Vote ‘Yes’ on Ballot Question 2 for the Kids Who Slip Through the Cracks

Massachusetts rightfully prides itself on first-rate public schools, high standards for graduation, and a commitment to educational equity. Because we believe the state can maintain these distinctions without punishing individual students for systemic problems, we support a “yes” vote on Question 2.

It’s worth beginning with what the measure wouldn’t do: Make the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System optional. Students would still be required to complete a version of the test regularly throughout their K-12 years, and the resulting data would continue to inform state policy.

Massachusetts high school diplomas would not lose all meaning as some critics have suggested — students would still have to pass their classes and meet local or district requirements to graduate. And student performance would not plummet, judging from the fact that statewide scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress have hardly shifted since the introduction of the MCAS requirement in 2003.

In short, eliminating the MCAS requirement wouldn’t change all that much for most Massachusetts students. But for those who disproportionately don’t pass and receive a diploma — a group that is disproportionately Black, Hispanic, low-income, and non-native English speakers — eliminating the MCAS graduation requirement would make all the difference.

Massachusetts public schools have an obligation to maintain their high standards and funnel resources to students who need them most. MCAS data is a useful tool to identify where and how the school system is failing to achieve those goals. But requiring MCAS for graduation doesn’t solve structural problems. Instead, it further harms students who fell through the cracks.

This staff editorial solely represents the majority view of The Crimson Editorial Board. It is the product of discussions at regular Editorial Board meetings. In order to ensure the impartiality of our journalism, Crimson editors who choose to opine and vote at these meetings are not involved in the reporting of articles on similar topics.

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