Standardized Tests Keep Mass. Schools Competitive 

Last week, Massachusetts reported a decline in 2024 student test scores, as measured by the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS). The Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA), lead critics of the MCAS, pointed to the decline in scores as a reason why the test should not be a high school graduation requirement.

But the naysayers are wrong. A closer look at the history of standardized testing in Massachusetts shows how the state became an international leader in education, and how we continue to defend that title to this day.

Massachusetts schools are still among the best in the nation.

Start with the state’s performance on a national school standards test.

Massachusetts was second in the nation for 8th grade reading scores and was ranked first for 8th grade math scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) test in 2022. (The most recent year for which data is available.) For 4th grade test scores, the Commonwealth ranked first in the country in reading and second in the nation for math.

Massachusetts also performs better than many states that dropped testing requirements.

For example, here’s a report card of Massachusetts’ NAEP test scores, as compared with states that ended testing requirements for graduation prior to 2017 (as compiled by EdWeek). This list grades states based on performance in Grade 4 math and reading and Grade 8 math and reading. (A+ indicates the highest performing state while F indicates the lowest.)

Massachusetts stands out with its consistent A+ rating. In fact, Massachusetts ranks higher than any other state in terms of performance in nationwide assessments on Reading and Math. Additionally, Massachusetts is in the top half of states across the country with 40% of the Commonwealth’s 18-24 year olds enrolled in college.

Massachusetts’ education system is one of the best in the world.

Massachusetts isn’t just impressive relative to other states; it also stands out as one of the few states that is internationally competitive according to an analysis by Pioneer Institute. In two different international exams, the Trends in Math and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), Massachusetts significantly outperformed the United States throughout the years.

In 2007, Massachusetts 4th graders ranked second in the world for science scores and 8th graders tied for first in science and ranked sixth in math based on TIMSS results. In 2011, only four education systems scored higher than Massachusetts in math and only one education system in the world scored higher than Massachusetts in science. 

Notably, this was a significant rise in the rankings from 1999, when the MCAS was just coming into play. In 1999, 15 countries scored higher than students in the Commonwealth in math and 11 countries scored higher in science.

On the PISA, Massachusetts ranked fourth in reading out of 65 countries that took the exam in 2012 and first in reading out of the 72 countries that took the exam in 2015.

MCAS helped Massachusetts make significant improvements in education.

Massachusetts’ education system was not always internationally, or even nationally, competitive. In the 1980s, Massachusetts’ public school system was considered mediocre. In order to help boost its education system, Massachusetts passed the 1993 Education Reform Act.

The 1993 Education Reform Act set standards and high school graduation requirements for the state. From 1993 to 2005, Massachusetts’ average SAT score increased each consecutive year, according to analysis done by Pioneer Institute. The Commonwealth’s NAEP scores also improved. In 2005, Massachusetts was the first state to have students achieve the highest scores in all four major categories on the NAEP (reading and math for both 4th and 8th grades). Massachusetts has remained amongst the top states for education ever since.

The MCAS graduation requirement does not prohibit a significant number of students from receiving a high school diploma.

Massachusetts high school graduation rate is amongst the highest in the country. In the 2021-2022 school year, the public high school graduation rate in the Bay State was 90.10%, fourth best graduation rate across the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics. In the Northeast, Massachusetts has the highest public high school graduation rate compared to other states in the region. 

According to the Boston Globe, MCAS requirements do not bar most from graduating. Only a little more than 700 students, about 1 percent of all would-be graduates annually, are denied diplomas solely because of not passing the MCAS. 

In fact, both New York and Massachusetts, which have standardized test requirements to graduate, have higher public school graduation rates than the national average. Comparatively, Rhode Island, which eliminated previous testing requirements, has a public high school graduation rate below the national average.

MCAS helps Massachusetts’ students prepare for other important standardized tests.

Standardized tests are an inevitable aspect of life. Whether attending college or entering into a vocational trade, tests are necessary to ensure people are aptly qualified. MCAS helps prepare students for college entrance exams. Massachusetts’ SAT and ACT scores top other states in the Northeast region.

When it comes to SAT scores, Massachusetts’ mean SAT score is 1112. Comparatively, the national average is 1028. For ACT composite scores, Massachusetts’ students score about 7 points higher (26.4) than the national average of 19.5.

Right now, our Opportunity Report Card ranks Massachusetts as an A state when it comes to education – a leader nationwide. A strong education system is the foundation for a thriving economy. After all, success in the classroom translates into success in the real world. To fall behind in this regard could have far–reaching consequences for the future of our economy and our children.