown. But we don’t local teachers union president. The
get to talk about that when all we talk truth is, regardless of what the superin-
about is a student’s score on PARCC or tendent wants to implement, whether
MCAS (Massachusetts’s standardized or not it happens at the classroom level
test).1 MCIEA creates an opportunity is up to the teacher. So if the teachers
to assess schools holistically for how are not on board from the very begin-
they are able to help students achieve ning in making decisions and shaping
instead of looking at narrow, non- the program, then it would be less
descript, decontextualized, single likely to succeed.
test scores.
Erik: This has to be a grassroots effort,
something that teachers believe in.
Why did you want the Revere Public
Schools to join MCIEA?
1 These standardized tests are given to
Dianne: Our current accountability Massachusetts students from third through
system highlights a narrow area of twelfth grade. PARCC (Partnership for
Assessment of Readiness for College and
focus. We should value academic
Careers) tests cover English language
disciplines in addition to mathematics, arts and math; MCAS (Massachusetts
English language arts, and science. We Comprehensive Assessment System) tests
seek to create a different assessment are given in English language arts, math,
and science.
system that incorporates performance
2 Massachusetts’ public schools are sorted
assessments so that, for example, into levels from high-performing to lowest-
students can articulate their knowledge performing based predominantly on student
of mathematics through an artscape scores on the state’s standardized test; test
participation rates and graduation rates
they create. We want to enable stu-
(at the high school level) are minor factors
in determining levels.
50 Annenberg Institute for School Reform
Having union leadership at the building and meeting the needs of our
governing-board level gives credibility diverse students. The process leading to
to empower teachers in the decision- the awards involved site visits with
making process. It’s not easy to get a teams from multiple states who
relationship of trust between a superin- dissected the curriculum and enroll-
tendent and teachers union president ment, examined whether students of
where you can have genuine collabora- color were well represented in Ad-
tion. There is a power disparity vanced Placement classes, observed the
between them. So having both parties quality of the advisory period, analyzed
on board and having the broader discipline data, and gauged the
membership across the district behind relationships among students, between
those people is crucial to staying in. adults and students, and among adults.
They dissected the entire school. In
both cases, Revere High School was
What is the balance of the work
the only gold school winner from New
between school quality and
England. Hugely impressive.
performance assessment?
Yet, in the Massachusetts accountabil-
Erik: In the beginning, each district
ity system, Revere High School is at the
entered the consortium for different
22nd percentile in performance, which
reasons, and some weren’t sure they
is based almost completely on a single
were going to commit to both paths. In
standardized test average. With a hand-
the end, though, every district commit-
ful of lower MCAS scores, Revere High
ted to engage in both parts.
School would have been classified an
Dianne: Both avenues of work are underperforming high school and in
extremely important. In Revere, it need of intervention by the state.
made sense from the very beginning to Clearly, the time is right for us to be
get in on both of them and not feel left talking about why Revere High School
behind on one or the other. is determined to be outstanding on the
national level but is deemed as border-
line in trouble at the state level.
What is the school quality measures
work going to look like?
What is the thinking behind moving
Erik: We want to completely overhaul
from an external testing company
the measures that are used in determin-
to teacher-generated performance
ing school quality. We are asking
assessments in order to assess student
stakeholders within each district – in-
learning?
cluding parents, teachers, students, and
administrators – what it is they think Erik: Standardized tests are efficient at
makes a great school. We will use the providing scores and a ranking, but
answers to build a school quality they are not very effective at actually
measures framework, and then gather assessing learning, knowledge, and
available administrative data and skills. With performance assessments,
develop surveys for different stakehold- teachers are developing, administering,
ers, such as gauging how newcomer and scoring tasks. Teachers, working
English language learners – students together, will be the ones who examine
and their parents – feel welcomed in student work and determine whether it
school. meets the proficiency benchmark. This
process recognizes the professionalism
Dianne: Revere High School has
of teachers. Instead of devoting so
recently received two national awards
much time away from the curriculum
because of our work in welcoming a
to taking these external state tests,
diverse student population to the
Dianne Kelly and Erik Fearing VUE 2017, no. 46 51
we’d much rather have these well- are going to articulate their knowledge
vetted, thought-out performance and skills advances their learning.
assessments where we are getting better Engaging in that type of performance
information about student knowledge assessment is a much more valuable
and capacity from an assessment that is use of time, effort, energy, and resourc-
part of the curriculum. Students will es than to associate a particular
learn something from taking the test, number with a particular student and
and we won’t lose instructional time. with a particular school.
Dianne: What is exciting for me is to
get at the question, “What is the What will implementation of the
purpose of assessment?” If our purpose performance assessment work look like
is to assign a numerical value that in MCIEA districts?
determines the rank of a school against
Erik: This first year, we’ve started with
all other schools that serve students at
professional development for creating
a particular grade span, I’m not sure
and piloting performance assessments.
who that helps. The Massachusetts
“ There are thirteen schools in this first
cohort. Each school has determined the
grade level and subject areas represent-
ed on the lead teams. Over four years,
“Assessment should be a way to inform
we expect to engage every school in
each consortium district in the perfor-
teacher practice and help students under-
mance assessment work.
stand their progress, and giving students
Dianne: I envision a time down the
“ road when using performance assess-
choice about how they are going to articu-
ments in class is just a routine part of
what we do. And teachers meeting in
late their knowledge and skills advances
teams to review student work and
refine performance assessments is a
their learning.”
cyclical thing we do in order to
determine who is achieving under-
— Superintendent Dianne Kelly,
standing of the curriculum, who needs
Revere Public Schools additional assistance, and what
additional assistance we need to give
them.
