Sam Drysdale
State House News Service

Massachusetts high school students would take end-of-course tests designed, administered, and scored by the state under new graduation requirements recommended by a state council and cheered by Governor Maura Healey as consistent with the state's "high expectations" for all students.

Passing the tests would not be a condition of receiving a diploma, as it was under the former "high stakes" Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, but a major teachers union said the proposal still "defies the will of the voters" in 2024.

Voters in November 2024 approved a ballot measure to eliminate the MCAS graduation requirement. The K-12 Statewide Graduation Council that Governor Healey formed through an executive order in January was charged with advising the governor and state legislature on the development of a statewide graduation requirement.

"I said a year ago that we were going to work together to create a new model for students in Massachusetts, a new vision that sets every high school student up for success, and today we're speaking to that. Because here in our state, we don't turn away from students, and we don't back down from high expectations," Healey said at a press conference at Dedham High School on Monday, December 1.

Initial recommendation documents released by the council on Monday include a "demonstration of mastery" that has two components: exams administered by the state, taken at the end of courses; and capstones or portfolios that are designed, administered, and scored locally.

In addition to proving "mastery," other recommendations include requiring that students complete a "rigorous program of study that aligns with the admissions requirements for higher education," developing and maintaining an individual career and academic plan, completing federal or state financial aid forms, developing financial literacy skills, and having the option to earn state-designed seals of distinction.

The state is searching for new standards after the state's voters detached the MCAS exam from diploma eligibility. Critics said the high stakes exam caused teachers to teach to the test while supporters said tests are the best way to ensure educational consistency and equity across the state.

Healey was joined in Dedham by Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler, Education Commissioner Pedro Martinez, and American Federation of Teachers of Massachusetts president Jessica Tang. The Massachusetts Teachers Association, which led the ballot question effort against the MCAS graduation requirement, does not endorse the recommendations.

The end-of-course assessments would be administered at the end of specific high school courses, like Algebra I, English Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies. "The recommendation for end-of-course assessments functions alongside the recommended program of study," the recommendation document says.

"Research on EOC assessments specifically has found that EOC assessments are generally positively correlated with high school graduation rates, with the impacts of Math and English Language Arts EOC assessments being statistically significant," the document says, referring to "end-of-course" assessments. "Additionally, administering a greater number of EOC assessments generally correlates with higher graduation rates."

A press release from the governor's office says the end-of-course assessments "are different from high stakes testing because students do not have to pass an EOC to graduate. EOCs will be a more targeted and relevant approach to assessment than our current high school MCAS."

The 100-page recommendation document is due to be followed by the council's final report in June 2026. The recommendations require legislative action after they are filed, according to the state Executive Office of Education. July is the last month for scheduled formal legislative sessions in 2026.   

"The administration is assessing the best way to approach implementation," said a spokesman for the state Executive Office of Education, Alana Davidson.

Over the next six months, the council plans to discuss which courses should have an assessment, the weight and role of the tests as a component of a system that determines readiness to graduate, and accommodations and alternative formats for students with disabilities, English learners, and newly-arrived immigrant students.

The council's report also outlines the purpose behind redesigning the graduation framework. The council's co-chairmen, Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler and K-12 Commissioner Pedro Martinez, wrote that the post-MCAS transition offers Massachusetts "an opportunity to update what it means to graduate from a public high school … prepared for today’s workforce and postsecondary education opportunities."

"What we're releasing today," Tutwiler said, "is an initial framework, a starting point. It outlines the importance of coursework, offers more opportunities for students to demonstrate their learning in ways that reflect their strengths, and supports them in planning the next chapter of their lives."

The report frames the effort as a response to concerns about inconsistent expectations across districts and says a uniform statewide requirement is intended to support "rigorous, uniform, and equitable" standards for all students. It further situates Massachusetts's work within national trends. A review of other states' graduation requirements found growing use of flexible pathways, mastery-based demonstrations, and combinations of coursework and performance tasks.

The council wrote that a statewide requirement supports "mobility, consistency, accountability, and transparency" for students and families, and argues that a Massachusetts diploma should signal that graduates are well-prepared for college, a career, and civic life.

Brooke Thomson, president and chief executive officer of Associated Industries of Massachusetts, said the business group supports the standards.

"Massachusetts's economic future depends on a strong and measurable education system. Ensuring that all students meet clear and standardized expectations in core subjects is critical not only for their own success, but for the long-term competitiveness of our state," Thomson said. "AIM urges parents, employees, and employers to engage in this work in supporting this vital set of recommendations to ensure Massachusetts remains a leader in educating our children and our future workforce."

Though the governor's advisory said union officials were joining Monday morning's press conference, the Massachusetts Teachers Association — the largest teachers union in the state — said it is not endorsing the recommendations. 

"By making new state standardized tests a central component of the new graduation requirements, the proposal defies the will of voters who made clear their wishes in the 2024 Question 2 referendum, which passed by nearly 60 percent in favor," Massachusetts Teachers Association president Max Page and vice president Deb McCarthy said in a written statement.

Healey shot back at the union.

"Let me be perfectly clear, the end-of-course assessments are not a high-stakes test. They're not. So that's an inaccurate characterization by the Massachusetts Teachers Association," Healey told reporters in Dedham. "What the end-of-course assessments are, are basically the tests you take normally at the end of your course. ... That gives us the opportunity to assess how much the students learned, whether the right kind of progress has been made."

Though the Massachusetts Teachers Association is represented on the council, the state's largest teachers union says members "did not vote on the recommendations; these are the recommendations of the secretary and commissioner, speaking on behalf of the Healey administration."

Tang, representing the second largest teachers union in the state, stood by the governor's side for the announcement of the recommendations in Dedham. 

"This is a starting point," Tang said. "Our hope is that the final recommendations accurately reflect what we know residents want: a better secondary school graduation system that moves away from high-stakes testing as well as over-testing. There is an opportunity here to create a better system that authentically reflects and supports the current educational needs of our students, including a focus on deeper learning, critical thinking, life long learning, and preparedness for college, vocation, and career."