Among the five ballot questions Massachusetts voters will face on Election Day next Tuesday, Ballot Question 2 – Elimination of MCAS As High School Graduation Requirement – has received significant attention within the Newton Public Schools community.
MCAS Background
The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) – a series of statewide standardized tests in Mathematics, Science and Technology/Engineering (STE), and English Language Arts (ELA) – was created as part of the 1993 Massachusetts Education Reform Law.
In 2003, as part of complying with the federal No Child Left Behind Act, Massachusetts imposed minimum scores that students taking 10th grade MCAS exams must achieve in those three subjects in order to ultimately graduate. Students who do not pass in 10th grade may pursue a series of appeals and “alternate portfolios” subject to approval.
The MCAS graduation requirement was suspended by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) from spring 2020 through 2021 due to classroom and testing interruptions caused by Massachusetts public schools’ reaction to the Covid epidemic. Further, enforcement of the graduation requirement has been highly lenient for those who tested in 2022 and 2023. For those 10th graders slated to take the exams this spring (the Class of 2026), DESE is expected to revert to pre-pandemic requirements.
Based on testimony given by Rob Curtin, Chief Officer for Data, Assessment, and Accountability at DESE, in 2019 (the last year data is available for MCAS test failures), 702 students (approximately 1% of statewide high school seniors) did not receive a full high school diploma solely due to failure to pass MCAS. An additional 3% did not pass the MCAS but also did not meet their district’s graduation requirements for other reasons. According to Mr. Curtin, over 90% of students of all backgrounds, including disadvantaged subgroups, graduate with a full diploma, with the exception of students “with significant cognitive impairments.”
Ballot Question 2: Origins and Detail
In spring of 2024, the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) organized an Initiative Petition calling for repeal of the graduation requirement. This petition was not approved by the state’s Special Joint Committee, however its supporters gathered the required ~75,000 signatures needed to place the question on the November5 election ballot.
The text of the proposed law proposed by the petition has been determined by the Massachusetts Attorney General, Andrea Campbell, to be defined as:
eliminate the requirement that a student pass the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests (or other statewide or district-wide assessments) in mathematics, science and technology, and English in order to receive a high school diploma
The present requirement would be replaced by “coursework certified by the student’s district as demonstrating mastery of the competencies contained in the state academic standards.”
According to the Office of Campaign and Political Finance, the campaigns for Yes (eliminate the requirement) and No (retain the existing requirement) have raised $13.8 million and $4.8 million, respectively. On October 29, it was reported Michael Bloomberg has donated $2.5 million to the No campaign.
MCAS in Newton
Newton’s 2024 MCAS scores were better than state averages, and Newton Public Schools Superintendent Anna Nolin told Fig City News that current NPS administrators are not aware of any NPS student that has failed to receive a diploma solely due to not being able to pass MCAS since the requirement was installed. Fig City News independently reviewed statewide data, which affirmed that the vast majority of MCAS-caused graduation failures occur in 20-30 school districts with limited resources.
Nonetheless, Newton’s residents have expressed varying views on Ballot Question 2, both on social media and to Fig City News. The community of families with children with special needs appears to be particularly split, with some parents concerned about the large amount of time they say is devoted to MCAS preparation for their children, and others concerned that elimination of the graduation requirement will reduce the incentives of school districts to devote large resources to their kids.
Ryan Normandin, math and science educator at Newton South HS, expressed his support of Ballot Question 2 to Fig City News by citing that only the graduation requirement, not the entire test, was being eliminated. He also cited research demonstrating nationally that graduation testing does not improve student achievement while possibly increasing dropout rates, as well as his personal experience witnessing the time and resources expended by NPS toward meeting the requirement.
Neither the NPS School Committee nor the Newton Teachers Association, as of this writing, have taken formal positions or issued resolutions pertaining to Ballot Question 2.
After Election Day
If Ballot Question 2 is approved by voters, the final law that would be passed by the state legislature is not yet entirely known. The legislature may amend ballot questions that pass, or even vote to repeal the law proposed in any ballot question. Both Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Ronald Mariano have expressed reservations about removing the MCAS requirement, and Mr. Mariano has stated that “we’ll see how big the margin is” when determining any action. The ballot question has split Massachusetts Democrats, with U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey supporting Ballot Question 2, and Governor Maura Healy, Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll, and Attorney General Andrea Campbell opposing the measure.
