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Competency Determination

Middleborough Public Schools
Competency Determination
Middleborough High School Graduates
Fall 2025 

To earn a Middleborough High School diploma, students must successfully complete local graduation requirements and earn a Competency Determination.  Middleborough Public Schools graduation requirements and Competency Determination are outlined below.

As required by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Middleborough High School’s Competency Determination is based on the academic standards and the Massachusetts curriculum frameworks for tenth graders. Our students must demonstrate mastery of skills, competencies, and knowledge in those aforementioned areas through completion of coursework that is certified by the district to meet state academic standards and in any additional areas determined by the School Committee.

Students who have previously earned a Competency Determination through a regular or retest administration of the MCAS (including the November 2024 retest), or through a DESE appeal process, have earned their Competency Determination.

Graduation Requirements:

  • All students graduating from Middleborough High School must achieve a minimum of 136 credits. To receive credits for a class, students must receive the minimum passing grade of a 60% (D-) based on the current grading structure.
  • Students must participate in the MCAS testing sessions in Biology (Grade 9), and ELA and Mathematics (Grade 10). 
  • To meet graduation requirements, students must pass all of their Middleborough High School courses, and in total, earn a passing grade (as defined above) in the following:
    • Four years of English
    • Four years of Mathematics
    • Four years of Physical Education
    • Three years of Science
    • Three years of History/Social Science
    • Two years of World Language 
    • One year of Fine Arts (5 credits)
    • One year of Technology (5 credits)
  • Students must earn Competency Determination as outlined below.

Competency Determination:

  • To earn Competency Determination, students graduating Class of 2026 must earn a passing grade (as defined above) in the following or equivalent courses:
    • Grade 9 English
    • Grade 10 English
    • Algebra I or II
    • Geometry
    • Biology
  • Students in the graduating Class of 2027 and beyond must also earn a passing grade (as defined above) in the following or equivalent course:
    • United States History
  • Additionally, students enrolled in these courses will have a final assessment (which could be an exam, a project, a presentation, or the equivalent) to show their level of mastery of the content.  This will be established based on current protocols for the following courses:  Grade 9 English, Grade 10 English, Algebra I and II, Geometry, and Biology.

Students with disabilities have the same requirements as all other students but may have additional support in and out of the classroom to achieve the CD requirements. Students may have individualized plans that require inclusive settings or modified coursework to achieve CD requirements. Students may be able to demonstrate their proficiency through a portfolio rather than end of unit or end of year assessments. 

Transfer Students:

  • To meet graduation requirements, students who transfer to Middleborough High School must pass all of their Middleborough High School courses, and in total, earn a passing grade (as defined above) in the following:
    • Four years of English
    • Four years of Mathematics
    • Four years of Physical Education
    • Three years of Science
    • Three years of History/Social Science
    • Two years of World Language 
    • One year of Fine Arts (5 credits)
    • One year of Technology (5 credits)
  • To earn Competency Determination, students who transfer to Middleborough High School must earn a passing grade (as defined above) in the following or equivalent courses:
    • Grade 9 English
    • Grade 10 English
    • Algebra I or Algebra II
    • Geometry
    • Biology
    • United States History (Class of 2027 and beyond)

English Learners:

  • Multilingual (ML) learners will have the same requirements for Competency Determination as all other students. Those ML students who score a Level 1 on the WIDA (World Class Instructional Design and Assessment) scale will have support in and out of the Multilingual Classroom.  Students with a WIDA level that is higher than a Level 1 will have support within the Multilingual Classroom but are expected to receive a passing score in grade 9 English and grade 10 English.

The principal may, on a case-by-case basis, review a student’s transcript and determine if the successful completion of a course or courses constitutes a reasonable equivalency for one of the expectations above for Competency Determination.  This would include students who transfer after 10th grade and both homeschooled and out-of-district special education students seeking to earn a Middleborough High School diploma.

Middleborough Public School’s students, regardless of the Local Education Agency (LEA), will be able to review their graduation status, including Competency Determination and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provisions.

Students who wish to appeal either the Competency Determination or a decision relative to the graduation requirements may do so.  The Director of Curriculum and Instruction or designee will investigate and respond within ten school days with a determination.  If the appeal is denied, the student and/or parent/guardian may appeal to the Superintendent or designee, who will respond within ten school days.

Students who would like to revisit their eligibility for a MPS diploma should submit a written request for review via email or post to the Director of Curriculum and Instruction. The district will respond to the request for review within 10 business days and will provide a decision within 15 business days.