
Post MCAS, here's how the state proposes measuring graduation readiness
State would require students to pass specific classes
Massachusetts law requires all students to demonstrate their competency to graduate high school. To meet this so-called 'competency determination,' students since 2003 had been required to pass 10th grade MCAS exams.
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That changed in November, with
Now, the state education department is proposing a new way for students to demonstrate their competency and, thus, meet state-level expectations.
Under the department's proposed regulatory changes, presented at Tuesday's board meeting, the state would for the first time require students to master specific coursework. Specifically, students, beginning with the class of 2026, would be required to satisfactorily complete at least the following classes:
two years of high school English Language Arts
Algebra I and Geometry or Integrated Math I and II
one year of biology, physics, chemistry, or technology/engineering
In addition, the students in the class of 2026 and beyond also would need to show 'mastery' in those classes. Students can demonstrate mastery, according to the proposed regulation, through an end-of-course exam, portfolio of work, or an equivalent measure determined by a local district.
The proposed regulation adds US history as a required course and area of mastery for students beginning with the class of 2027.
State: Changes would restore equity
Some advocates in the wake of Question 2 worried the lack of a uniform graduation requirement could lead to inequitable student learning experiences.
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Robert Curtin, chief officer for data, assessment, and accountability for the department, said the state's proposed regulations are intended to provide a 'minimum level of equity across districts.'
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The new competency determination would serve as a baseline graduation standard for all students in the state and would apply in conjunction with a local district's graduation requirements. For example, a local district also may require students to pass two years of a foreign language.
Critics of the proposed regulation, though, argue it isn't rigorous enough.
A coalition of advocacy groups, including the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education and the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, is calling on the department to incorporate G.P.A. requirements into the regulation, for example.
Fight over MCAS scores continues
Under the department's proposal, students without access to traditional transcripts, such as migrant or homeschooled students, could use a passing MCAS score to satisfy the state-level competency determination.
The advocacy groups say all students should have that opportunity — an option backed during Tuesday's meeting by vice chair Matt Hills, of Newton.
The state's largest teachers union, meanwhile, said the continued use of MCAS scores in determining a student's fate 'would undermine the goal of Question 2, which was to promote more authentic teaching and learning.'
'What we learned during the Question 2 campaign from students, educators and families is that they want schools that focus on the critical thinking skills and academic foundations that matter, and not on test prep,' Massachusetts Teachers Association President Max Page and Vice President Deb McCarthy said in a joint statement.
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The state board on Tuesday agreed to present the department's formal proposal for public feedback. But it will also ask, at Hill's request, that the public weigh in on whether MCAS scores should be included as an option for the competency determination.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is accepting public comments on the proposed regulations through April 4. The state education board is scheduled to issue a final vote on the regulations on May 5.
