731 Students Held Back By MCAS Science Test

27:00

July 27, 2011

Boston Community Leadership Academy 10th-grade English teacher Beth Noell, left, helps Natashia Ector, 17, study. (AP)

The MCAS science exam has only been a graduation requirement since last year, but it's already kept hundreds of otherwise-qualified high school seniors from graduating.

At the same time, 96.3% of seniors passed the exam without a hitch this year. Is it reasonable to expect that number to go higher? Does having standards mean that a few kids inevitably won't be able to meet them? Or, does the exam unfairly disadvantage kids in poor, low-performing schools?

Guests:

Paul Reville, Massachusetts Secretary of Education
Arthur Eisenkraft, distinguished professor of science education, UMass Boston
Lou Kruger, associate professor of school psychology, Northeastern University

This segment aired on July 27, 2011.