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Writer's pictureJoanne Jacobs

Diplomas for all: Massachusetts will vote on ending state graduation standards

The Massachusetts Teachers Association has spent more than $1 million to eliminate the state's graduation requirements, reports Amanda Geduld on The 74. If the union-backed Question 2 passes in November, students would not have to pass the English, math and science portions of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) exams to earn a diploma. Instead, each district would set its own requirements.


Fifty-eight percent of voters support the measure in a recent poll, she writes.


Currently, students can try MCAS four times, appeal or graduate via an alternate pathway. One way or another, 99 percent get their diploma, say MCAS advocates.


Among the 1 percent are students with disabilities and English Learners. Those who fail the MCAS usually don't meet district graduation requirements either, says Evan Horowitz, executive director of Tufts' Center for State Policy Analysis.  


It's "offensive" to lower standards for students with disabilities, argues Keri Rodrigues, president of the National Parents Union and the parent of five children, one of whom receives special education services. “[My son] absolutely took and passed the MCAS," she told Geduld. “The idea that we would just toss away data and call it social justice,” she said, “is just — it’s wild to me… we need more data and information on our kids so that we can be better equipped to help them and figure out what the challenges are.”


In the wake of pandemic learning loss, many states are lowering standards to get students to a diploma. Massachusetts was a leader in using standards and testing to drive accountability. If it abandons that effort, says James Peyser, the former education secretary, it will be a signal to other states.

MCAS scores predict college success and future earnings, says John Papay, director of the Annenberg Institute at Brown University. He worries that immigrant students who are learning English and students with disabilities aren't "getting the skills they need out of the Massachusetts public education system," writes Geldud.


Half of the students who don't reach competency on MCAS are in 15 districts statewide, including Boston. Dropping the exit exam -- and lowering local requirements -- could get every student to a diploma. But they wouldn't be prepared for . . . anything.


Jennifer Amento, a second-grade teacher, explains why she's voting to "keep the state assessment as a graduation requirement and ensure students . . . graduate with the skills they need to lead  successful lives."

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John Smith
John Smith
Oct 16

The way I see it, the vote for education standards is a vote for Trump. Trump would force minority and immigrant students to actually have some minimal level of education and would force teachers to teach, which is completely unfair to the teachers, who primary job isn’t teaching but voting Democrat. If we start educating too many young people, we may have a shortage of gardeners, maids, and farm workers. Thus the education of minorities and immigrants would be bad for the economy.

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Bruce Smith
Bruce Smith
Oct 16

The current certificates don't certify that youth "graduate with the skills they need to lead  successful lives" -- Ms Amento should read your story about the Hartford public high immigrant who can't read or write, yet made the honor roll and got accepted to UConn; the citizens of Massachusetts should vote yes on this proposition, allowing academically low achievers to graduate with a certificate of cooperative education & training if they've already achieved sufficient credits, including through the apprenticeships they should have already begun by the end of 11th grade, and to continue on with their host companies, if both are pleased by the arrangement, towards higher qualifications, which may or may not appropriately require passing exams, depending upon the…

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JK Brown
JK Brown
Oct 16

This is a perfect opportunity for independent, private testing/certification. That would allow motivated students who learn from AI and online to test out and for others to demonstrate they have overcome the handicap of their state schooling post-"graduation".


High quality testing would signal to employers actual knowledge and skills. Not unlike the testing for maritime licenses and tickets. It could be expanded to demonstrate competency after college matriculation as well. The key to the future is demonstrating you've overcome your years of government schooling.

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