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Mandy McLaren can be reached at
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The Hill
06-07-2025
- The Hill
Zohran Mamdani's education agenda would set New York City up for failure
Zohran Mamdani's recent victory in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary has drawn widespread attention for his affiliation with the Democratic Socialists of America and what some see as antisemitic rhetoric. But beyond the headlines, it's the education platform Mamdani champions that could pose the greatest threat to New York City families — especially those striving to access better schools and brighter futures for their children. At the core of Mamdani's approach is an unambiguous rejection of school choice. He opposes vouchers, charter school expansion, and even co-location policies that allow high-performing charters to operate in underutilized public school buildings. His platform calls for a funding overhaul that could severely reduce resources for charter schools, even though they serve 15 percent of city students. Mamdani opposes charter schools and vouchers based on the claim that they divert public resources, lack accountability and mainly benefit wealthier families at the expense of low-income students. He argues that voucher programs, despite being marketed as tools to help struggling students, are often used by affluent families already in private schools. As President Trump pushes for a national voucher initiative, Mamdani insists that New York must instead invest in a fully funded public school system to ensure true educational equity. But the evidence paints a sharply different picture. Success Academy, New York City's largest and most scrutinized charter network, enrolls a student population that is 98 percent made up of minority students, with the vast majority coming from low-income households. Despite these demographics, its academic results are nothing short of exceptional: 96 percent of its students passed the state math exam, and 83 percent passed the English Language Arts exam. By contrast, the citywide public school proficiency rate hovers around just 49 percent, underscoring the extent to which charter schools like Success Academy are not undermining public education but outperforming it. By restricting charter expansion and threatening funding, Mamdani's platform effectively removes one of the few viable paths to academic success for students in underserved neighborhoods. The families who rely on charters are not opting out of public education — they are opting out of failure. As a co-author of the 'People's Budget' proposed by the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus, Mamdani supports targeted spending initiatives that prioritize political messaging over tangible educational outcomes. The 2025 budget included an initiative aimed at increasing teacher diversity, with the caucus demanding an $8 million investment in recruitment, training and retention programs to make the teaching workforce more diverse. This initiative is particularly ironic given that New York City's public school system — the largest in both the state and nation — already has a teaching staff that is approximately 42 percent Black, despite African Americans comprising only 22 percent of the city's population. In the same budget, Mamdani's caucus allocated $250,000 to promote 'racial and cultural inclusivity' in K–12 classrooms and dedicated $351,500 for statewide conventions aimed at supporting 'underrepresented' educators, supposedly to address barriers faced by educators of color. But the problem isn't with diversity — it's with Mamdani's misaligned priorities. New York City already boasts one of the most diverse populations in the country. Meanwhile, student performance in core subjects continues to falter, and chronic absenteeism nears 40 percent. Despite spending more per student than any other state — over $36,000 annually — New York continues to fall short on basic benchmarks. Mamdani's answer is more spending, with little accountability and no meaningful strategy to improve outcomes. School choice, in contrast, offers a proven mechanism to elevate student achievement without pulling funding from traditional public schools. Programs in states like Florida and North Carolina show that scholarship and charter models can coexist with public education. In many cases, they drive improvement system-wide. A 2019 study even found modest academic gains in public schools that must compete with nearby choice-based alternatives. Mamdani dismisses these successes, framing school choice as an ideological threat rather than a practical solution. But for many families, school choice lets parents select the best educational environment for their children, whether that's a high-performing charter, a faith-based school, or specialized instruction that better fits a student's needs. Mamdani's plan offers the opposite. It preserves a rigid system that too often fails the students most in need, while redirecting resources toward symbolic programs that do little to improve reading, math, or attendance. His vision elevates bureaucracy over results and ideology over opportunity. New York City doesn't lack funding, it lacks alignment between spending and outcomes. What the city needs are policies that empower families, reward effective schools and confront failure with urgency — not just slogans. Mamdani is not the kind of leader New York City students can afford to have in office. Gregory Lyakhov is a high school student from Great Neck, N.Y.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Yahoo
Group behind MCAS ballot question broke campaign finance law, state says
