What is Massachusetts Ballot Question 2? MCAS graduation requirement
BOSTON - Massachusetts Ballot Question 2, which would eliminate the MCAS requirement for graduation, is dividing teachers, parents, and elected officials on what's best for students.
Tuesday, November 5 is Election Day in Massachusetts, which five ballot questions being decided by voters.
Ballot Question 2
A "yes" vote would end the mandate requiring students to pass the 10th grade Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) exam to graduate high school.
A "no" vote would leave the graduation requirement in place.
"No" on Ballot Question 2
"It's really unfortunate that this is the policy that we're discussing," said former Cambridge School Committee Vice-Chair Manikka Bowman.
For Bowman, who is also a parent, the answer is simple.
"Having a standardization really helps with ensuring that our kids, no matter what school district that they're in, have the same quality of education," she told WBZ-TV.
Bowman hopes voters choose to keep the test as a graduation requirement, saying removing it doesn't solve the state's biggest education problem - students falling through the cracks.
"Let's make sure that the kids that need the help get the help that they deserve instead of lowering the standard for all students across the Commonwealth," Bowman said.
"Yes" on Ballot Question 2
Teachers say the test is only a snapshot of a student's achievements.
"It is the students being held accountable for a one-time metric," said Massachusetts Teachers Association Vice President Deb McCarthy. She taught for 25 years and said she tailored her curriculum to various learning styles. She said the MCAS doesn't do the same and shouldn't decide if a student receives a diploma.
"It's not a good assessment of what our learners' diversity of intelligence actually are. Unfortunately, the MCAS is a one-size, high-stakes metric," McCarthy told WBZ.
How many pass MCAS?
According to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, roughly 99% of students pass the exam. If they don't pass, there are options.
"No one likes high-stakes tests, but the MCAS is not a high-stakes test," said Boston Schools Fund CEO Will Austin. "Kids can take it up to five times; there's alternative MCASes for students; there's an appeals process. We want everyone to pass."
He and dozens of elected officials, including Governor Maura Healey, are advocating for a "no" vote on Question 2.
No matter where this vote lands, students will still take the MCAS. It's just a question of if they will need to pass it to graduate.