The Providence Journal reports that using the NECAP test as a graduation requirement would have only deprived one student of a diploma, and in that article Mancuso is quoted as saying: “Maybe everybody should trust the professionals rather than running behind our backs and going to the legislature. The system worked just fine.”

In “response” six groups who argued to suspend the NECAP graduation requirement, sent a letter to legislative leaders:

An article in today’s Providence Journal quotes RI Board of Education Chair Eva S Marie Mancuso as citing RIDE! data that only one student benefitted from the “high stakes testing” moratorium bill that passed at the end of the session. In doing so, she suggests that passage of the law was unnecessary (or worse), and that its impact was negligible. Since she expressed interest in informing the General Assembly about the law’s impact from the Board’s perspective, our organizations thought! it worth making you aware of! it from our less defensive posture.

The groups are the RI ACLU, the Providence NAACP, the Providence Student Union, young Voices, RI Teachers of English Language Learners and Parents Across Rhode Island.  You can read the letter here. It says the data is inaccurate (the ProJo article says only one student would have been denied a diploma but the ACLU says this document shows that three students in Bristol alone would not have graduated) and that the number of students potentially denied a diploma was but one reason for the moratorium.

“But perhaps its most important impact is in ensuring that, at least for the next three years, teachers won’t have to waste hours and hours of classroom time teaching to an irrelevant test, and students won’t be dragged out of real classwork in order to spend pointless hours cramming for a meaningless standardized test.”

“We need to change the outcome of the test,” Mancuso wrote, “not the tests.”

The truth is that Rhode Island needs to change both the outcome AND the test – this is demonstrable by the fact that Rhode Island is changing the test, next year.

I can’t think of any reason not to hold off on implementing this very controversial state mandate until at least the state’s preferred test is in place – other than that it may put federal funding in jeopardy. In other words, the NECAP graduation requirement isn’t about testing or math. It’s about budgets.

UPDATE: A spokesperson for the Department of Education tells me there are no Race to the Top implications tied to using the NECAP test as a graduation requirement … In that case, I can think of NO reason not to hold off on implementing this controversial policy!!

My name is Héctor Perea, and I am a proud member of the Providence Student Union.

As you know, the Providence Student Union is a group where students like me can work together to make sure we have a fair say in our education. But we learned this past week that some people still don’t understand the importance of student voice.

Last Monday the Rhode Island Board of Education voted 6-5 against a proposal to have open, public hearings to allow the community to finally weigh in on the use of a high-stakes test as an obstacle to graduation. My friend and fellow PSUer Cauldierre McKay summed up the unfortunate situation in this blog post – check it out to hear how the Board opposes allowing students (not to mention parents, teachers, and the community) to fully participate in an open and transparent public debate of this crucial issue.

Even more disappointing, however, was what happened afterwards, when Board Chairwoman Mancuso dismissively announced that she’s “not going to get involved with sideshows with 16-year-olds” like me. As I told the Providence Journal, “The future of Rhode Island students should not be seen as a sideshow by the very people in charge of our education.”

Then, a Saturday opinion piece by a conservative commentator once again said it was time for students to sit down and shut up. The piece even personally insulted me for speaking out on this issue, saying, “Perea is obviously struggling with the reading comprehension portion of the NECAP exam.” This is especially ignorant because I actually scored the highest possible score on my NECAP reading exam. But I am more than a test score, and so are my friends who are being hurt by this policy.

The attacks on my character aren’t important – I can take it. What does matter is that some adults feel they can shut down the voices of students like me, just because we are young or because they don’t like what we have to say. I think we should be celebrating student voice, not belittling it.

Fortunately, we aren’t on our own; we are so proud of the outpouring of support we’ve had here in Rhode Island and across the country.

Student voice is always stronger when it has the support of people like you. If you agree that students deserve a voice in their own education, please take a second to forward this email to 5 people who may not have heard of Providence Student Union’s mission to give students a fair say.

“This latest lawsuit, an expansion of one filed in July, challenges the Board’s debate and vote in secret last week to reject a petition by seventeen organizations for a public hearing on repealing the “high stakes testing” graduation requirement,” according to an ACLU press release sent today. “…the secret discussion violated the Open Meetings Act, and asks the court to declare the vote null and void, impose a $5,000 fine against the Board for willfully violating the law, and require the Board to consider the petition on its merits.”

