moving forward thoughtfully is more important than moving forward quickly
Public education advocates who held People’s Forums around the state to hear what education stakeholders had to say about the creation of new high-school graduation requirements found overlapping sentiment wherever they went, a main message being: moving forward thoughtfully based on broad public input is more important than moving forward quickly.
The 'People’s Proposal cites six main principles to anchor new graduation requirements:
- Engage in a thoughtful planning process that first establishes a clear vision of what we want our students to know and be able to do by graduation. Unfortunately, the process thus far seems to have been speeding up, rather than slowing down to be inclusive, and has not been reflecting what was heard in the listening sessions.
- State support for local reform, guided by educators in dialogue with community members.
- Do not impose unfunded mandates on school districts. Adequate and equitable funding is essential to achieve the goals we all share.
- There need to be multiple pathways to a single diploma.
- New graduation requirements must center a commitment to deeper learning, thus preparing our students for the critical skills they will need when they graduate.
- Do not handcuff educators with onerous requirements, scripted curriculum and standardized tests that undermine their professionalism.
read the report
Since April, Citizens for Public Schools, with help from diverse community groups, local educator unions, and the MTA have been organizing community forums across the state, asking residents to discuss their views on what students need to know and be able to do when they graduate from high school. Those sessions yielded “A People’s Proposal to Prepare Our High School Graduates for the Future."
“The families and other stakeholders attending the People’s Forum events made clear that they have broad goals for our students. Any new requirements should be based on these goals and aligned with the work that students do throughout their entire journey through our state’s public education system,” said CPS Executive Director Lisa Guisbond. “We are also hearing that people want multiple pathways to a diploma and schools that emphasize critical thinking, problem solving, communication skills and how to effectively collaborate with others.”
Members of the Legislature's Joint Committee on Education received the report ahead of public hearings the committee is holding Wednesday.
“The ballot question passed by voters in 2024 ended the use of MCAS exams as a statewide graduation requirement, and voters recognized that a one-size-fits all requirement is a deeply flawed approach for preparing our young people to be successful adults,” said Massachusetts Teachers Association President Max Page.
“By emphasizing the test rather than the goal of preparing all students for bright futures, the MCAS graduation requirement ended up narrowing the learning experiences in our classrooms. High-stakes testing also failed to close the gaps in student readiness we see opening along social, economic and racial lines,” said MTA Vice President Deb McCarthy. “Revising graduation requirements gives us a rare opportunity to make broad, meaningful changes to our state’s public education system, and we owe it to our students to be thoughtful and thorough in this work.”