Tag: evaluation methods

OK registration trend continues shift from Dem to GOP, independent

An area trend in party affiliation over the past 14 years shows a dramatic shift in registered voters, including an increase in folks voting independent.

Cherokee County Election Board Secretary Tiffany Rozell shared the data with Tahlequah Daily Press, which shows that over this time span, the number of Republicans increased from 5,833 in 2011 to 12,924 by October 2025. Registered Democrats in 2011 numbered 14,768, and by 2025, the number registered in that party has decreased to 9,313.

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By Lee Guthrie | lguthrie@tahlequahdailypress.com

Source link

November 12, 2025
OK registration trend continues shift from Dem to GOP, independent

An area trend in party affiliation over the past 14 years shows a dramatic shift in registered voters, including an increase in folks voting independent.

Cherokee County Election Board Secretary Tiffany Rozell shared the data with Tahlequah Daily Press, which shows that over this time span, the number of Republicans increased from 5,833 in 2011 to 12,924 by October 2025. Registered Democrats in 2011 numbered 14,768, and by 2025, the number registered in that party has decreased to 9,313.

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By Lee Guthrie | lguthrie@tahlequahdailypress.com

Source link

November 12, 2025
OK registration trend continues shift from Dem to GOP, independent

An area trend in party affiliation over the past 14 years shows a dramatic shift in registered voters, including an increase in folks voting independent.

Cherokee County Election Board Secretary Tiffany Rozell shared the data with Tahlequah Daily Press, which shows that over this time span, the number of Republicans increased from 5,833 in 2011 to 12,924 by October 2025. Registered Democrats in 2011 numbered 14,768, and by 2025, the number registered in that party has decreased to 9,313.

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By Lee Guthrie | lguthrie@tahlequahdailypress.com

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November 12, 2025
Latest MCAS scores prompt calls for reform

BOSTON — State education officials and advocates are calling for a renewed focus on academic performance in the public school system after the latest MCAS test results showed most students are still lagging behind prepandemic levels.

The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released the results of 2025 Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System exams on Monday, showing that students across the state are still trailing prepandemic achievement levels.

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By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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October 4, 2025
AG certifies record number of ballot questions

BOSTON — Plans to bring back rent control to Massachusetts, roll back the state’s personal income tax, repeal the MBTA Communities Act, ditch the state’s gas tax and require voters to show ID to cast ballots are among a record number of proposed referendums inching toward the 2026 ballot.

On Wednesday, Attorney General Andrea Campbell certified 44 proposed initiatives filed by individuals and groups seeking voter approval for changes in state law.

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By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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September 4, 2025
Mass. voters flock to polls ahead of election

BOSTON — Massachusetts voters are flocking to the early polls, and sending and dropping off mail ballots at local election offices ahead of the presidential election Nov. 5.

Hundreds of thousands have already voted through the mail and during the two-week early voting period that got underway Saturday, according to Secretary of State Bill Galvin’s office, which said it sent more than 1.3 million ballots to registered voters who requested them.

As of Wednesday, at least 818,904 ballots had been cast, or roughly 16.2% of the state’s 4.9 million registered voters, Galvin’s office said. That included 154,684 in-person early voting ballots.

Locally, many communities have already seen thousands of votes cast with 13 days until the election. As of Wednesday, voters in Beverly cast nearly 1,100 ballots while North Andover voters had cast 770 ballots, according to a tally provided by Galvin’s office.

Salem voters had cast 756 mail ballots by Friday while Gloucester voters had turned in 428 ballots, according to the data. Newburyport voters had cast 716 votes as of Wednesday, Galvin’s office said.

Topping the statewide ballot is the historic race for the White House between former Republican President Donald Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, who will be on the ballot with their running mates, Ohio Republican Sen. J.D. Vance and Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

Recent polls show Harris with a wide lead over Trump in deep-blue Massachusetts, but the race is tight nationally – especially in battleground states such as Georgia, Pennsylvania and Arizona, where the candidates and their running mates have been campaigning to rally their supporters and win over undecided voters.

Besides picking a new president and deciding a handful of contested legislative and local races, voters will consider ballot questions to audit the Legislature, scrap the MCAS graduation mandate, allow ride-hailing drivers to form unions, legalize psychedelic mushrooms, and boost the wages of tipped workers.

More than half of the state’s voters are registered as independent – not affiliated with a major party – with their ranks swelling in the months leading up to the election. Those who aren’t registered can do so until Oct. 26, Galvin’s office said.

Galvin is urging voters to check that they are still registered and if not, make sure that they do so before the deadline Saturday to register ahead of the election. Under Massachusetts law, there is a 10-day cutoff to register before a statewide election.

“If you want to vote for president, any other office on the ballot, or these ballot questions, you need to be registered to vote,” Galvin said in a statement. “Even if you are already a voter, if you’ve moved since the last time you voted, I urge you to check that your address is up to date before it’s too late.”

Voters can see a full list of candidates, register to vote, and look up early voting locations and times on the secretary of state’s website: www.VoteInMA.com.

Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.

By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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October 23, 2024
Early voting gets underway ahead of Nov. election

BOSTON — Hundreds of thousands of Massachusetts voters have already cast ballots for next month’s crucial presidential election with a two-week early voting period getting underway this weekend, according to state election officials.

Each community will have at least one early voting station available during regular business hours, as well as Saturdays and Sundays, through Nov. 1, according to Secretary of State Bill Galvin’s office.

Voters can also cast their ballots through mail, which can be received by Nov. 8 if postmarked by Election Day, Galvin’s office said.

“Early voting offers each voter the convenience of casting their ballot at a time that works for them,” Galvin said in a statement. “If you prefer to vote in person, this gives you that opportunity, even if Election Day is a busy day for you.”

More than 360,000 voters have already cast their ballots by mail as of Thursday, according to Galvin’s office, which says it has sent more than 1.3 million ballots to registered voters who requested them.

Massachusetts has more than 4.9 million voters, over half of whom are registered as independent – not affiliated with a major party – and whose ranks have swelled in the months leading up to the election. Those who aren’t registered can do so until Oct. 26 and can register online or at early voting locations, Galvin’s office said.

Topping the Nov. 5 ballot is the contentious, neck-and-neck race for the White House between former Republican President Donald Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, who will be on the ballot with their running mates, Ohio Republican Sen. J.D. Vance and Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

Recent polls show Harris with a wide lead over Trump in deep-blue Massachusetts, but the race couldn’t be closer nationally and in battleground states such as Georgia, Pennsylvania and Arizona, where the candidates and their running mates have been campaigning to rally their supporters and win over undecided voters.

Trump and Harris will share the Massachusetts ballot with several third-party and fringe candidates, including the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s candidates, Claudia De La Cruz and her vice presidential running mate, Karina Garcia.

Green Party candidate Jill Stein and her vice presidential candidate Gloria Caballero Roca, Libertarian presidential candidate Chase Oliver and his running mate Mike ter Maat, and independent presidential candidate Shiva Ayyadurai and his running mate, Crystal Ellis, will also be on the ballot.

Besides picking a new president and deciding a handful of contested legislative and local races, voters will consider ballot questions to audit the Legislature, scrap the MCAS graduation mandate, allow ride-hailing drivers to form unions, legalize psychedelic mushrooms and boost the wages of tipped workers.

The state’s strong consumer protection laws often make it a testing ground for controversial changes in law and policy through the ballot box, and the outcomes of several of the questions are being closely watched nationally.

Neither of the North of Boston area’s two Democratic congressional members, Reps. Lori Trahan of Westford and Seth Moulton of Salem, are facing challengers. Republicans didn’t field any candidates in 3rd or 6th Congressional District races, ensuring that Trahan and Moulton will win another two years in Congress.

Despite the lack of contested races in this year’s election cycle, good government groups are still urging Massachusetts voters to cast ballots by mail, during the early voting period or on Election Day.

“There’s a lot at stake and it’s a huge, consequential election,” Geoff Foster, executive director of Common Cause Massachusetts, said Tuesday during a livestreamed briefing on voting options.

“The election isn’t three weeks away. It’s now,” he said. “You can vote by mail. You can vote in person during early voting. Or, if you want to keep it old school, you can wait until Tuesday, Nov. 5, and cast a ballot at your local polling station.”

Voters can see a full list of the candidates, register to vote and look up early voting locations and times on the secretary of state’s website: www.VoteInMA.com.

Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.

By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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October 18, 2024
Question 2: Should state scrap MCAS graduation requirement?

BOSTON — Critics of high-stakes testing are urging voters to approve a proposal to remove the MCAS exam requirement to graduate from high school, but critics say the move would eliminate a crucial tool for measuring students’ progress through public school.

Question 2, one of five referendums on the Nov. 5 ballot, asks voters if they want to scrap the decades-old mandate requiring 10th-grade students to demonstrate proficiency in math, English and science through a series of standardized tests known as the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System.

A “yes” vote would still require students to take the 10th-grade MCAS exams, but they would no longer need to earn a passing score or other state approval. School districts would need to set their own criteria for graduation based on statewide educational standards.

A “no” vote would keep the status quo, requiring students to pass the 10th-grade MCAS exams to graduate.

Each year, about 500,000 students take the MCAS — the benchmark “gold standard” standardized test in the state for nearly 30 years.

The testing begins in the third grade, but students in the 10th grade are required to pass the math, English and science exams to graduate from high school. The tests are also designed to identify under-performing schools and districts as candidates for state intervention.

Backers of Question 2, which include the Massachusetts Teachers Association, argue that Massachusetts has become an outlier as one of a handful of states that requires students to pass a test to graduate from high school. They say the testing isn’t a complete picture of a student’s abilities, and often leaves those who don’t pass the test behind.

“Massachusetts residents are ready to join the vast majority of states that have scrapped the use of standardized tests as a graduation requirement and instead use authentic, educator-designed assessments of student skills,” MTA President Max Page said.

