MTA Board Position on Assessment

The MTA Board of Directors voted unanimously in support of the attached motion on March 22, 2014. The intent of the Board is to call upon state and local education stakeholders and policymakers to open up discussions with parents, educators and students regarding the development, administration and use of standardized tests and other mandated assessments.

The MTA Board of Directors, elected from across the state to represent our 110,000 members from pre-K through higher education, is concerned about the amount of testing and assessments in our schools and districts. Many of our members report that the amount of time spent preparing for and administering state and district standardized tests and other assessments is having a detrimental effect on the quality of education for students. We are also concerned about the emphasis being placed on test and assessment results at the state and district levels.

In addition, no evidence has been provided that establishes a reliable and valid correlation between overall educator performance and student results on standardized tests, as they measure very different things based on different criteria. Conflating these distinct items will contribute to public confusion as to their meaning and may be cited by some as the basis for incorrect or unsupported judgments and conclusions about a particular school, district or even individual teacher.

Members of the MTA and educators in general are not opposed to tests and other assessments that are valid and reliable indicators of student learning and that can help our members improve instruction and learning in their classrooms. Educators, however, must be part of the process to determine the best methods for conducting such tests and assessments and how to best use the results.

With the development of new assessments, such as the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), we believe the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education should seek regular meetings with all educational stakeholders to review the impact on students, educators, schools and districts and make course corrections as needed.

The MTA will continue to engage state policymakers and education leaders regarding state initiatives, such as the implementation of any new state curriculum frameworks and new assessments. We will continue to seek opportunities for classroom educators to have direct input into these decisions that affect our profession.

All districts use different tests and assessments to varying degree and for different purposes. Therefore, we ask that our local presidents, members, superintendents, school administrators, school committee members and parents form district-based committees to review all district-based assessments and testing being done in our districts and schools and document the amount of instructional and professional time spent on test preparation and administration and to assess their quality and value in the teaching and learning process. This information is required in order to identify and advocate for assessments that support educators in providing quality instruction and to eliminate those that do not.

Finally, the MTA Board calls upon the members of MassPartners for Public Schools and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to oppose making high-stakes decisions for students, educators, schools and districts based solely on the results of standardized tests.