Massachusetts education chief talks tests, trades, graduation requirements at Easthampton High

EASTHAMPTON — Students are back to school. And what better way to kick off class at Easthampton High than a visit from the leader of public education in Massachusetts.

In his second year as commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), Pedro Martinez talked shop about new graduation requirements, the loss of standardized testing and his hopes to get more students into higher education during a visit to the high school Friday afternoon.

The day started with the adults holding a roundtable discussion about the district’s performance, areas for improvement, and where they feel state assistance is needed.

“I do love the fact that even with a smaller high school, you have so many offerings,” Martinez said.

Superintendent Michelle Balch opened with a presentation highlighting the district’s new curriculum this year starting at sixth grade, with courses on digital literacy, financial literacy and civics. Martinez was pleased, noting that the number one request from parents for new classes is financial literacy, according to a DESE survey.

Balch told the Gazette that the new classes would not have happened if the recently passed $6.9 million Proposition 2½ override had failed. Even with the tax increase, the district lost five educators this year.

Balch added that enrollment declined slightly this year likely due to the timing of the override at the beginning of summer when parents were choosing whether or not to choice out.

New grad requirements

After voters repealed the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) test as a graduation requirement in 2024, the state set new standards. Known as competency determination requirements, these new regulations outline what students need to show mastery of each subject while completing coursework that aligns with the same MCAS standards.

Martinez made his case for the benefits of the MCAS, saying that it provided a statewide standard that made it easier to track student success. He said that according to DESE data, 90% of students who met MCAS standards during each year of secondary education enrolled in college, and 75% of those students graduated from college.

“All of it shows the same thing, which is the importance of our standards,” Martinez said.

School Committee Chair Laura Scott said she wasn’t surprised by that statistic, noting that students likely to succeed on a standardized test are also likely to succeed in college because each requires similar skillsets. She asked about what kind of data DESE has on students entering trade fields.

“This is a historically working-class community and I think there is a lot of sensitivity, particularly for me, around viewing secondary-ed as a pipeline to college,” Scott said.

Martinez said he is a huge proponent of trade careers, but also noted that college is the number one indicator for student economic sustainability right now. He said for trade careers, it is more important now than it used to be to help create a path for students to obtain the necessary credentials and certificates starting in high school, leading into community college or apprenticeships.

“I would hold that right up there with a bachelor’s degree,” Martinez said about trade programs.

“You would, much of our society would not,” Scott replied.

Velis took the chance to advocate for more Chapter 70 funding toward schools, especially rural ones, as many districts continue to face tight budgets each year. He also highlighted the need to address the ongoing student “behavioral health crisis.”

Velis noted that all communities need more Chapter 70 school funding. “What’s fascinating about my district is that, from the urban to the most rural, there’s complete consistency in that need for Chapter 70,” Velis said.

Martinez responded by saying that a commission is currently looking at ways to rework the Chapter 70 formula.

Students weigh in

Martinez swung by some classes and held a similar discussion with students, asking what they like and what they want more of from their education.

Senior Maeve Loring said that she wishes there were more hands-on experiences in different fields for 11th and 12th graders.

“Right now I’m trying to figure out what I want to do with my life, but I feel like I haven’t really had the life experiences yet to know what I want to do exactly,” Loring said.

Student Nyla Salaam agreed, suggesting that students could have more opportunities to log hours for course credit.

Martinez said one of the new graduation standards includes exposing students to more workplace experiences. Principal Evans added that EHS recently added a class called Senior Focus, which allows students to take an internship.

Martinez asked students what advice they would give a commissioner who considers MCAS an important way to evaluate schools but finds that students don’t take the test seriously.

“I would say give students a reason to do it,” said sophomore Nathan Merrill, adding that students need more incentive to take the test seriously.

Martinez also told the students that he is working to promote more college-level courses at EHS, such as dual credit courses. He said it helps when students talk about these classes with their peers because teachers sometimes find it difficult to make students aware of and enroll them in these opportunities.

“Having a smaller high school is wonderful in terms of community,” Martinez said. “(There’s) this trade-off of what classes you can offer — the scheduling is just really hard, and I actually feel like this high school is doing a really good job of giving you as many offerings (as it can).”