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BPS picked a new exam-school exam two days after a task force urged it not to
By adamg on Wed, 07/08/2020 - 9:19am
The Bay State Banner reports the BPS's Opportunity and Achievement Gap Task Force unanimously urged a one-year halt on exams because of Covid-19 - just as some colleges are doing with SATs, two days before BPS announced it would be using a test from a non-profit testing concern.
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Comments
Unlike colleges...
It should be practical for all students to take the new exam. The exam is untimed and has already been used in a digital format, according to the original BPS press release. There shouldn't be any issues with administering the test in November; BPS has provided Chromebooks to every student who needs one, and has the resources to distribute Wifi hotspots (they have already done so for select high school students).
In contrast, the main rationale for colleges to suspend SAT requirements is that students aren't physically able to take the exam - because in-person exams were cancelled.
Also, I read in the Globe that BPS had intended to make the decision public in late June, but delayed it for some reason. This would imply that the person representing the Superintendant's office at the task force meeting simply messed up (or was not fully aware of everything else that was happening), weakening the point about BPS ignoring the task force.
The Superintendent herself was at the meeting
The Superintendent herself was at the meeting and implied that resolution should be brought before school committee to discuss. She obviously never intended to do that. Clear you can’t believe a thing that woman says.
The whole exam school admissions system has always been rigged from stem to stern. We all know the Mayor is the ultimate decision maker in this indefensible sham. He needs to be called on to halt testing this year. Glad to see parent & community groups organizing to call him out. The racism, inequity, stress & harm exam school rigmarole causes every year will be on steroids this year due to COVID crisis.
BPS is already going to have to come up with a new system because there are no end of fifth grade grades, so let’s not pretend changes aren’t already being made. Where’s the public discussion on what this new system will look like? It’s utter BS.
Why doesn’t Mayor just cut out all the phony process this year & just ask Pat Bench to send him the admitted students list. Will save time & money.
This Superintendent is a massive disappointment, at least Chang tried to do the right thing. This one just spends a whole lotta time on the fake veneer of doing the right thing. Scratch the surface of the buzz words and the Minnesota nice and you can see she’s the most egregious puppet Superintendent yet. Disgusting.
And you were expecting?
And you were expecting? Surprised?