Proposed laws for a brand new commencement normal may see college students throughout Massachusetts taking “end of course assessments” designed and administered by the state, in response to a brand new draft launched almost a 12 months after voters overturned the statewide MCAS testing commencement requirement.
The preliminary draft launched by state schooling officers lays out what requirements Massachusetts highschool college students could also be required to fulfill to graduate, changing the previous MCAS standardized testing requirement.
The primary spherical suggestions had been drawn up by the Statewide Okay-12 Commencement Council, assembled by the governor to handle the problem within the wake of final 12 months’s election.
Among the many proposals, the draft states, “Students take end-of-course assessments (EOCs) that are connected to specific courses and that are designed, administered, and scored by the state, promoting a uniform standard across Massachusetts” — an ordinary some critics say might come to shut to the outdated excessive stakes MCAS testing requirement.
“Overall, I found much in the documents that I strongly support, along with some elements I believe I can accept with further explanation,” mentioned Jason Fraser, president of the Massachusetts Affiliation of Faculty Committees. “However, there is one area that raises significant concern: the reference in the Hybrid Approach to Demonstration of Mastery to End-of-Course (EOC) Assessments. Based on the ‘Mastery’ section of the Preliminary Recommendations, we fear that the language suggests the possibility of state-created, state-graded, high-stakes testing.”
Fraser warned using such testing as a commencement requirement might “directly conflict with the will of Massachusetts voters, who spoke decisively in a recent ballot initiative to abandon high-stakes testing as a condition for graduation” and “risks undermining both voter intent and the trust of our communities.”
The draft additionally features a suggestion to be used of capstones or portfolios in courses “defined by the state, and designed, administered, and assessed locally, promoting customized opportunities for deep and authentic demonstration of mastery.”
The council additionally recommends utilizing a MassCore coursework normal with alterations, having college students develop a profession and tutorial plan, a requirement to finish FAFSA, inclusion of monetary literacy curriculum, and having college students in a position to earn “seals of distinction.”
The preliminary suggestions comes after Gov. Maura Healey launched a “vision” for commencement requirements final month, broadly defining objectives for the MCAS substitute.
The council has met repeatedly for the reason that fall to gather public enter and formulate suggestions, however the ultimate proposal for a commencement normal to the governor will probably be made by the Training Secretary Patrick Tutwiler.
The council is reportedly anticipated to launch preliminary findings later this fall and a ultimate report in 2026.
