As this discussion got underway in earnest a few weeks ago, the first thing I did was to put out a four-question survey to teachers with a brief recap of the information currently known about the two testing systems that has been shared to date. I received 110 responses, or approximately 28% of the total teaching staff.
Results:
• 63% feel we should continue the regular MCAS schedule next year
• 38% feel we should do some combination of PARCC – either for all grades, or just grades 3 through 8 (Grade 10 will continue with the MCAS in all scenarios)
• Nearly 2-to-1, teachers opted to continue with MCAS next year, but it was also clear that many teachers think going with PARCC would have its advantages
In reading over their comments, one of the most frequently cited reasons was the stress teachers are feeling as a result of the accumulation of new mandates and initiatives over the past two years – with no time to catch their breaths.
As you well know, we have been bombarded with state initiatives including the new CCSS – which Arlington teachers are excited about, but feel the need for additional time to more fully implement; a new comprehensive Educator Evaluation system that requires goal setting, evidence collection, follow-up meetings, and written responses; District Determined Measures – or the selection of common assessments that will be used to measure both student growth and a teacher’s ability to help students attain that growth, the new GOLD kindergarten assessment, and a graduate level course in SEI for every content area teacher.
When you look at how this all adds up for an individual teacher, I think you can begin to understand where the stress is coming from.
Veteran teachers and newer teachers alike are feeling the strain of so many changes in such a short amount of time. I think teachers are beginning to understand that this is the new normal, but many teachers have expressed that the pressure and stress they are feeling is really taking a toll on their work as educators, and it’s having an impact on the learning environment in the classroom.
I think many of the 63% of teachers who want to stick with MCAS are looking for a chance to consolidate their understandings of the multiple new mandates before taking on yet another big shift. These teachers are also asking for more time to focus on meeting the new standards – the teaching part, before they begin to shift their focus to meeting the demands of the new assessment system – the testing part.
Overall, Arlington has fared better than many other districts with the implementation of the recent state mandates by taking advantage of opportunities to slow things down. We didn’t sign on to RTTT, and that allowed us an additional year to implement the new Ed. Eval system – a year that we put to good use. By turning down the $60,000/year carrot in federal education funding, we saved ourselves some major turmoil. Talk to any of the RTTT districts about what their first year was like with the new evaluation system. It wasn’t pretty.
Similarly, Arlington was assigned to Cohort 2 for RETELL – and that helped us get organized to comply with this mandate within the district in a way that many other districts have envied. It gave us time to plan thoughtfully and get more voices in on the conversation.
I think one of the main questions you will need to answer tonight is whether or not the “hold harmless” carrot the state is holding out is enough of an incentive to warrant piling on one more new thing right now. Even if we technically can muster the IT support, hardware acquisition, and teacher training to implement PARCC next year, the question in my mind ultimately comes down to – should we do it?
No matter what you decide, we can and should put the year to good use getting ready for a future where online assessments are likely to be the norm. No matter what decision is made about next year’s assessments, we need to ensure that we are getting our technology up to speed and introducing all teachers and students to the PARCC via the practice tests. We can do this with or without committing to the full PARCC online assessment.
Local districts are struggling to regain some control in the debate around how much testing we need, what kind of testing gives us the information we need, and how we can better streamline the testing regimen in a way that puts the role of testing in its proper place. Unlike all of the other recent mandates, this decision comes with options. I am very interested in opening up the conversation to teachers. I fear that any decision you make tonight will be made with limited teacher input. I think this is unfortunate.
I have shared the results of a survey given out during the last week of school, that 28% of Arlington’s teachers took the time to complete. That is a beginning, but it is not enough. I think it is in the district’s best interest to make sure that educators’ voices are heard in this important decision. After all, they are the instructional experts that will prepare our children academically and emotionally to get through whatever assessments the district and state mandate. The more buy in we have at the outset, the better the ensuing plan will go – whatever the final decision is.
This viewpoint was published Thursday, June 26, 2014.
