FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Chanthy Lopes at Clopestoro@edtrust.org

September 25, 2026

Statement from EdTrust in Massachusetts on the Release of the 2026 Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) Results

BOSTON  — The newly released MCAS results are deeply concerning, with too few students across the Commonwealth meeting expectations in English language arts and math. When students do not have the opportunity to master these foundational skills, the consequences extend far beyond the classroom, limiting their prospects for years to come and weakening our state’s long-term prosperity.

The results show that only 40% of students in grades 3-8 met or exceeded expectations in English language arts, down two percentage points from last year. In math, just 41% of students in grades 3-8 met or exceeded expectations, showing no improvement. Moreover, just 14 districts out of 395 statewide have returned to or exceeded pre-pandemic performance levels in both English language arts and math. These results highlight the scale of the challenge and the urgency of ensuring that improvements reach students who face the greatest systemic barriers to educational opportunity.

The 10th-grade results also warrant a closer look. Since the elimination of the MCAS graduation requirement in 2024, high school scores have declined considerably. While that decline likely reflects multiple factors, the shift raises important questions about how students engage with an assessment that no longer carries the same stakes — and, in turn, how 10th-grade results should be interpreted moving forward. As the Commonwealth implements the Statewide Graduation Council’s recommendations, new graduation requirements must maintain high expectations and provide students and families with an honest, meaningful measure of academic readiness.

Massachusetts recently made significant progress by enacting the Right to Read law. Now, the state must implement it effectively. But our work cannot stop at early literacy. As these results make clear, too many students continue to struggle with reading as they transition into middle and high school — precisely when texts and coursework become increasingly complex. Without targeted support, these literacy gaps lock students out of rigorous academic opportunities and jeopardize their future career paths.

Math demands the same urgency. We live in an economy where quantitative reasoning, problem-solving, data literacy, and computational thinking increasingly shape economic mobility, not just in STEM but across the labor market. Massachusetts cannot afford to leave students without the math skills they need to thrive.

EdTrust in MA is calling on state leaders, districts, and communities to:

1. Fully implement the Right to Read law statewide, with sustained funding, ongoing professional development for educators, and accountability measures needed to bring evidence-based literacy instruction into every classroom.
2. Give adolescent literacy the attention it deserves by building intervention time for struggling students into school schedules, and investing in educator preparation and professional development.
3. Treat math with the same urgency as reading by adopting a statewide math strategy that expands access to high-quality instructional materials, invests in educator recruitment and training, and provides targeted interventions to close persistent numeracy gaps.
4. Make new graduation requirements meaningful and measurable by establishing consistent statewide measures that give students and families an honest picture of academic readiness, identify learning gaps, and hold schools and districts accountable for providing the support students need to meet high expectations.
5. Commit to measurable statewide goals for academic recovery and closing opportunity gaps, with clear benchmarks, transparent reporting, and accountability to ensure progress reaches students underserved for far too long.

Massachusetts cannot keep calling itself a national leader in education while most of its students aren’t receiving the instruction, support, and fundamental skills they need to succeed in college or careers. Our kids deserve better, and they deserve action now.

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About EdTrust in Massachusetts: EdTrust in Massachusetts is committed to advancing policies and practices that dismantle the racial and economic barriers embedded in the American education system. Through research and advocacy, EdTrust improves equity in education from preschool through college, engages diverse communities dedicated to education equity and justice, and increases political and public will to build an education system where students will thrive. For more information, visit edtrust.org/Massachusetts or follow us on X.