Massachusetts

Massachusetts

 

•Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) graduation tests show that for the class of 2003, 98 percent of whites eventually passed both the math and language arts portion, with 94 percent of Native Americans, 88 percent of blacks, and 85 percent of Hispanics passing.

 

•While gaps are still evident, they are much smaller than after the students first took the test—when, for example, only 35 percent of Hispanics passed compared with 79 percent of whites.

 

Keys from Massachusetts

 

•Unity of purpose (but not necessarily of means) at all levels.

 

•Standards plus a high-quality continuous improvement system that:

 

•Utilizes well-aligned, rigorous, publicly transparent summative and formative evaluations,

 

•Systematically ensures that all students have the opportunity to learn what the standards require.

 

Reville, S. Paul, “High Standards + High Stakes = High Achievement in Massachusetts, Phi Delta Kappan, Vol. 85, No. 8 (April 2004).