Will participating districts be
accountability system automatically
exempt from MCAS and from the
says that 20 percent of schools at each
underperforming designation?
grade span have to be failing. It doesn’t
matter how good those schools are; Dianne: Not while we are building our
somebody has to be in the lowest 20th accountability system. Ultimately,
percentile and labeled as failing. I don’t though, the goal is that we are able to
know how that system speaks to what provide robust data about student
our kids know and are able to do. It’s achievement and school progress; at
nonsensical, really. that time, we will sit down with the
state and request them to apply for a
Assessment should be a way to inform
federal waiver that would exempt
teacher practice and help students (and
participating districts from MCAS.
parents) understand their progress.
Giving students choice about how they
52 Annenberg Institute for School Reform
Erik: We would like to see the current one area in which they can choose to
performance rating, single number focus.
scores that are given to schools and
Erik: The school leadership teams
districts, go away. There is a lot more
participating in the performance
to a school than is measured on
assessment institute have spent time
MCAS.
putting together implementation plans
on how to build capacity within their
How will participating districts ensure own buildings. And we’ll have another
technical quality? cohort of schools going through that
same process next year. In the long
Dianne: The fact that teachers are
term, there is a question of ensuring we
meeting in cross-district groups to vet
create a high level of expertise. We
the assessments and score student work
have a quality amount of school-based
will contribute to ensuring technical
collaborative time, so teachers can
quality. Teachers are going to receive
work on and share practice around
substantial professional development
performance assessments in profes-
on how to write an effective perfor-
sional learning groups.
mance assessment with rubrics and
how to assess appropriately. What is
important for us to work on as a Why do you think the state legislature
district is how teachers can work supported the consortium’s work by
together to make sure that implementa- including a budget line item to support
tion throughout their schools is of high MCIEA?
quality.
Dianne: I think even our legislature
Erik: Once we have draft tasks from understands that it is time, almost
multiple districts, cross-district teams twenty-five years after MCAS was
of teachers will be able to look at them introduced, to reflect on what we have
and get a second set of eyes on them. learned and set new, loftier goals for
We will also be partnering with the our schools and our students’ achieve-
Center for Assessment to ensure the ment. Over recent years, we have been
right technical quality measures are in able to identify effective best practices
place. in instruction and assessment. We’re
well positioned to move forward into
this new era of assessment and look at
How does Revere envision providing
the purpose of assessment differently
adequate professional development
than we did twenty-five years ago.
time to implement performance
assessments? Erik: The 1993 Education Reform Act
set a vision for a multiple-measures
Dianne: In order to be selected for this
state assessment. Unfortunately, the
work, each principal and school
test that was created did not hit the
leadership team had to agree to devote
mark; we ended up with largely a
a good chunk of professional develop-
multiple-choice test. We are looking to
ment time to building school-wide
capture that spirit again, to create an
faculty capacity to create, validate, and
accountability system that measures
score performance assessments. That
everything we want to measure and
will help pollinate the work across a
that the legislature wanted to measure
school. As well, in Revere we allow
in 1993. We have a lot more capacity
teachers to select and sign up for ten
now to work toward that goal.
hours of professional development in
any area that interests them; working
on performance assessments will be
Dianne Kelly and Erik Fearing VUE 2017, no. 46 53
What challenges have you faced in REFERENCE
launching the consortium?
Reardon, S. F. 2011. “The Widening
Erik: It has been important to get
Academic Achievement Gap between the
buy-in from all union members. The
Rich and the Poor: New Evidence and
first step has been getting teachers
Possible Explanations.” In Whither
enough information to ease the anxiety
Opportunity? Rising Inequality and the
of an unknown initiative. We are
Uncertain Life Chances of Low-Income
talking about big changes in assess-
Children, edited by R. Murnane and G.
ment practices, and change is hard.
Duncan. New York: Russell Sage Founda-
Many teachers feel that MCAS was
tion Press.
misused and worry that MCIEA
assessments will be similarly misused,
so a big piece is communicating to all
teachers so they have a full understand-
ing to be on board. Being responsive to
people’s concerns meant slowing down
our start-up a little bit, but doing so
has positioned us well for moving
forward.
Dianne: I think there is a historical
context where teachers sometimes
think that new initiatives are coming
down from on high and the union
doesn’t have a say in what it’s going to
be or even whether they want to do it.
We had to make it clear that joining
MCIEA was a joint district-union
initiative and that teachers would have
a say. Whenever we talked about
MCIEA to teachers, Erik and I talked
about it together. That made a difference.
To sum up, what’s the message you
most want to convey about the work
of the consortium to the public and
policymakers?
Dianne: Believe in us. We need less
testing and more assessment for
learning rather than assessment of
learning.
Erik: Schools aren’t failing – that’s just
a narrative that policymakers decided
to write and have stuck to for a long
time to maintain a certain power
structure.
For more on the Massachusetts
Consortium for Innovative Education
Assessment, see http://mciea.org.
54 Annenberg Institute for School Reform