By Mr. Sannicandro of Ashland, petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 550) of Tom Sannicandro for legislation to futher regulate the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assistance System (MCAS) for public shcool students.  Education.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PETITION OF:

Frank X. Cavanaugh

Laura Medrano

William H. Robinson, Jr.

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In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.

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An Act relative to education.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

1. Whereas the achievement gap defined by MCAS test scores for minorities, ethnic subgroups and poor students still exist.

2. Whereas intervention is needed to improve underperforming schools.

3. Whereas student drop out rates has reach a 14% high while still other students remain unaccounted.

4. Whereas the Hancock vs. Driscoll Case has demonstrated that school resource deficiencies still exist within the Massachusetts school system and Supreme Judicial Court left the resolution up to the legislature.

5. Whereas the funding formula adjustments are needed for both traditional and charter public schools, and the funding restored for MCAS remediation.

6. Whereas assessments for teachers through evaluation programs (603 CMR 35.00) and the program funding support is still lagging.

7. Whereas the Department of Education staffing shortfall has not been corrected.

8. Whereas the No Child Left Behind Act Annual Yearly Progress goals are not being met for 371 schools.

9. Whereas historically, the initial implementation stages for new education reform initiatives have been flawed and has taken more time and resources than originally planned.

10. Whereas students continue to bear the burden of educational accountability while teachers and administrators do not.

11. Whereas raising the passing standards and increasing framework testing will further restrict school curriculums.

12. Whereas some physically challenged, cognitively delayed, autism, dyslexia, language impaired and other students are not included in the mainstream Special Education classification.

Now, therefore, based upon the aforementioned information, we the undersigned registered voters of Massachusetts call upon the Great and General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to implement additional MCAS assessments. These assessments should be implemented in parallel with school officials assigning students in the needs of improvement category to educational proficiency plans in the school districts supporting the raise in test score threshold from 220 to 240. The additional MCAS assessments should exempt students from the graduation requirement for this category and is to remain in place until the Hancock Case and other identified resource disparities have been corrected.  This will help address the achievement gap problems.

And, furthermore, we the undersigned registered voters of Massachusetts call upon the Great and General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to implement additional MCAS assessments in parallel when testing for the Science Curriculum Framework begins for students. The additional MCAS assessments should exempt students from the graduation requirement for this category and is to remain in place until the needed performance training and accountability programs for teachers, as defined in the state education plans, have been implemented and have reached a proficiency level.  This will help school districts avoid falling into the No Child Left behind Act failing category.