Move over MCAS, because the future of standardized testing is not with number two pencils and papers, but with computers and the Internet. On June 3, Rochester decided to move forward by adopting the online PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) exam and doing away with MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System).

Students at Rochester Memorial School recently completed taking a PARCC pilot run, and the teachers and students alike are showing a preference for the new online test.

Superintendent Doug White explained that a new law grants Massachusetts school committees the authority to decide on which test to adopt, but the decision must be made by October 1.

“[MCAS] is no longer aligned with the Common Core,” said White. “And PARCC is.”

White said the PARCC exam the RMS students took is completely different from what they are accustomed to, but after some time, the students adjusted to the format and were navigating the online exam.

According to RMS Principal Derek Medeiros, students were “flying through the questions” at first, but as they progressed, some began to comment that they had never seen some of the material in the MCAS before.

Medeiros said it took the students some time to realize that the online exam begins to adapt itself around the student’s ability and becomes more challenging if the student is excelling.

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Elise Frangos added that, unlike MCAS test results that were not available until the following school year, data on students’ achievement on the PARCC test is available sooner.

The Commonwealth has already moved to eventually eliminate MCAS and replace it with either PARCC or another online exam similar to PARCC, so a decision to go with PARCC would give an incentive by allowing students to acclimate themselves to the testing method and the types of questions asked. The State will not allow schools to use both exams.

“There’s no combination of the two,” said White. “It’s either all in or nothing.”

In the meantime, the science MCAS will remain the same, and there is no plan in place yet to change or alter the MCAS at the high school level.

White recommended the switch to PARCC, but admitted that, six months ago, he and Frangos were “pretty much on the same page.”

“MCAS or bust,” Frangos chimed in.

But now, said White, after learning more about PARCC, they prefer it to MCAS.

Specific benefits to switching to PARCC include prompt State support in establishing infrastructure for taking the test, as well as teacher training. The year 2015 PARCC testing will also be more like a grace period, with scores not counting against the school.

The committee unanimously approved the change from MCAS to PARCC for 2015.

Also during the meeting, the committee approved another contract to continue to use Whaling City Transportation for special education transportation, a new School Improvement Plan presented by Medeiros, and a YMCA contract accepting an annual fee of $900 cash and $900 “in kind” compensation for use of the RMS facilities.

The committee also authorized White to approach the Board of Selectmen to discuss leasing space at RMS and approved a Professional Development Plan as presented by Frangos.

White told the committee during his financial report that there was still $81,000 left in the FY14 budget, and there are only two weeks left to the school year.

“So, we made it,” said White.

By Jean Perry

The decision to make Good Friday a full day of school in the 2014-2015 school year was upheld on June 2, despite the efforts of some community members to persuade the joint committees to change their minds.

Some Christian Tri-Town residents left the Joint School Committee meeting angrily, with some of them lashing out at the committee, including Maggie McGee of Rochester, who called some committee members “atheists and non-religious” on her way out, adding that they would have to “answer to God one day.”

Both joint committees made a motion to rescind the March meeting vote that eliminated Good Friday as a day off, and the regional committee approved it, but it did not fly with the superintendency union side of the table, resulting in an impasse that blocked the rescission.

Chairman of Superintendency Union #55 Sharon Hartley said this had never happened before, and there was some confusion as to how to proceed after both sides disagreed – as well as some contention.

The matter was still up for discussion, and both sides of the issue spoke out about their concerns, mainly about the “data” that was presented, along with the data that was not available for consideration, such as a claim that the district’s attempt to eliminate Good Friday back in the ‘80s was a failure.

Both principals at Old Rochester Regional stated that during informal discussions with faculty and staff regarding Good Friday, an anonymous poll showed that roughly 25 percent of employees would take the day off as a personal day.

“That’s a huge number of professionals,” said committee member Christine Marcolini of Marion.

Committee member Robin Rounseville of Rochester said, for her, religion was the issue and the committee should not factor religion into the equation of crafting the school calendar.

“Strictly from a secular position,” stated Marion School Committee member Christine Winters, she reminded the committee that no one reached out to the community for input on the likelihood that they would keep their kids home on Good Friday. “How productive is that day going to be?”

We tried doing away with Good Friday 20 years ago, said Marion School Committee member Jay Pateakos. “And it failed miserably.” Rounseville said things have changed in 20 years.

ORR School Committee Chairman Jim O’Brien said Bourne eliminated Good Friday as a day off 14 years ago.

“They don’t have a problem at all,” said O’Brien.

Mattapoisett member Jim Muse said he voted in favor of making Good Friday a regular school day, saying, “It is simply a religious day of observance … and this is a public school system.” He continued, “A public school should not have one single religion identified.”

Discussion among school committee members continued before allowing some of the dozens of residents in attendance to address their concerns.

Newly elected ORR committee member Cindy Johnson said she supported her fellow colleagues in their decision to make Good Friday a full day of school.

