MCAS, AYP and Cambridge 2005

Wednesday, I attended a press conference held by the Commissioner of Education in the Cambridgeport School. The Commissioner was at Cambridgeport to honor the school for having a higher percentage of students in the "advanced/proficient categories" and a lower percentage in the "warning" or failure category than other schools of similar demographics in the state.

This is the third time in recent years that a Cambridge school has been selected to be "showcased" for progress on MCAS by the DOE. Previous honorees include the Morse and the Graham & Parks School.

But this year, the Morse is on the "Needs Improvement" list along with six other schools and the Tobin is on the "Restructuring" list (along with the Banneker Charter School).

According to our superintendent, CPS has improved the passing rate at nearly every grade level and we are closing the gap between our average and the state's average scores.

So what's wrong with our schools? How can they be improving and still end up on DOE hit lists?

The answer lies in understand the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) system put in place by the federal government as part of the No Child Left Behind Act. In simple terms, AYP is a system of numerical targets for MCAS Math and English scores for each district, school and subgroup (over 40 students) of students in a school. These were calculated to ensure that by 2014 every student in every school is scoring at "proficiency" on all tests. Each year that the target is not reached in any category, the penalties increase until a school faces potential takeover by the state or conversion to a charter school.

The problem is that this system is not based on education, at all. It is based on mathematical equations -- and the twin assumptions that schools can be turned around within a year's time and that test scores improve at a steady, linear rate -- none of which is supported by school reform research.

I believe MCAS can be used as a diagnostic tool to improve teaching and learning. The AYP system makes a mockery of that process and is being used to wrest control of schools away from local citizens.

Keeping Families in Cambridge

It's happening across the U.S. -- from Portland, Oregon to Cambridge, Massachusetts --Hip, vibrant, urban centers are losing families to suburbs. It's about space, soaring housing costs and perceptions (sometimes MISperceptions) about the quality of the public schools.

What can we do to keep families in Cambridge?

This is a question that I am posing along with City Councillors Henrietta Davis and Denise Simmons.

Please come share your ideas at three "All in Family" conversations across the city on three Sundays in October.

I am leading the discussion this Sunday, Oct. 2 in Cambridgeport. Parent Josie Patterson is graciously opening her house for this event. Please come ready to write down your ideas and talk about how we can get the good news out about what we like about our schools and brainstorm ways to make our schools even more "family-friendly."

Henrietta and Denise will lead two other conversations on "Families and Afterschool" and "Families and Housing" on October 16 and October 23.

Door Knocking

Going door to door is best, of course, on a warm Sunday in the fall, when everyone is kicked back, watching football and maybe still grilling dinner on the porch. Today I talked with two mothers of four-year-olds looking forward to sending their kids to public kindergarten next year. I also spoke to three high school parents and one high schooler himself. The parents were cautiously optimistic about progress at the high school, but the high schooler, a sophomore, was totally enthusiastic. “There is so much available; so much to do,” he said. Not that everything is perfect. Some of his homework looks taken verbatim from the Internet (Is this a good thing?) and the line for pizza at the cafeteria is way too long.

People often ask me what kind of reception I get when I go door-to-door. They would be amazed to know how friendly people are, how many people invite me into their kitchens and living rooms to talk about schools and politics.