Swift: College students can provide valuable MCAS help

As a new school year begins, the city of Boston once again comes alive with the influx of students returning to college campuses across our state’s capital.

For some of you at Boston University, this is a time to be reunited with friends and classmates. For others, this is your first taste of college life, a time for new experiences in a new place. While you come to Massachusetts from across the nation and world from an array of diverse backgrounds, your presence at Boston University indicates that you share the common desire to educate yourselves and to contribute in a meaningful way to society.

As you begin what is certain to be an exciting and busy academic year, it is easy to become absorbed in your daily schedules and lose sight of what is occurring outside the halls of the BU campus. I would like to take a moment, however, to encourage you to become involved at your school and in your community to help ensure that other students have the same opportunities that have been afforded to you.

I encourage you to find the time to keep abreast of the issues that are important not only to you as BU students, but also to your city, in Boston, Massachusetts. It has been a busy summer for elected officials here in Boston, and as we continue to monitor the fiscal health of our Commonwealth, the upcoming months will prove to be equally busy.

This year marks a turning point for Boston, and for the Commonwealth as a whole. As you may know, the Massachu-setts Comprehensive Assessment System, commonly known as MCAS, was created in 1993 to measure the performance of individual students, schools and districts and to serve as a basis of accountability for schools. The MCAS includes sections on English/ Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and History and is administered annually to students across Massachusetts. In recent years, we have seen scores increase dramatically, as students receive the extra help necessary for them to gain the tools they need, not only to pass the exam but also to help ensure their success both in and out of the classroom. Beginning with the Class of 2003, students will be required to pass the MCAS Grade 10 exam to receive their high school diploma.

While many students have already passed this exam, to date there are still thousands of students who are struggling to acquire the skills they need to graduate high school. We are devoting state and federal funds for tutoring and extra-help programs, but these funds can only stretch so far. That’s where you come in.

I understand and remember all too well the many pressures facing you all, as you juggle your academic pursuits with your membership in various sports, clubs and activities. At times, it seems overwhelming and difficult to balance so many interests, let alone find time to set aside to volunteer. But I assure you that such use of your time will be well spent. As college students, you have the opportunity to contribute in unique ways to your community, and we need your help.

Many of the high school seniors taking the MCAS this year will be your fellow classmates next fall. It is crucial that they receive the education they need to be prepared for college and for life. I would like to encourage all of you to take an active role in your city and become involved in our Commonwealth’s goal of seeing our students leave high school with a top-notch education. I encourage you to contact area high schools or the state department of education and ask how you can become involved in tutoring programs.

As college students, your knowledge and expertise would be an invaluable resource to a local high school student struggling in the classroom. Giving even one hour of your time each week could be the determining factor as to whether a student is able to receive a diploma this spring.

We must work together to ensure that these students can realize their dreams and that they are prepared for life after high school, whether that be college, the workforce or military service.