In the first open meetings lawsuit the ACLU brought against the Board of Education, a judge prevented the Board from discussing the ACLU’s request to revisit the issue in public. The Board responded by discussing the merits of the issue itself in private and determined it deserved no extra public debate.

According to the press release:

The Board finally placed the petition on its September 9th meeting agenda. Before getting to that item, however, the Board went into closed session, purportedly to discuss the ACLU’s underlying APA lawsuit. Immediately upon reconvening into open session, however, Mancuso announced that the Board had not only discussed the lawsuit, but had also discussed the petition itself in its closed session and had voted, 6-5, to reject the petition.

I believe the best thing happening in Rhode Island recently is the public debate about the education reform/deform movement and, in particular, using the NECAP test as a high stakes graduation requirement.

Eva Mancuso may think this is the sideshow, but I think this is the main event.

This morning there were several very constructive discussions among journalists, teachers, candidates, experts and concerned citizens about how high stakes tests play into education disparity as well as a host of other education-related issues. Noticeably absent was anyone from our government, which has in no uncertain terms communicated it doesn’t want to discuss this issue any longer.

That’s too bad, for us and them. Prior to the NECAP flap, both the Board of Education and Deborah Gist have – at best – flawed reputations with students, teachers and the public. And the ACLU announces another lawsuit over this matter on Monday. Hosting a discussion about high stakes tests is not only in everyone’s best interest, but it would also be a great opportunity to repair some of that damage to their collective credibility with the community.

Congressman Jim Langevin recently won the respect of many liberals and hard-line progressives not be acquiescing to the left, but rather by engaging with us. He took an unpopular position on NSA spying and then called together a town hall and listened and engaged with his detractors. Eva Mancuso and the Board of Education should follow his good example and engage the community about its concerns.

At a time when we are discussing relevance in education, a group of young people have taken it upon themselves to organize and advocate for a significant issue.  Rather than being referred to as a sideshow, they should be referred to as exemplars for promoting a cause.  They have done so with courage, intelligence and commitment.  Believe me, they are no sideshow.

It appears as though the discussion pertaining to the NECAPs has reached a jingoistic phase.  Again, this is unfortunate.  Maybe it is time for a public discussion where champions of both sides sit on a panel, articulate their points and discuss the issue in an open forum.   This has been promised in the past.  This appears incredibly necessary for the future.

I truly appreciate the efforts that many have put into this contentious concern.  I also firmly believe that those in advocate for the NECAP are as committed to their views as those who call for its elimination as a graduation requirement are.  Don’t you think it’s time that we all get in the same room and have an open and public discussion?  We owe it to the citizens of Rhode Island to provide accurate and clear information.  We owe it to Rhode Islanders to provided viable information in order that they might make an informed decision.  Let’s stop the finger pointing and insults and get back to intelligent people being involved in intelligent discourse.

At this time, a number of advocates and myself are planning a statewide forum to discuss the role that standardized tests like the NECAP play in our education system.  Stay tuned for more information.

Here’s the letter:

Dear Chairwoman Mancuso and members ofthe Rhode Island Board of Education,

I am writing today to reiterate my concerns regarding the use ofthe NECAP test as a determining factor for our state’s high school graduation requirement. I Wish to urge the Board of Education to initiate formal rule-making proceedings for amending the Board’s “Secondary School Regulations: K-lZ Literacy, Restructuring of the Learning environment at the middle and
high school levels, and proficiency based graduation requirements (PBGR) at High Schools.”

I have previously Written to express my deep commitment to improving student achievement in  Providence and to Working with professional educators, parents and young people in our city to  ensure that all of our students are prepared to succeed after they graduate from our public school system.

l believe that appropriate testing is a helpful measurement tool across ages and disciplines. Standardized testing is a tool that is used to evaluate students and professionals at all levels  from early childhood screenings, to the bar exam, to training for police officers and firefighters.  We are Working diligently in Providence to prepare our students for success in the future and to do Well on the standardized tests that they are required to take. Our district-Wide graduation campaign is evidence of that.

