Massachusetts

		REPORT CARD
		NAEP exams		% Scoring proficient
		1996 8th grade math		28%
		1996 4th grade math		24%
		1996 8th grade science		37%
		1994 4th grade reading		36%
		QUALITY COUNTS 1999 grades
		Standards and assessments		A-
		Efforts to raise teacher quality		B
		School climate		C
		Resources (funding):
			Adequacy	C
			Equity	D
			Allocation	B

M assachusetts now has some of the best standards in the country, according to the American Federation of Teachers. And the state is moving to put in place a strong accountability system over the next few years, including new tests for students. It's also getting serious about improving the quality of its teaching force, and early indications are that there's a lot of work to be done. When the state gave its first licensing test for new teachers last year, 45 percent of the would-be educators failed even on the third go-round. The state's B grade on our teaching indicators reflects its efforts to implement policies that will improve the quality of its teachers over time. The indicators do not measure the actual quality of the existing teaching force.

* NOTE: The equity grade is based on 1994-95 data, the most recent available.

© 1999 Editorial Projects in Education

Vol. 18, number 17, page 151