Easton School Committee begins rewrite of graduation policy after state ends MCAS as automatic competency test

Facing a December change in state law that eliminated MCAS as the automatic competency determination for graduation, Easton administrators presented proposed revisions to the district’s graduation policy and began discussion on a competency approach for the class of 2025.

Kelly Cavanaugh and Dr. Cabral led the Jan. 23 presentation. Cavanaugh outlined recommended edits to the district’s IKF (graduation requirement) policy, including removing language tied to course counts that vary by semester and consolidating competency-determination language into the program of studies so it can be updated more rapidly than a policy.

Cavanaugh said the law now requires that competency determination be based on coursework that demonstrates mastery of standards previously measured by MCAS. She summarized three short-term options administrators are considering: keep MCAS as a district graduation requirement (district may require passing), require taking MCAS but not passing it for graduation, or remove MCAS from graduation requirements entirely and rely on locally defined coursework-based competency.

“MCAS assessment is still required for all grades 3 through 8 and the high school, 9th 10th grade,” Cavanaugh told the committee, noting that federal testing requirements and state accountability remain in place even after the competency change. Dr. Cabral emphasized the communication challenge created by the change: the law was passed in December and the class of 2025 will graduate in June.

For the class of 2025, administrators recommended a temporary competency determination anchored to coursework: completion of English 9 and 10, algebra (or equivalent) and geometry and one of the listed lab sciences. They also noted existing waiver procedures for students who transferred in from systems that do not administer MCAS and said they would develop clearer, written guidelines for waivers and appeals.

Committee members discussed options and asked staff to return with explicit language for the policy and for the 2025 program of studies. Dr. Cabral and Cavanaugh said they will share the presentation with families, meet with seniors who have not yet passed MCAS, and bring a draft program-of-studies competency determination to the committee for a future vote.

Ending: The committee completed a first reading of policy changes and asked staff to draft competency-determination language for the class of 2025 and a review process for 2026 and later classes.