Massachusetts state officials released the final framework for statewide graduation requirements on Wednesday after voters overturned the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System standardized testing standard.

The grad requirements closely follow previous proposals, including MassCore curriculum and a controversial testing component.

“The recommendations presented herein represent a comprehensive and unified framework to define the meaning behind a Massachusetts high school diploma, affirming a common standard of rigor while allowing appropriate flexibility to meet the diverse strengths, needs, and aspirations of all students across the state,” reads the final report of the Statewide Graduation Council.

The K-12 Statewide Graduation Council was formed after voters overturned the MCAS high school graduation requirement in 2024 to develop a comprehensive replacement standard, doing so over 18 months before the Education Secretary and DESE Commissioner issued final recommendations in a report Wednesday.

The state must still “establish statutory and regulatory authority” to implement the requirements, and the report is “intended to inform policy decisions by the Governor and the Legislature,” the recommendations state.

The framework proposal includes four components consistent with previously released versions: requirements to complete the statewide MassCore curriculum standard; end-of-course (EOC) testing assessments designed, administered, and scored by the state; postsecondary plan through the state’s My Career and Academic Plan (MyCAP) tool; and a capstone project or a portfolio.

The Healey administration highlighted included components including “work-based learning experiences, civics readiness, and artificial intelligence and digital literacy” and called the proposal the “most comprehensive statewide graduation requirements in the nation.”

“We’ve spent the last 18 months listening to students, families, educators and employers about what young people need to succeed,” said Gov. Maura Healey. “These recommendations raise the bar while expanding opportunity, helping ensure every student has access to the coursework, real-world experiences and skills they need to build a successful future.”

Two high school classes have graduated in the interim without a uniform statewide standard, and several more would do so under the recommendations’ timeline, with full implementation of the frameworks not scheduled until the 2031-32 school year dependent on legislative and statutory action.

The MassCore requirement component would take effect for the the incoming 9th grade cohort in the fall of 2027, while the EOC assessments, MyCAP, and capstone project or portfolio requirements would begin taking effect for the incoming freshman in the fall of 2028.

The administration said they will open $500,000 in grants over the summer to help districts implement full MassCore curriculum, noting that 74% already have local graduation requirements that meet or exceed MassCore unit requirements for all core academic subjects.

The MassCore curriculum requires classes in English, mathematics, lab-based science, history, world language, arts, and five additional courses.

The EOC assessment drew continued pushback from the Massachusetts Teachers Association, which campaigned for years against the MCAS standardized testing requirement.

The final recommendations, MTA leadership said, are “marred” by a “new set of state standardized exams defying the will of voters and keeping our state tethered to an outdated and failed method of determining academic proficiency,” adding they are “not to be confused with traditional final exams given by educators.”

“The council’s report offers many good ideas, such as the emphasis on having a strong course of study for all students, an embrace of capstone projects and support for an expansion of counseling,” MTA President Max Page and Vice President Deb McCarthy said. “Yet the proposals that can modernize our public schools are marred by an outdated, top-down approach to policymaking driven by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education that does not respect the professionalism of educators.”

The union encourages state officials to consider a “graduation process, not creating a rigid checklist” and to “keep listening and working with students, parents and educators to get this process right.”

The American Federation of Teachers President Jessica Tang said the report takes steps to “transform public education in the Commonwealth to create a truly accessible and equitable system,” highlighting the flexibility in the MassCore standard and supports for multilingual learners and students with disabilities.

“This an opportunity to move away from the harms of high stakes testing,” Tang said. “We hope that, with continued collaboration between the state and our districts and educators, these recommendations can be implemented in a way that truly moves the Commonwealth forward.”

State education leaders emphasized the “extensive engagement with students, families, educators, employers, community partners, advocates and subject matter experts” that went into the final framework Wednesday.

“As co-chair of the Statewide Graduation Council, I know how much research, input and care went into this work, and as a first-generation high school and college graduate, I know how important it is to help students build their path to a promising future,” said Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Pedro Martinez, calling the framework a “once-in-a-generation chance to better prepare Massachusetts students.”

Several organizations issued statements praising the standards, including the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, Massachusetts Association of School Committees, various education advocacy and business groups and state representatives.

The Voices of Academic Equity Coalition, comprised of several nonprofits, pointed to “important work ahead,” including establishing consistent MassCore requirements across districts, “sufficiently rigorous” EOC assessments, and equitable supports to ensure no student is limited by schools’ resources.

“Massachusetts has a long history of setting educational standards that other states study and aspire to,” the coalition states. “After a period of significant uncertainty, the Graduation Council’s final report points us back in that direction.”

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