Framingham Votes 4-3 To Move to PARCC in 2014-15 School Year

UPDATED. First published at 9:01 p.m. on 9/16/14

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For the second time time in three months, the Framingham School Committee voted whether to use PARCC or MCAS to evaluate students in grades 3-8. High School students - specifically grade 10 students - would still use the MCAS.

Tuesday night, the Framingham School Committee voted 4-3 to move to PARCC.

Voting in favor was Beverly Hugo, Eric Silverman, Jim Stockless and Heather Connolly.

Heather Connolly switched her vote from June.

In June, the Framingham School Committee voted 4-3 to stay with MCAS and not with PARCC.

PARCC stands for Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers. PARCC is a group of states working together to develop a set of assessments to measure whether students are on track to be successful in college and their careers.

The high quality, computer-based K–12 assessments in mathematics and English language arts/literacy provide teachers, schools, students, and parents better information whether students are on track in their learning and for success after high school, and tools to help teachers customize learning to meet student needs, according to the PARCC website.

PARCC tests, like the MCAS tests, would be administered in March and May.

The vote means the Framingham School District will alert the state of its intention to use the PARCC tests in 2015. The deadline to let the state know is October 1.

However, it is unknown at this time, what test Framingham students in grades 3-8 will be given in March and May. The state could decide Framingham should continue with MCAS in 2015, as it did not sign up by the Commonwealth’s first deadline of June 30.

Framingham Superintendent of Schools Stacy Scott said after the meeting he does know when the state will make its decision.

Before the School Committee voted, teachers from a couple of schools spoke in favor and against moving ahead with PARCC In this school year.

Jae Goodwin, a teacher at Dunning Elementary School, which piloted the PARCC tests, was in favor of PARCC.

Barbieri Elementary teacher Tamar Szmuilowicz spoke against the move this year. Framingham Teachers Association co-president Sarah Smith, who is a kindergarten teacher at Brophy Elementary, also asked the School Committee to stay with MCAS for one more year.

Editor’s Note: Dunning Elementary is the district’s only level one school - or top-performing school. Barbieri and Brophy elementary schools are both categorized as level 3 schools by the state.

Smith questioned whether the schools are ready technologically to hand the computerized PARCC exams. She also said several teachers have yet to receive professional development in the new assessments. She also questioned the price tag of moving to PARCC, this year.

School Committee member Don Taggart, as he had in June, said he needed to listen to the teachers - that they are all not ready for the assessments, and voted against moving forward with PARCC at this time.

“I am not convinced yet, you have made the staff ready,” said Taggart.

School Committee member Jim Stockless said he had not heard from one person who wanted to stay with MCAS. Stockless voted to go with PARCC in June and again last night.

School Committee member Andy Limeri, who voted to stay with MCAS in June and again last night, said he does not think any staff is clinging to stay with MCAS. He said staff is telling us they are not ”prepared” for PARCC.

Issues were also raised about how students with special needs, who have IEPs, will be accommodated under PARCC.

Curriculum Director Grace Wei said PARCC unlike MCAS is a timed test. It is 60 minutes and some students can have extra time - a total of 90 minutes, if it is included in an IEP or 504 plan. She said having a test that is 60 minutes as opposed to an all day test - like MCAS can be - is better for students.

“I think that curriculum evolves, assessment evolves, and that we have to evolve with it. I’m confident this will be a desirable step for us as a district,” said Scott.

If the state allows Framingham to use the PARCC assessment over MCAS, the state has said it will not hold the district accountable if student scores are worse. Nationally, many districts have found that scores have dropped in the first year of PARCC.

in 2016, the Massachusetts Board of Education is expected to take a vote to decide if PARCC will replace MCAS as an assessment for the state. Presently, grade 10 students must pass the MCAS exams in order to graduate from high school, per the state board of education.

District that use PARCC before that 2016 vote are considered part of a trial.

The district has said that teachers will be held harmless with the PARCC exams, but can the same be said for our students,” said Smith.