Massachusetts has consistently scored at the top of the National Assessment of Educational Progress in recent years in fourth and eighth grades, in reading and mathematics. Massachusetts and a few other states participated in the TIMSS, an international test of math and science, and Massachusetts did very well, so well that its 8th graders placed second in the world, behind only Singapore, in science.

The New York Times writes about the ingredients of the Massachusetts’ success story. Underlying the improvements in the state is the Education Reform Act of 1993, described below, which was a deal made in which the state provided a massive new infusion of funding in exchange for higher academic standards.

What are the students doing in science? Hands-on projects, active learning, doing not listening to lectures.

What was not part of the reforms?

“Also noteworthy was what the reforms did not include. Parents were not offered vouchers for private schools. The state did not close poorly performing schools, eliminate tenure for teachers or add merit pay. The reforms did allow for some charter schools, but not many.” The legislation permitted only 22 charters for the entire state, subsequently increased to 25. Note also that the state has strong teachers’ unions.

Here is more about the legislation that created the structure for the reforms.

 

In 1993, the state legislature passed the Education Reform Act. Legislative leaders and education leaders made a “grand bargain.” As Tom Birmingham, one of the leaders at the time, described the deal, it was: “We will make a massive infusion of progressively distributed dollars into our public schools, and in return, we demand high standards and accountability from all education stakeholders. This grand bargain is the cornerstone of education reform.”

“Our fidelity to these two core principles helps explain our extraordinary achievements. Throughout the 1990s and in the first years of this century, support for public education was the top priority of state government and our budgets reflected this. From 1993 to 2002, state spending on public schools increased 8 percent per year, for a total of over $2 billion.” 

The Education Reform Act established the following reforms:

1) curriculum frameworks in each subject;

2) state testing (the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System);

3) state tests for graduation, which students could take beginning in the tenth grade, and which they were given multiple opportunities to retake until they passed;

4) more time for instruction;

5) entry tests for new teachers;

6) a new foundation budget that raised funding across the state, especially in high-needs districts;

7) 22 charter schools for the entire state.

It is also noteworthy that the state increased early childhood education funding by 247% between 1996 and 1999.

Massachusetts has made remarkable gains.

But if we use TIMSS as a measure, it is worth mentioning that U.S. students performed surprisingly well in both math and science. A few states, in addition to Massachusetts, took the TIMSS to gauge how well they were doing by international standards. In fourth-grade math (where Massachusetts did not participate), North Carolina ranked as one of the top-performing entities in the world. Yes, you read that right: North Carolina, where the extremist governor and legislature are busily destroying public education.

In eight-grade math, students in Massachusetts, Minnesota, Indiana, and North Carolina ranked among the world’s top-performing entities. In eighth grade math, black students in Massachusetts received the same scores as students in Israel and Finland.

Singapore, Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, and Japan lead the world on these tests. But we really should get over the idea that international test scores are future economic indicators. The U.S.’s international test scores were absolutely dreadful when the first international test was given in the mid-1960s. We were last and next to last in the first international math test. Our students typically ranked average or below average on most such tests over the past half century. And yet we simultaneously became the world’s most powerful nation with the world’s largest economy.

I write about this in greater detail in my new book in a chapter called “The Facts About International Test Scores.”