PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Mayoral candidate John Krol has unequivocally called for ending the practice of using the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) as a mandatory requirement for graduation.

 

"How draconian is it that we are using this test as a requirement to graduate here in Massachusetts. We all know people and have heard the examples of kids and adults alike who simply 'don't test well.' It's time to end this practice and join so many other states around the country that examine our students with a more authentic and suitable assessment for success in acquiring scholarly skills. Keeping a diploma from a child because they didn't score high enough on a test is harming not only those soon to be young adults but our community as a whole," said Krol in a statement last week. 

 

Krol has four children attending the Pittsfield Public Schools and his wife, Cara Krol, has been a teacher in the PPS for 23 years. He said he cares deeply about the quality of the schools, the classroom environment, the diversity of offerings for students including the arts, and proper support for teachers and paraprofessionals.

 

The Citizens for Public Schools released a report in April of this year that he said proves plainly that the use of MCAS as a high stakes barometer is harmful to children. The executive summary stated:

 

Twenty years into the implementation of MCAS as a high school graduation requirement, the policy has harmed students who have been denied diplomas and has failed to address inequities in academic outcomes by race, income, language, and disability. As funding increased, scores on national tests went up for all subgroups between 1993 and 2003. Fewer students scored below the "Basic" level on national tests. That was especially true for Black and Latinx students. When the graduation requirement took effect in 2003, there was no appreciable impact on these trends, but educators report a range of negative consequences, including narrowed curriculum, increased stress and anxiety among students.

 

"This is a first step in ending the obsessive focus on a high-stakes exam, which drives our curriculum and the experience in the classroom in the PPS," said Krol. "I envision a school system that thrives on a diversity of offerings, including more arts, music and material that inspires our students and staff alike. We cannot continue teaching to a narrowly-focused test, obsessing over data, and severely limiting the possibilities for our staff and students."

 

According to CPS, since the implementation of the requirement in 2003, some 52,000 students did not receive a diploma for not meeting MCAS-mandated scores; more than two-thirds of them have disabilities of some kind.

 

There is both a pending ballot question that will be put to voters statewide to end MCAS as a graduation requirement and a piece of legislation known as the Thrive Act that will do the same. The Massachusetts Teachers Association, multiple parents and students organizations all support these measures. 

 

"Mayors have a role in this fight. It's important that the voters know where I stand on this vital issue. Particularly in the culturally-rich Berkshires, our schools need to be partnering with our many cultural institutions to more fully enrich our students," said Krol.

 

Submitted by the campaign for John Krol for Mayor.