April 30, 2003
86 PERCENT OF VOCATIONAL STUDENTS PASS MCAS
TYNGSBOROUGH – Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey today announced that 86 percent of vocational school students in the class of 2003 have passed the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) exam.
Healey applauded students for their accomplishments at a student assembly at Greater Lowell Vocational Technical School, where 83 percent of the 397 students in the class of 2003 have met the MCAS graduation requirement.
“The extraordinary achievement of our vocational students undermines the arguments of critics that claimed that voc-tech students would somehow be disadvantaged on high standard academic exams,” said Healey. “With the implementation of MCAS, the Commonwealth is restoring the value of the state’s high school diplomas and preparing all of our students for the challenges of the 21st century workplace.”
According to a report released today, 86 percent, or 10,354 of the 12,005 students in the class of 2003 enrolled in vocational-technical programs in vocational schools and comprehensive high schools have passed both the mathematics and English portions of the MCAS exam. Just over 91 percent of all students in the class of 2003 have passed the two exams and will be eligible for a high school diploma in June.
Education Commissioner David Driscoll encouraged those who have not yet passed the test to spend time preparing for the retest this May and to participate in the special summer remediation programs being set up now.
“A few years ago our critics would not have believed us if we had said that 86 percent of our vocational students could meet this standard,” he said. “But that’s not good enough for us. We intend to do our part to ensure that each student who has not yet passed is given every opportunity possible to prepare for these tests, and eventually earn a well-deserved high school diploma.”
Healey said the Administration’s budget recommendations released earlier this year calls for $53 million in MCAS remediation funds, including $3 million for community colleges and others to develop pathways for students who do not pass the MCAS test by the end of high school. She said the House of Representatives budget only includes $10 million for such programs.
For more information or to read the report, look online at www.doe.mass.edu.
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