What Wellesley voters need to know about state ballot Question 2 on MCAS exams
Question 2 on the state ballot this fall would repeal the state mandate that students pass 10th grade MCAS exams in math, English, and science. A YES vote would remove the MCAS requirement.
The state currently requires students to score above a certain scale score on the Grade 10 exams to graduate. Students in the class of 2026, who took the Grade 10 MCAS last spring, must score at least 470 to graduate. Students who fail the exam can retake it in Grades 11 and 12. State officials have said the vast majority of students pass MCAS when they retake it in later grades.
If Massachusetts voters approve the measure, it would go into effect immediately for the class of 2025 and it would be left up to districts to certify that students have met state academic standards.
The ballot question has become a hot-topic statewide because of news that more than 16,000 students failed the 10th grade MCAS test – 3,000 more students than last year. Percentage-wise, 78 percent of students statewide passed all three portions of the MCAS on their first attempt in 2024, compared with 82 percent in 2023. More than half of the students who retake the exam the next year will pass, according to state data. However, most students who never pass the MCAS also fail to meet local graduation requirements.
In Wellesley, no students did not graduate in 2024 because they failed the MCAS, according to WPS spokeswoman Sharon Gray.
The Wellesley Educator’s Association (WEA) has not taken a position on the ballot question. That is a break from the WEA state-wide affiliate, the Massachusetts Teachers Association, which has publicly backed the measure.
“The WEA supported the initial efforts to help the question get on the ballot since we believe it’s a valuable question for MA citizens to consider. We have not taken an official position or made an endorsement at this time and are focused on providing opportunities for our membership to learn more and learn about opportunities to support the Yes on 2 endorsement from the MTA if they feel personally motivated,” said Brian Reddy, who teaches visual art at WHS and is current chair of the Political Action and Endorsements Committee for the WEA.
More Election Info
Want to know where you vote, or review the ballot? Visit the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts election website.
By contributing reporter Jennifer Bonniwell
Related: Wellesley Public Schools students’ English MCAS scores remain lower post-pandemic; math & science mostly positive