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Malone discusses core project-based learning with Becket-Washington Elementary School Principal Leslie Blake-Davis.
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Malone meets with school administrators and School Committee Chairman Michael Case during his visit to Becket-Washington.

Education Secretary Malone Shares Insight on New Testing

By Dan GigliottiiBerkshires Correspondent
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State Secretary of Education Matthew Malone meets pupils during his visit to Becket-Washington Elementary School on Friday.

BECKET, Mass. — State Secretary of Education Matthew Malone's trip to the Berkshires included a tour of Becket-Washington Elementary School and encouraging words for its students and school officials on Friday.

Malone met with administrators, School Committee members and the superintendent to informally discuss important education issues in the region and state. Superintendent William Cameron welcomed Malone, along with Principal Leslie Blake-Davis and members of the School Committee.

Concerns Assistant Superintendent Robert Putnam had with the efforts of regional school officials to implement rigorous District Determined Measures — part of a state initiative meant to reflect the connection between strong professional practices and student achievement — were immediately quelled by Malone.

"People are getting all worried about the accountability police coming out. I don't see 'em," Malone said. "From what you just described to me, you already sound 10 times more prepared than most other places we've talked to."

Following an educators' meeting he attended this week at Frontier High School at which an urgency for implementing state assessment measurements were a topic of concern, Putnam said Malone's message, "don't freak out," was welcomed, given his influence in state education policy.

Malone's interest in visiting the elementary school was expressed to Blake-Davis at a recent state conference, particularly because it is one of 47 innovation schools created in 2010, a distinction that allows for greater flexibility with regards to curriculum, policy, professional development and other administrative areas.

Blake-Davis made it a point to introduce Grade 5 teacher Shannon Griffin, whose students ranked No. 1 in the state in math scores. Throughout conversations with third- and fourth-grade students engaged in writing and reading exercises, Malone said he was impressed by the practice of core competency skills in each classroom.


Blake-Davis referenced the integration initiative her students participate in, partnering with Becket-Chimney Corners YMCA and Vermont-based non-profit Four Winds Nature Institute. The program that places students on site at Four Winds five days out of the year for "place-based environmental science education" she described as, "sort of exploring the next generation."

To that, Malone said, "You're already in it," telling school officials that the type of non-fiction reading and writing the program provides is crucial to Common Core competency and should be focused on defending points with contextual evidence.

"It's really powerful stuff. That's how we're going to get at 21st-century skills. That's one of the things that we lacked for so long," Malone said.

Innovation schools was made a line item in the fiscal 2014 budget, creating the potential for additional funding for schools such as Becket-Washington.

According to Malone, there is some misunderstanding of core competency strategies largely because of common misconceptions about impending implementation of PARCC trial tests throughout the commonwealth.

"The state has not voted to abandon the MCAS yet. What we voted on, was to field test the PARCC," Malone said.

Massachusetts is part of a consortium of states and agencies testing the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers as part of its adoption of Common Core standards. C.T. Plunkett Elementary School in Adams will be among the first in the state to pilot the tests.

The tests were meant to be administered online, though statewide issues with infrastructure — the availability of broadband Internet connectivity — has led to an inequity in information access that must be remedied for the PARCC tests to fulfill their intended cause, according to Malone.


Tags: assessment,   elementary schools,   MCAS,   PARCC,   testing,   

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Dalton Select Board Argues Over Sidewalk Article

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — A heated discussion concerning sidewalks during Monday night's Select Board meeting resulted in the acting chair calling a recess to cool the situation. 
 
The debate stemmed from the two articles on the town meeting warrant for May 6 at 7 p.m. at Wahconah Regional High School. 
 
One proposes purchasing a sidewalk paver for $64,000 so sidewalks can be paved or repaired for less money, but they will use asphalt rather than concrete. The other would amend the town's bylaws to mandate the use of concrete for all future sidewalks. 
 
The article on concrete sidewalks was added to the warrant through a citizen petition led by resident Todd Logan. 
 
The board was determining whether to recommend the article when member John Boyle took the conversation in a new direction by addressing how the petition was brought about. 
 
"I just have a comment about this whole procedure. I'm very disappointed in the fact that you [Logan] have been working, lobbying various groups and implementing this plan and filed this petition six weeks ago. You never had any respect for the Select Board and …" Boyle said. 
 
Before Boyle could finish his statement, which was directed to Logan, who was in the audience, Chair Joe Diver called point of order via Zoom. 
 
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