Eliminating the MCAS High School Graduation Requirement | Askwith Forum

As election day quickly approaches, local voters are considering Massachusetts Ballot Question 2, a measure that would repeal the requirement that students earn a passing score on tenth-grade Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) exams to graduate high school.

Supporters of the ballot measure argue that the changes will help address inequities in graduation outcomes and free teachers to focus less on test prep and more on knowledge and skills not captured by standardized exams. Obtaining a diploma would depend on meeting each school district’s local academic standards and course requirements instead of passing the MCAS tests.

Opponents argue that this change would undermine the effectiveness of the MCAS as a tool for measuring student progress and lead to uneven and inequitable expectations for student success across the state’s more than 300 school districts.

Join us for an informative discussion with education leaders on this issue.

This forum is in conjunction with the Partnering in Education Research (PIER) Public Seminar Series.

Guests:
• John Papay, Associate Professor of Education and Economics and Director, Annenberg Institute, Brown University
• Mary Bourque, Executive Director, Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents
• Max Page, President, Massachusetts Teachers Association
• Patrick Tutwiler, Secretary of Education, Commonwealth of Massachusetts


Hosted by:
• Martin West, Academic Dean and Shattuck Professor of Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education