The Acton-Boxborough Regional School Committee unanimously approved revisions to policy IKF, its graduation requirements policy, bringing the district’s requirements into alignment with Massachusetts MassCore standards and clarifying the competency determination process for students who do not pass MCAS on the first attempt.

Committee member Tori and others described the policy change as largely invisible for the majority of students—committee discussion cited a historical pass rate of roughly 96.6% for students meeting competency requirements—while stressing the change matters for the roughly 3–4% of students who are on the margins of graduation. Tori said the changes create more flexible ways for students and teachers to demonstrate learning, including through coursework or portfolios, and could expand arts requirements to broaden student opportunities.

Assistant administrators reported no substantive public comments or recommended edits since the first reading. School Committee member Leila, who asked numerous questions during development, said she supported the policy and looks forward to tracking the data and stories that will show implementation results.

The committee’s motion to approve the proposed revisions to IKF was made by Leila and seconded by Tory; the motion passed unanimously.

Ending: The committee authorized implementation of the revised policy and directed staff to monitor outcomes and report data on competency determinations moving forward.