Beverly High School Competency Determination

Course Completion:

At Beverly High School, a student earns full credit for a course by achieving a passing grade in accordance with the school’s grading policy.  

Mastery:

At Beverly High School, a student demonstrates mastery in the required courses by completing one of the following while enrolled in the specific course or after successfully completing the course and failing to show mastery at anytime while enrolled at Beverly High School:

1. Completing a capstone project or portfolio project that meets or exceeds expectations as outlined in the specific course, or
2. Passing the course’s final exam aligned with the Massachusetts curriculum frameworks for each specific course.

Section I: Competency Determination Requirements

Course specific requirements for coursework and mastery necessary to receive Competency Determination (CD)

English

1. Coursework Completion: The equivalent of two years of high school English courses.
2. Certified Courses: English 9, English 10, English 11, English 12, AP English Language, AP English Literature
3. Mastery: Students may demonstrate mastery in English coursework by:

1. Receiving a passing score on the course’s final exam, or
2. Completing a common, district-approved research project aligned to the Massachusetts state standards with a passing score.

History (Class of 2027 and Beyond)

1. Coursework Completion: The equivalent of one year of a U.S. History course(s).
2. Certified Courses: U.S. History I, U.S. History II, AP U.S. History
3. Mastery: Students may demonstrate mastery in History coursework by:

1. Receiving a passing score on the course’s final exam, or
2. Completion of a US History course beyond US History II, or
3. Completing a common, district-approved research project, aligned to the Massachusetts state standards with a passing score.

Science

1. Coursework Completion: The equivalent of one year of high school Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or Engineering
2. Certified Courses: Biology, AP Biology, Chemistry, AP Chemistry, Physics, AP Physics 1, Engineering
3. Mastery: Students may demonstrate mastery in Science coursework by:

1. Receiving a passing score on the course’s final exam, or
2. Completion of 4 lab science courses.
3. Completing a common, district-approved science portfolio with a score of meeting expectations or higher in Engineering

Math

1. Coursework Completion: The equivalent of one year each of Algebra I and Geometry
2. Certified Courses: Algebra I, Geometry
3. Mastery: Students may demonstrate mastery in Math coursework by

1. Receiving a passing score on the course’s final exam, or
2. Successful completion of an advanced math course beyond Algebra II, or
3. Completing a common, district-approved math portfolio consisting of the Algebra I and Geometry standards with a score of meeting expectations or higher during senior year

Section II: Additional Requirements

        No additional requirements beyond coursework completion and demonstration of

Mastery.

Section III: Additional Considerations

1. Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities will have equal opportunity to meet the CD requirements through provision of accommodations and modifications as determined by the individual student’s IEP or 504 plan.  

Programs approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in accordance with 603 CMR 28.09 (the "approved" public and private day and residential programs) have aligned their school curriculum with the state curriculum frameworks consistent with 603 CMR 28.09(9)(b) and are thus sufficient to meet the district’s local requirements for graduation by providing the necessary instruction aligned with the Massachusetts curriculum frameworks to prepare the student for graduation.

Beverly students who are educated in approved public or private out-of-district settings (day or residential) will be provided equitable opportunities to meet the Competency Determination (CD) requirements. This will include the acceptance of end-of-course assessments developed and implemented by the out-of-district program, provided those assessments are based on the appropriate standards of the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks and include the applicable accommodations and specialized supports as defined in the IEP.

2. English Language Learners

ESL courses will meet the ELA requirement for the CD only for students at the

foundational levels of English proficiency (i.e., Levels 1 and 2 on ACCESS). In these cases, ESL courses may count toward the ELA coursework requirement, provided that they explicitly integrate grade-appropriate ELA standards with English Language Development (ELD) standards, using instructional scaffolds that are appropriate to students’ English proficiency levels. Districts will be asked to provide information about how they are implementing this approach as part of the submission process.

3. Late Enrolling Students

For students enrolling at Beverly High School after 9th grade, a transcript review will be conducted. Beverly High School shall accept qualifying CD’s from other Massachusetts public or private schools who have had their CD determination approved by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).  Students who have not completed the appropriate coursework or CD(s) will be given opportunities to do so while enrolled at BHS. In limited instances, a qualifying MCAS score related to the appropriate course(s) may be accepted as a CD (see Role of MCAS in Limited Circumstances).

Section IV: Role of MCAS in Limited Circumstances

In the limited circumstance where a district is unable to document a student’s prior coursework, or transferred coursework is accepted from a private institution or from out-of-state, the regulations allow for a student to earn the CD by:

• Attaining a qualifying score of at least “Meeting Expectations” or “Exceeding Expectations” achievement levels on the relevant high school MCAS assessment; and/or
• By showing mastery in each of the required courses as laid out in Section I.

Section V: Appeals Process

A student who has completed coursework at Beverly High School, and who has earned the appropriate number of credits through completion of coursework to graduate, but has yet to show mastery in any of the required subjects to receive a CD, may appeal the district’s decision to not award a CD within 30 days of the student’s date of graduation. Students wishing to appeal may provide transcripts, portfolio submissions of work, and other supporting evidence to support a CD. The appeal will be reviewed by a committee, which will include the Superintendent, Principal, and Director of College and Career Readiness. Decisions will be issued within 15 days of the appeal, during which time, the school will continue to work with the student in an attempt to achieve the required CD(s). Shall a student receive the necessary CD(s) within that timeframe, the appeal will be nullified.

Section VI: Diploma Requests for Previously Enrolled Students

Beverly Public Schools must offer eligible students in the classes of 2003 through 2024 who did not earn a diploma as a result of failing to meet the state’s CD requirement an opportunity to determine their current eligibility for a diploma pursuant to the district’s CD requirements.

An eligible student is one who:

• Was previously enrolled in the district; and
• Previously met the criteria for a Certificate of Attainment (i.e., they met local graduation requirements but did not receive a high school diploma because they did not earn a CD); and
• Was not previously reported as a graduate in any district’s Student Information Management System (SIMS) submission.

Any former student who believes they did not receive a diploma as a result of the state’s CD requirement, may issue an appeal to the district in writing.  A response of receipt of the appeal will be issued within 5 business days. The appeal will be reviewed within 15 days of receipt,  and if upheld, a diploma will be issued to the appellant within 30 days of receipt.

Section VII: Certifications

• The policy has been approved by the Beverly School Committee;
• The policy has been shared with all students, families/guardians, and district stakeholders; and
• The policy has been made publicly available in multiple languages.