The Massachusetts test, known as MCAS, wasn’t a cakewalk; it called for a fair amount of time, study, and classroom preparation. But 96 percent of students passed the tests, nearly all on their first try. The impact of the MCAS requirement on education in Bay State schools spoke for itself.

By Sonam Sheth is an Evening Politics Editor at Newsweek who is based in New York. She joined Newsweek in 2024 and previously worked at Business Insider and CNBC. Sonam has extensive experience covering national security, foreign policy, elections, and stories at the intersection of law and polit...