City Council pushes state legislature to waive MCAS testing

In April, the state legislature passed a bill waiving the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) test-administration requirement for spring 2020, and the bill was signed by the Governor.

During this week’s Council meeting, the Council adopted a resolution urging the state legislature to act with care and foresight and waive the MCAS requirement again in spring 2021.

The resolution states that MCAS testing not only creates an administrative burden, but it will create unnecessary academic and emotional pressure on our students and teachers. Instead of allowing the school year to be dominated by MCAS preparation, the resolution suggests that it is ensured that students are focused on learning and growing, that teachers are focused on teaching and meeting students needs, and that school districts are able to focus on their response to the complicated ramifications of this pandemic.