David Driscoll casts a long shadow. It was he who was at the helm in Massachusetts, as Commissioner of Education, when that state took the steps that ultimately led it to performance by some measures equal to that of the best-performing countries in the world. Raising standards for student achievement, creating tests aligned with those standards and using the standards and exams to drive curriculum and accountability were the cornerstones of the state strategy for improving student performance. So I asked David Driscoll for his views on the nation's current struggles with standards, exams and accountability. Here's what he said...
Marc Tucker: MCAS, the famous Massachusetts standards and assessment system, came long before Race to the Top, in fact long before No Child Left Behind. How did it get started?
David Driscoll: It came about as a result of frustration on the part of the governor, the legislature, teachers, parents, and the public over the many attempts at reform that had previously failed. A businessman, Jack Rennie, played the key role in mobilizing the state and developing a consensus around a plan and legislation to implement it. It was referred to as the "Grand Bargain." The state would provide tools, including significant funding, and the districts would provide the results, using those tools. The state committed to $1 billion in new money over seven years. Some of that money went to the training of teaches and principals and some went to the Department of Education to design the standards and build and implement the tests and the accountability system. But 90 percent of the money went to poor districts, mostly to reduce class size and address the costs of special education there.
Marc Tucker: MCAS, the famous Massachusetts standards and assessment system, came long before Race to the Top, in fact long before No Child Left Behind. How did it get started?
David Driscoll: It came about as a result of frustration on the part of the governor, the legislature, teachers, parents, and the public over the many attempts at reform that had previously failed. A businessman, Jack Rennie, played the key role in mobilizing the state and developing a consensus around a plan and legislation to implement it. It was referred to as the "Grand Bargain." The state would provide tools, including significant funding, and the districts would provide the results, using those tools. The state committed to $1 billion in new money over seven years. Some of that money went to the training of teaches and principals and some went to the Department of Education to design the standards and build and implement the tests and the accountability system. But 90 percent of the money went to poor districts, mostly to reduce class size and address the costs of special education there.
