BOSTON — Massachusetts students would need to complete college-preparatory coursework, pass end-of-course exams, develop postsecondary plans, and finish a capstone project or portfolio under final high school graduation standard recommendations filed Wednesday by the K-12 Graduation Council.

The report marks the culmination of an 18-month process launched after voters in 2024 approved Question 2 and eliminated the MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System) graduation requirement, leaving Massachusetts without a statewide graduation standard for the first time in decades.

Two graduating classes have already received diplomas without a uniform state requirement, and any replacement system may be years away as the recommendations don’t propose implementation of the first proposal until the 2027-2028 school year for incoming freshmen, and still require legislative action and subsequent regulatory work.

The final report, submitted by Education Secretary Stephen Zrike and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Pedro Martinez, largely follows preliminary recommendations unveiled in December but adds notable changes, including formally requiring completion of the state’s MassCore college-preparatory curriculum and strengthening language around the role of end-of-course assessments.

Under the proposal, students would complete four major requirements: MassCore coursework, end-of-course assessments, a My Career and Academic Plan (MyCAP), and a culminating experience in the form of either a capstone project or portfolio.

The report proposes the implementation of the first MassCore cohort entering ninth grade in 2027-2028, and the implementation of the other requirements the next school year with incoming freshmen. That means districts would have at least six more graduating classes before students could graduate in 2032 with all the uniform standards contemplated by the council — eight years following the MCAS ballot question’s passage.

The recommendations are advisory and do not themselves create new graduation standards. Lawmakers would need to enact legislation before implementation can begin. After that, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education would need to develop regulations governing the new framework.

An off-schedule Board of Elementary and Secondary Education meeting is already posted for Monday, ahead of the board’s regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, where members may begin discussing the recommendations. The council itself served in an advisory role, but the formal recommendations come from Zrike and Martinez to the governor and Legislature.

MassCore is intended to align high school learning with public higher education admissions standards.

The framework would require four units of English language arts, four units of mathematics including Algebra II or its equivalent, three units of lab-based science, three units of history and social science including U.S. history and world history, two units of the same world language, one unit of arts, physical education as required by law, and five additional core course units.

The report notes that “nearly three-quarters of Massachusetts high schools have local graduation requirements that meet or exceed MassCore unit requirements for all core academic subjects.”

Council leaders cited research from the Annenberg Institute finding that “MassCore completion is a strong predictor of postsecondary outcomes,” and that graduates who complete the curriculum are substantially more likely to enroll in and finish higher education programs.

The proposal includes several built-in flexibilities. Computer science courses could substitute for certain math or science requirements, technology and engineering courses could count toward science credits, and students in vocational programs could opt out of world language and arts requirements.

Perhaps the most contentious recommendation involves state-designed end-of-course assessments, which critics say risk recreating a testing system that voters rejected when they ended the MCAS graduation mandate.

The report recommends one state-designed exam in English language arts, one in mathematics and one in science, while also encouraging further exploration of a history and social science assessment. The tests would be designed, administered and scored by the state, and taken when students complete specific courses.

Unlike the December recommendations, however, the final report explicitly states that “Performance on the EOC assessments will meaningfully count toward students’ academic record and path to graduation.”

Exactly how much those exams would matter remains on open question.

The report says, “Following additional planning and engagement of stakeholders, the council co-chairs will determine the specific role that EOCs will play in students’ academic record and graduation.”

That language leaves unanswered whether graduation could ultimately depend on passing the exams, and seems to contemplate a significant role for test performance.

Supporters argue that statewide assessments are necessary to ensure consistency across districts.

“Without a uniform measurement tool, definitions of mastery and academic readiness can vary significantly across districts and schools,” the report reads. “Our vision is that every student, regardless of ZIP code or background, will have the necessary preparation for what comes after graduation.”

The report notes that 73% of reporting Massachusetts districts already use one or more end-of-course exams as part of local competency determinations and that seven states required end-of-course assessments for graduation as of 2025.

A third major component would require every student to maintain a My Career and Academic Plan, known as MyCAP, throughout high school.

Under the proposal, students would complete state-defined milestones each year while developing postsecondary plans tied to college and career goals. Required milestones would include financial literacy, artificial intelligence and digital literacy, work-based learning experiences, and completion of the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) or the Massachusetts Alternative Student Financial Aid Application, though families could opt out of the financial aid forms.

“Students emphasized a desire for greater postsecondary readiness support, and for greater alignment between their high school experience and their college and career goals,” the report states.

The council elevated work-based learning and AI literacy from themes discussed during public engagement into formal recommendations in the final report, saying stakeholders repeatedly emphasized their importance.

Approximately 40% of Massachusetts districts currently use the MyCAP framework, according to the report. Nationally, 25 states require individualized academic and career plans while seven others recommend them.

The final component would require students to complete a culminating experience through either a capstone project or portfolio.

Capstones would involve students applying knowledge and skills to a complex question, problem or real-world challenge, often incorporating research and formal presentations, the report states. Portfolios would consist of curated collections of student work accompanied by reflection and evidence of growth.

The state would establish a common rubric, while local districts would evaluate student work.

The recommendations also include optional “Seals of Distinction” that students could earn in areas such as civic engagement, work-based learning, financial literacy or other areas identified by the state.

The report repeatedly emphasizes equity considerations, calling for accommodations and support for students with disabilities, English language learners, newly arrived immigrant students and other populations that may require additional assistance meeting statewide expectations.

In a press release Wednesday morning from Gov. Maura Healey’s office, the administration spotlighted the council’s recommendations for MassCore, but deemphasized the end-of-course exams and the portfolio or capstone requirement, which are only mentioned in statements of support from other public officials and groups.

It adds that the administration is “strongly encouraging” all school districts to fully meet MassCore for the incoming ninth grade class in the fall of 2027, and will be making $500,000 in grants available this summer to support the transition.