Newly proposed high school graduation requirements will lower the quality of a Mass. diploma
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Hopefully, these proposed requirements are not indicative of where the Healey administration is headed, because they are stunningly weak. Instead of setting a high common standard that reflects what students need to know before graduating, the proposal sets such a low bar that it threatens the quality of a Massachusetts diploma.
The department's proposal specifies that beginning with the class of 2026, students must 'satisfactorily complete coursework' in 9th- and 10th-grade English language arts and math (Algebra I and Geometry or Integrated Math I and II), and one year of biology, physics, chemistry, technology, or engineering. The proposed regulation adds US history as a required course beginning with the class of 2027. Students must show 'mastery' in those classes, demonstrated by an end-of-course exam, a portfolio of work deemed satisfactory by teachers, or an 'equivalent measure' set by each district.
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These proposed requirements would
The undergraduate
There is no benefit in setting statewide standards that are far below what the state currently recommends to districts through
Each district will set its own level for the quality of individual courses, the extent to which course content aligns with state standards, and the expectations each student must meet to earn a passing grade. Although DESE plans to audit districts' competency determination policies, it lacks the capacity to enforce consequences for districts that do not fulfill the regulations. This has the potential to result in districts checking boxes for students' coursework without concern for how accurate their self-reporting is, or whether a D- is a sign of 'satisfactorily completing coursework.'
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Compounding this concern is that these changes come when
A final board vote on the proposed interim graduation requirements is expected on May 20; these standards should not be approved. They are not strong enough, even in this intermediate period. The board needs to spend more time thoughtfully recommending course requirements that align with, or are slightly above, those that exist in more than half of the high schools across the state. Methods to enforce accurate reporting on students' courses, and
Opponents of eliminating MCAS as a graduation requirement warned it would weaken the quality of education. These interim standards are an indication of just how low that bar can go.
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