School committee reviews implications of ballot change removing MCAS as competency determination

Superintendent Jim Adams told the School Committee that the November ballot changed how Massachusetts defines the competency determination (CD) for a high school diploma: the MCAS test is no longer the state’s CD, but the CD itself remains a legal requirement.

Adams summarized the change: "When the ballot passed in November, it did not get rid of the CD. It just said the MCAS is no longer the CD." He described three timeframes the district must address: immediate impacts on the Class of 2025 (students who already took or did not pass MCAS), medium-term questions for current high school students enrolling in classes this year, and long-term state policy choices for future classes.

District staff said the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) continues to require assessments for federal accountability, so MCAS testing must continue. But DESE has given districts more short-term discretion to identify "local certification"—district-certified coursework that shows mastery of the frameworks previously measured by MCAS. Adams and staff said that discretion is likely temporary: the state will later review and may require formal certification of locally determined courses.

Adams and colleagues reported specific operational points the committee must address: a crosswalk of district courses to the state’s English, math and science frameworks (for example, whether integrated math courses meet algebra/geometry frameworks); whether the district’s graduation policy language (Ashland’s policy lists specific course requirements such as one credit of American literature) should be revised; and whether school administration should be given explicit discretion to certify equivalent courses for transfer and English-learner students.

Administrators told the committee they have already identified five students affected by the change and three who were negatively impacted because the pathway formerly available (partial MCAS meeting adjustments such as the former EPP accommodations) no longer applies. Staff said they are reviewing transcripts and specific classes to determine which courses the district will certify as meeting the CD for 2025 and to notify families promptly. Adams said the district will focus on the Class of 2025 before broader policy changes and expects to return with recommended language for handbook or program-of-studies updates in a coming meeting.

Committee members raised concerns about equity, the loss of the MCAS as a consistent statewide normalization tool, and the practical effects on students near the threshold who might otherwise have shown competency through targeted supports rather than repeating a full course. Adams and other staff urged careful review of course frameworks and recommended that any proposed local CD be placed in the student handbook and distributed immediately, and that the School Committee would consider policy adjustments only if necessary to formalize district discretion.

No final action to change graduation policy was taken at the meeting. Adams said the state’s guidance and a governor-appointed task force are expected to provide broader direction in 2026–2027; in the meantime the district will identify impacted students, crosswalk courses to the frameworks, and bring proposed handbook language or minor policy changes back to the committee.