MONTAGUE — Following recommendations from Franklin County Technical School’s Policy Subcommittee, the full School Committee approved a set of competency determination requirements for graduation, now that passing the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) exam is not a graduation requirement.
The policy, which needs to be approved by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), details how students can demonstrate mastery of English, mathematics and science.
This change follows a November 2024 ballot question that removed MCAS testing as part of the graduation requirement for students. However, the exam will still be proctored for the state to maintain data on school district performance.
“The goal was to keep ourselves in alignment with our goals for our students, and our vision for our students, and supporting our students as individuals, while also being in alignment with some of the state expectations,” Assistant Principal and Curriculum Director Amber Crochier told the School Committee.
The policy provided in the meeting materials explains that to meet the competency determination, students must earn above a 60% on a final course exam.
For the Class of 2026, students must earn a passing grade of 60% or above in English 9 and 10; Algebra 1 and Geometry; and Biology 9 and 10 or Physics 9 and 10. Students must also pass the class with a passing grade of 60% or greater.
For the Class of 2027 and beyond, those students are expected to take and pass all of the above-mentioned exams and courses, plus two years of high school history classes. Students will be expected to achieve grades of at least 60% in the history classes as well.
If the student fails the end-of-year exam and/or the course, there will be an opportunity for the student to remediate this through summer school support. The policy also states that the school will provide “multiple pathways” to meet competency determination if traditional coursework does not apply to the student.
Although this policy has been approved by both the Policy Subcommittee and the full School Committee, Policy Subcommittee member Art Schwenger shared his concern about the state’s ability to supersede the policy set by the district, and his thought that any changes by the state should have School Committee input.
“We all felt on the [Policy Subcommittee] that we were comfortable with submitting this, and hoping that the state would accept it as it is,” he said.
Crochier said that the state does have that authority and it is still in the process of deciding on a new framework for graduation requirements in place of MCAS. Right now, districts are tasked with coming up with their own internal policies.
“So we’re creating our policy, and that policy will hopefully stand for as long as we can,” Crochier said.
As reported by State House News Service, documents released by the K-12 Statewide Graduation Council on Dec. 1 regarding new graduation requirements include a “demonstration of mastery” that has two components: tests taken at the end of classes administered by the state; and capstone projects or portfolios that are designed, administered and scored by the schools.
In addition to proving mastery, other recommendations from the K-12 Statewide Graduation Council 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, State House News Service reported.
Gov. Maura Healey formed the council through an executive order in January, and the council has been tasked with advising the governor and the Legislature on the development of a statewide graduation requirement. The Dec. 1 document is due to be followed by the council’s final report in June 2026.
Franklin Tech School Committee Chair Richard Kuklewicz noted the need for the school to still administer the MCAS exam. Principal Brian Spadifino said some type of incentive may be considered for students to continue to do their best on the test.
“I just want to make sure that they’re going to use something to judge the district,” Kuklewicz said.
