New MCAS results show gains in math, declines in English and science

New MCAS results show Massachusetts students made progress in some math subjects, but scores declined in English language arts and science across several grade levels.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released the results of the 2026 Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) and school accountability results on Tuesday.

According to the results, 14 districts have now returned to or exceeded their pre-pandemic performance in both English language arts and math for students in grades 3-8.

Grade 8 math showed the greatest improvement, with 42% of students meeting or exceeding expectations. It marked a 4-point increase from 2025.

In math, 41% of students in grades 3-8 met or exceeded expectations.

Grade 10 math went down one percentage point from the 2025 school year, with 44% of students meeting or exceeding expectations.

Approximately 40% of students in grades 3-8 met or exceeded expectations in English language arts. Results declined by two percentage points from 2025.

Grade 10 English language arts declined by six percentage points from the last school year, with 45% of students meeting or exceeding expectations. It marked a 16-percentage-point decline from the 2019-2026 school year.

In science, students in grade 8 improved by two percentage points, with 39% of students meeting or exceeding expectations.

Forty-three percent of students in grade 5 met or exceeded expectations in science. It was a three-percentage-point decline for the 2025-26 school year and a six-percentage-point decline from 2019-26.

At the high school level, 41% of students met or exceeded expectations in science, marking a five-percentage-point decline over the last academic year.

Forty percent of Grade 8 students met or exceeded expectations for the civic assessment. This was the second year students took the exam. It was roughly the same as the results for 2025, with a one-percentage-point increase.

Results showed students who were chronically absent performed substantially lower than students who were not.

Chronic absenteeism declined to 17.1% statewide in the 2025-26 school year. It was down from 22.2% in 2022-23.

Families were able to access their child’s preliminary MCAS results online for the first time through DESE’s new MCAS Family Portal before the statewide release.

Fifty-six schools were recognized for their improvement or overall achievement.

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