Could MA Bring Back Statewide Tests As High School Graduation Requirements?

MASSACHUSETTS — Just one year after Massachusetts voters soundly rejected requiring all student to pass the standardized MCAS test to graduate high school, education leaders will consider bringing back what could be seen as a version of those tests under new mandates the state K-12 Graduation Council is developing.

Local districts were required to come up with their own high school graduation standards based on state guidelines last year after nearly 60 percent of voters cast a ballot to drop the MCAS-passing standard. Those standards mostly include taking and passing a certain amount of "core" courses, such as English, math, science and U.S. history.

• MA Schools COVID Learning Loss Still 'Major Challenge For Many Students

Many districts then retroactively awarded diplomas to students who had earned those requirements in recent years, with the failure to pass the MCAS the only barrier that kept them from graduating.

But proponents of stricter requirements have argued that universal proficiency in those subjects should be demonstrated to help ensure that students are prepared for life after graduation, and to help ensure that students are being held to equitable standards across the state regardless of school district, income or demographics.

The Council's draft recommendations include a provision for "end-of-course assessments" that would be "designed, administered and scored by the state, promoting a uniform standard across Massachusetts."

Still to be determined, according to the recommendations, are which courses will have EOCs, determining the precise role of the EOCs as part of the graduation requirements, and how districts and students would be supported in administrating the EOCs or creating alternative graduation paths.

Another recommendation involves state-mandates "capstones or portfolios" that would promote "customized opportunities for deep and authentic demonstration of mastery" of subjects, and for each students across the state to develop a "My Career and Academic Plan" (MyCAP) of individual academic goals and progress.

Among other recommendations is a demonstration of financial literacy prior to graduation.

The recommendations are preliminary with the Council expected to subject final proposals to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for consideration in 2026.

Students continue to take the MCAS to help measure a district's progress in proficiency in English, math and science, even though passing the MCAS in 10th grade is no longer required to graduate.

Recently released results from last year indicate that COVID-era learning loss is still a "major challenge" for students across the state.

While scores showed some improvement year over year, they are still lagging where they were before the pandemic school shutdowns.

Students in grades 3 through 8 showed a 3 percentage increase in math and English proficiency year over year, up from 39 percent to 42 percent. But grade 10 students showed a 6 percentage point decline to 51 percent.

Both age groups are 10 percentage points down from 2019.

This was the first test year since Massachusetts voters elected to remove passing the MCAS as a high school graduation requirement and students in 10th grade took the test knowing they did not have to pass it to get their diploma.

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)