Policy

With about 88% of districts reporting, 59% of residents favored removing graduation requirements in lieu of district-set standards, according to the Associated Press.

Massachusetts high school students will no longer need to take the MCAS to graduate after voters overwhelmingly passed Question 2.

With about 88% of districts responding, 59% of residents favored ending the graduation requirement and replacing it with district-defined courses, according to the Associated Press.

The Massachusetts Teachers Association, the union behind the vote, and its supporters celebrated Tuesday evening at the Copley Hotel.

“By passing Question 2, Massachusetts voters proclaimed that they were ready to let teachers teach and students learn, without the costly effects of high-stakes standardized testing undermining the mission of public education : prepare all students for their future success as citizens. , creative, happy workers and adults,” MTA President Max Page and Vice President Deb McCarthy said in a statement released Wednesday morning on behalf of the Committee for High Standards, Not High Stakes.

The MTA called the results “a truly collective victory” and thanked everyone who worked hard to advocate for the passage of the ballot measure.

In lieu of the MCAS requirement, students will take courses entirely in mathematics, science and technology, and English. State Sen. Jason Lewis said he intends to introduce legislation in January requiring graduating students to complete MassCore, which is currently just recommended, for districts across the state. He said it would bring Massachusetts in line with most other states.

“Standardized tests are imperfect and cannot measure the full range of skills, knowledge and skills that we want to develop in our young people and that are essential to their future success,” Lewis said. wrote on social networks. “Research has shown that test scores are highly correlated with student demographics, such as family income. »

“Change is never easy or quick,” the MTA said Wednesday. “When it comes to the education of our children, we must be sure we are acting in their best interests. But there are no better experts on what our children need to succeed academically than the educators who work in our public school classrooms every day.

“With this election victory, voters have welcomed a new era in our public schools,” the MTA continued. “This is the start of more holistic and in-depth assessments of student work. We also want to continue discussing the possibility of making the MassCore curriculum accessible to all students across the Commonwealth. But the first result has been achieved: our schools will stop punishing students who simply do not perform well on standardized tests, for one reason or another.”

MCAS results will still be used to hold teachers and schools accountable, without harming students, said MTA Vice President Deb McCarthy. previously. Question 2 also had support from the Cambridge local. Matt Damon.

Opponents, with millions in financial support from business leaders including Michael Bloombergclaimed that removing the test would lower standards for Massachusetts students.

In a statement, John Schneider, chair of the Protect Our Kids’ Future: No on 2 campaign, said: “While we are disappointed with the outcome, the conversation about educational equity and academic standards does not end with this vote.

“Eliminating the graduation requirement without replacement is unwise,” the statement continued. “Adoption of Question 2 opens the door to greater inequity; our coalition intends to ensure that this door does not remain open. Leaders of our state’s public education system need to have an honest conversation about whether moving forward with this proposal is the right decision for Massachusetts.

Contrary to public opinion, Governor Maura Healey, Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler and Senate President Karen Spilka are against the measure. Spilka has said previously that the legislator could exercise his right and modify the proposal.

Schneider thanked Healey, Tutwiler and Spilka, as well as others who “have publicly expressed opposition to removing our only statewide standard for public high school graduation” .

“Massive special interest spending and misrepresentation of the consequences of Question 2 illustrate why ballot questions are a poor way to approach complex education policy,” Schneider said. “We believe that we should all, working together, take a comprehensive and timely look at setting statewide graduation standards to properly prepare our students for college expectations and of the labor market. We hope that teachers unions will join us in this effort.

What is happening now?

The measure will take effect immediately, meaning the class of 2025 will not need to pass the MCAS to graduate in May.

If Lewis’ plan comes to fruition, districts across the state could be required to implement standardized graduation requirements after Question 2 is implemented.

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Molly Farrar is a feature reporter for Boston.com, focusing on education, politics, crime and more.

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