Massachusetts Approves Ballot Question 2 to End MCAS Completion Requirement, AP Projects

BOSTON-Massachusetts Voting question 2 will consist of AP projects, effectively eliminating the MCAS completion requirement for high school students.

Here are the latest live results:

Ballot Question 2 results in Massachusetts

A “yes” vote ended the mandate that requires students to pass the tenth-grade Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) exam in order to graduate from high school. A no vote would have kept it as a graduation requirement.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), approximately 99% of students pass the exam. If they fail the exam, they can take the exam up to five times. There is an appeal process and alternative tests.

The question was one of the most contentious issues in Massachusetts during the 2024 election.

The Massachusetts Teachers Association responds

The Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA), the state's largest teachers union, issued a statement following the AP forecast. The union spoke of a “collective victory”.

“Massachusetts has long had the best public schools in the country, and that is thanks to the dedication of educators and the commitment of legislators and policymakers to give every student the opportunity to thrive,” the MTA said in part. “We view this as a victory to build on as all of us who want the best for students continue to address significant needs in our schools, including supporting student mental health and providing funding to those in need Districts.”

“Yes” to question 2

Senator Elizabeth Warren and the MTA both supported a “yes” vote.

“A single test is not enough for every child. Ultimately, we're preventing about 700 kids from getting a high school diploma, and that's a lot of kids with special needs and a lot of kids who are just learning English,” Warren said in a debate on WBZ last month.

“We are a union committed to fixing a key part of what is wrong with public schools, namely the over-reliance on high-risk testing,” said MTA President Max Page said WBZ. “Students are assessed on whether they have successfully completed the curriculum, which demonstrates mastery of our state standards – the grades in the courses.”

Shelly Scruggs of Lexington submitted the petition in July 2023 to place the question on the statewide ballot. She said she did it on behalf of her teenage son, who “works hard” but “is not a good test taker.”

“No” to question 2

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey led the call to vote “no” on Question 2.

“If this question passes, it would take us to a place with no standards — essentially 351 different standards for high school graduation. “I don’t think that’s the right direction and the governor doesn’t think that’s the right direction to go,” said Massachusetts Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler said WBZ-TV.

If Ballot Question 2 becomes state law, standardized testing will not be eliminated in Massachusetts schools. Federal law requires an English and math test in third through eighth grades and once in high school.

Since 2003, high school students in Massachusetts have been required to pass MCAS tests in order to graduate.