Easton considers new local competency rules after state ends MCAS as a graduation determinant

The Easton School Committee held a first reading on Jan. 23 of proposed revisions to the district graduation policy following a state law change that removes the MCAS exam as the statewide competency determination.

What changed: The law (ballot‑driven change enacted in December) means districts must define competency determination by satisfactory completion of coursework that demonstrates mastery of state standards, rather than relying on MCAS pass/fail results. MCAS testing itself remains required by federal and state law for accountability and federal reporting; the new rule only changes whether MCAS can be used as the competency test for graduation.

Committee discussion and immediate recommendation: Assistant superintendent Kelly Kavanaugh presented recommended policy edits that move graduation competency rules into the district program of studies so the committee can more nimbly adjust the technical features of competency while keeping broad policy oversight in committee policy. For the class of 2025, staff proposed housing a short‑term competency determination in the program of studies to give seniors clarity before graduation and to accommodate students who transferred into the district and therefore had limited or no MCAS opportunities.

Three broad options discussed for policy makers: 1) Keep passing MCAS as a graduation requirement (i.e., require students to pass MCAS to receive a diploma). Committee members noted that, under the new law, districts cannot designate MCAS as the competency determination but could still keep MCAS as a separate graduation requirement if they wished. Several members questioned this path because the state removed MCAS as the competency standard and because public confusion about the ballot language may undermine compliance. 2) Require students to take the MCAS but not require passing it to graduate. This option preserves test participation for accountability and scholarship eligibility while shifting competency to coursework mastery. 3) Remove MCAS from district graduation requirements entirely and rely only on a coursework‑based competency determination.

The district recommended a time‑limited approach: remove or suspend the MCAS passing requirement for the class of 2025, publish a clear program‑of‑studies competency determination for the same cohort, and continue a district‑level conversation about a stable approach for 2026 and beyond. Staff emphasized that the state has not yet published detailed guidance on metrics like the meaning of “mastery,” and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has suggested districts should define their own coursework‑based standards in the short term.

Student impact and appeals: Kavanaugh said a small cohort of students who transferred into Easton have not taken MCAS but met course requirements; staff recommended that such students be eligible for principal waivers or a program‑based competency determination to allow graduation where coursework demonstrates mastery. The committee asked staff to draft clear waiver procedures and to notify students and families quickly.

Accountability and consequences: The committee discussed the reputational and programmatic consequences of declining MCAS participation. School leaders warned that low participation rates could cause the state accountability label to mark the high school as underperforming, which could trigger state interventions or reduce district autonomy for curriculum choices — consequences the committee said it wanted to avoid.

Next steps: staff will bring revised policy language to a second reading and will draft program‑of‑studies language for the class of 2025 so seniors and families have clarity; staff also proposed broader public information explaining MCAS, its ongoing uses, and scholarship implications. The committee directed the administration to consult with DESE guidance as it becomes available and to prepare a recommended competency determination for committee approval in February.