Last Night at School Committee: The Boston Globe’s Christopher Huffaker on BPS’ Graduation Requirements

Last Night at School Committee - MassCore

Earlier this month, we recorded a special conversation with Boston Globe reporter Christopher Huffaker. Huffaker is a reporter for “The Great Divide” - an investigative arm of the paper that analyzes and reports on educational inequities throughout the state. 

Huffaker spoke to our team about a prominent issue we have covered at length on Last Night at School Committee: MassCore. The interview began with a conversation about AP scores around the Commonwealth, and whether the results indicate true success for the state. From there, Ross asked Huffaker to talk a bit more about his recent report that almost one-third of BPS seniors risk not graduating high school in June. In his analysis, Huffaker noted that MassCore, put forth by the state, is a logical benchmark for students to meet, as it aligns with requirements for entry to the Massachusetts college system. He also flagged that this new system was really a situation that raised the standard for many students. As a result, while some students reached a new level of academic achievement, others were left without an opportunity to graduate.

Throughout the conversation, Ross and Huffaker touch on whether the district will vote to amend MassCore as a graduation standard at a future meeting, what “exemptions” may look like for students, and ways to ensure all students meet the completion of MassCore requirements.

Just yesterday, the district released data highlighting that graduation rates reached an all time high last year. We will be on the lookout for how MassCore requirements impact this rate. 

Stay tuned for more from the Shah Foundation team later this month.