But the role of the new tests in satisfying graduation requirements is unclear. On the one hand, officials said students will not be required to pass the new tests forgraduation; on the other hand, the recommendations say the exams will “meaningfully count toward students’ academic record.”
How “meaningfully” is not yet known. State officials have yet to define the term.
“The exam is part of the course; it is not the sole determinant to stop a student from graduating,” said Alana Davidson, deputy chief of staff at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Education. “The intention is not bringing back high-stakes tests.”
The recommendations are a “first major step towards transforming the high school experience and reimagining what it can be for every child in the Commonwealth,” said state Education Secretary Stephen Zrike Jr.
The Massachusetts Teachers Association, the force behind the ballot question that ended the MCAS requirement, expressed strong opposition to the return of standardized testing.
“Voters agreed and chose to end the MCAS graduation requirement,” the union said in a statement, “understanding how a high-stakes standardized test narrowed and reduced the quality of the education available to students in public schools.”