While we applaud the decision of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to allow students in grades 3 through 8 to take the MCAS tests remotely this spring, the policy does not address the inequity of in-person testing required for English learners. In addition to MCAS, English learners take an annual English proficiency test, ACCESS for ELLs, which is only administered in person. As a result, while their peers have the option to complete all testing remotely, English learners, many of whom live in communities that are disproportionately affected by COVID-19, still need to go into school buildings for in-person ACCESS testing. This is an inequitable policy that favors some students over others.
Additionally, as many students return to in-person learning for the first time all year, we believe English learners will benefit more from time spent on academic learning, language development, and social-emotional support than on taking tests. We call on Commissioner of Education Jeffrey Riley to immediately postpone in-person ACCESS for ELLs testing for this school year, as allowed by federal guidance.
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Helen Solorzano
Executive director, Massachusetts Association of Teachers of Speakers of Other Languages
Phyllis Hardy
Executive director, Multistate Association for Bilingual Education, Northeast