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Massachusetts
290,502 high school students

State Profile
As states work to raise their academic standards, several national high school reform initiatives are assisting them in their efforts to strengthen their high schools so that they provide students with a 21st century education and skills.

Through the profile provided here, the National High School Center offers (a) a snapshot of the state’s graduation requirements and college entrance requirements (see table below) and (b) summaries of national reform initiatives active in the state (see list below table).

High School and College Alignment in the State
The following table shows the state’s alignment between high school graduation requirements and minimum state college entrance requirements, providing a quick source for determining whether there is a gap between what students must know to graduate and what they are expected to have mastered in order to enter college.

  High School Graduation Requirements* College Admission Requirements

English Units

4

4

Mathematics Units

4

3

 

Algebra I & II and Geometry or
Trigonometry, or comparable coursework

Social Studies Units

3

2

 

U.S. History

Science Units

3

3

 

 w/lab

2 sciences w/lab

Foreign Language Units

2

2

Art Units

1

N/S

Additional Units

Electives (from "core" courses such as: business education, health, and/or technology) - 5

Electives (including Arts & Humanities & Computer Sciences) – 2

Total Units

22

16

Tests

MA Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS)

SAT or ACT

Source

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Massachusetts Board of Higher Education

* Requirements for Massachusetts High School Program of Studies (MassCore). Local school boards set all graduation requirements.

National High School Improvement Initiatives at Work in the State
As states work to ready high school students for postsecondary success, many are partnering with national organizations to undertake high school improvement efforts. The following list includes national improvement initiatives at work in the state. National initiatives are defined as significant programs, projects, technical assistance, or key information clearinghouses dedicated to high school improvement. For information about and related to research on these initiatives, please click on the name of the initiative to link to a synthesis:


Massachusetts State High School Improvement Initiatives
For information on high school improvement initiatives launched at the state level visit the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s College and Career Web page.

Massachusetts ARRA Information
For information on Massachusetts's ARRA efforts as it relates to education, please visit the state Web page.