Opinion/Guest column: Kennedy urges Yes on Question 2

As a Massachusetts state senator, I unequivocally support high educational standards for the students in our public schools. I believe that maintaining rigorous academic expectations is essential for preparing our children for the future. I am voting Yes on Question 2 to eliminate the MCAS requirement for graduation.

During my first term, I have made it a priority to visit all 48 schools in the First Worcester District. Throughout my time in these schools, I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to observe our scholars and educators in action. Unfortunately, I have also seen firsthand how the current MCAS graduation requirement places undue pressure on students and creates an unfair barrier to graduation. That’s why I’m supporting Question 2 on the ballot this November.

As a legislator, I understand it is vital to be able to measure our students’ level of comprehension at each grade level and ensure that all our schools adequately prepare them for lifelong success. Educational assessments can offer insight into student progress and aid in identifying areas where additional support might be needed. They provide valuable data on how students are performing and can help guide instruction. However, in meeting with educators and observing students in the classroom, I know that we have other tools available. 

I have observed students utilizing 21st-century technology such as ST Math, STARS and DIBELS as part of their learning, which can periodically access students’ grasp of the current unit in real time, which allows the educator to intervene immediately when a child is struggling to understand the concept at hand. Additionally, principals can review this data to understand when there is widespread difficulty with a particular topic. Lastly, the superintendent can also access this data for districtwide assessments. This allows both the principal and the superintendent to provide additional support where needed in real time, unlike MCAS, which doesn’t even get released until the following school year. 

I have met students who excel in their classes, are actively engaged in their education, and still struggle with the format of standardized tests or experience test anxiety. For these students, the stress of high-stakes testing can be overwhelming, which, compounded by the prospect of not graduating because of a single MCAS score, is a significant and unjust burden. The MCAS scores are not a fair reflection of our students’ abilities or achievements. 

That’s why Question 2 is so important. This measure does not eliminate the MCAS altogether but rather adjusts its role in the graduation process. Voting yes on Question 2 means that the MCAS will no longer be the sole determinant of graduation. Our excellent Massachusetts state frameworks, which have been developed by educators and field experts, are not impacted by this change at all. This approach maintains the high educational standards we value in the commonwealth while also ensuring a fairer and more comprehensive evaluation of each student’s readiness.

While my focus remains on the promotion of and investment in students and educators in the First Worcester District, as a legislator, I understand that our decisions and legislative actions affect students across the state.  We are responsible for ensuring that every student in the commonwealth has equal access to high-quality education.

That is why we also need to have a plan to ensure that as we transition away from the MCAS as a graduation requirement, we can be sure that all students are graduating with a more holistic graduation standard that demonstrates our students’ academic achievements and capabilities. Next session, I will join my colleagues, led by Sen. Jason Lewis, the Senate chair of the Joint Committee on Education, in supporting legislation to require all schools to adopt MassCore, a recommended set of courses for high school students.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, MassCore includes four units of English, four units of mathematics, three units of a lab-based science, three units of history, two units of the same world language, one unit of the arts and five additional “core” courses. Additionally, a computer science course that includes rigorous mathematical or scientific concepts and aligns with the 2016 digital literacy and computer science framework can substitute for either a mathematics course or a laboratory science course.

Implementing this standard high-quality curriculum will ensure that all our students are prepared for their future educational and professional goals and ensure that we can continue to be confident that we are graduating students who are workforce ready, and will enhance production and innovation for employers in the commonwealth. 

Supporting Question 2 is about making sure our educational system works for all our students. It’s about ensuring that we assess our children’s educational progress in a way that reflects the full range of their abilities and achievements, not just their performance on a single test. It’s about providing a more holistic evaluation of student readiness, which aligns with the comprehensive and rigorous standards we’ve set for education in Massachusetts.

I want to maintain high standards for achievement, and I also want a system that supports each student through their unique educational journey. By voting yes on Question 2, we can achieve both: maintaining rigorous standards while ensuring that every student is evaluated fairly and given the opportunity to succeed based on their full academic record.

By voting yes on Question 2, we can create a fairer and more balanced approach to education. Vote yes on Question 2 to help ensure that our educational standards remain high while making the graduation process more equitable for every student.

Robyn Kennedy is state senator for the First Worcester District.