Massachusetts Created a New Standard for High School Graduation Requirements after Eliminating MCAS
- Wanjiru Waweru
- 5 hours ago
- 2 min read
Wanjiru Waweru, Jadetimes Contributor
W. Waweru is a Jadetimes News Reporter Covering America News
Everett, Massachusetts – The Massachusetts Board of Education voted 8-1 on Tuesday, May 20, to accept the latest interim regulations overhauling the state’s competency determination.high school graduation requirement – “a temporary move to create uniform graduation standards after use of the MCAS exam was struck down by votes in the fall.”
The recent rules would mandate students, starting with the class of 2026, to complete specific coursework in English language arts, math, and science through grade 10. In 2027, U.S. history would extend to that list as well.
New requirements:
2 years of English
1 year of algebra and geometry or Math 1 and 2, and
1 year of science
U.S. History will be added for the class of 2027
After voters in November 2024 remove the MCAS requirement to graduate from high school, Governor Maura Healey in January 2025 who addressed the Massachusetts K-12 Statewide Graduation Council and take control of the group – “studying and making recommendations on a new statewide graduation requirement.”
According to WCVB, “That 31-person group has until July 2026 to issue a final report on a new statewide high school graduation standard, which will then likely have to go through a legislative process. The graduation council had its third meeting Monday, five months after it was formed.”
The regulations endorsed on Tuesday, May 20, were reported to provide a stand-in until the extension of the permanent standard is updated to find other curriculums to achieve young adults’ academic goals. Vice Chair Matt Hills is highly concerned about the requirements that students are receiving.
“The curriculum and grade framework, especially being the only option, said Hills. “In a perfect world, the secretary and our new commissioner will make a recommendation at the end of the year, the Legislature will do — all that will happen. It's not hard for me to imagine the timing being such that we're talking potentially the middle of the next decade until an entire high school class is covered by the new policy ... My concern is it's not going to be interim for just a couple of years."
