Copyright NBC10 Boston
Nearly a year after removing the MCAS exam as a graduation requirement, the governor's education council is suggesting a new standard for students. The new initial proposal is instead pushing for more standardized testing for high school students. With such a competitive college admission environment, many are wondering how Massachusetts students can stand out. While some leaders believed MCAS scores did that, voters disagreed, opting to eliminate them as a graduation requirement in a 59-41 vote. Gov. Healey then created a statewide K-12 Graduation Council to come up with a replacement option. In their initial plan, they are proposing end-of-course assessments that are designed, administered and scored by the state. In other words, a new standardized test. These tests would be connected with specific courses. Still, some are against the idea, including the Massachusetts Association of School Committees. The president of the group said that these tests would "directly conflict with the will of the voters, who voted decisively to abandon high-stakes testing as a condition for graduation." These EOCs are still just a recommendation for now. It appears that some advocacy groups who oppose the EOC idea still believe students should have some sort of graduation requirement. One of those groups will be meeting at the State House on Monday to share their proposal.
