Massachusetts Replaced MCAS Graduation Requirement With This

Massachusetts voters had no alternative plan when they ditched the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) exam last fall as a requirement for public high school graduation. The exam continues to be administered in elementary, middle and high school, though passing the test is no longer a graduation requirement.

The standardized testing program was established in 1993 as part of the Massachusetts Education Reform Act to assess student performance.

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) says, "Statewide testing gives families an objective measure of their child's and school's progress and is one way for taxpayers to see the results of their investment in schools."

Get our free mobile app

"State test scores are just one piece of a student's academic picture, but they provide important information," says DESE, which adds, "Federal and state laws require statewide testing."

DESE says, "State law requires that high school students meet the Competency Determination (CD) standard in order to graduate," which until now involved earning a passing score on MCAS tests.

By a 59 percent to 41 percent margin, Massachusetts voters decided to try something new. What that something is has yet to be determined. New Bedford supported the removal of MCAS as a graduation requirement by a 69.4 percent to 30.6 percent margin.

State education officials recently voted 8-1 to adopt new interim regulations for meeting the CD requirement without passing MCAS. The goal is to establish a statewide standard for graduation until a permanent policy is enacted.

CBS News Boston reported, "The new requirements will start with the class of 2026. To graduate high school students will need to complete two years of high school English language arts classes, one year of algebra and one year of geometry or two years of integrated math, and one year of biology, physics, chemistry, technology, or an engineering course."

In 2027, U.S. history will be added to that list.

In January, Gov. Maura Healey appointed the Massachusetts K-12 Statewide Graduation Council to find a new statewide graduation requirement to replace MCAS.