Best of Both Worlds

Three things are true when it comes to Cambridge and the MCAS:

1. Our combined scores are not as good as those of more middle-class suburbs.

2. Many parents are skeptical about what would happen to classroom teaching if MCAS scores become the only way we judge school quality.

3. Regardless of what you think about MCAS, most people can agree that any parent would have the right to be concerned if they found out that their child scored less than “proficient” on these tests.

So here comes some news that might surprise you:

No matter what racial/ethnic subgroup your child may fall in, he or she now has a better chance of scoring proficient or above on the MCAS when compared to the state if they attend school in Cambridge.

According to the state Educational Quality and Accountability office, all of Cambridge’s racial/ethnic subgroup scores surpassed state averages in 2006.

Here’s the breakdown, with the percentage scoring proficient or above in Cambridge as the first number, followed by the state percentage:

Asian: 70 percent in CPS; 66 percent in state
Black: 33; 32
Hispanic: 70.1; 59.2
White: 85.4; 82.8

[Note: the EQA was only looking at racial/ethnic subgroups for this report, so I do not have other subgroup comparisons, like low-income.]

Now for an editorial comment:

There’s been a lot of concern about scores not moving, administrative bloat, parents moving out of town and need for dramatic change. But a lot has changed over the past four years and it's time to spread the word. The advocacy has worked and there has been some dramatic change. Scores are moving, gaps are closing (slowly but surely) we have a trimmed down administrative budget and a big jump in kindergarten registration for this fall.

I’m not foolish enough to declare “Mission Accomplished.” But I do think a different message is called for as we head into the next phase. Now it’s time to support our school department and our children in continuing their efforts. Not blindly, but constructively.

Thankfully, Cambridge schools do not need to make the choice between a well-rounded education and test results. Dare I say it? We could have the best of both worlds.

We do need to keep the focus on promoting high quality instruction, which in my definition includes efforts to support every child in academics and in social-emotional areas like motivation. We also need to focus on the serious work left to do to close the black/white achievement gap. (More on this to come.)

In education--where new trends pop up every day--sustaining what’s working, while taking it to a new level, may be our toughest challenge yet.