Following November’s ballot initiative that ended the use of the MCAS as a graduation requirement, Massachusetts policymakers have begun rethinking what it means to earn a diploma within the state. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education recently proposed amendments to the state’s competency determination regulations to provide clarity for schools and districts while long-term changes remain under discussion. Meanwhile, a Massachusetts K-12 Statewide Graduation Council is currently being formed that will gather community feedback, learn from existing models, and ultimately generate recommendations for the governor and legislature.
As these conversations move forward, one important point of reflection is to consider what Massachusetts can learn from its neighbors about measuring students’ readiness for graduation. Several of the New England states are recognized leaders in competency-based education (CBE), also known as mastery-based, performance-based, or proficiency-based education. CBE is grounded in the concept that students should progress through their learning (and achieve milestones such as a diploma) when they have acquired and demonstrated mastery of specific skills and knowledge, rather than when they have completed a required amount of “seat time.” According to the definition of CBE put forward by the Aurora Institute, CBE also includes elements such as offering students “different pathways and varied pacing,” and making assessment a “meaningful, positive, and empowering learning experience for students.”
While discussions about CBE may be newer in Massachusetts, they are well-established within other parts of New England. As the map below indicates, Massachusetts lags behind most of its neighbors in considering policies that advance competency-based education.
This brief offers a snapshot of New Hampshire’s Competency-Based Credit Accumulation, Rhode Island’s Readiness-Based Graduation Requirements, and Vermont’s Flexible Pathways Initiative to provide useful food for thought as policymakers discuss changes to graduation standards. Engaging in these conversations without considering the potential value of competency-based approaches would represent a missed opportunity to move toward a system that promotes the success of all learners.