Unbalanced Reporting

Anyone who knows what I spend my summer doing, and where I'm currently trying to get a job knows that this story went up my ass sideways. "Disabled Daughter Should Not Take the Test".

I'm rather disappointed with Channel 5 and their coverage of this story. The reporter leaves out critical pieces of information about not only the MCAS Alternate Assessment, but of federal and state laws that mandate these tests.

Yes, this girl is significantly disabled. However, she is a public school student in Massachusetts. She has the same rights as all of her non-disabled peers to access the general curriculum to the best of her ability, and the general curriculum includes the MCAS. It is actually a violation of her civil rights to deny her particpation in the MCAS. Dad's comment that the only thing people are telling him about her taking the test is, "It's the law" is misleading. Yes, it's the law, and yes, she needs to participate, but the MCAS Alternate assessment, which is portfolio based and a collection of work and data collected on skill mastery over the course of the year, and taken during routine instruction during the day, is not a sit-down test in any way. I would invite this father, Bianca de la Garza, and any of my readers to talk to me, or my colleagues, about what a sophisticated system of assessment the MCAS Alternate Assessment really is. Teachers go through specialized training on how to choose the appropriate frameworks, compile the data, and submit the portfolios. These students are contributing to the success of their individual school districts regarding No Child Left Behind progress monitoring, and students who participate in assessments of this nature are students who receive much needed funding and services to allow them their federally mandated access to the general curriculum.

I'm sure this father wants what's best for his daughter. As an educator, I want what's best for my students as well. But this news outlet's coverage of this story was bordering on irresponsible. No one from the assessment office was quoted in the story, people who can speak intelligently and eloquently on the MCAS and the MCAS Alternate assessment, who can give you a more detailed answer than, "it's the law". An answer that will show you that this test is not evil, or unfair, or inaccessible. It provides critical data on student learning and allows students who years ago would not have had opportunities to work with their peers on challenging curriculum the same chances to learn as their non-disabled peers. It's about access, it's about student learning, and it's about fairness. I'm sorry Channel 5 was so short sighted; it's not their style.