The campaign that pushed to eliminate MCAS scores as a statewide graduation requirement via the ballot box last fall missed a deadline to report nearly $2.4 million in donations, a violation of state law. Last November, the Massachusetts Teachers Union-backed effort was successful in passing Question 2 by a wide margin, forcing state education officials to chart a future where standardized tests scores don't prevent any student from achieving a public high school diploma. It was one of the most hotly-debated Massachusetts ballot questions last fall. Last month, the state informed the 'Committee for High Standards Not High Stakes' that it did not disclose a segment of donations by the required deadline. In a June 24 letter, the Office of Campaign and Political Finance wrote it had determined the committee broke state law 'by failing to timely disclose the receipt of contributions that should have been reported on a minimum of four separate late contribution reports leading up to the November 5, 2024 election.' According to state law, in the two weeks prior to Election Day, campaigns are required to report last-minute donations within 72 hours of receiving them. The letter sent last month indicates the $2.4 million disclosed on Election Day (Nov. 5) — when voters were already casting their ballots — should have been reported on Oct. 24. Read more: New MCAS guidance says former students without diplomas get another chance 'The Committee's failure to file the required late contribution reports frustrated the public's interest in accurate and timely disclosure of campaign finance activity during the relevant period,' state officials wrote. As a result, the committee was fined $4,000 by the state. In a statement, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Teachers Association said the Committee for High Standards Not High Stakes amended its late October finance report when it realized it did not include some contributions. 'The amended filing was subject to a fine for being late,' the spokesperson said. 'The committee paid the fine.' State education officials are currently assessing what a future requirement may look like to ensure graduates are demonstrating learning and readiness for college, careers and civic life. A survey for the public and community listening sessions held in Taunton, Worcester, Somerville, Holyoke and Barnstable wrapped up in June. Until the state develops a new statewide requirement, school districts are resorting to local graduation standards and competency determinations set by school committees. Controversial guidance previously issued by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education said school districts can still use MCAS scores as part of their local graduation requirements. The leaders of the Massachusetts Teachers Association said the guidance circumvented the intention of the ballot question and, ultimately, the will of the voters. Similarly, the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education recently approved the 'limited use' of MCAS scores to determine if students are satisfying the competency determination for a high school diploma, also drawing blowback from the state teachers union. Trump threatens arrest of NYC mayoral candidate during visit to 'Alligator Alcatraz' Mass. has an on-time(ish) state budget: 3 big things to know about the $61B plan Here's how Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene described support for Trump's 'big beautiful bill' Mass. AG Campbell sues Trump admin for sharing private health info with ICE Wisconsin Supreme Court strikes down 1849 total abortion ban Read the original article on MassLive.

Boston Globe
01-07-2025
- Boston Globe
MTA-backed campaign behind MCAS question did not disclose $2.4 million in contributions until Election Day, breaking state law
Voters But in making its pitch, state regulators said, the campaign behind it did not publicly disclose some $2.37 million when it was supposed to under state law. Advertisement The so-called Yes on 2 campaign, for example, took $800,000 in donations from a variety of teacher labor groups, including $500,000 from the National Education Association and $50,000 from the Boston Teachers Union PAC on Oct. 21. But the campaign didn't publicly disclose those contributions, and others, until Nov. 5, Election Day itself. State law dictates that, in a two-week span ahead of Election Day, ballot question committees are required to disclose any contributions within 72 hours of receiving them. That means the campaign should have publicly filed notice of the donations nearly two weeks earlier on Oct. 24. Advertisement The MTA also poured in nearly $1.6 million in so-called in-kind contributions on Nov. 1, most of it to cover advertising costs. Those contributions also didn't show up in public reports until Election Day, according to OCPF. The campaign instead should have filed so-called late contribution reports to disclose those and the other contributions, state regulators said. That lag may appear small, but the days ahead of Election Day typically are the most intense stretch for campaign spending as more casual voters begin weighing their choices, and others are hustling to The group's 'failure to file the required late contribution reports frustrated the public's interest in accurate and timely disclosure of campaign finance activity,' William Campbell, OCPF's director, wrote in a June 24 letter to the campaign. The Committee for High Standards Not High Stakes Max Page, president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. A spokesperson for the union also didn't immediately respond to messages. The ballot question was among the intensely fought state campaigns last fall. It pitted them against some Congressional Democrats, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, and the MTA, which argued that requiring high schoolers to pass the MCAS unfairly penalized students with disabilities or who are not fluent in English. Advertisement In wake of November's vote, the state has embraced a The changes, which the state education board Graduation requirements for the class of 2025 were left up to individual districts, and Healey has Advertisement The slate of temporary measures, however, has not settled the ongoing debate about what the state should require of its students. Some groups, such as the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education, argued the interim regulations are not rigorous enough, the Globe has reported, while the MTA took issue with them allowing some students to still graduate by passing the state test. Matt Stout can be reached at