“The MCAS will still be taken, as is required by federal law, but it will be used for diagnostic purposes, and not as a high-stakes test required for earning a diploma.”

Supporters of the graduation requirement, including the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education, argue that the exams are necessary to expose inequities among students and school districts, measure trends in student outcomes, and gauge readiness for college and the workplace.

John Schneider, chair of the Protect Our Kids Future: NO on Question 2 campaign, said eliminating the MCAS graduation standard “will effectively weaken the proficiency we expect students to meet, and that is disastrous for both employers and students.”

“Employers in Massachusetts understand the importance of maintaining high standards in education — not only to provide an educated workforce for our growing industries, but also to provide equal opportunities for students from every community across Massachusetts to fill the jobs our companies are creating,” he said.

“Without a statewide standard for graduation, our public education system could easily fall back into mediocrity.”

The Massachusetts Superintendents Association, which represents school administrators, also opposes Question 2, citing a key concern that the proposal “fails to stipulate a replacement for MCAS as a statewide standard for earning a high school diploma.”

Both sides have raised and spent millions of dollars for TV and digital ads to convince voters to keep or do away with the MCAS requirement. They’ve also traded barbs about claims of misleading advertising.

Recent polls have shown a slight majority of the state’s voters support Question 2, but pollsters say opposition to the referendum could tighten as the election draws closer.

A recent report by Tufts University’s Center for State Policy Analysis suggested that allowing school districts to set graduation requirements could start a “a race to the bottom” because districts with poor or falling graduation rates “would be tempted to compensate by lowering expectations.”

But the report’s authors, who didn’t take a position on Question 2, also said that scrapping the MCAS graduation requirement could free up teachers to focus less on test preparation and more on knowledge and skills that aren’t covered by a standardized exam.

The Tuft’s report also points out that despite claims by Question 2 supporters, state educational data shows the MCAS requirement “rarely” prevents students from getting a high school diploma. Most students eventually meet the requirements to graduate, the report notes.

The debate over the graduation mandate comes as the latest MCAS results show students’ test scores are still lagging behind pre-pandemic years.

Among 10th-graders, science scores increased but math and English Language Arts scores dropped slightly, according to the results of the spring exams released last month by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Not surprisingly, supporters and opponents of Question 2 seized on the data to back their claims that the high school graduation requirement should be scrapped or maintained.

State education officials blamed chronic absenteeism for the across-the-board drop in MCAS scores, with a high percentage of students missing more than 10% of the school year, or 18 days in the previous school year. Those numbers have dropped below 20% since the pandemic, but remain high, state officials said.

Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.

By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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October 9, 2024
Civics lessons part of new MCAS pact

BOSTON — Eighth-graders would be required to take a new MCAS civics exam under a proposed $180 million contract with a Georgia-based private company that oversees the state’s hallmark standardized tests.

The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education on Tuesday will hear details about the proposed five-year contract with Cognia and its subcontractors — including Texas-based eMetric — to provide a series of standardized tests known as the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System.

The current MCAS contract, awarded to Cognia in 2016, expires on June 30, according to state education officials. The new contract would cover the MCAS test development, customer service for school districts that administer the tests, scoring of the exams and reporting.

In a memo to DESE board members, acting Education Commissioner Russell D. Johnston said new contract has updates to the MCAS program, including a new 8th grade civics assessment that “measures students’ understanding of civics and the foundations of the Massachusetts and U.S. governments.”

Other changes include “revised” 5th and 8th grade science exams “that encourage the ‘doing of science’ in the context of real-world storylines and interactive simulations, he said. The English language arts MCAS tests in grades 3-8 would be revised “to continue bringing down the amount of time spent on testing.”

Johnson said the new MCAS system would also include more Spanish language tests to accommodate students with limited English skills.

Another feature of the new exams would be “improved turnaround times for assessment results through the increased use of automated scoring and a new reporting portal to inform students’ families and caregivers,” he said.

Johnson said the recommended changes are based on focus groups, information from surveys, other “stakeholder engagement” to get feedback on the current MCAS program, and suggestions for “additions, improvement, or changes” that might be included in a new contract. Consideration of the new contract comes amid renewed debate over the MCAS high school graduation mandate with a referendum to scrap the requirement inching towards the November ballot.

The proposal, which would appear on the November ballot, asks voters if they want to scrap the decades-old mandate requiring 10th-graders to demonstrate proficiency in math, English and science.

Each year, about 500,000 students take the MCAS — the benchmark standardized test in the state for nearly 30 years.

Students educated with Massachusetts public funds in grades 3 to 8 and 10 are required by federal laws, the 1993 Massachusetts Education Reform Law, and state law to participate in statewide testing.

The testing begins in the third grade, but students in the 10th grade are required to pass the math, English and science exams to graduate from high school. The tests are also designed to identify under-performing schools and districts as candidates for state intervention.

Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com

Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com

By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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May 21, 2024