School committee approves Beverly High School Program of Studies updates, including competency-determination language

The Beverly School Committee voted Wednesday to approve updates to the Beverly High School Program of Studies for the 2025–26 school year, including new and rotating course offerings and revised language about competency determination after changes to MCAS as a graduation requirement.

The changes approved by the committee include clerical and formatting updates across the document, a new grammar elective (2.5 credits), adjustments to fine arts credit structures, movement of economics into the business and computer technology department, and making environmental science a yearly offering because it is now part of a pathway. The committee also noted some course rotations (accounting 2, business management and globalization) and a temporary pause on offering CAD while the class is revamped.

A key policy change reflected in the document is new language on the “competency determination” that replaces MCAS as an automatic graduation requirement; the document preserves local procedures and notes that further updates will follow DESE guidance. During the presentation, district staff said local determinations will continue to rely on multiple measures and that the committee will need to vote on local competency-determination procedures when DESE issues further guidance.

Students and committee members discussed course selection timing: course signups open in the coming weeks and remain open about a month. The administration emphasized guidance support during course-selection and explained lottery/placement practices if courses exceed capacity.

The program-of-studies updates were moved by the committee chair and approved by vote at the meeting. The full committee approved the updates by a vote of 6-0 in the later regular meeting; a related curriculum committee (Curriculum, Instruction & Student Life) had previously recommended the changes.