Description

Massachusetts residents will be voting on a referendum this November that would remove the requirement that all public school students pass standardized tests in English, math and science – currently the 10th grade MCAS exam – in order to earn a high school diploma.

In this webinar we will examine how the statewide graduation requirement is structured, the key role it plays in promoting educational standards and equity, and its impact on different student groups (including racial and ethnic groups). The webinar will also address the facts about the requirement and address some of the misstatements and myths about it.

Our presenter will be Matt Hills, a former chair and member of the Newton School Committee. Matt and his wife Lisa live in Newton, and their four children were Newton Public School graduates. Hills received a BA in economics and politics from Brandeis University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He is currently vice chair of the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Following Hills’ presentation we will hear from Ed Lambert, executive director at Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education (our chamber is an affiliate member), about why many business leaders are concerned about eliminating this state wide graduation requirement.