Education Commissioner Jeff Riley intends to waive accountability determinations for districts and schools based on this year s MCAS exam, according to a senior department official who sought on Wednesday to assuage skeptics worried that the test results after a year of disrupted learning could be used against schools.
Associate Education Commissioner Robert Curtin, with the department s Center for District Support, said the results of the MCAS exams being administered this spring would be published, but would not be used to compare the performances of schools or tag schools and districts as underperforming and in need of support services. It just wouldn t be right to run the accountability system in the way we have run it previously in this school year, said Curtin, who said the test results would instead be used for diagnostic and information purposes.
Massachusetts education officials to press pause on school accountability determinations
Updated May 12, 2021;
By Matt Murphy | State House News Service
Education Commissioner Jeff Riley intends to waive accountability determinations for districts and schools based on this year’s MCAS exam, according to a senior department official who sought on Wednesday to assuage skeptics worried that the test results after a year of disrupted learning could be used against schools.
Associate Education Commissioner Robert Curtin, with the department’s Center for District Support, said the results of the MCAS exams being administered this spring would be published, but would not be used to compare the performances of schools or tag schools and districts as underperforming and in need of support services.