Sophomores taking the ELA MCAS this March will be the first to complete the test without the pressure of passing being a graduation requirement.
According to the New York Times, 59 percent of voters answered “yes” to question two on the state ballot, which decided whether passing English and Math MCAS tests for sophomores would remain a requirement to graduate high school Tuesday, Nov. 5. Following the decision, students and staff have varying opinions.
Kira Levin said she is very relieved. “I am a horrible test taker and MCAS doesn’t show my true abilities, because I stress, and I am not mentally prepared. My learning shows more when I am able to show my full potential. When it’s on the computer I feel like I can’t write down my thoughts,” said Levin.
According to junior Anna Tackie, she’s worried about the implications of the vote.
“I think that it kind of shows that people aren’t thinking very far about the consequences, and also that maybe we’re just not preparing people enough that they feel confident to take it and get a passing score,” said Tackie.
Tackie added that she thinks any changes that happen as a result of the vote will be small, and result in a decline in testing results and a slight incline in graduation rate.
According to sophomore Amber Ou, the MCAS disproportionately affects English Language Learner (ELL) students, as well as students with special needs and disabilities.
Math teacher Caroline Vuilleumier said she’s worried about the long-term effects that a lack of standardized testing will have on students’ learning.
“I think it benefits students in the short term since it’s one less barrier to graduating high school and one less thing to stress students out,” said Vuilleumier. “But in the long run, I worry about the ‘drift’ of the curriculum and inability to measure performance in a standardized way.”
According to sophomore Barbara Liao, she worries that students could graduate without essential knowledge because the pressure is taken off the test.
“It allows more students to graduate high school without having basic knowledge of the basic ideas. We learn in high school the percentages that you need to get to pass, and that is already very low,” Liao said. “ if a student can’t even achieve that then it will make it harder for them to succeed or make progress in life after high school.”
According to English teacher Julia Gustin, she appreciates the freedom provided by moving away from MCAS as a graduation requirement but still believes that it is a good metric for meeting standards.
“Uncoupling it from graduation requirements is something that is also helpful because that graduation requirement often targets students with disabilities and students of color, who might be disproportionately impacted,” said Gustin.
Students will continue to take MCAS tests to measure learning progress, despite the fact that it’s no longer required. According to Vuilleumier, the decision will make it hard to accurately measure learning progress.
“Now, schools have the power to set their own bar for passing high school, which is a risky responsibility,” Vuilleumier said. “This change could push schools to pass students who aren’t meeting the necessary standards for learning and growth just to move them through the system.”
Vuilleumier added, “Without a standardized test to compare students, schools, and districts, policymakers and educators have no way of knowing if expectations are being met across the board. MCAS was the only tool we had to ensure accountability for teaching and learning a common set of standards.”
Both Vuilleumier and Liao said that students putting less effort into tests will lead to inaccurate data and an inability to track progress.
“I think that so many students will stop trying on the MCAS and not put any effort into it, because it essentially becomes what people think is a progress checker to see your learning level at the end of the year,” said Liao.