Westford committee reviews draft competency determination after state voters removed MCAS pathway

Westford School Committee members on Monday reviewed a draft local competency determination that would replace the former MCAS-based pathway for earning a state-required competency determination.

The proposed draft, discussed by Dr. Chu and district curriculum staff, would require students to demonstrate mastery through course completion: English 9 and 10; Algebra I and geometry; and one lab science course (biology, chemistry or physics). "The voters in Massachusetts removed that assessment as a way for students to earn this competency determination," Dr. Chu said, describing why the district must now set local standards.

The draft language was prepared with input from Principal Toomey, EL curriculum coordinator Janet Kierstead, STEM curriculum coordinator Joe Barnas and Lauren Clark, director of counseling, Dr. Chu said. The district plans to embed the competency-determination language into the broader graduation-requirements policy the committee will consider later.

Why it matters: the competency determination previously relied on MCAS results. With the ballot change last fall, local districts must define how students show mastery in the coursework previously assessed by MCAS. Dr. Chu told the committee the draft aligns with guidance the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education is considering and said the recommendation "as it is would not negatively impact any member of the class of 2025." The committee discussed whether to vote on the competency determination separately from the full graduation policy; members agreed it would be appropriate to consider the CD at the next meeting so students can receive timely guidance.

Committee members asked for clarification on how the policy will treat students who transfer into Westford or those who demonstrate mastery via higher-level courses. Dr. Chu explained that, for example, a student taking Algebra II after having taken geometry could be assumed to have demonstrated Algebra I mastery, and that students who pass upper-level science courses (AP Biology, AP Chemistry or AP Physics) would similarly demonstrate earlier lab-science standards.

The draft also includes a mechanism for districts to treat students who moved here from other states or countries: successful completion of equivalent courses can satisfy the local competency determination. Committee members discussed practical transcript review questions and the desirability of clear rules for transfer credits.

Next steps: the committee indicated willingness to place the competency-determination language on the April 1 agenda for a vote and to later slot an approved text into the district's graduation-requirements policy. Dr. Chu said the separation is intended to provide timeliness for current students while allowing the district to adjust the broader graduation policy when the state issues further guidance.

Clarifying details collected at the meeting included: the draft requires English 9 and 10, Algebra I and geometry, and one lab science; it is intended to be embedded into the district's graduation policy (which separately sets the full credit requirement); the ballot question last fall removed MCAS as a CD pathway and assigned decision-making to local districts.

The committee did not adopt final language on March 17; members asked staff to place the item on the April 1 agenda for a formal vote.