The Massachusetts high school Class of 2003 was the first required to pass a test to graduate.

The impact of the mandate, part of the state’s education reform law known as the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System or MCAS, was felt within two years.

In 2005, Massachusetts public school students outperformed students in all other states in all subjects tested on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. They have continued to do so for most years since then.

Sounds like the state has something that really works. Who would want to get rid of the requirement?

Teachers.

A question on the November election ballot will ask the state’s voters to end the graduation test. The referendum is being pushed hard by the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the state’s largest teachers’ union.

Each year, more than 70,000 students starting in the third grade take the standardized tests. Students in Grade 10 are required to pass the math, English and science exams to graduate from high school.

The MTA and other critics argue that Massachusetts has become an outlier as one of only eight states that require students to pass a test to graduate from high school. They also cite recent research showing that passing an exit exam does not increase students’ academic achievement or employment rates but merely improves their test-taking skills.

Instead of a test, the MTA say students will be “eligible for a high school diploma if, among other requirements, they complete coursework demonstrating mastery of competencies in our state’s high academic standards.”

We understand the concerns.

Yes, the tests consume a lot of time and resources.

Yes, the MCAS needs improvement. As we have said in the past, we urge Gov. Maura Healey and the Legislature to order a study to review and put into place innovative ways to assess performance in our public schools.

But, no, Massachusetts voters should not eliminate the graduation test. There are many reasons why.

Massachusetts may be one of only eight states that mandate a graduation test, but many countries with top-ranked public schools require them.

Independent research shows that students whose scores were boosted in Grade 10 earned over 20 percent more by age 30.

“The higher the MCAS scores, the greater the future earnings,” one researcher told the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

The teachers’ union also says the MCAS is merely a reflection of the students’ zip codes — in short, their socioeconomic status.

But even within zip codes, MCAS scores can vary, depending on whether students attend good schools or poor or mediocre ones.

Most importantly, eliminating the graduation test would strip the state of its ability to assess schools and teachers and to intervene when a district is underperforming.

We urge voters to retain the graduation test. We have a system that is working. Our schools are among the best in the country.

There’s no reason for change.

BOSTON (WPRI) — The Massachusetts Lottery will soon shift some of its games online.

Gov. Maura Healey signed off on the nearly $58 billion state budget Monday, which included the legalization of iLottery sales.

Language in the budget stipulates that a portion of the revenue generated from online lottery games must support a new funding source for the state’s early education and care initiatives.

Healey signs $58 billion state budget featuring free community college plan

“This will allow the lottery to keep pace with its competition and reach newer audiences,” Massachusetts State Lottery Commission Chair Deborah Goldberg said. “We are prepared to implement a safe and reliable iLottery that will produce significant resources for critical childcare services, which are so desperately needed across the state.”

Though the age requirement for retail lottery games will remain 18 years old, those interested in playing iLottery games must be at least 21 years old.

The Massachusetts State Lottery plans begin “to procure services for the operation of an online lottery” soon in hopes of launching a platform at the end of next year.

“We are ready and prepared to offer our players a modern lottery experience in a safe and accessible environment,” Massachusetts State Lottery Executive Director Mark William Bracken said.

ALSO READ: Woman wins $1 million in Mass. Lottery twice in 10 weeks

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BOSTON (WHDH) – Protesters gathered in Boston and Springfield Monday to push back on newly-announced state emergency shelter rules that advocates say will increase the number of people with no safe place to sleep at night. 

Protests took place outside the State House in Boston and the state office building in Springfield. 

In a previous statement announcing the demonstrations, organizers said Massachusetts “is on the verge of forcing hundreds of children and their families into unsheltered homelessness in an unprecedented violation of our state’s values.” 

As officials grapple with the effects of the influx of migrants arriving in Massachusetts, Gov. Maura Healey on Tuesday of last week said the state would soon prioritize shelter space for families who are homeless due to no-fault evictions or sudden circumstances such as floods or fires. 

Healey’s administration said families would also be prioritized if at least one family member is a veteran, if they are at risk of domestic violence, if they have significant medical needs, or if they have newborn children. 

The new policy is scheduled to take effect on Thursday of this week and will establish a five-day cap for families waiting in overflow shelters for more long-term placement in an emergency assistance shelter.

If people utilize an overflow shelter, though, they will need to wait six months before qualifying for emergency assistance shelter placement. 

Just under a week after Healey’s announcement and just days before the new shelter rules take effect, advocates called on the governor to protect Massachusetts’ right to shelter law and “avoid a humanitarian crisis that will put a stain on Massachusetts’ moral standing for generations.”

“[Emergency assistance] shelter is the last resort for families with no safe place to sleep,” organizers said. “Under the changes announced by the Governor, families who are deemed eligible for shelter will now be forced to choose: wait in an unsafe place for a shelter placement or stay for 5 nights in a state-run overflow site but then wait at least 6 months to access [emergency assistance] shelter.”

“Five days is not enough time to find housing or alternative temporary options, and this change is going to leave families and children with no other options but to sleep on the street,” organizers continued.

Karissa Hand, a spokesperson for Healey, in a statement said the state currently does not have space available in its emergency assistance shelters or in its overflow shelters. 

Hand said state Family Welcome Centers “do everything in their power to connect families with alternative options,” including offering transportation to family and friends and providing various diversion services. 

“[B]ut it is essential that families understand the lack of shelter space before they travel here,” she said. 

Hand said the “key reason” for new changes “is to free up space and provide short term respite to newly arriving families in need.” 

“There are approximately 8,000 families in shelter in Massachusetts at present, including both longtime Massachusetts residents and newly arriving immigrant families, and unfortunately we do not have additional capacity at this time,” Hand said.

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