Opinion: End the test-and-punish approach to education in Massachusetts

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More than 20 years ago, Massachusetts tied a high-school diploma to a passing score on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) exams given in 10th grade. This has proven to be a harmful practice, resulting in thousands of high school students since then being denied a diploma despite meeting all other graduation requirements.

This educational malpractice has disproportionately hit students with disabilities, English language learners and low-income students of color, and reinforced inequities in our public schools and in society at large.

Students without high school diplomas face severe disadvantages in pursuing career training, jobs and higher education. Massachusetts remains one of the final few holdouts still enforcing high-stakes testing graduation requirements as almost every other state has recognized how ineffective and unfair this practice is.

That’s why families and educators like me are leading the charge for change by supporting the Thrive Act and complementary ballot initiative, both aimed at removing the MCAS graduation requirement. 

To be clear, MCAS exams will remain as a diagnostic tool, as was the case when the tests first arrived in the 1990s. But there are better ways to assess our students’ success at meeting the high academic standards Massachusetts has and that every public school must follow.

Many educators want a more holistic, rigorous assessment that accurately measures student learning and school quality. We get a better picture of a student’s work through diverse assessments aligned with state standards, including end-of-unit exams, observations, interviews, presentations, surveys, lab practicals, essays, portfolios, group projects, and more. By employing a range of assessment methods, educators can ensure that students have met the state standards built into their coursework across all subjects. By ballot or legislation, ending the MCAS graduation requirement would require districts to certify that students have satisfactorily completed coursework showing mastery of the skills, competencies and knowledge.

And more importantly, we will be looking at these students as much more than scores on a standardized exam.  

At many vocational schools, including the one where I teach, seniors engage in a capstone project. With these projects, students write a research paper, develop a product, and defend it to a panel of educators and community stakeholders, including industry experts. Every essential skill that we want a student to have upon graduating high school is assessed through this experience. It enables students to bring their full selves to their work and share their brilliance with the world. There’s no reason why these vocational students should then have to pass a standardized test to graduate, or more importantly ever be denied a diploma because they did not achieve a passing MCAS score in the 10th grade.

Additionally, the Thrive Act establishes a commission to create a new, whole-child system of assessing our schools. Standardized test scores can’t provide a full picture and are insufficient indicators of quality public schools. The Massachusetts Consortium for Innovative Education Assessment (MCIEA) is already working on more comprehensive ways to measure how well schools are meeting the needs of students and meeting the needs of our communities. Such assessments align with what we want for our students: Are they ready to pursue a career, attend college, contribute to their communities, enjoy socio-economic mobility? No one test score will ever be able to answer those questions, and our academic standards are not jeopardized or ignored in such a process. 

This isn’t a departure from accountability, but rather a shift toward a more comprehensive and honest assessment of student achievement.

It’s heartening to see in my hometown how the New Bedford City Council and School Committee listened to educators, parents, students and community activists and passed resolutions supporting the Thrive Act that would end the MCAS graduation requirement. Now, it’s imperative for legislators to follow suit by passing the Thrive Act and dismantling the barriers imposed by the MCAS graduation requirement.

It’s time to break free from the system that undermines teaching and stifles critical thinking. The MCAS graduation requirement does not serve the best interests of our students, educators or communities. Let’s prioritize high standards over high stakes and foster a learning environment where all children can flourish, and educators can focus on meaningful instruction that brings out the best in every student.

Cynthia Roy, Ph.D., is a public school educator, an active community organizer with the New Bedford Coalition to Save Our Schools and a member of the Executive Committee for the Massachusetts Teachers Association.

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