Massachusetts education officials are proposing a new, prescribed statewide program of study that would require all high school students to take the same core classes, an idea raised during a State House roundtable on Jan. 15.
In addition to life and career readiness courses such as financial literacy, officials are calling for four years each of English and Math, three of science and history, two of a world language, and one in the arts, building on the existing MassCore program.
As reported by the Bay State Banner, officials said a designated statewide program of study would put graduates on a more level playing field, noting that only half of Massachusetts high schools had adopted the MassCore requirements as of fall 2024, according to a report by Voices for Academic Equity.
The proposed graduation framework, which also includes end-of-course assessments and an end-of-high-school portfolio, aims to replace the state’s standardized MCAS test.
A 2025 community survey of 6,615 respondents showed stakeholders support for a similar set of courses, with the addition of personal finance, civics, health and physical education.
Subject to the approval of the legislature, the recommendations would also form a new method of assessing student achievement. Voters chose to remove Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System standardized tests as a graduation requirement through a statewide ballot question in 2024.
The council proposed end-of-course assessments for specific classes, administered and scored by the state, along with a capstone research project or portfolio of their best work, evaluated locally at the end of their high school careers.
Meanwhile, state education officials clarified at the round table that the assessments would be a tool, not the determining factor for graduation. “It is not the intention for any student to be denied a diploma exclusively because of EOC assessments,” the December report reads.
Other proposed requirements designed to boost post-high school readiness include: having students create a post-high school plan; completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid; and receiving financial literacy education, measures officials said parents and students frequently expressed interest in.
A final report on the proposal is expected to be released in June, and any recommendations will require legislative action for implementation.