Voters Remove MCAS; Students Lag on 2025 Tests

Massachusetts’ 2025 MCAS results show students remain well below pre-pandemic levels, with roughly 42% of grade 3–8 students meeting or exceeding expectations (ELA 42%, math 41%, science 42%) and statewide scores largely unchanged from 2024. High school performance fell: 10th graders met expectations at 51% in ELA (a 6-point drop) and 45% in math (a 3-point drop), a decline many officials link in part to voters removing the MCAS as a graduation requirement this year. Scores declined across nearly every student demographic — by race, disability and socioeconomic status — though American Indian/Alaska Native students saw a 5-point increase in math. Only a minority of districts have recovered to pre-pandemic levels (about 62–63 districts for grades 3–8), and just 13 districts met or exceeded 2019 performance in both ELA and math, while some districts (notably Worcester) remain far below. Education leaders and researchers say the persistent gaps reflect pandemic learning loss compounded by higher chronic absenteeism and reduced test accountability, and the Healey administration is prioritizing early literacy and attendance interventions as part of recovery efforts.