That said, I worry that the former Board of Regents has imposed a graduation requirement on our students that is tied to a questionable measurement of individual proficiency and graduation readiness. Particularly knowing that by 2014 – 2015 a new test  the Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) – will be in use in Rhode lsland to assess individual performance in important subjects.

It seems our collective attention should be focused on implementing the curricula and assessments that the new Common Core standards will require  so that our educators, parents and students have the adequate time to prepare and adjust their teaching and learning strategies.

Thank you for your consideration of this important issue.

Sincerely,

Angel Taveras
Mayor

The oft-embattled chairwoman of the state Board of Education voted against a debate on the highly-politicized issue last night despite saying in May that it was an “important” issue that would “be coming before the Board.”

“I certainly want to look at that issue,” she told me in this video. “I think that’s an important issue to have on our plate.”

You can watch her say it in this video:

Mancuso also said in the video, “I don’t think it’s the best test.”

In a tweet this morning related to this video, Jean Ann Guliano wrote, “Chair Mancuso promised a debate. I hope she keeps her word. Since this interview, the Board has met at least twice in private to discuss the matter. Mancuso has yet to explain why she changed her mind.

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Meanwhile, as the Ocean State moves forward with our new day in education politics, Diane Ravitch had this post the other day headlined: An Education Declaration to Rebuild America. It’s a great primer on what progressives will be looking for as we all work together to improve our public schools:

Americans have long looked to our public schools to provide opportunities for individual advancement, promote social mobility, and share democratic values. We have built great universities, helped bring children out of factories and into classrooms, held open the college door for returning veterans, fought racial segregation, and struggled to support and empower students with special needs. We believe good schools are essential to democracy and prosperity — and that it is our collective responsibility to educate all children, not just a fortunate few.

Over the past three decades, however, we have witnessed a betrayal of those ideals. Following the 1983 report A Nation at Risk, policymakers on all sides have pursued an education agenda that imposes top-down standards and punitive high-stakes testing while ignoring the supports students need to thrive and achieve. This approach – along with years of drastic financial cutbacks — are turning public schools into uncreative, joyless institutions. Educators are being stripped of their dignity and autonomy, leading many to leave the profession. Neighborhood schools are being closed for arbitrary reasons. Parent and community voices are being shut out of the debate. And children, most importantly, are being systemically deprived of opportunities to learn.

As a nation we have failed to rectify glaring inequities in access to educational opportunities and resources. By focusing solely on the achievement gap, we have neglected the opportunity gap that creates it, and have allowed the re-segregation of our schools and communities by class and race. The inevitable result, highlighted in the Federal Equity and Excellence Commission’s recent report For Each and Every Child, is an inequitable system that hits disadvantaged students, families, and communities the hardest.

A new approach is needed to improve our nation’s economic trajectory, strengthen our democracy, and avoid an even more stratified and segregated society. To rebuild America, we need a vision for 21st Century education based on seven principles:

· All students have a right to learn. Opportunities to learn should not depend on zip code or a parent’s abilities to work the system. Our education system must address the needs of all children, regardless of how badly they are damaged by poverty and neglect in their early years. We must invest in research-proven interventions and supports that start before kindergarten and support every child’s aspirations for college or career.

· Public education is a public good. Public education should never be undermined by private control, deregulation, and profiteering. Keeping our schools public is the only way we can ensure that each and every student receives a quality education. School systems must function as democratic institutions responsive to students, teachers, parents, and communities.

· Investments in education must be equitable and sufficient. Funding is necessary for all the things associated with an excellent education: safe buildings, quality teachers, reasonable class sizes, and early learning opportunities. Yet, as we’ve “raised the bar” for achievement, we’ve cut the resources children and schools need to reach it. We must reverse this trend and spend more money on education and distribute those funds more equitably.

· Learning must be engaging and relevant. Learning should be a dynamic experience through connections to real world problems and to students’ own life experiences and cultural backgrounds. High-stakes testing narrows the curriculum and hinders creativity.

· Teachers are professionals. The working conditions of teachers are the learning conditions of students. When we judge teachers solely on a barrage of high-stakes standardized tests, we limit their ability to reach and connect with their students. We must elevate educators’ autonomy and support their efforts to reach every student.

