High school students in Boston planned to protest the standardized MCAS test as Massachusetts education officials consider raising the minimum scores needed to graduate, though only a handful showed up.
Students at the Snowden International School near Copley Square had planned their protest for when the school was scheduled to administer the physics MCAS to students at 10 a.m. Tuesday and Wednesday. Next month, administrators will vote on graduation requirements regarding minimum test scores later this month.
Student organizers were calling on their classmates to refuse to take the test and instead walkout of school to the front steps of the Boston Public Library. They planned to offer anyone walking by the opportunity to take sample MCAS tests and participate in live physics experiments.
However, no one appeared to walk out of the school. Four 9th graders skipped school and a couple parents joined them on the Boston Public Library steps to protest.
The students were arguing that MCAS forces their teachers to put too much emphasis on teaching to standardized tests that aren’t considered by colleges. They also argued that the testing system is eroding the equity and quality of their education.
The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education cited research that they say indicates MCAS scores predict students’ long-term success, but some students disagree.
