Entries by Jamie Gass

Boston Herald: Intrusive to the Core

The so-called Common Core State Standards in English and math were almost entirely developed inside the Beltway by a small group of D.C.-based education trade organizations.

Accountability Overboard

Special interest groups opposed to charter schools and highstakes testing have hijacked the state’s once-independent board of education and stand poised to water down the MCAS tests and the accountability system they support.

Strengthening Standards-Based Education

The purpose of Pioneer’s policy brief is to spell out the successful standards-based reforms that have made Massachusetts the highest performing K-12 state in the country, and to suggest how the BESE and the 21st Century Skills Task Force can strengthen the state’s nationally recognized curriculum frameworks, student assessments, educator licensure regulations, and teacher subject area tests.

Scaling Up Educational Innovation

Considering this record of low student achievement and the deep pockets of chronic under-performance, the Patrick Administration’s Readiness Project and Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) are right to call for a long, hard look at the state’s achievement gaps, education accountability, targeted assistance, and policymaking.

Education Reform in Massachusetts: Aligning District Curricula with State Frameworks

This study, produced by Pioneer Institute’s Center for School Reform, analyzes school district performance assessment data reported by the Massachusetts Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (EQA). This agency audits school districts regularly to evaluate their progress in implementing the reforms articulated by the Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993 (MERA).

Education Reform in Massachusetts: Using Student Data to Improve District Performance

This study, produced by Pioneer Institute’s Center for School Reform, analyzes school district performance assessment data reported by the Massachusetts Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (EQA). This agency regularly audits school districts to evaluate their progress in implementing the reforms articulated by the Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993 (MERA).