Nantucket schools outline Student Opportunity Act update and MCAS credit-audit plan

Superintendent Dr. Howlett told the Nantucket School Committee the district submitted its annual Student Opportunity Act update to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and described local steps to address gaps for students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, students with disabilities and English learners.

The Student Opportunity Act requires a three‑year plan; Howlett said Nantucket receives only “minimal funding support” under the law compared with larger Chapter 70 allotments in other districts. The update reported district work on two locally chosen focus areas: strengthening positive school environments and improving the multi‑tiered system of support.

The update matters because the Student Opportunity Act frames state expectations and because recent changes to MCAS-related diploma rules affect whether some students receive a high school diploma. Howlett outlined that the district has completed ELA MCAS across the district and that math and science testing for grades 3–8 and high school timelines run through May and June. She warned the committee the state has not yet provided full guidance on how to implement the law for past cohorts.

At Cyrus Pierce Middle School, Principal Michael Horton reported strong student participation during ELA testing: “Of all 363 students at CPS, all 363 just finished ELA. Like, we didn't miss a single kid, so we're a % participation,” and he said many sixth graders required extra time to finish writing prompts. Howlett and school principals said overall attendance and engagement during testing appeared high.

A major operational issue discussed was the district’s plan for credit audits to determine whether former students who lacked diplomas because they failed the MCAS might now be eligible for diplomas. Howlett said Cape and Islands superintendents are collaborating on common language and protocols for credit audits; the district will examine students’ actual course work, particularly where portfolio reviews or IEP‑driven modifications may have meant course content did not fully match standard tenth‑grade expectations. Howlett repeatedly emphasized the district is constrained by the state law and by what DESE requires: districts must confirm students passed the courses whose content maps to the tested tenth‑grade standards before certifying a diploma.

Howlett and other administrators told the committee they have already been able to retroactively award diplomas in a small number of recent cases. “From last year specifically we had 4 students who did not receive their diploma who we were able to call and say, you don't have to have the MCAS test now. You may now come and pick up your diploma,” one administrator said, noting the district contacted a student from two years prior as well.

But district staff cautioned that retroactive diplomas are limited by the availability of records and by whether past coursework meets the content expectations. Howlett said the district will likely limit immediate policy changes to the classes of 2025 and 2026 while awaiting clearer DESE guidance: “we were only going to talk about class of 2025 and 2026 because we firmly believe DESE is going to probably change something.”

Committee members raised concerns about students who remain unable to move forward without diplomas. Howlett invited individual cases to be referred directly to the district for follow‑up. Committee members pressed for more precise counts of affected students; district staff said exact retroactive totals are not specified but estimated only a handful per year in recent years (the superintendent cited roughly three to four in prior years). Howlett said the district will process credit‑audit requests and that guidance and policy could change as DESE issues clarifications.

The district also noted the John and Abigail Adams scholarship program remains tied to proficiency on MCAS for first‑time exam takers, a practical incentive for some students to focus on MCAS performance.

The committee did not take a separate vote on policy changes during this meeting; staff described the work as ongoing and contingent on forthcoming state guidance.