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Students from Winchester Public Schools accompanied their teachers to the State House this month to share their experiences with performance-based assessments.
Winchester school officials and teachers have attended briefings with legislators annually since 2016, but this was the first time students went with them. In these briefings, educators present their experiences with performance-based testing and how it influences learning.
Jennifer Elineema, assistant superintendent of the Winchester Public Schools, said the district will continue to bring students to briefings in the future.
“This should come to the people at impact, from the people it impacts the most – the students, “ Elineema said.
Winchester schools have been part of the Massachusetts Consortium for Innovation Educational Assessments, which champions alternatives to standardized testing and has been holding these briefings with the Legislature.
The effectiveness of standardized testing has long been debated. Opponents say the tests have implicit biases surrounding race, class and disabilities. They also argue the tests do not provide a proper measurement of students’ learning. Proponents argue the tests have improved Massachusetts’ quality of education.
In 2024, Massachusetts voted to repeal the requirement that high school students obtain a specific competency level on MCAS – the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System – to graduate. Students are still required to take the test so that families see their child’s and the school’s academic progress.
In Winchester, educators are using performance-based assessments to measure students’ academic learning and career-related skills. The district hopes these assessments will replace the MCAS as a measurement tool.
Each department has created different assessments for its students.
The high school’s English department ran its performance-based assessments from the summer of 2024 to the summer of 2025. The assessment had students create a portfolio of their English work.
Each department had different criteria for selecting which students would come to the State House.
Carolyn Plosky, the English director for grades 6-12, said the English department had teachers select students who had experience presenting in front of government officials from being part of the School Committee in December 2024.
Math teachers at Muraco Elementary School selected four students who persevered through the assessment and were able to explain the steps they took to get to their final results.
Stephanie Andella, a fifth-grade teacher, said one of the students was hesitant at first, but found their footing.
“I can’t tell you how proud they were of themselves and how proud we were of them,” Andella said. “It was probably one of the highlights of my academic career to see this.”
For students, the trip was one to remember. It offered them an opportunity to take control of their learning and feel heard by legislators.
“It was really transformative for me,” said WHS junior Josh Perez. “This should really become commonplace where students get a say in how their learning experiences are.”
Tavishi Chattopadhyay is a journalism student at Boston University. This story is part of a partnership between Winchester News and the Boston University Department of Journalism.
