The North Reading School Committee on a unanimous 5–0 vote adopted a new local graduation policy (IHF) that separates required coursework from a competency determination and describes how students — including those in out‑of‑district placements and students with disabilities — can demonstrate mastery.

District administrators told the committee the policy defines the coursework students must complete and then requires a competency determination tied to specific courses and qualifying assessments. "Students who did not meet these requirements will have the results reported to students and families and a plan will be developed to monitor and support students in grades 10, 11, and 12 with additional opportunities to demonstrate masteries outlined above," an administrator said during the presentation.

Why it matters: The policy replaces the previous statewide MCAS‑based pathway with local course‑based assessments and other equivalent measures (for example, a final exam, capstone portfolio or other evidence of mastery). Administrators said the district will communicate expectations through parent orientation, program‑of‑study materials, student handbooks and course syllabi, and will submit required materials to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for review.

How the district will handle out‑of‑district students: Committee members raised concerns about students placed outside North Reading and whether those placements can meet the district's competency expectations. Administrators said the district will hold equivalency conversations with out‑of‑district providers — the same process used during the COVID years — to determine if a course and its assessments are equivalent or whether a student should take the district assessment. "In some cases it might be someone taking our assessment; in some cases, it might be that they demonstrate another way to get there, and it would be case by case," an administrator said.

Appeals and roles: The policy identifies the high‑school principal as the official who confers diplomas and makes final determinations about graduation decisions consistent with law and model guidance; a board member asked why the principal — rather than a central office official — is the final determinant, and administration replied that the principal traditionally confers diplomas and makes those determinations.

Support for students who don’t meet the determination: Administrators emphasized that the policy provides multiple paths and supportive measures similar to prior MCAS appeals and education proficiency plans, and said the district will work to avoid a high‑stakes atmosphere by integrating competency assessments with course finals and by offering credit recovery and additional demonstration opportunities.

What’s next: The district will submit the policy package to DESE; state reviewers will return feedback if any of the required elements are missing. The committee approved the second reading and adoption by a vote of 5–0.