The debate over the MCAS has entered its final six weeks.
Ballot question 2 in Massachusetts is filling the airwaves with advertisements, with the "Yes" campaign calling on voters to do away with the testing graduation requirement while those on the "No" side urge Bay Staters to keep it in place.
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"The high stakes of this one-time test can cause severe harm," said Yes on 2 spokesperson Deb McCarthy.
"Keeping this graduation standard has catapulted Massachusetts to first in the nation status with regard to academic achievement," said No on 2 spokesperson Ed Lambert.
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Beyond those basic arguments, recently released MCAS scores are folding into the overall debate. A six-percentage-point drop of meeting or exceeding expectations by the state's fifth-graders in reading and writing is included in the data, along with 16,000 10th-graders failing at least one portion of the exam, up 3,000 from 2023.
Both the "Yes" and "No" campaigns see those statistics differently.
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"It's about test-taking skills and not the rich and diverse learning styles of the students in the classroom," said McCarthy.
"What those scores indicate is we need to do better here in Massachusetts at helping students recover from the pandemic," said Lambert.
Advocates and opponents are split on whether the results should factor in for voters on Nov. 5.
"You can't blame the test, or the exam, or the assessment for those scores," said Lambert.
"Listen to your educators, listen to the parents, listen to the students," said McCarthy.
In total, five questions will be on the 2024 ballot. Voters will also decide on whether the legislature should be audited, legalizing psychedelics, minimum wage for tipped workers and rideshare drivers unionizing.
