Special to the Independent
When Massachusetts voters approved the measure to eliminate MCAS testing on the November ballot, many school districts were left scrambling to put in place a new district competency requirement to replace the MCAS for students to graduate and receive a high school diploma.
At the meeting of the School Committee on January 21, members voted 7-0 to approve the new competency requirements for students to earn their diplomas.
Dr. Margaret Adams, the Assistant Superintendent of Teaching, Learning, and Student Success, and Everett High School Vice-Principal Jim Murphy appeared before the School Committee to explain the new local competency requirement and the process to earn a diploma.
Students must pass a competency determination in certain studies that will replace the MCAS. Students also must complete the usual required course work over four years to earn a diploma. The new competency requirements will go into effect immediately and be used for those graduating with the class of 2025. These new requirements also will be available to the students who have not yet received their high school diplomas, but are actively working towards meeting their requirements for a high school diploma.
A competency determination must be shown in the fields of study of algebra, English, science, biology, physics, and English Language Arts.
Graduation requirements will require the student to have passed four years of English, two years of social studies, four years of math, three years of social science, four years of physical education and one year of health.
Superintendent William Hart noted that there has been little guidance from the State Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) on this topic, but he promised, “A return to basics.”
In other actions, the committee was told by Superintendent Hart that for the foreseeable future, there will not be any class field trips until the national nursing staffing shortfall is resolved. According to Hart, many local school districts are facing a similar dilemma because of the lack of school nurses for hospitals, programs, and schools. He noted that the nurse staffing is presently down 50% in Everett schools and that a field trip of 40 students takes one nurse away from use in a local school building with a student population of 600 to 900 students. Hart stressed that to have field trips with the current shortage of nurses in the Everett schools, as well as in hospitals and other emergency facilities, would “not be safe.”
In other business, the committee voted unanimously to accept the following donations:
— $2,000 from the Joseph J. Pagans Memorial Scholarship Fund;
— New toys from the State Senator Sal DiDomenico Foundation; and
— A $700 grant from the Computer Science Teachers Association to Everett High School.