Current News

/

ArcaMax

Education council releases draft of new state graduation standard after overturn of MCAS

Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald on

Published in News & Features

Proposed regulations for a new graduation standard could see students across Massachusetts taking “end of course assessments” designed and administered by the state, according to a new draft released nearly a year after voters overturned the statewide MCAS testing graduation requirement.

The preliminary draft released by state education officials lays out what standards Massachusetts high school students may be required to meet to graduate, replacing the former MCAS standardized testing requirement.

The first round recommendations were drawn up by the Statewide K-12 Graduation Council, assembled by the governor to address the issue in the wake of last year’s election.

Among the proposals, the draft states, “Students take end-of-course assessments (EOCs) that are connected to specific courses and that are designed, administered, and scored by the state, promoting a uniform standard across Massachusetts” — a standard some critics say may come to close to the old high stakes MCAS testing requirement.

“Overall, I found much in the documents that I strongly support, along with some elements I believe I can accept with further explanation,” said Jason Fraser, president of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees. “However, there is one area that raises significant concern: the reference in the Hybrid Approach to Demonstration of Mastery to End-of-Course (EOC) Assessments. Based on the ‘Mastery’ section of the Preliminary Recommendations, we fear that the language suggests the possibility of state-created, state-graded, high-stakes testing.”

Fraser warned the use of such testing as a graduation requirement may “directly conflict with the will of Massachusetts voters, who spoke decisively in a recent ballot initiative to abandon high-stakes testing as a condition for graduation” and “risks undermining both voter intent and the trust of our communities.”

The draft also includes a recommendation for use of capstones or portfolios in classes “defined by the state, and designed, administered, and assessed locally, promoting customized opportunities for deep and authentic demonstration of mastery.”

 

The council also recommends using a MassCore coursework standard with alterations, having students develop a career and academic plan, a requirement to complete FAFSA, inclusion of financial literacy curriculum, and having students able to earn “seals of distinction.”

The preliminary recommendations comes after Gov. Maura Healey released a “vision” for graduation standards last month, broadly defining goals for the MCAS replacement.

The council has met regularly since the fall to collect public input and formulate recommendations, but the final proposal for a graduation standard to the governor will be made by the Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler.

The council is reportedly expected to release initial findings later this fall and a final report in 2026.

________


©2025 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit at bostonherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

 

Comments

blog comments powered by Disqus

 

Comics

Loose Parts Bob Englehart Crankshaft 1 and Done BC Andy Marlette