More than 30 years ago, Massachusetts legislators passed a landmark education bill that established for the first time standardized state testing in schools.
Those tests, collectively known as MCAS, measure student performance in math, science and English beginning at the elementary level and ending with a final exam in tenth grade. Passing that last exam is currently a requirement for graduation from high school.
But Ballot Question 2 would remove that requirement. The Massachusetts Teachers Association, a major backer of Question 2, said it can put students in the position of passing all other high school requirements, yet still not getting a diploma should they fail that final MCAS exam.
Monday, the Charles River Regional Chamber held a Zoom discussion about Question Two. Matt Hills, a member of the state’s Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, said the number of students denied a diploma because of failing MCAS — and passing everything else — amounts to about 1% of the 70,000 who take the test each year. He said another 3% don’t graduate because they fail both MCAS and other graduation requirements.