Bill > H413

This bill establishes a Massachusetts Common Core State Standards and Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) Implementation Review Workgroup, a group tasked with examining how these educational standards and assessments are being put into practice. The Workgroup will be composed of members from the state legislature, representatives from educational organizations like the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents and the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the Secretary of Education, parents, academic experts in curriculum and measurement, and representatives from business and policy organizations, with the Governor appointing two co-chairs. This group will analyze best practices for implementing the Common Core State Standards and PARCC assessments, assess their impact on various student groups, determine necessary curriculum resources, and evaluate the Department of Education's plans to support parents and students. Furthermore, the Workgroup will investigate teacher and principal professional development needs, assess the technological readiness of schools for PARCC, and recommend plans for professional development and technological infrastructure. The Workgroup is also directed to consider how the PARCC testing window affects the school calendar, how teachers are involved in improving implementation, and how student growth is measured in relation to new evaluation systems, with a preliminary report due by August 15, 2016, and a final report by December 31, 2016.