PARCC: Part 1
The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education votes November 17 on whether to drop the current M.C.A.S. test and replace it with PARCC – the “Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers”. Proponents say PARCC better prepares students for success after high school and closing the achievement gap with students around the world. Connecting Point correspondent Carolee McGrath spoke with PARCC backers Urban League of Springfield President Henry Thomas, III and Springfield Technical Community College President Ira Rubenzahl.
PARCC: Part 2
Opponents say PARCC and “Common Core” – its companion set of national education standards – have actually hurt student achievement. They point out that many states have now backed away from those national achievement goals. Carolee McGrath gets that side of the debate from Jamie Gass and Tom Birmingham of the Pioneer Institute and Ludlow Superintendent of Schools Todd Gazda.
Through the Lens with The Republican Photographers: Halloween
Republican Photographers Dave Roback and Don Treeger discuss some of the images that they both captured while covering this year’s Halloween festivities
