Opinion: MCAS Standardized Tests: You Have Options

I was overjoyed to see a letter from Fort River principals Diane Chamberlain and Renee Greenfield inviting parents/guardians to opt in or out of the MCAS, the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System.

Many of you already know that the MCAS is a series of high-stakes standardized tests given to public school students in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, and those in grade 10. In grade 10, the MCAS is currently a requirement to graduate high school. Whether or not you take the MCAS is a family choice, and it’s a hard decision to make, especially if you do not know a lot about the test and its underlying values. Here are some of the questions that have helped us make our decision about whether or not to take the MCAS. We share these with you in the event you want to have a similar discussion in your family.  

·         The idea of the MCAS is to show the student’s progress in acquiring the knowledge and skills as outlined in the curriculum frameworks. Do we think one assessment is a good indicator of the knowledge and skills you have?

·         How a student performs on the test might be impacted by how much sleep they’ve had, whether or not they feel nervous to take the test, whether or not they’ve had enough to eat, and their ability to focus during the test. Are you ok with taking a test where some students face unpreventable challenges that will impact their score?

·         The MCAS test is not designed with all students in mind. Because of the way the test is written, it is often more challenging for students who have learning differences, students who identify as BIPOC, and English Language Learners (ELLs). Do you want to take a test that doesn’t value equity?

·         While you have not been learning in a classroom since March 2020, you will be required to go into school to take the MCAS. Do you feel safe to do that?

·         Because of the pandemic, and the fact that you’ve been learning through virtual instruction, it is likely you have not covered all the curriculum you would have had you been in school. Do you want to take time taking the MCAS and miss more time to learn?

·         Since the start of MCAS in 1993 no evidence has shown a positive impact on students. Additionally, since 2001 when nation-wide standardized testing became mandatory, we have not seen any closing of test score achievement gaps across racial groups. Why do these tests still exist if they are not serving the purpose they originally intended?

·         While it may not happen at your school, a lot of schools cut down on students’ leisure activities (like recess) or eliminate school subjects (Art, Music) in order to prepare for the test. Is that fair for the kids in those schools? How might your action of taking or not taking the MCAS influence such schools?

·         Students in high school are required to take the test in order to graduate. Research shows that tying a high stakes test to graduation increases the youth incarceration rate by 12.5% (Baker & Lang, 2013).

·         Attacks toward public education are based on test scores. If you choose to opt-out, you do not contribute to the data that the system uses to work against public education. How do you feel about this?

·         How do the MCAS align/not align with our family’s values?

Katie Lazdowski, PhD, is a program director at the Institute for Training and Development in Amherst, and an adjunct professor at UMass’ College of Education. Her research focuses on equity in education by way of addressing whiteness and privilege in the system. She is a parent to a third grader.