Last week, Massachusetts took a significant step backward in its commitment to education and student success by repealing the requirement for high school students to pass the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) to earn their diplomas.
The decision to abandon this standard reflects a growing trend across the country to lower the bar on accountability in education—a shift that allegedly promotes equity but actually harms students, especially those who most need support.
For decades, MCAS has provided students, families, and educators with an objective measure of student achievement, ensuring that graduates meet essential academic standards before pursuing employment, enlistment, or postsecondary education opportunities.
The MCAS graduation requirement has been a foundational element of Massachusetts’s success, driving one of the nation’s most respected education systems and setting a high bar for students. By removing this requirement, we are diluting the value of a Massachusetts diploma, sending students into the next phase of their lives less prepared and less competitive.
Massachusetts leaders, including Governor Maura Healey, Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler, and Senate President Karen Spilka, opposed dropping the graduation requirement. They should be commended for their commitment to accountability.
Some supporters of the repeal argued that removing MCAS requirements would be a move toward equity, suggesting that standardized assessments unfairly disadvantage certain student populations. Others contended that testing hampers critical thinking and prevents individualized instruction. But lowering standards is not the answer.
Education equity means ensuring all students have access to high-quality education and the support they need to meet rigorous expectations. Removing this essential academic benchmark does nothing to address the underlying issues of inequity—and will likely exacerbate them.
