By Allison McDonald

When I was in high school, the state of Virginia (where my family lived at the time) required students to pass a “minimum competency” exam in order to earn a diploma. My sister, two years older than me and with intellectual disabilities, passed the English language arts exam on her first try, but did not pass the math exam. She’d attended separate special ed schools throughout elementary school, and now in high school was enrolled in general ed math courses and had earned passing grades. Yet, she could not pass the state’s math competency exam for high school graduation.

You might be thinking that this is where I express my support for eliminating competency tests as a requirement for high school diplomas…but I’m not. My sister’s high school wanted to let her walk at graduation, award her essentially a participation certificate, and not ask her to sit for the math exam again. But my mother, a high school math and science teacher, wanted nothing of the sort for her. She insisted that they follow state guidelines and provide my sister with the educational support to prepare for the test and to administer the test again — and to do so until she achieved a passing score.

Not only did my sister eventually pass the math exam, she did so in time to graduate with her peers and with the same diploma that each of them had earned. This was an incredible source of pride for my sister for the rest of her life. Not just because it opened more doors to her for life after high school — more opportunities for employment and to earn her own wages — but because her credential was no different than any other high school graduate in Virginia.

This coming election day, voters in Massachusetts will decide whether to eliminate the state requirement that students pass its competency exams, the MCAS, to earn a high school diploma. For several reasons, I plan to vote “no” and I encourage others to consider the following before deciding how to vote.

Question 2 does not eliminate the MCAS

Many people believe that we should get rid of the MCAS because it is harmful to children and overly constrains teaching. Question 2 does not address this. School districts will continue to be required to administer the MCAS in grades 3-10. The only change would be that students would no longer be required to pass the 10th grade tests in order to earn a diploma.

If Question 2 passes, MA would be one of the few U.S. states with no state-wide standard for high school graduation.

Massachusetts is one of 9 states today (down from a high of 27 states) that has a competency exam requirement for graduation. But, most other states have other mechanisms for ensuring that state-wide standards are met by all public high school graduates in their state. In Massachusetts, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) describes a core curriculum, Mass Core, that is recommended but not required for graduation. According to a recent article in the Boston Globe, half of all public high schools in the state do not require students to complete the Mass Core in order to graduate. Still, even if it were required, the evaluation of an individual student’s learning is left to the individual teacher and school. 

That may sound like a fantastic solution, especially if your school has incredible teachers. But not all schools have equally great teachers, and there isn’t any way to know how teaching varies by district or school without a state-wide standard. As my sister experienced, her wonderful and well-meaning teachers wanted to let her graduate simply because she had attended school and worked hard, even though she could not demonstrate the required learning in math.

A high school diploma is not a participation award.

Our schools exist to educate students, to ensure they are equipped with the learning and skills to be able to fulfill their individual potential as thriving members of our community and society. Our schools should not graduate students simply because they’ve attended school and completed work “for years.” 

For one, we’d be left with measuring school effectiveness based on the number of graduates, and by that measure Amherst schools are failing, given the steady decline in enrollment and graduation numbers. 

But try to apply that logic to any situation where we expect a person to possess knowledge and skills. Physicians and lawyers must complete an accredited education program, but also must demonstrate their knowledge to the state via a standard exam in order to practice here. 

Similarly, electricians, barbers and cosmetologists, food servers, and more can’t be licensed in their fields in Massachusetts based solely on putting in the years of training and work, or on the recommendation of their instructor. 

Imagine if you had to research the coursework and grading standards for every training program or instructor when hiring an electrician or lawyer. The state sets standards of knowledge and skill that must be demonstrated through a state-wide assessment mechanism so we don’t have to.

Why should a high school diploma be different?

Question 2 will not make our schools better off.

If Question 2 passes, we lose a state-wide standard for understanding how our schools are serving students with no replacement, not even a concept of a plan for one. I would enthusiastically support an effort to improve MCAS, or to devise a new state-wide assessment approach. 

But, as imperfect as it may be, today’s MCAS is a measure that ensures that every person who earns a high school diploma in Massachusetts has acquired the same minimum knowledge and skills. And it should not be tossed until a replacement is developed and ready to implement.

For more, this report from the Center for State Policy Analysis at Tufts University provides an explanation of the ballot question and summarizes the arguments both for and against it.

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Allison McDonald has lived in Amherst since 2002 and has two sons who attended Amherst public schools. She served on the Amherst School Committee 2018-2023, and as chair 2020-2023. She volunteers as managing editor of The Amherst Current.