NEW SCHOOL EVALUATION MEASURE RECEIVES STRONG PUBLIC ENDORSEMENT

Posted: May 21, 2013 | Education and Cultural Affairs, Senator Alfond, Senator Millett

 Senator Millett sponsors bill to create an informative and accurate evaluation system for Maine schools

AUGUSTA- A measure that outlines a fair system to evaluate Maine schools received a public hearing this week by the state’s education committee. The evaluation measure is intended to replace the flawed school “grading system” implemented by the LePage administration earlier this month.

“As a parent, a former member of my local school board, and the Senate chair of the Education and Cultural Affairs committee, I want the best learning environment for our students,” said Senator Rebecca Millett (D-Cape Elizabeth) who is also the sponsor of the bill. “A thought-out and well-crafted evaluation system should not only tell a school to improve, it should also show them how, and support them as they try. A carefully crafted school evaluation system will recognize the areas in which a school is striving, accepting that no school is perfect, and that even the ‘A’ schools must continue to improve their delivery of education to meet the needs of all students.”

The proposal would involve education stakeholders, including administrators, teachers, parents, experts, and students, in developing a fair school evaluation system. The measure directs the system to base its evaluation on student progress and local improvement measures. Furthermore, the system would not be based on a bell-curve or standardized test scores.

“Two years ago, the Commissioner himself stood before this committee during his confirmation hearing and expressed significant doubts about the effectiveness of using standardized testing to measure performance,” said Senate President Justin Alfond (D-Portland), who testified in support of the measure. “Commissioner Bowen spoke of his own experience as a teacher, and how the pressure to improve standardized test scores forced a focus on math and language arts to the detriment of science and social studies.”

John Kosinski of the Maine Education Association also testified in support of the measure, which he viewed as an attempt to remedy the grading system imposed by the governor’s administration. He urged the committee to put politics aside and focus on building a great product.

“It is clear that the governor’s school grading system is not working,” said Senator Millett, who referenced an op-ed published in the Portland Press Herald by Prashant Mittal, a statistician and faculty member at the University of Southern Maine, regarding the flaws in the current school evaluation system. Mittal argued for peer group comparisons of schools, which will be included in the evaluation system.

The bill, LD 1540, “An Act To Fix and Improve the System Used To Evaluate or Rate Public Schools in Maine,” will have a work session before the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs in room 202 of the Cross Building on Wednesday, May 22 at 1 p.m.