By Chris Van Buskirk
Boston Herald
A requirement that students pass the MCAS in 10th grade “rarely prevents” them from getting a high school diploma, according to a report released Thursday that analyzes a question on the ballot this year that would strike the prerequisite for graduation.
The study from the Tufts Center for State Policy Analysis wades into a high-profile fight between Massachusetts’ largest teachers union, which is backing the ballot question, and a coalition largely made up of business groups that is staunchly opposing the measure.
If passed, the ballot question “would greatly diminish the state’s role as a gatekeeper to high school graduation” and make Massachusetts one of the few places in the country without a common graduation standard, the study said.
But the report argues the MCAS is not a “particularly” high bar for graduation.
“Nearly 90% of students pass on the first try, and 96% manage to eventually pass or otherwise prove their competency via one of the state’s alternate paths,” the study said. “Even for the remaining 4% who struggle to get state sign-off for graduation, there are often other complications. Most kids who don’t pass the MCAS also don’t meet district requirements for graduation.”
That leaves about 700 students each year whose graduation is held up by state standards, according to the report.
Some of those students are still learning English, others have a “significant disability,” some struggle to prioritize school attendance in the face of personal issues, and some need more support from their districts to help them pursue alternative state certifications, the report said.
“In a narrow sense, Question 2 is about a few hundred students each year — out of a statewide class of roughly 70,000 — who lose the opportunity to graduate because they haven’t passed the 10th-grade MCAS or otherwise earned a competency determination from the state,” the study said. “At the same time, it’s also about how removing the state graduation requirements could shift power to the districts and transform accountability across high school education in Massachusetts.”
A spokesperson for the Protect Our Kids’ Future: Vote No on 2 campaign, which opposes the question, said the report “confirms what we already know.”
“These standards push our children to thrive, ensuring they graduate with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in college and career,” the spokesperson said. “Removing these standards will make our school systems unfair and increase inequality, abandoning the tiny sliver of students who cannot pass the assessment (less than 1%) while standards for every other student would be lowered.”
A spokesperson for the campaign in support of the question did not immediately respond to a Herald inquiry about the report.
The question voters will decide on in November eliminates the requirement that students pass the MCAS test in mathematics, science and technology, and English in order to receive a high school diploma.
Instead, it empowers the more than 300 school districts in Massachusetts to come up with their own set of certified coursework for students to complete in order to demonstrate a mastery of skills prior to graduation, according to a summary prepared by Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s office.
The proposal does not remove the MCAS from schools, it only decouples it from high school graduation requirements.
Supporters, including those at the Massachusetts Teachers Association, have argued that dropping the MCAS as a graduation requirement will free up classroom teachers and local educators to teach materials not related to the test.
But opponents have said removing the test as a graduation requirement would get rid of Massachusetts’ only statewide standard for completing high school and could lead some school districts to lower their standards in order to boost graduation rates.
The study released Thursday said the ballot question would “dramatically lower” the stakes of the 10th grade MCAS but also make it hard to maintain educational standards across the state if districts set their own requirements.
“Students with cognitive disabilities and English language learners sometimes struggle with the MCAS and could benefit most from more flexible measures of graduation readiness,” the analysis said.
The report from the Tufts Center for State Policy Analysis — which said it did not take a position on the ballot measure — said a yes vote on the question would reduce the state’s role in vetting high school graduates.
“No longer would students need to pass the 10th-grade MCAS or otherwise receive a state competency determination. Instead, local districts would set graduation requirements, provided those requirements align with the learning standards and expectations established by the state,” the study said.
A no vote, according to the analysis, would “maintain the status quo” where high school graduates need to meet both local and state criteria, and where the MCAS is the state’s chief mechanism for determining graduation readiness.
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