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School committee adopts local competency determination for class of 2025 amid state guidance uncertainty
Summary
The committee voted unanimously to adopt a local competency determination for the class of 2025 so affected seniors can graduate under rules aligned with recent state guidance; staff said relatively few students are affected and the change applies only to the class of 2025.
The Winchester School Committee voted unanimously on Feb. 13 to adopt a local competency determination for the class of 2025.
Doctor Ellen Alenema, who presented the proposal, said the action responds to changes in state guidance that took effect in January and affect only a small number of students who had not previously met competency requirements measured by MCAS. The committee’s certification applies only to the 2025 graduating class.
Alenema explained the district is required both to meet local graduation requirements and to set a separate competency determination that aligns with state law and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) framework. For 2025 the administration recommended verifying that students have passed the specified English and math courses (English in grades 9–10 and 9–10 math such as algebra, geometry, statistics/trigonometry) and at least one introductory-or-higher science course (physics, chemistry, or biology) rather than relying on tests that have been superseded by the recent law and guidance.
Alenema said very few students are affected: "We're in the single digits," she told the committee. She also noted the action excludes seniors who already met competency through prior MCAS results or retests completed before the change in law.
Policy subcommittee members who reviewed the proposal recommended approval as an interim step while statewide rules continue to be clarified, and the full committee voted 5–0 to adopt the district’s competency determination for the class of 2025 only.
Alenema said the administration would work with families, with guidance staff and — when appropriate — with neighboring districts to ensure students who need to meet a competency area have options such as credit-bearing courses or summer programs where available.
The committee recorded no dissenting votes; members said the limited scope and short timeline — with graduation weeks away — required an interim local solution.
