Invalidation Letter From Commissioner
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Mitchell D. Chester, Ed.D. Commissioner Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 75 Pleasant Street, Maiden, Massachusetts 02148-4906 Telephone: (781) 338-3000 TTY: N.E.T. Relay 1-800-439-2370 June 20,2014 Daniel J. Warwick, Superintendent Springfield Public Schools 1550 Main Street Springfield, MA 01103 Dear Superintendent Warwick: As you know, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has been conducting an investigation into anomalous MCAS test results at the Mary A. Dryden Veterans Memorial School. Based upon the findings of the investigation to date, I am convinced that the test administrations in the years 2011, 2012, and 2013 were compromised, and that student- and school-level results from those years are not valid. Consequently, the Department will immediately invalidate Dryden Memorial School's MCAS test results in English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, and Science and Technology/Engineering for all grades for 2011, 2012, and 2013. I want to make clear that there is no evidence to suggest that students were at fault or played any role in the testing irregularities. The Department began its investigation when routine analyses showed statistical anomalies in Dryden Memorial School's MCAS test results in recent years, including large increases in student achievement from one year to the next, and disparities between students' performance on multiple-choice questions compared to their performance on open-response questions. The Department's investigation has revealed widespread erasures of students' responses to multiple- choice questions, and the replacement of incorrect answers with correct answers. The Department has also conducted analyses that showed significant declines in MCAS scores and Student Growth Percentiles for Dryden graduates who enter Springfield middle schools. Given the uncertainty surrounding prior years' results, the Department worked closely with your office this spring to preserve the integrity of the spring 2014 MCAS administration and ensure the validity of the results. We did so by requesting that your office monitor and coordinate the MCAS test administrations, with Department oversight, at Dryden Memorial School, and that you maintain custody of the test materials in secure storage at the district central office when they were not at the school for testing. I want to thank you and the district's stafffor your full cooperation with this request. Based on the district's reports and our first-hand observations of
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Letter from the state education commissioner to the Springfield school superintendent.
Transcript of Invalidation Letter From Commissioner
Mitchell D. Chester, Ed.D.Commissioner
Massachusetts Department ofElementary and Secondary Education75 Pleasant Street, Maiden, Massachusetts 02148-4906 Telephone: (781) 338-3000
TTY: N.E.T. Relay 1-800-439-2370
June 20,2014
Daniel J. Warwick, SuperintendentSpringfield Public Schools1550 Main Street
Springfield, MA 01103
Dear Superintendent Warwick:
As you know, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has been conducting aninvestigation into anomalous MCAS test results at the Mary A. Dryden Veterans MemorialSchool. Based upon the findings of the investigation to date, I am convinced that the testadministrations in the years 2011, 2012, and 2013 were compromised, and that student- andschool-level results from those years are not valid. Consequently, the Department willimmediately invalidate Dryden Memorial School's MCAS test results in English Language Arts(ELA), Mathematics, and Science and Technology/Engineering for all grades for 2011, 2012,and 2013.
I want to make clear that there is no evidence to suggest that students were at fault or played anyrole in the testing irregularities.
The Department began its investigation when routine analyses showed statistical anomalies inDryden Memorial School's MCAS test results in recent years, including large increases instudent achievement from one year to the next, and disparities between students' performance onmultiple-choice questions compared to their performance on open-response questions. TheDepartment's investigation has revealed widespread erasures of students' responses to multiple-choice questions, and the replacement of incorrect answers with correct answers. TheDepartment has also conducted analyses that showed significant declines in MCAS scores andStudent Growth Percentiles for Dryden graduates who enter Springfield middle schools.
Given the uncertainty surrounding prior years' results, the Department worked closely with youroffice this spring to preserve the integrity of the spring 2014 MCAS administration and ensurethe validity of the results. We did so by requesting that your office monitor and coordinate theMCAS test administrations, with Department oversight, at Dryden Memorial School, and thatyou maintain custody of the test materials in secure storage at the district central office whenthey were not at the school for testing. I want to thank you and the district's staff for your fullcooperation with this request. Based on the district's reports and our first-hand observations of
the test administrations, we have confidence that the 2014 test results are valid. Accordingly, theDepartment will report 2014 results for Dryden Memorial School. However, due to theinvalidation ofprior years' results, students will not receive student growth scores with their2014 results.
It is clear that MCAS answer booklets at Dryden Memorial School were tampered with andcompromised in the years 2011,2012, and 2013.1 am deeply troubled by this finding becausesuch actions undermine the hard work, integrity, and commitment of Springfield's educators andstudents. These actions deny parents, educators, and the community critical insights intostudents' academic achievement and progress.
I know that you take this matter as seriously as I do. I appreciate your continued cooperationwith the Department's ongoing investigation.
Sincerely,
Mitchell D. Chester, Ed.D.Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education
