Vote results indicate MCAS will cease to be a graduation requirement

WORCESTER — The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System test will no longer be a graduation requirement for high school students, after voters passed Question 2 on Election Day.

As of early Wednesday, with 89% of the votes counted, according to the Associated Press, 59% of voters in the state had voted “Yes” on Question 2, which removes the test as a graduation requirement.

“By passing Question 2, Massachusetts voters have declared that they are ready to let teachers teach and students learn, without the burdensome effects of a high-stakes standardized test undermining the mission of public education: to prepare all students for future success as citizens, workers and creative, happy adults,” said a joint statement from Massachusetts Teachers Association President Max Page and Vice President Deb McCarthy.

The teachers unions lobbied hard and spent a lot of money to support the proposal.

“As it stands now, we’re grateful that the voters got out and listened to teachers and listened to the impact that MCAS has on students struggling to pass the test,” said Melissa Verdier, president of the Educational Association of Worcester, the union. representing teachers in Worcester, Tuesday night. “It was unfair and it penalized students who struggled to understand the English language, who had IEPs, and this hopefully, as this is trending in the right direction, it moves us away from a system that penalizes students and toward a system where we can making sure students have skills to achieve in life, not to pass a test.”

Currently, all students in Massachusetts must achieve a passing grade to receive a high school diploma. Data from the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education shows that an average of about 700 seniors nationwide do not receive a diploma in a typical year because they failed the exam.

Students typically take the MCAS test in 10th grade. Students who fail that exam may continue to take it in subsequent years to meet the graduation requirement.

The referendum does not eliminate the MCAS exam; all public school students across the state will still be required to take it, and the test will still be used as an evaluation standard for school districts.

Proponents of removing the MCAS as a graduation requirement have argued that passing the test is unrealistic for some students, especially special education and English language learners, and that the time spent teaching students to pass the test and administering the test would be is better spent on education that is more likely to make a difference in the lives of these students.

“If a student fails the English portion of the MCAS, they can take it twice a year for the following years. The test takes three days each time to administer, so that’s six classroom days a year lost just to administer the test.” Verdier said. “If they need to redo the math part, that’s four more days a year and two more days for the science part if they need that too. It’s just administering the test every year.”

The argument for keeping the MCAS exam as a graduation requirement is based on maintaining high, universal standards across the state for students who have a high school diploma.

The issue was unpopular among top Democrats on Beacon Hill, with Gov. Maura T. Healey, Gov. Kim Driscoll, Attorney General Andrea Campbell, House Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka all opposed.

When asked last month, both Spilka and Mariano left the door ajar on potential legislative action in response to Question 2 passing.

“We’ll see. We’ll have some discussions if it goes and then we’ll follow up. You know, I’m not in favor of getting rid of MCAS. I think it’s done, some assessment has done, Massachusetts well So we’ll to discuss,” Spilka said of a possible role for lawmakers.

Mariano said, “Well, somebody needs to evaluate what we’re doing in our public school system.”

With reports from the State House News Service.