HYANNIS – The Massachusetts Teachers Association has voiced its support for legislation calling for the end of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) graduation requirement for students across the Commonwealth.
The exam has been a key decider of student advancement in districts statewide since its inception in 1998.
The legislation was introduced by State Senator for Hampshire, Franklin, Worcester District Jo Comerford and State Representative for the 2nd Bristol District James Hawkins.
It would remove the standardized MCAS test requirement and call for the development of multiple pathways for students to demonstrate their mastery of subjects.
A grant program would also be created by the legislation that would support communities working to develop district-based evaluation models.
“The implementation of the MCAS and other standardized tests has had the exact opposite effect of what was supposed to occur when the system was introduced more than 20 years ago,” MTA President Merrie Najimy said in a statement.
“Public schools in predominantly Black and brown communities have been taken over by state bureaucrats who have been using standardized testing as a tool not to improve opportunities for students but instead as one to pry public education from the hands of families and educators who know best what their students need.”
Hawkins said that the current exam system encourages teachers to spend too much time teaching to the test, rather than creating projects that would be more engaging and provide better learning results.
The legislation will go before the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Education on Monday.
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