Mass. sets new high school graduation rules after scrapping MCAS

Why are teachers unions so important?: The history and functions of unions in our education system

Teachers unions have been in the news quite a bit recently. They were active in leading the successful action that ended the MCAS as a graduation requirement. They played a leading role in passing the Fair Share Amendment, which imposed an additional tax on the very wealthy to pay for education and transportation. They have been involved with strike actions at several school districts around the state, strikes held over concerns about a wide ran…

Massachusetts replaces MCAS with a new graduation standard based on coursework, for now

The state's education board agreed to a new temporary new graduation requirement starting with the class of 2026 now that the MCAS exam is out.

Editorial: MTA tries again to put MCAS ‘wolf’ in lamb’s clothing

The Massachusetts Teachers Association, the group behind the ballot measure that dropped the MCAS as a high-school graduation requirement, has now apparently found another excuse to marginalize that assessment test’s relevance. In reaction to one of many decisions made by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, which allows the MCAS test to be used as one measure of a student’s competency in rare circumstances, the MTA raised the alarm …

Graduation standard to be based on coursework, for now

The state board of education voted 8-1 on Tuesday to approve new interim regulations overhauling the state’s competency determination (CD) requirements for high school graduation — a temporary move to create uniform graduation standards after use of the MCAS exam was struck down by voters in the fall. The new rules will require students, beginning with the class of 2026, to complete specific coursework in English language arts, math and science …

Graduation Requirements, Tech. Program Policy Changes for Mass. Schools

METHUEN – The Massachusets Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Board established new policies this week on how it determines competency for student graduation, access to career technical education policies, and tests for licensing teachers. Student Competency Determination The Board of DESE voted to approve regulations to help standardize what school districts must require for students to earn a competency determination, a requirement for …

Mass. sets new high school graduation rules after scrapping MCAS

Massachusetts Board of Education approves new interim graduation standards, requiring specific coursework for high school students starting with the class of 2026.