Promotion Requirements for All Grades

  • Students must fulfill several requirements to be promoted to the next grade. All students must earn passing grades in certain courses and maintain good attendance. 

    Schools may establish promotion requirements that exceed those listed below. The School Site Council must approve these additional requirements.

    Boston Public Schools is reviewing its graduation requirements in order to better align them with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education expectations and the Massachusetts Core High School Program of Study.

    Elementary School - Grades 1-5

    Middle School - Grades 6-8

High School: Summary of Promotion, Testing, and Homework Requirements

  • High School promotion and graduation requirements*

    Students follow a “personal road map” to graduation that they develop with help from their advisors, teachers, mentors, and family members. 

    Each BPS high school follows one of three pathways that prepare all students for college, other post-high school training, and rewarding careers. All pathways allow some flexibility as to when students take some courses. For example, one student might take U. S. History 1 in grade 10, while another student might take it in grade 11. Some students will need more than four years to complete all the graduation requirements.

    When choosing a high school, students and families should be sure to learn about the pathway the school follows toward a BPS high school diploma. 

    *Graduation requirements are under review.

    Assessments that Students Take in High School

    Assessment

    Grades

    What does it test?

    BPS End-of-Course Assessments

    9-12

    Assessments of content taught in previous 4-6 weeks in each subject area

    MCAS 2.0 
    ELA and Math

    10

    ELA (reading comprehension, composition, and understanding of language and literature) and Math (Number and Quantity, Algebra and Functions, Geometry, and Statistics and Probability) 

    Legacy MCAS
    ELA and math

    10-12

    ELA and Math (if not passed previously, students retest to reach a score of Proficient/Advanced or Needs Improvement)

    MCAS 2.0
    Biology or Introductory Physics

     9

    (if enrolled in these courses and not passed a science test previously). Students must pass one science test to graduate.

    Legacy MCAS
    Chemistry and Technology/Engineering

    9

    (if enrolled in these courses and not passed a science test previously). Students must pass one science test to graduate.

    Legacy MCAS 
    Science and Technology/Engineering

    10 and
    11-12

    (If not passed previously) For students taking biology, chemistry, introductory physics, and technology engineering. Students must pass one science test to graduate.

    ACCESS for ELLs

    9-12

    Reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills in English for English Learners.

    Preliminary SAT (PSAT)

    10-11

    Practice for SATs;  assesses math and evidence-based reading/writing; scores used to name National Merit Scholars.

    SAT School Day
    ACT™ Assessment

    11-12 

    Used by most colleges and universities to make admissions decisions. SAT School Day assesses math and evidence-based reading/writing (ACT: tests English, reading, math, and science)

    National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

    12

    Measures what U.S. students know and can do in various subjects (given every 2 years in a few sampled schools)

    STAMP Assessment

    12

    A world language proficiency assessment student may take to qualify for the state Seal of Biliteracy.

    BPS Interim Assessments

    9-11

    		  ELA and math grade-level standards proficiency

    MAP Growth

    9-11

    		  Universal screen for reading that provides a growth measure (between two assessment administrations)

    Homework Recommendations 

    Boston Public Schools educators believe that when students spend time on meaningful homework assignments, they are more likely to succeed academically. Homework builds on classroom work and encourages students to develop self-discipline and personal responsibility. It also promotes cooperation between home and school.

    Homework provides opportunities to continue to explore content from the day’s lessons, preparation for the next day’s lessons, and/or activities to deepen students’ understanding. The school should have a homework plan that fits the school’s curriculum. 

    Teachers should coordinate assignments, so students do not have too much homework on any given night. For instance, a school might assign reading and writing every day; math and history on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; and science and world language on Tuesday and Thursday. Homework makes up part of the report card grade.

    Recommended average time: 2½ hours per day

    High School Graduation Requirements

    (School Site Councils may vote to establish course and test requirements that exceed those listed.)

    Boston Public Schools is reviewing its graduation requirements to better align them with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE) expectations and the Massachusetts Core High School Program of Study. Students who do not score at least 240 on MCAS grade 10 math and ELA must take and pass course work in these subjects in grades 11 and 12.

    Pathway I
    • Take and pass four English (or ESL) courses
    • Take and pass three history courses, including U.S. History 1 & 2
    • Take and pass four integrated math sequences Math I, Math 2, Math 3, or the traditional sequence Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II with a 4th year choice of PreCalculus, Calculus, Statistics, or Advanced Quantitative Reasoning.
    • Take and pass three lab science courses, including at least two of the following: biology, chemistry, physics
    • Take and pass two years of the same world language courses (or two additional ESL courses)
    • Take and pass two semester courses in the arts
    • Take and pass four semester courses in physical education
    • Take and pass one semester course in health
    • Take and pass one semester course in computers
    • Earn a Competency Determination (CD) in MCAS ELA, math, and science &  technology/engineering 

    Pathway II
    • Take and pass four humanities courses, which meet current standards for
      English and U.S. History 1 & 2
    • Take and pass four math courses, including integrated sequence Math I, Math 2, and Math 3 or the traditional sequence  Algebra I, Geometry, and  Algebra II with an additional 4th-year course consisting of PreCalculus, Calculus, Statistics, or Advanced Quantitative Reasoning.
    • Take and pass three lab science courses, including at least two of the following: biology, chemistry, physics.
    • Take and pass two years of the same world language courses
    • Take and pass two semester courses in the arts
    • Take and pass four semester courses in physical education
    • Take and pass one semester course in health
    • Take and pass one semester course in computers
    • Earn a Competency Determination (CD) in MCAS ELA, math, and science & technology/engineering

    Pathway III

    A school can develop its own list of required courses that meet state
    standards and are approved by the Boston Public Schools. Pathway III schools
    currently include the exam schools, some pilot schools, Horace Mann charter
    schools, Madison Park Technical Vocational High School, and Alternative
    Education programs.

    Questions and Answers about the High School Graduation Policy

    If students fail some of their courses, do they have to repeat the whole year?

    No. They can retake those courses during the summer, during the academic year, or online (see pages 15-16)—but they can move ahead in the subjects they passed. For more information, see your school guidance counselor. 

    Seniors also have access to a district-wide summer graduation in August if they miss their school graduation. 

    If students take different courses in different years within the pathways, when will they take Grade 10 MCAS? 

    Students must participate in MCAS tests only for the grade in which they are enrolled. Grade 10 students must take the grade 10 ELA and Mathematics tests and one of the four high school STE tests if they did not participate in STE in grade 9. The only exception applies to Grade 10 EL students who are in their first year of enrollment in a U.S. school, for whom ELA testing is optional.   

    What is the MassCore Program of Study? 

    MassCore is a state-recommended, rigorous program of study that aligns high school coursework with college and workforce expectations. The recommended program of studies includes 4 years of English; 4 years of Math; 3 years of lab-based Science; 3 years of History/Social Science; 2 years of the same world language; 1 year of the Arts; 5 additional years of “core” courses in any of the above subjects, business education, career, and technical education, health, or technology. Additional learning opportunities such as Advanced Placement courses, dual enrollment, a senior project, online courses for high school or college credit, and service- or work-based learning are recommended. Students who complete the MassCore program of study are better prepared for college and career. 

    Whom should students and their families ask about your High School Graduation Policy?

    • Your school’s Guidance Department
    • BPS Guidance Department 617-635-8030