Letter: Former Hudson school board member urges eliminating MCAS as graduation requirement

28 September 2024

I urge people to vote YES on Question 2, to eliminate MCAS as a graduation requirement. Only eight states continue to require passing a state test for graduation. Even New York state's longstanding Regents Exam is no longer a graduation requirement, as the New York Blue Ribbon Commission's education stakeholders found it to be unnecessary and detrimental, and the main barrier for students with disabilities from graduating.

The Education Reform Act put more money into schools, with one of its goals being to reduce educational "gaps" — such as those between wealthy districts and poor; white and minority students; native English speakers and English Language Learners (ELL); and typical learners and students with disabilities. After almost 20 years of constant MCAS prep, overall scores have risen, but gaps remain as firm as ever.

MCAS has failed.

More than 10% of students fail once, and 4% fail multiple times. The 700+ students denied graduation do not reflect all of the dropouts, teens in the high-risk groups who have given up. Denying students a high school diploma does nothing to improve their education or provide employers with better workers. Most colleges do not even look at MCAS scores.

Students with disabilities, such as one of my children, have Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) that provide teaching to address their individual needs, including their needs during MCAS testing. And the state has detailed learning standards and a process for ensuring schools enact them.

While the MCAS test will remain, it's time for Massachusetts to follow longstanding testing ethical standards and to stop making a high-stakes decision, such as denying graduation, based on scores on a written test.

Barbara Rose

Hudson

Editor's note: Barbara Rose is a former Hudson School Committee member and former president of the Hudson Special Education Parent Advisory Council.