Above: A look at why ARHS’ MassCore scores fall well below state averages and why the administration doesn’t view that as an issue. (images cropped from the School Report Card on DESE’s website)
Massachusetts provides high schools with a variety of assessments to measure academic performance and the level at which the school is preparing students for life beyond high school. Algonquin Regional High School often scores highly on MCAS* and on School Report Cards [and media rankings]**. However, Algonquin’s results for the MassCore assessment is around 50%, which is significantly lower than surrounding high schools and the state average.
I looked into why. It turns out that the main reason is a difference between the school’s and the state’s standards for what courses should be required to ensure students’ future success.
MassCore, or the Massachusetts High School Core Program of Studies, was implemented in 2007 and revised in 2014. According to the Department of Education, “MassCore is a state-recommended program of study intended to align high school coursework with college and workforce expectations”
To complete the MassCore recommendations, a student must take four years of english/language arts, four years of mathematics, four years of physical education, three years of a lab-based science, three years of history/social science, two years of a foreign language, one year of art, and an additional five years of an accessory course such as computer science or business class.
The Massachusetts Department of Education uses MassCore as an assessment to gauge how a school is preparing graduating students as they move into the next chapter of their life. However, MassCore is coupled with the evaluation of other standards to ensure a wholistic view of the school.
In 2023, 312 students graduated from Algonquin. However, only 160 students completed the MassCore recommendations. This is a 51.6% completion rate, compared to the 2023 state average of 83.4% graduating students with completion. Marlboro, Westboro, and Hopkinton had a 100% MassCore completion within their 2023 graduating classes. These schools, in addition to Algonquin, out-perform the state average with 30% more students achieving meeting or exceeding expectations.
It is important to highlight that MassCore is a set of recommendations, not requirements. There is no penalty to Algonquin for not enforcing completion. As verified by MCAS and School Report Card results, the Department of Education has Algonquin as a high-performing high school, with successful post-graduate results.
According to Algonquin principal Seam Bevan, “we [ARHS] get data that suggests that kids are being successful once they leave us without having hit all these designations…the requirements we do have are just not identical, but they provide a skill set that is also valuable for success”
There are a few substantial differences between the MassCore recommendations and the Algonquin required course load. Algonquin only requires three years of math, although according to Bevan, almost every student takes four years of math. Most colleges and universities require four years, which is mentioned to all students during the course selection process.
The main differential between the MassCore recommendations and Algonquin requirements is the art requirement. MassCore requires a full year (two semesters) of a fine or performing art. For Algonquin students graduating in 2026 or prior, only one semester (half-year) of either a fine or performing or an applied art*** is required. This requirement has changed for the class of 2027 and beyond, with the requirement switching to exclusively a semester of a fine or performing art. Neither of these, meet the MassCore recommendations, which does not honor applied art classes to fulfill the art requirement
According to Bevan, there are a lot of discrepancies within fine arts requirements within schools across the state. He says, “about a third of the schools have a lower requirement than we have, a third or about where we are, and a third above where we are.”
Further, Bevan says, “we [administration] don’t feel a need to arbitrarily double our fine arts requirement to fit a recommendation, and chose to prioritize students customizations and priorities in other areas of electives.”
Algonquin’s Guidance Director Lisa Connery believes that Algonquin’s curriculum has “stemmed from years of development and testing,” and is “reflective of what our community believes to be beneficial and important.”
While MassCore can be a valuable assessment for Massachusetts high schools, it is not a holistic and encompassing assessment on the education provided by a school. As new course requirements and offered classes are change, Algonquin is starting to show a stronger resemblance to MassCore while still maintaining traditionally respected test scores.
Overall, Bevan believes, “we’re always iterating and always refining and always examining what we’re doing, and we will continue to make changes that best support our students.”
*MCAS is the standardized annual state tests for grades 3-8 and 10 (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System).
**[Editor’s Note from Beth Melo: Coincidentally, after posting Maggie’s story, I read that US News & World Report just posted it’s 2024 High School rankings, with Algonquin ranking #3 for the Worcester metro area, #30 for Massachusetts and #768 in the Nation.]
***ARHS courses that meet their “Applied Arts” requirement include subjects under Business Studies, Education & Consumer Sciences, Computer Science, and Technology. You can find examples of the school’s Fine Arts and Applied Arts classes in the 2024-2025 Program of Studies here.
Updated (4/25/24 9:58 am): Since many readers may have seen the news about Algonquin’s latest ranking from US News & World Report, I added the Editor’s Note above to Maggie’s story.
