Current through Register 1537, December 20, 2024
(1)
Students in the graduating classes of 2003 through 2009 shall meet or exceed
the Needs Improvement threshold scaled score of 220 on both the English
Language Arts and the Mathematics MCAS grade 10 tests in order to satisfy the
requirements of the Competency Determination.
(2) Students starting with the graduating
class of 2010 must satisfy one of the following two conditions in both English
language arts and mathematics to earn a competency determination.
(a) meet or exceed the Proficient threshold
scaled score of 240 on the English Language Arts and Mathematics grade 10 MCAS
tests; or
(b) meet or exceed the
Needs Improvement threshold scaled score of 220 on the English Language Arts
and Mathematics grade 10 MCAS tests and fulfill the requirements of an
Educational Proficiency Plan.
(3) Students in the graduating classes of
2021 through 2025 must satisfy one of the following two conditions in both
English language arts and mathematics to earn a competency determination.
(a) meet or exceed the threshold scaled score
on the English Language Arts and Mathematics grade 10 MCAS tests administered
in 2019 or later that has been determined by the Commissioner to be comparable
to the threshold scaled score of 240 on the grade 10 MCAS tests administered
before 2019; or
(b) meet or exceed
the threshold scaled score on the English Language Arts and Mathematics grade
10 MCAS tests administered in 2019 or later that has been determined by the
Commissioner to be comparable to the threshold scaled score of 220 on the grade
10 MCAS tests administered before 2019 and fulfill the requirements of an
Educational Proficiency Plan.
(4) Beginning with the graduating class of
2026, students must satisfy one of the following two conditions in both English
language arts and mathematics to earn a competency determination:
(a) for students in the graduating classes of
2026 through 2030, meet or exceed the threshold scaled score of 486 on the
English Language Arts and Mathematics grade 10 MCAS tests; beginning with the
graduating class of 2031, students must meet or exceed the threshold scaled
score of 500 on the English Language Arts and Mathematics grade 10 MCAS tests,
or
(b) meet or exceed the threshold
scaled score of 470 on the English Language Arts and Mathematics grade 10 MCAS
tests and fulfill the requirements of an Educational Proficiency
Plan.
(5) Students
starting with the graduating class of 2010 shall, in addition to meeting the
requirements found in 603 CMR 30.03(2), (3) or (4), take a discipline-specific
high school Science and Technology/Engineering MCAS test approved by the Board,
by grade 10. To earn a competency determination:
(a) Students in the graduating classes of
2010 through 2024 shall meet or exceed the Needs Improvement threshold scaled
score of 220 on a discipline-specific high school Science and
Technology/Engineering MCAS test.
(b) Students in the graduating class of 2025
shall meet or exceed the scaled score threshold on a discipline-specific high
school Science and Technology/Engineering MCAS test administered in 2022 or
later that has been determined by the Commissioner to be comparable to the
scaled score threshold of 220 on the high school Science and
Technology/Engineering MCAS tests administered before 2022.
(c) Beginning with the graduating class of
2026, students shall meet or exceed the threshold scaled score of 470 on a
discipline-specific high school Science and Technology/Engineering
test.
(d) The Commissioner may
waive the requirement to take the test by grade 10 for an individual student
for good cause. Good cause for such a waiver may include a student's illness or
a student's transfer into the Massachusetts public schools after grade
10.
(6) Starting in the
third consecutive year that the History and Social Science high school
assessment is administered, in addition to meeting the requirements contained
in
603 CMR 30.02(2) through
(5), students shall meet or exceed the
passing standard on the History and Social Science high school
assessment.
(7) Educational
Proficiency Plans for each required content area shall be updated at least
annually while students are enrolled and shall include, at a minimum:
(a) A review of a student's strengths and
weaknesses in the content area.
(b)
The full-year courses the student will be required to take and successfully
complete in both grades 11 and 12 that will move the student toward meeting
grade level expectations on the grade 10 curriculum framework standards as well
as on grade 11 - 12 standards in English language arts or Algebra II or Model
Mathematics III standards in mathematics, and a description of the tutoring or
other individualized academic supports the student will receive.
(c) A description of the assessments the
school will administer on at least an annual basis to inform changes to a
student's Educational Proficiency Plan, identify opportunities for additional
tutoring or other individualized academic supports, and determine whether the
student is making progress toward meeting expectations, or has met expectations
on the grade 10 standards. These assessments must include applicable MCAS tests
or other diagnostic or summative tests approved by the Department of Elementary
and Secondary Education as aligned to the curriculum frameworks and appropriate
for this purpose. For students yet to achieve a scaled score of 470 on any MCAS
test required for high school graduation, assessments must include multiple
opportunities to retake applicable MCAS tests until a scaled score of at least
470 has been achieved.
(d) The
Educational Proficiency Plan for a student who is actively enrolled and
successfully progressing in the Mass Core curriculum, an approved Chapter 74
vocational-technical program, or a designated Early College or Innovation
Pathway program does not need to separately include the requirements of 603 CMR
30.03(7)(b) and (c).
(e) The
Educational Proficiency Plans for adult learners, students who have exited high
school without a Competency Determination, seniors who have already completed
all their required courses in the relevant subject matter, students who are not
continuously enrolled or are enrolled in an alternative program, and students
who enroll in senior year, do not need to include the full-year courses
described in 603 CMR 30.03(7)(b) or the assessments described in 603 CMR
30.03(7)(c).
(8) A
student in the graduating classes of 2010 through 2025 achieving a scaled score
of or comparable to 240 or higher on an MCAS test or a score determined by the
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education on another approved test will
be deemed to have achieved proficiency in the subject area and to have
fulfilled the Educational Proficiency Plan in that subject. A student in the
graduating classes of 2026 through 2030 achieving a scaled score of 486 or
higher on an MCAS test will be deemed to have met expectations in the subject
area and to have fulfilled the Educational Proficiency Plan in that subject.
Beginning with the graduating class of 2031, a student achieving a scaled score
of 500 or higher on an MCAS test will be deemed to have met expectations in the
subject area and to have fulfilled the Educational Proficiency Plan in that
subject. For students who have not achieved this score threshold, the principal
or head of school (or his or her designee) will determine whether the student
has fulfilled the Educational Proficiency Plan.
