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Trump pressures journalist to accept doctored photo as real: 'Why don't you just say yes?' Head Start funding cuts threaten MA early childhood program success; FL tomato industry enters new era as U.S.-Mexico trade agreement ends; KY's federal preschool funding faces uncertain future.

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President Trump acknowledges the consumer toll of his tariffs on Chinese goods. Labor groups protest administration policies on May Day, and U.S. House votes to repeal a waiver letting California ban the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035.

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Rural students who face hurdles going to college are getting noticed, Native Alaskans may want to live off the land but obstacles like climate change loom large, and the Cherokee language is being preserved by kids in North Carolina.

MA educators, parents celebrate end of MCAS graduation requirement

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Thursday, November 7, 2024   

Parents and educators in Massachusetts are celebrating an end to the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System graduation requirement.

Nearly 60% of voters approved Question 2, which ensures students still take the standardized test but does not require passage to receive a high school diploma.

Carolyn Scafidi, a retired special educator in Tyngsborough, said the results show voters trust teachers.

"The educators are the professionals, so let us do what we do best, not other outside sources saying that this is what you should be doing," Scafidi stressed.

Skafidi pointed out students must still complete district-certified coursework to demonstrate their comprehension and she predicted students will fare better without the added stress of a high-stakes test. Opponents said removal of the MCAS test will only loosen academic standards and increase inequality.

Roughly 700 students each year do not pass the MCAS exam and do not receive their high school diploma. Educators said the majority are students of color, English language learners and those with disabilities.

Joy Ahmed, a parent in Ashland, said her son has a learning disability and gets nervous before tests. She hopes more special education students and those put in transition programs after age 18 will no longer be penalized.

"Which would be a huge change in the special education community in the way that we treat students who are unique learners in this state," Ahmed observed. "They were often denied access to getting a diploma, so I'm thrilled for those families."

Ahmed added teachers will also have more time to be creative in the classroom without having to spend so many hours "teaching to the test." Massachusetts was one of just eight states to still require passage of a standardized test to receive a high school diploma.


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