Massachusetts residents will have the opportunity to vote on five ballot questions this November, including Question 2, which focuses on removing the high school graduation requirement tied to the MCAS exams. To help voters better understand these important issues, booksellers have recommended reading materials to inform their decisions at the ballot box.
Question 2 aims to eliminate the need to pass English, math, and science MCAS exams in order to earn a high school diploma. The debate surrounding this question has sparked discussions about its impact on low-income and English-learning students versus maintaining a state standard.
Book recommendations include “What Does It Mean to Be Well Educated? And More Essays on Standards, Grading, and Other Follies” by Alfie Kohn, “The Hardest Questions Aren’t on the Test: Lessons from an Innovative Urban School” by Linda F. Nathan, and “The Opportunity Equation: How Citizen Teachers Are Combating the Achievement Gap in America’s Schools” by Eric Schwarz. These books offer insights into various aspects of education, standardized testing, teacher perspectives, and more.
In addition, “The Art of Statistics: How to Learn from Data” by David Spiegelhalter, “The Teachers: A Year Inside America’s Most Vulnerable, Important Profession” by Alexandra Robbins, “Off the Mark: How Grades, Ratings, and Rankings Undermine Learning (But Don’t Have To)” by Jack Schneider and Ethan L. Hutt, and “Testing Education: A Teacher’s Memoir” by Kathy Greeley are also recommended for a comprehensive understanding of the educational landscape. These books provide different viewpoints and analyses on issues related to education, assessment, and achievement disparities in schools.
By exploring these recommended readings, voters can gain valuable insights to make informed decisions on Question 2 and other ballot initiatives come November.
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