TURNERS FALLS — In the wake of last year’s ballot question to remove the MCAS test as a graduation requirement, school officials this week decided on the competency determination students must meet to get their diplomas at Turners Falls High School.

The updated competency determination at Turners Falls High School, discussed during a Gill-Montague Regional School District School Committee meeting on Tuesday, stipulates that for the upcoming 2025-2026 school year, students must pass a list of required classes with a minimum grade of 60 to demonstrate proficiency. The classes required for competency determination include English 9 and 10, or Integrated English Language Arts; either Algebra I, Algebra II or Foundations of Mathematics; either Geometry or Integrated Math; and two of the following courses: Biology or Integrated Science, Physics and Chemistry.

Classes in social studies, health, physical education, technology and fine arts are also required as part of the subject requirements for graduation. Anything below a 60 is considered failing.

If a student transfers to the high school after ninth grade, a transcript review will be done to see if the student has taken classes that are equivalent to the list of required classes. If that is not the case, the student can take a designated class in the subject needed to reach their competency determination, Principal Shawn Rickan explained.

“The MCAS test is no longer a graduation requirement, so with that, we have to determine competency even though we are not responsible for the MCAS as a graduation requirement,” Rickan told the committee. He clarified that, due to federal regulations, students are still expected to take the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) exam, but passing the test is no longer a requirement for graduation.

Graduation requirements have always been certified by school committees, while the MCAS served as the statewide competency determination for all students. With that requirement repealed following the November election, students are now required to complete coursework certified by their local school boards.

The removal of MCAS for competency determination ended in December 2024, and students who already met their MCAS competency determination before January 2025 and are graduating this year are not impacted by these changes, according to the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

The previous graduation requirement held that students must pass the MCAS exam with a score of 240 points or higher in the English language arts and mathematics categories, or earn at least 220 points and complete an Educational Proficiency Plan. A score of 220 or better on the biology category, or another science and technology category, was also required to obtain a high school diploma.

The School Committee’s approval of the new competency determination for Turners Falls High School students comes just a few weeks after the Greenfield School Committee did the same. The new standards for graduation require Greenfield students to earn a D- grade or higher in algebra and geometry, in at least two of the four high school English classes, and in either biology, chemistry or physics to receive a diploma.

Changing classes

As part of his presentation Tuesday, Rickan noted some class offerings next school year have been added based on student performance, while other classes have been removed to accommodate for the new additions. Changes in the course listings will impact the math, fine arts, social studies and science departments.

One area of change Rickan detailed to the School Committee was that AP Chemistry is going to replace AP Environmental Science.

“The reasoning behind that is because the PSAT also determines AP potential, and we had a pretty high number of students that have the potential to take AP Chemistry,” Rickan said, “so we figured that we would offer that and tap into that talent.”

Erin-Leigh Hoffman can be reached at ehoffman@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.