Statement on MCAS
by the Hampshire Regional School Committee
Thursday, October 18, 2001

The following position statement was adopted unanimously by the members of the Hampshire Regional School Committee on October 1, 2001. It was sent by Supt. William Erickson to David Driscoll, state Commissioner of Education.

The Hampshire Regional School Committee believes that a good education must involve cooperation between the Massachusetts Board of Education and local school officials. Since the Education Reform Legislation of 1993, the Hampshire Regional High School faculty and administration have worked to align school curriculum with state frameworks and have given more attention to preparing students for the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System.

Students who earn a Hampshire Regional High School diploma have completed the school's course of study to the satisfaction of the School Committee and school officials. The district does not require that students pass a summary test of competency, and there is no plan to incorporate such a standard as a criterion for earning a Hampshire Regional diploma. Examinations scores may be helpful indicators for judging the progress and competence of students as they move through the system, but no one test or assessment instrument should be a deciding factor for the granting of a diploma. The Hampshire Regional School Committee will continue to award diplomas unconditionally based on its own performance standards.

To satisfy requirements of the Massachusetts Department of Education, the Hampshire Regional School Committee will seek to have this Competency Determination recognition noted in the form of a separate and distinct document presented to students with the diploma, or at another time.