Massachusetts Education
Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993
The Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993 brought great changes to the state's education system. The Act provided for greater funding of MA public schools, as well as more equitable funding between them, by establishing a foundation budget for all schools. In addition to increased funding, the Act also proposed statewide educational standards. Prior to 1993, the only educational requirements were history and physical education. The frameworks were created as guidelines for curriculum in all core academic subjects. The science/technology, mathematics, world language, arts, and health frameworks were approved in 1995, and the ELA framework was approved in 1997.
The Act also introduced statewide student testing through the creation of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS). The MCAS was created to reflect the frameworks and identify students who may need more assistance in particular curriculum areas. Additionally, the Act mandated that students must pass the 10th grade MCAS to graduate and receive their high school diplomas.
The Act additionally raised expectations for educators. New teachers were now required to pass two tests in order to gain licensure: one on their content area, and another on communication and literacy skills. Current educators were also expected to continue their own education and improve their teaching practice through professional development. [3] [4]
Every Student Succeeds Act
Signed in 2015 by President Obama, the Every Student Succeeds Act was created as an improvement upon the previous No Child Left Behind Act. The Act's purpose was to increase equity in education by ensuring a high-quality education for all students and closing achievement gaps. The Every Student Succeeds Act gave more power to the state governments to govern their education. Under the Act, states were required to adopt a set of academic standards and give yearly standardized tests to students grades 3-8 to monitor student ability and state educational success. Additionally, all students, including those with disabilities, must be held to the same academic and testing standards as other students. [7] [22]