Public high school students in Massachusetts can now earn their diplomas whether or not they pass their final MCAS exams.
Voters on Tuesday approved Question 2, with more than 58% backing the campaign to end the use of the controversial standardized tests as a graduation requirement. The Associated Press called the race just before 4 a.m. on Wednesday.
Seniors in the class of 2025 are set to be the first affected by the change. However, Beacon Hill leaders did not rule out a review by lawmakers and potential action on the law in the months ahead.
In 2003, the state began ordering all public school students to pass the 10th grade Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) test in order to graduate. It has been one of fewer than a dozen states with a so-called “exit exam” for high schoolers.
Today, districts administer those exams in three subjects: math, English and science. Despite the passage of the ballot initiative, students must still sit for those tests, as well as MCAS exams given in earlier grades.
The state’s largest teacher’s union, the Massachusetts Teachers Association, was the central force behind the “yes on 2” campaign. Union members argued the MCAS does not accurately reflect students’ educational success and unfairly punishes students with disabilities or fewer financial resources, as well as non-native English speakers.
Many teachers in support of the measure also said the stakes around the MCAS forced them to prioritize instruction around test-taking skills and interfered with their ability to teach students other material.
Opponents of the measure had praised the MCAS as a uniform method for evaluating school districts’ curriculum standards. In the lead up to Election Day, they expressed dire warnings that without the state mandate, districts could create vastly different standards around student learning.
Both sides poured millions of dollars into their respective campaigns.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
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