Salem Schools Oppose MCAS; Pledge To Support Seniors Pass Test

SALEM, MA — Salem High seniors who will have gone nearly a year since setting foot in a classroom will still need to pass the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System to be eligible to graduate in 2021.

The state Department of Secondary and Elementary Education sent a memo to schools on Monday telling them that while the tests scheduled for January can be postponed for some grades, seniors will still have to take and pass the standardized tests to graduate this spring.

Salem is one of the school districts across the state that has high school students in a fully remote learning model, meaning that students who were last in the classroom in March of their junior year will have to take the test between Jan. 14 and the extended deadline of Feb. 12.

The Salem School Committee voted unanimously in November on a resolution opposing the MCAS requirement for all students during the 2020-21 school year due to the coronavirus health crisis circumstances.

"The School Committee voiced their opposition to MCAS testing this year at their Nov. 16 meeting," Salem Superintendent of School Dr. Stephen Zrike told Patch on Tuesday. "While DESE has delayed the assessment administration for 11th graders, we are working on a plan to support our seniors you still need to pass the (English Language Arts) or Math MCAS in order to meet the state’s competency determination.

"I appreciate that the committee has and continues to advocate for the best interests of our students. In the meantime, we want to be sure that every senior is afforded the opportunity to meet the graduation requirement prior to the end of the school year."

Salem students in grades kindergarten through second grade, some sixth graders, ninth graders and those in specialized and technical programs returned to the classroom in a hybrid model in November. Zrike said he is hoping to return all students who wish to be part of some form of in-classroom learning to the buildings early in 2021.

MCAS graduations requirements were waived last year amid the start of the pandemic.

DESE Commissioner Jeffrey Riley's MCAS statement said the changes to the junior year tests were made "in recognition of the scheduling and logistical challenges that schools and districts are experiencing."

"I appreciate the effort that schools and districts have made to prepare their facilities and students for testing," Riley said in Monday’s statement. "The statewide testing schedule will be updated shortly to reflect the changes indicated above, and I will provide more information in the coming weeks about testing schedules for the remainder of the school year."

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