The Thrive Act (H.495/S.246) would end the state’s ineffective approach to educational assessment and improvement by:

1. Replacing the undemocratic and ineffective state takeover of local public schools with actual improvement plans and processes
2. Replacing the (mis)use of MCAS as a graduation requirement with graduation based on successful completion of coursework that meets state standards and frameworks
3. Establishing a commission to create an authentic, whole-child system for assessment and accountability.

The state has a responsibility to help all students and schools succeed, but, even by their own measures, the state’s interventions have not worked. It’s time to replace top-down ineffective punitive approaches with approaches that build local capacity, address root causes, and truly help students thrive.