Last week, Massachusetts took a significant step backward in its commitment to education and student success by repealing the requirement for high school students to pass the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) to earn their diplomas.

The decision to abandon this standard reflects a growing trend across the country to lower the bar on accountability in education—a shift that allegedly promotes equity but actually harms students, especially those who most need support.

For decades, MCAS has provided students, families, and educators with an objective measure of student achievement, ensuring that graduates meet essential academic standards before pursuing employment, enlistment, or postsecondary education opportunities.

The MCAS graduation requirement has been a foundational element of Massachusetts’s success, driving one of the nation’s most respected education systems and setting a high bar for students. By removing this requirement, we are diluting the value of a Massachusetts diploma, sending students into the next phase of their lives less prepared and less competitive.

Massachusetts leaders, including Governor Maura Healey, Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler, and Senate President Karen Spilka, opposed dropping the graduation requirement. They should be commended for their commitment to accountability.

Some supporters of the repeal argued that removing MCAS requirements would be a move toward equity, suggesting that standardized assessments unfairly disadvantage certain student populations. Others contended that testing hampers critical thinking and prevents individualized instruction. But lowering standards is not the answer.

Education equity means ensuring all students have access to high-quality education and the support they need to meet rigorous expectations. Removing this essential academic benchmark does nothing to address the underlying issues of inequity—and will likely exacerbate them.

Objective measures like MCAS are designed to measure all students against a set of common standards agreed upon by educators and education experts. Those who need more support get more support. Disadvantaged students are disproportionately harmed when we remove these tools. Rather than lowering expectations, we should focus on providing every student with the resources to meet them.

This decision also sends a concerning message to students that we don’t believe in their potential to meet high standards. By signaling that accountability and preparedness are optional, we risk undermining students’ confidence and resilience. We prepare them for the realities of life after high school by holding them to rigorous academic standards and giving them the support to succeed—not by lowering expectations.

Repealing the MCAS requirement may provide a temporary reprieve from the pressures of standardized testing, but the long-term consequences are clear. Our students deserve a diploma that represents real achievement and readiness. Instead of abandoning accountability, Massachusetts should be doubling down on programs that provide additional support to students who struggle to meet these standards, ensuring every student graduates from school prepared for success in their next chapter.

The MCAS repeal is a misguided attempt at educational reform. Rather than advancing equity, it undermines the progress Massachusetts has made in education excellence. Let us hope that the state’s leaders recognize this misstep and renew their commitment to rigorous standards that prepare every Massachusetts student for a successful future.

Cara Candal is Vice President of Policy for ExcelinEd, an education policy nonprofit.