CCHS students to see changes in graduation requirements
At its November 5 meeting, the School Committee reviewed the competency standards that will replace MCAS tests.
The regional School Committee is preparing to adopt new competency requirements for graduation, in compliance with state law.
At its November 5 meeting, the committee reviewed the standards that will replace the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System tests. State voters in 2024 dumped the tests as a graduation mandate, despite Acton itself narrowly voting in favor of keeping MCAS.
Assistant Superintendent of Teaching & Learning Shelly Chin said the district is using a base policy provided by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and then adding the courses at Acton-Carlisle High School that fulfill the requirements in specific areas.
“This is in lieu of MCAS as a graduation requirement to show in those content areas of [English language arts], math, and science,” Chin said. “Then also coming up in 2027 is that students need to demonstrate mastery in U.S. history.”
K-8 School Committee Chair Andrew Herchek asked whether this means MCAS could be phased out. Schools Superintendent Laurie Hunter said MCAS would still be used to evaluate districts, so students still have to take the tests.
The new competency requirements will not replace district-specific graduation requirements. “The Competency Determination will complement the graduation policy,” Hunter told The Acton Bridge in an email. The requisite 100 class credits to get a CCHS diploma, outlined in the graduation policy, will still be needed, in addition to the MCAS replacements.
Many credit-bearing courses already align with the new competency areas.
Students whose second language is English will receive special consideration. The policy says the district “shall, on a case-by-case basis, determine the appropriate courses necessary for English language learners to both achieve language proficiency and meet the competency determination requirements.”
Students enrolling at CCHS late in their high school career can prove competence through transcript reviews, additional course requirements, or qualifying MCAS scores.
Asked whether students should expect any disruption during this transition, Hunter told The Bridge that for most, “the coursework noted in the Competency Determination is a standard course of study.”
The School Committee is expected to approve the new requirements at its December 17 meeting.
Content Area | Coursework Requirements
English Language Arts | The equivalent of two years of high school English language arts courses.
Mathematics | The equivalent of two years of high school math courses:
Option 1: One year of Blended Algebra and one year of Geometry
Option 2: One year of Geometry and one year of Algebra II.
Science | The equivalent of one year of any one of the following disciplines: Biology, Physics, Chemistry.
U.S. History
(Beginning with the graduating class of 2027) | The equivalent of a one-year United States history course.
To have their high school diplomas recognized by the state, students must meet these requirements. Source: Acton Competency Determination draft policy
