On Tuesday, Massachusetts voters considered a slate of ballot questions. Ballot Question 2 stood out in the midst of the four other questions as the only ballot initiative asking about education. Question 2, which passed with 59% of the vote, simply asked about the “Elimination of MCAS as a high school graduation requirement.” While this might seem great from the perspective of a graduating high school student, it is part of an alarming trend toward the elimination of educational standards.
The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System test is a standardized exam that all high school students must pass to receive their high school diploma in Massachusetts. The test encompasses core subjects in math, science and english, and previously made Massachusetts one of eight states with required “exit exams” for their graduating high school students. The “Yes” campaign poured millions into supporting passage of the question, arguing that it disadvantages certain students.
However, this attempt on the Massachusetts ballot is not unique. In recent years, many states and local educational bodies have pushed to remove requirements, grading scales and advanced educational programs. Proponents often argue that those programs and high school graduation requirements are part of an oppressive structure that disadvantages minority students and students with disabilities.
Removing these requirements could prove to be a dangerous development for educational institutions within the United States. I would argue that the lowering of standards does not help underserved communities when it comes to education. Instead, it helps to foster an atmosphere of negligence and leniency. Take Question 2 for example: A study compiled by Tufts University points out that almost 90% of students pass the MCAS on the first try, and some 96% of students eventually pass on subsequent testing or prove their competency in another way. Of the 4% who don’t pass, most don’t meet the district requirement either, rendering ballot Question 2 pointless. Of those who are prevented from graduating by the MCAS, most are either students with disabilities or new immigrants still learning English.
As a student who went through the English as a Second Language program in elementary school, I can confidently say that most new immigrants would not be better served if they were simply allowed to graduate without a sufficient grasp of English. It would be much better for a student who is having trouble with English to continue to receive support from the educational system than to be pushed out onto the world without any help at all for the sake of ‘equity.’
Our education system is so fixated on the idea of results, graduation rates and pretty grades that we have forgotten what education should be for. The educational system should equip students with adequate skills so that they may thrive when released into society. That cannot happen when the baseline of measuring adequacy is under attack by so-called ‘education reformers.’ We must defend the fundamental standards for our students and ensure that they have the necessary skills available for them to succeed.
