Westford Academy working group recommends restructuring PE and health, keeps core credit minimums

A working group convened by Westford Academy Principal Dan Toomey recommended restructuring the school's physical education (PE) and health requirements to allow more scheduling flexibility while keeping the district's overall minimum credits in place and maintaining the visual and performing arts (VPA) requirement at 2.5 credits.

The group presented its findings and recommendations to the Westford School Committee after a public comment period that included parents and students urging more elective choice. "What is the purpose of graduation requirements?" asked Patty Long, a parent and member of the working group, during public comment. Toomey said the committee's mission was "to talk about, and examine the skills that our students need to be best prepared for life after Westford Academy." The working group included parents, students, school personnel and school committee representation.

Why this matters

The recommendations affect student course access, scheduling and the district's policy language that will determine the local competency determination (CD) now that the statewide MCAS exit requirement no longer serves as the CD. The group's changes are designed to preserve required learning while creating more freshman-year elective opportunities and aligning local practice with Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) guidance and the new 2023 PE and health frameworks.

What the working group found and recommended

- Current minimums: Toomey summarized the existing Westford Academy minimum credit pattern: 32.5 credits across grades 9'11 (with some students able to reduce the senior-year requirement to 30), including 20 credits of English, 20 of math, 15 of science (three years of lab science), world language, PE/health, VPA and 22.5 elective credits. The group noted many students use electives to take fourth-year core courses, reducing open elective slots.

- PE and health: The committee recommended restructuring PE and health into a combined wellness model consistent with the 2023 DESE PE and health frameworks. Under the proposal, students would still be expected to earn the equivalent of four semesters (10 credits) of PE/health across high school, but scheduling would be adjusted so freshmen have more elective choice while meeting Massachusetts General Laws (Chapter 71) requirements that health and PE be taught.

- Athletics and PE substitution: The working group decided not to pursue allowing athletics to satisfy PE requirements now. The recommendation cites equity and curriculum concerns: many coaches are not state-certified classroom teachers; time-on-learning would occur outside the school day; participation can be limited by fees, roster size and other access barriers.

- VPA (visual and performing arts): The group recommended maintaining the district's current VPA requirement at 2.5 credits (one semester) rather than raising it to a full-year unit. Toomey noted MassCore and many comparator districts treat a VPA unit as a full year or an equivalent, which colleges often expect, but the committee concluded that immediately increasing VPA would create staffing and scheduling strain; projected data showed roughly 80 additional seniors over the last four graduating classes would have needed an extra VPA course if a year requirement had been in place.

- Student survey: Toomey said the working group surveyed grades 10'12 with a roughly 30% response rate (446 responses). About 40% of respondents who recommended a decrease pointed to PE as the area most frequently cited for reduction; 48% of respondents said they would not increase any requirement.

- Competency determination (CD) and MCAS: The group emphasized that DESE guidance on local determinations is still developing after legislative changes that removed MCAS as the statewide CD. Toomey told the committee DESE had signaled more guidance would be released and that the district must clarify its local CD criteria in policy so students approaching graduation know what they must demonstrate.

Implementation timeline and limits

Toomey recommended phasing changes in for the class of 2030 (current seventh graders) so students would have clear time to plan. The committee did not produce final policy language at the meeting; Toomey said that detailed policy drafting and curriculum work would follow and that some implementation details (for example, exact course titles and how freshman wellness would be structured) remain with the PE/health department to design.

Quotations and views from the meeting

Patty Long, working group member and parent, asked during public comment: "What is the purpose of graduation requirements?" Principal Dan Toomey summarized the group's mission: the working group examined "the skills that our students need to be best prepared for life after Westford Academy." Toomey also reported the student survey finding that "40 percent of the students responded to report that the PE requirement should be decreased."

Next steps

The school committee will receive draft policy language prepared by administration and the policy subcommittee for public comment. Toomey said the district would also incorporate forthcoming DESE guidance on local competency determination before finalizing policy. The working group recommended the district communicate proposed changes and collect public feedback before the committee votes on any policy change.