“There should be a separation between the sacred and the secular,” said Johnson.

Isabel Gomes McCann, a resident of Rochester, identified herself as “profoundly Christian,” and spoke in favor of the committee’s decision to make Good Friday a regular day. She said Good Friday is treated like Ash Wednesday, in that there is no “day of obligation.”

She also said she was offended by others’ claims that the Good Friday change was “an attack on religion,” when “in Libya, a woman was stoned to death because of being a Christian.”

“It’s just a subtle way of removing God from our schools,” said McGee, who gathered about 700 signatures opposing the decision to nix Good Friday. “It’s not okay.”

Marion resident Joseph Napoli said he was on the committee in the ‘80s when it made Good Friday a school day and “two-thirds” of all the teachers did not show up, depleting the substitute teacher budget.

“I see a division of people,” said Napoli. “You’re dividing people.”

As Marion resident Shaun Walsh pointed out, the district only keeps its records for seven years, so the data behind the prior move to change Good Friday is not available.

Walsh said he called the superintendent of Bourne Public Schools who, according to Walsh, told him that out of 300 staff, only one teacher and two paraprofessionals requested the day off.

“I don’t think 25 percent of our staff are going to do that to our students,” said Walsh.

David Pierce of Mattapoisett said he was disappointed by the decision and added that the possibility of 25 percent of teachers taking the day off creates “a secular purpose for taking that day off.”

Former Rochester School Committee member Michelle Cusolito, who voted for eliminating the Good Friday holiday, said this is a public school and Good Friday is a religious holiday.

“Many of you probably go to work on that day,” said Cusolito. “Why can’t teachers go to work that day?”

Superintendent Doug White admitted he could not guess what will happen next Good Friday, but his concerns were about “safety and education.”

Mattapoisett School Committee Chairman Jim Higgins, who was late for the meeting and missed the first vote to rescind the prior decision, motioned to reconsider the motion to rescind the decision, which was again voted down.

Some committee members commented that they were insulted by some of the remarks that some residents made that evening, including O’Brien who defended the board against accusations that the committee “ducked this issue.”

Also during the meeting, the joint committee voted in favor of recording and televising their meetings beginning with the next school year.

The committee also conducted its annual superintendent’s evaluation.

By Jean Perry

In spite of submitting an updated plan that included a state-of-the art closed septic system, John Williams of Brandt Island Realty Trust did not receive approval to increase the number of bedrooms at the previously permitted development. Noting that originally the plan called for an assortment of two and three bedroom homes, Williams was seeking to change that to all three-bedroom units and a bio-clear septic system. The developers wanted to have the more marketable three bedroom single-family homes versus the less attractive two bedroom units.

After four hearings and hours of debate and conversation including several heated exchanges with abutters to the site, Williams could not convince the board that the amendment was worthy of approval. Williams walked away with what he came in with, the original permit that allows for 90 bedrooms total. The vote was two to three. Voting to approve the amendment were John Mathieu and Ron Merlo. Voting to deny the request were Tom Tucker, Karen Field, and Mary Crain.

Earlier in the evening the board had an informal conversation with Highway Supervisor, Barry Denham regarding problem with storm water drainage at the Appaloosa Lane development. Before hearing from Denham, Chairman Tom Tucker read from a letter received from residents of River Road. He read in part, “…we have been pushed from one board to another, with no help…” The letter referred to stagnant water filling what should be dry drainage ponds, and water flooding their basements. The signatories were Hathaway, Cook, and Lapienski of 11 and 13 River Road.

Denham said that he wrote a letter to the Planning Board in 2007 stating that the engineered drainage plan wasn’t working. He wrote again in 2010 with the same concerns resulting in GAF Engineering coming before the board with a new drainage plan. However, Denham said that in the last six months the new ponds weren’t working any better than original ones. “They don’t work…it makes for a lousy situation for the residents and River Road.” He went on, “Something has to be done to relieve those home owners.”

Ron Merlo said that the matter had been given to the town’s counsel for his review and recommendations. Counsel’s reply to the board was that the impacted residents maintained a “vested interest” in what was taking place on Appaloosa and that they had a right to relief. Merlo moved that they give the matter back to counsel for legal proceedings.

Denham said, “I hate to see the developer just walk away.” Chairman Tucker said, “We have to bring him in and see what can be done.”

Other business attended to were two Form A requests. One was for Buzzards Bay Coalition for Lot #5 on Brandt Island Road to “create one lot which meets or exceeds the minimum frontage and area requirements”. That request was approved. The other was for The Preserve at Bay Club, Field Stone Drive to provide “sufficient frontage on Fieldstone Drive and Sufficient area.” The board was unable to approval the request in the absence of the original plans. The request was tabled until the next board meeting to allow those documents to be submitted with the request.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board is June 16 at 7 pm in Town Hall.

By Marilou Newell