Parents and teachers who don’t want students to take the soon-to-be phased-out Maryland School Assessment tests this year have gained an ally in the state legislature.http://www.gazette.net/article/20131218/NEWS/131219295/1070/king-to-submit-bill-seeking-msa-waiver&template=gazette
State Sen. Nancy J. King (D-Dist. 39) of Montgomery Village said Monday she is drafting emergency legislation that would direct the Maryland State Department of Education to apply for a waiver from the federal government so schools can bypass the test this year.
The bill will be submitted the first day of the General Assembly’s session, King said.
The annual test has been used to assess elementary and middle school students’ performance but Maryland is now transitioning to the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness of College and Careers test, a new state assessment that aligns with the Common Core State Standards.
The PARCC test — which will be piloted in some Montgomery County schools this year — will not be fully implemented in Maryland until next school year.
King said she has heard from teachers, parents and others who are concerned that the MSA tests don’t align with schools’ curriculums — which are based on the Common Core standards — and will waste instructional time and won’t benefit the students.
“It’s exhausting for these kids to take these tests,” she said. “They take so much time preparing for it.”
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Gazette: King to submit bill seeking MSA waiver
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PARCC: "The PARCC states selected Achieve, a bipartisan, non-profit, education reform organization, to serve as the Project Management Partner and facilitate the work of the state-led Partnership" http://www.parcconline.org/project-management-partner. What is Achieve? Who are the board members? Go here: http://www.achieve.org/our-board-directors. They include the President of Battelle; and the Vice Chairman of Prudential Financial.
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