RealClearEducation: Parents Support Standardized Testing. Here’s Why.

By Christopher Anderson & Jay Ash , Jim Stergios
Originally appeared in RealClearEducation on October 31, 2024

A quality education is the key to giving students from all backgrounds a fair shot at long-term success. But in Massachusetts, proposed changes to statewide testing standards could derail a system that has benefitted countless students for several decades.

Today, the Commonwealth is an international leader in education outcomes, but that was not always the case. In the 1980s, the Massachusetts public school system was mediocre at best. To get our struggling education system on track, the legislature passed the1993 Education Reform Act.

This new law set standards and high school graduation requirements for the state, including passing the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) as a requirement for graduation. The state teachers union filed legislation this session to scrap it, and is backing a measure on this fall’s ballot asking voters to do the same.

What’s not up for debate: The Reform Act was a resounding success. Between 1993 to 2005, Massachusetts’ average SAT score increased each consecutive year, according to an analysis done by Pioneer Institute. The Commonwealth’s National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores also improved.

In 2005, Massachusetts was the first state to have students achieve the highest scores in all four major categories on the NAEP (reading and math for both 4th and 8th grades). Massachusetts has remained among the top states for education ever since.

When you consider standardized testing specifically, Massachusetts performs better than many states that dropped testing requirements. Comparing Massachusetts’ NAEP test scores with states that ended testing requirements for graduation prior to 2017, the Commonwealth stands out with its consistent A+ rating.

Massachusetts isn’t just impressive relative to other states; it also stands out as one of a few states that is internationally competitive. In two different international exams, the Trends in Math and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), Massachusetts has in past years significantly outperformed the United States.

In 2007, for example, Massachusetts 4th graders ranked second in the world for science scores and 8th graders tied for first in science and ranked sixth in math based on TIMSS results. In 2011, only four education systems scored higher than Massachusetts in math–and only one education system in the world scored higher in science.

A rising tide lifts all boats, and that certainly rings true in Massachusetts. Far from advancing only the most talented children, our education system has improved outcomes for students across the board.  

Our high school graduation rate is among the highest in the country. In the 2021-2022 school year, the public high school graduation rate in the Bay State was 90%, the fourth best across the United States. In the Northeast, Massachusetts has the highest public high school graduation rate.

No wonder 80 percent of Massachusetts parents of high schoolers support the use of standardized tests.

What’s not to like? Opponents of our state’s standardized testing requirements point to students who fail to graduate due to poor test performance. But according to the Boston Globe, only about 1 percent of all would-be graduates annually are denied diplomas solely because of not passing the MCAS test.

In fact, both New York and Massachusetts, which have standardized test requirements to graduate, have higher public school graduation rates than the national average. Comparatively, Rhode Island, which eliminated previous testing requirements, has a public high school graduation rate below the national average.

Our high standards in high school appear to pay dividends for higher ed. When it comes to SAT scores, Massachusetts’ mean SAT score is 1112. Comparatively, the national average is 1028. For ACT composite scores, Massachusetts students score about 7 points higher (26.4) than the national average of 19.5.

The Commonwealth has seen its competitiveness rankings slip this year, with CNBC downgrading us to the 38th best state to do business (down from 15th the year before). We can reverse this trend by warding off the old “Taxachusetts” label, but we can also fix it by preserving our strengths, including our education system. If we fall behind, it’s our students who will suffer the most.

Christopher Anderson is the president of the Massachusetts High Technology Council. Jay Ash is the president and CEO of the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership.  Jim Stergios is the executive director of Pioneer Institute. All three helped form the Mass Opportunity Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to enhancing economic opportunities in Massachusetts.