Around New England

Massachusetts House Speaker Not Eager To Dump MCAS Test As High School Graduation Requirement

January 4, 2024

Massachusetts House Speaker Ron Mariano linked the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System test and educational standards on Wednesday.

Mariano (D-Quincy), a former teacher, told reporters outside his office at the State House on Wednesday, January 3 that has “never been a big MCAS reformer,” according to State House News Service.

“MCAS was something we put a great thought and effort into, and we gave an awful lot of money to the educational system when we passed the ed reform bill with the understanding that there had to be some degree of accountability,” Mariano said, according to State House News Service.

A proposed ballot question to eliminate MCAS as a high school graduation requirement got enough signatures from registered voters to clear the first major hurdle on the way to the state’s general election ballot in November 2024.

Supporters of MCAS say it’s necessary to see how schools are doing and whether a high school diploma means anything.

Opponents of MCAS say it’s a high-stakes test that puts unnecessary pressure on students and forces teachers to teach to the test instead of focusing on content. The Massachusetts Teachers Association, the largest teachers union in the state, wants to get rid of MCAS as a graduation requirement.

As House speaker, Mariano controls which bills get voted on by the full membership of the chamber. His comments suggest the state legislature won’t act on the proposal to ditch MCAS as a requirement for graduating.

But if the measure makes the state election ballot in November, voters will decide.

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