Should Massachusetts get rid of MCAS graduation requirement? Voters to decide this November.
BOSTON – Voters are set to make an important decision this November about the future of education in Massachusetts. Selecting "Yes" on Question 2 would end the MCAS graduation requirement that is currently in place for students in the state.
Under current requirements, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education says "Students must earn a passing score on the grade 10 MCAS tests in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics, and one of the high school Science and Technology/Engineering (STE) tests" to graduate.
Question 2 on Massachusetts ballot
Veteran educators find themselves on both sides of the ballot question, which is being led by the Massachusetts Teachers Association.
"Frankly I think that results of the test indicate why it's not worthy," MTA vice president Deb McCarthy said.
"Parents are not interested in chaos and that's what voting yes on this question would actually do," countered Keri Rodrigues of the National Parents Union.
The most recent MCAS results were released Tuesday.
Should MCAS requirement be eliminated?
On November 5, voters will decide if the state should eliminate MCAS exams as a graduation requirement.
"As an educator for 25 years, I was in the classroom when MCAS were first implemented. I truly believed in the promise that the data was going to provide. The data was not eliminating the achievement gap," McCarthy said.
But opponents say a "No" on Question 2 and keeping MCAS helps keep school systems accountable for performing for kids.
"And this is the data we need to actually make those decisions based on where our resources go and making sure these schools are keeping the promise under the Massachusetts constitution that kids have access to high quality education," Rodrigues said.
Rodrigues believes that the MCAS results released on Tuesday will have an effect on voters when it comes Question 2 this November.
"The most recently available data tells us the only 4 out of 10 of our kids are proficient in reading in Massachusetts. That's not meant to punish educators, the system or even our kids. It's meant to be a call to action and to say we have a literacy crisis that we need to address," Rodrigues said.
While the question would drop the MCAS as a high school graduation requirement, it would not eliminate standardized tests.
Federal law requires an English and math test in third through eighth grade and once in high school.