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Trustees debate graduation requirements and equity in admissions after MCAS change
Summary
With MCAS no longer state‑mandated, trustees and the policy subcommittee discussed whether district graduation criteria are sufficient and raised state concerns that regional admissions policies may accept subgroups at different rates, prompting further review in January.
The board discussed graduation requirements and equity in admissions as the state prepares to change how competency and graduation readiness are determined.
Trustees and policy subcommittee members reviewed current Smith graduation criteria — annual shop passing, minimum credits in core subjects, attendance limits and other district standards — and considered whether those rules remain sufficient now that MCAS will no longer be required by the state. The transcript records that "students will still be required take MCAS in order to comply with Federal Regulations," though committee members warned that the test may no longer be a reliable measure if students do not take it seriously.
Administrators also described state review of admissions policies for regional vocational schools, telling trustees that the state is examining whether regional admissions are accepting students from subgroups (by race, income or special‑education status) at different rates. "There is a question around why are the students of color not being accepted at the same rate as white students; why are the low‑income students not accepted at the same rate as non‑low income?" the superintendent summarized, reflecting concerns raised by the Department of Education.
The policy subcommittee plans to monitor state legislative activity in January about a possible new statewide competency determination and will return with recommendations. The board also asked staff to consider what local standards or additional assessments the district might adopt to ensure graduates meet the school’s competency expectations.
Next steps: trustees will review additional data and the subcommittee will report back in January; state legislative actions may influence district choices.
