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School Committee adopts state-aligned competency determination to replace MCAS requirement
Summary
The Lawrence Public Schools School Committee voted to adopt a competency determination policy the district will use in place of MCAS for graduation. The policy aligns coursework (English, math and science) with Massachusetts guidance and includes a process to notify and offer diplomas to alumni who previously received certificates of attainment.
The Lawrence Public Schools School Committee on March 12 voted to adopt a competency determination policy the district will use following the removal of MCAS as a statewide graduation requirement.
The policy requires students to meet course-based criteria — passing English 9 or 10 (or equivalent), Algebra 1 and Geometry (or equivalents), and a science course such as biology, chemistry, physics or technology/engineering — that the district and state say align with the academic standards previously measured by MCAS.
Superintendent Carrero told the committee the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education required districts to implement a competency determination after voters removed MCAS as a graduation requirement in November. Lynn Gutierrez of the district assessment team and Assistant Principal Christine Lum described how the district matched prior coursework and out-of-district transcripts to state course expectations and how the policy was vetted with DESE legal counsel.
Jonathan Guzman, appearing during public comment, urged the district to reopen cases for students who were denied diplomas in prior years because they did not pass MCAS. Guzman said the number of affected alumni might be “potentially up to a thousand from as far back as 2003” and asked the district to establish a transparent process for those alumni to apply for diplomas. The superintendent and staff said the district will identify alumni, review prior transcripts, and offer pathways — including adult education courses when needed — to meet the state’s competency requirements; staff noted a diploma issued now would show the current date (for example, June 2025) rather than the original graduation year.
Committee members asked how the district will reach alumni and other affected community members. Staff said the district will use its website, social media (Facebook and Instagram), local English- and Spanish‑language newspapers, outreach through the high school student body networks, and the adult learning center records to attempt to contact eligible alumni. Staff also said the high school is creating procedures to process requests and, where appropriate, provide options such as adult‑learning coursework to meet any missing requirements.
The committee approved the policy by voice/roll-call vote. A motion to accept the competency determination policy was made and seconded; the roll call recorded Doctor Dolores Galaf, Edgar De Leon, Maria Mueller, Mayor Brian de Pena and Patricia Mariano voting yes. The chair announced the motion carries.
The committee also handled a separate, brief vote to approve the minutes of Feb. 26; that motion passed with Patricia Mariano recorded as abstaining.
The policy is meant to apply going forward to current students and to provide a mechanism for alumni who previously received a certificate of attainment to request a diploma if they meet the course- and competency-based criteria described by state guidance. Staff emphasized that districts must still meet state law and DESE guidance when implementing the replacement process for MCAS.
