State Board Increases MCAS High School Graduation Scores

MALDEN, MA — Students entering 9th grade this fall will be the first class to face higher MCAS standards to graduate high school.

The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted Monday to increase the MCAS graduation score to 486 on both math and English competency tests. The current scores to graduate are 472 for English and 486 for math.

The board also raised scores for students who have educational proficiency plans: up to 470 on both math and English from 469 and 455, according to board documents.

DESE Commissioner Jeffrey Riley first proposed the MCAS score increase over the spring, and the move was opposed by many members of the public. DESE received about 229 emails about the change, and 225 were in opposition, according to the agency.

Concerns about the score boost included teaching to the test, increasing dropout rates and that English learners would be left behind by the test. Opponents also said students are still recovering from learning gaps during the early COVID-19 pandemic school closures.

Monday's board vote was 8 to 3 with student member Eric Plankey and members Darlene Lombos and Mary Ann Stewart in opposition, according to reports.

Massachusetts first started using MCAS testing in 1998.