Before Massachusetts created the MCAS graduation requirement as part of its Education Reform Act of 1993, Latino students faced disproportionately lower graduation rates, college admissions, and pathways to careers with good salaries.

Pre-MCAS, nearly a quarter of students didn’t cross the graduation stage. Half of those failing students came from Boston and our other Latino-concentrated Gateway Cities.

Now, three decades later, Massachusetts is ranked No. 1 in education, thanks in part to our strong graduation requirements. While Latinos still face challenges, families from across the globe come here to enroll their students in our world-class system.

During the pandemic from 2020 through 2022, in-person schooling and MCAS testing was temporarily suspended. Citing increased graduation rates during that time, the powerful Massachusetts Teachers Union has pushed a ballot initiative, “Question #2,” which seeks to do away with the MCAS requirement altogether.

This justification for the ballot initiative is misleading. It ignores the alarming drop in proficiency that occurred for students during these pandemic school years – particularly for Latinos – which exposed even deeper inequities. Latino students are also likely to be multilingual learners, and the MCAS provides a diagnostic tool to figure out whether those students are being equitably served.

During the pandemic, 60 percent of Latino students did not meet proficiency in math and 65 percent did not meet proficiency in science, representing a 15 percent decline in both categories from pre-pandemic levels.

While the current MCAS could benefit from an update, it would be detrimental to our students and our competitiveness if we completely eliminate a standardized model of academic proficiency.

For these reasons, a group of Latino leaders from across the Commonwealth have signed an open letter urging voters to strongly oppose removing the MCAS by voting ‘NO’ on Ballot Question #2 next Tuesday (Nov. 5).

Proponents of removing the MCAS have framed it as a high-stakes, one-time test that puts too much pressure on students to graduate. But as the Boston Globe has correctly stated in its editorial against Question 2, students who struggle can retake the test multiple times and get intense help until they do. The state offers the math and science MCAS portions in Spanish.

The MCAS also provides accommodations for students with disabilities, which can include individual assistance, extended time, and assistive technology. We should not remove these critical tools.

Another glaring problem with Question #2 is that it seeks to remove the MCAS without proposing a comprehensive standard to replace it. As Paul Reville, a former education secretary, wrote in the Globe: “MCAS should be improved, not eliminated.”

This issue should not be discussed on a confusing ballot question that is heavily funded by the powerful MTA; instead, community engagement opportunities should be provided for parents to thoughtfully participate in the changes and updates needed for the exam.

If Question 2 passes, what happens to our vulnerable students who don’t pass the test? If MCAS is no longer a mandate, will those students get the extra help they need or will they just get their diploma and graduate unprepared for a rigorous post-secondary education?

This would harken back to the pre-education reform era in Massachusetts, when high school diplomas were often considered meaningless. Massachusetts would again have less rigorous high school graduation requirements than Mississippi and Alabama.

We could be left with a fragmented system in which wealthier districts would have more resources to develop comprehensive assessment systems, while underfunded districts with high populations of Latino students would struggle to create and implement effective alternatives.

Some school districts would simply lower their standards if the MCAS requirement is dropped. This would exacerbate existing educational inequities, particularly affecting Latino students from low-income backgrounds and under-resourced schools. Latino children currently make up 30 percent of all students in Massachusetts, representing a significant part of our future skills-based workforce.

If MCAS is eliminated as a requirement for graduation, a diploma will again simply be a measure of participation and confirmation of attendance.

The MCAS can certainly be improved, and students who have difficulties with the MCAS, (including neuro-divergent students and English Language Learners) should receive targeted help. But the ballot question does not solve that problem because it simply wipes out the requirement without providing a substitute measure of proficiency.

Let’s work together to keep our promise to the diverse children of Massachusetts that was spelled out a generation ago in our Education Reform Act.

The reason Massachusetts is ranked first in education is because we assess, look for inequities, and course correct. By maintaining a consistent test though the MCAS, we not only promote high standards, but we also determine where inequities live, so we can create a more equal system for our next generation of learners.

This column was signed by a group of 30 leaders who represent diverse industries and include many who have held high-ranking positions in education and workforce development across local, state, and federal government. For their names and associations, see story online at dotnews.com.