· Discipline policies should keep students in schools. Students need to be in school in order to learn. We must cease ineffective and discriminatory discipline practices that push children down the school-to-prison pipeline. Schools must use fair discipline policies that keep classrooms safe and all students learning.

· National responsibility should complement local control. Education is largely the domain of states and school districts, but in far too many states there are gross inequities in how funding is distributed to schools that serve low income and minority students. In these cases, the federal government has a responsibility to ensure there is equitable funding and enforce the civil right to a quality education for all students.

Principles are only as good as the policies that put them into action. The current policy agenda dominated by standards-based, test-driven reform is clearly insufficient. What’s needed is a supports-based reformagenda that provides every student with the opportunities and resources needed to achieve high standards and succeed, focused on these seven areas:
1. Early Education and Grade Level Reading: Guaranteed access to high quality early education for all, including full-day kindergarten and universal access to pre-K services, to help ensure students can read at grade level.

2. Equitable Funding and Resources: Fair and sufficient school funding freed from over-reliance on locally targeted property taxes, so those who face the toughest hurdles receive the greatest resources. Investments are also needed in out-of-school factors affecting students, such as supports for nutrition and health services, public libraries, after school and summer programs, and adult remedial education — along with better data systems and technology.

3. Student-Centered Supports: Personalized plans or approaches that provide students with the academic, social, and health supports they need for expanded and deeper learning time.

4. Teaching Quality: Recruitment, training, and retention of well-prepared, well-resourced, and effective educators and school leaders, who can provide extended learning time and deeper learning approaches, and are empowered to collaborate with and learn from their colleagues.

5. Better Assessments: High quality diagnostic assessments that go beyond test-driven mandates and help teachers strengthen the classroom experience for each student.

6. Effective Discipline: An end to ineffective and discriminatory discipline practices including inappropriate out-of-school suspensions, replaced with policies and supports that keep all students in quality educational settings.

7. Meaningful Engagement: Parent and community engagement in determining the policies of schools and the delivery of education services to students.

As a nation, we’re failing to provide the basics our children need for an opportunity to learn. Instead, we have substituted a punitive high-stakes testing regime that seeks to force progress on the cheap. But there is no shortcut to success. We must change course before we further undermine schools and drive away the teachers our children need.

All who envision a more just, progressive, and fair society cannot ignore the battle for our nation’s educational future. Principals fighting for better schools, teachers fighting for better classrooms, students fighting for greater opportunities, parents fighting for a future worthy of their child’s promise: their fight is our fight. We must all join in.

Embattled Education Commission Deborah Gist will keep her job in Rhode Island, but the Board of Education offered her a two year contract instead of the three year deal she was seeking. Both labor and management can claim some victory this morning.

“It’s a new day for education in Rhode Island,” said Board Chairwoman Eva Mancuso after the meeting.

Going forward, Gist will be given performance reviews. But this isn’t something the new Board instituted last night as a result of the public outcry against Gist. This is something Gist asked for in her initial contract that the old board never did. In other words, while Deborah Gist was holding teachers accountable, Rhode Island wasn’t holding her accountable.

After weeks of watching Rhode Island teachers speak out about Gist, her reforms and her management style, it seems as if both Gist and the Board now want this as much as educators and activists.

“It’s more of a statement going forward that we all need to work together, and that means going in a room and rolling up our sleeves as we did tonight,” Mancuso said after the meeting.

The meeting lasted four hours and about half of it happened in executive session. Executive session means a public body can meet outside the view of the public, but the conference room at CCRI where the meeting was held had a glass wall, and many reporters, teachers, activists and RIDE employees could see the very animated executive session playing out before their eyes.

“We were loud at times, we discussed it, people had very strong opinions,” Mancuso said. She said the Board may revisit either the NECAP test as a graduation requirement or the statewide performance review in the near future.

Pat Crowley told me yesterday, “If the board votes to renew the contract, we want to make it clear tonight isn’t the end of a campaign.”

It shouldn’t be the end of a campaign, and that’s a good thing. To my mind, a very great thing happened for public education in Rhode Island because teachers spoke out and managed up.