MTA statement on interim report from the Statewide K-12 Graduation Council
MTA statement on interim report from the Statewide K-12 Graduation Council
Massachusetts Teachers Association President Max Page and Vice President Deb McCarthy issued the following statement in response to the release of the interim report from the Statewide K-12 Graduation Council convened by Governor Maura Healey to develop new high school graduation requirements:
Including state-developed and graded end-of-course exams in a set of new proposals for high school graduation requirements poisons a once-in-a-generation opportunity for stakeholders to come together and remake the high school experience for our students.
The proposals for new graduation requirements, written by Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler and Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Pedro Martinez, include valuable ideas promoted by educators, parents, community advocates and educational experts, and are strongly supported by the MTA.
"By making new state standardized tests a central component of the new graduation requirements, the proposal defies the will of voters who made clear their wishes in the 2024 Question 2 referendum, which passed by nearly 60 percent in favor."
But by making new state standardized tests a central component of the new graduation requirements, the proposal defies the will of voters who made clear their wishes in the 2024 Question 2 referendum, which passed by nearly 60 percent in favor.
The MTA, which is represented on the council, does not endorse the report’s recommendation to include the use of new state-administered, end-of-course standardized tests among the new graduation requirements. The council did not vote on the recommendations; these are the recommendations of the secretary and commissioner, speaking on behalf of the Healey administration.
MTA members and allies are committed to protecting the victory they achieved in passing Question 2 and ending the harm of using standardized MCAS exams as a graduation requirement. We will vigorously fight any attempt to reinstitute statewide standardized tests as a graduation requirement. And we will advocate for graduation requirements aligned with the “Vision of a Graduate,” which the Healey administration recently issued, much of which is laudable.
Passing Question 2 opened the door to innovative and more effective ways of preparing our students for the world they are entering. MTA members and leaders participated in listening sessions organized by both the state and citizens’ groups to hear what people wanted as a possible graduation requirement.
Overwhelmingly, participants in these community forums were clear: The failed system of excessive testing should be over. Instead, many embraced innovative and modern alternatives, many of which are being adopted by states with high standards, including New York. These included having students complete capstone projects or compile work portfolios as ways to demonstrate mastery of material and the ability to think critically.
Experts are telling us that standardized tests are not effective for promoting deeper learning, which our students must engage in more than ever to be adaptable and successful in a lifetime of work, citizenship, parenthood and community engagement.
Standardized tests are not effective for promoting deeper learning.
We saw how high-stakes MCAS exams narrowed the curriculum and transformed learning time into test-prep sessions; we cannot allow that to happen again.
We urge Education Secretary Tutwiler and Commissioner Martinez to withdraw the proposed end-of-course exams from their final report and refocus the council’s advisory role in developing those elements in their report that have real merit, including a strong course of study available to all districts, with multiple pathways to a diploma, and strategies of teaching and assessment that are anchored in authentic learning and critical thinking.
State education officials should not file legislation related to graduation requirements, and instead take the time needed to dig deeply into the innovative ideas that have been discussed and make Massachusetts a national leader in revitalizing high schools.