FYI from BSF, 10.18.24
The most severe decline and lowest MCAS proficiency of any subgroup is English Learners (ELs).
The pandemic was uniquely disruptive for English Learners, with little evidence of recovery thereafter.
But, there was another round of assessment data also released recently, ACCESS for ELLs. A lesser known test, it is more comprehensive than most standardized assessments, requiring a lot of facilitation and even an oral component. English Learners are assessed in and placed in “levels,” eventually testing to the point that they are classified as “Former English Learners (ELs).”
The ACCESS for ELLs data does not set off the same alarm bells as MCAS. There is an oft-repeated misconception that the prevalence of “high needs” students negatively impacts schools in terms of achievement or state accountability. That is not the case with English Learners.
Boston served greater than 1 in 10 of all English Learners assessed in Massachusetts. And, the majority of Boston schools posted an ACCESS for ELLs composite score above the Commonwealth average (3.0).
It goes beyond Boston. More than half of the English Learners assessed in Massachusetts live in just 13 school districts, but their performance is grouped around the mean.
There is virtually no correlation (-0.12) between the number of English Learners assessed in a district and the district’s progress towards state targets.
So how do we square these two data points - low MCAS proficiency and stable results on ACCESS for ELLs?
We don’t. They are different assessments used for different purposes. But they both provide insight - at the level of every student, every state standard, even each question type - that should inform student progress.
The implications are big. This past year, both Boston (33.7%) and Massachusetts (13.1%) reported new highs in English Learner enrollment. English Learners and newcomers initially require specialized support - and there are disagreements over service models - but, over time, data indicates Former ELs are particularly successful students.
The LOOK Act has provided schools and school districts with flexibility to implement new support models and there are individual schools with large English Learner populations and strong outcomes (Murphy, New Mission, Gardner Pilot, Hernandez, etc.)
Finding bright spots and promising approaches comes with some urgency. Increasing enrollment, and increased political pressure, can only mean a greater focus on English Learners.
Notes in the Margin
Your weekly Question 2 round-up. A new poll shows the race tightening where undecided voters “could sway the result.” Berkshire Eagle is a yes, as is a college professor and union leader. Boston is a two public radio station town: debates on WGBH and WBUR. A simple summary of the actual research on the MCAS. Here is what five parents think. The Boston Business Journal is no, as is the current Secretary of Education, a former Secretary of Education, and a former school committee member.
But the big news this week was the joint press conference of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General opposing Question 2. Covered by NBC 10, State House News, Boston Globe, NECN, and WCVB.
What replaces the MCAS graduation requirement if Question 2 passes? “Standards,” proponents say, but each district’s graduation requirements are different and half do not follow state-recommended MassCore standards.
Boston teachers “walked in” to protest stalled contract talks.
As Boston and other districts implement evidence-based literacy curricula, a case study on a district nearly the same size.
The case for high-dosage tutoring in Boston.
Nearly 2 out of 3 Massachusetts schools are segregated.
One bad grade in Hingham is leading to administrative and legal debates around the use of AI.
Counterpoints to prevailing public opinion. How a cell phone ban is stalling in New York, and disputing the link between social media and mental health.
The majority of American charter schools do not stay open for longer than a generation.
With Massachusetts now offering free community college, what are the lessons learned from other states?
Massachusetts has created its own guidance to promote diversity in higher education; hopefully, it is more successful than efforts in other states.