Both of these resolutions were approved by the Resolutions Subcommittee of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) and then by the Board of MASC. They will come before the full delegate body at the convention in early November:

Resolution 1 (originated by Arlington)

WHEREAS MASC recognizes the need to set high standards for all students in the Commonwealth and to establish a system of accountability that ensures that all school systems are preparing their students for an increasingly complex world and,

WHEREAS we believe that the current Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System is seriously flawed,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the legislature and/or the Department of Education suspend MCAS as a graduation requirement until such time as these critical issues have been addressed:

1) The need to develop a variety of assessment instruments (as described in the Education Reform Act of 1993) so that all students are evaluated fairly.
2) The need to develop additional criteria, so that no single test will determine the fate of a student or the value of a school system
3) The length of the test and the time it takes away from teaching and learning.
4) The effect on students of the use of the test as a graduation requirement (including but not limited to vocational, special education, and bilingual students).

Resolution 2 (originated by Amherst-Pelham)

WHEREAS a "high-stakes" testing program will harm students by increasing high school dropout rates, discouraging other middle and high school students who perform at marginal levels, and unnecessarily frustrating some younger children, especially those with special needs, who are unable to succeed on the challenging MCAS tests, and

WHEREAS there is inadequate verification that MCAS results distinguish failing performance from performance that needs improvement, and

WHEREAS there is evidence that states that have implemented education reform without high-stakes testing are having better results in improving academic performance than states that have adopted high-stakes testing,

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that MASC oppose the use of passing grade on the 10th grade Language Arts and Math MCAS tests as a requirement for graduation from high school, and be it 

FURTHER RESOLVED that MASC urge the Board of Education not to link MCAS results with the granting of high school diplomas and MASC lobby for legislation that will prohibit the use of MCAS results for that purpose.