The spring 2026 MCAS results are out, and the biggest story is in high school English. Statewide, the share of 10th graders meeting or exceeding expectations in ELA fell from 51% to 45%, and scores dropped in 167 of 207 districts we tracked. In grades 3–8, English slipped modestly while math held steady.
167/207
Districts w/ Gr 10 ELA Drop
-1.5
Gr 3–8 ELA Median Change
Statewide Results by Grade
Percent of students Meeting or Exceeding Expectations. Outside of grade 10 ELA, statewide changes were small, mostly within two or three points. Grade 8 math was the standout gain.
| Grade | ELA 2025 | ELA 2026 | Math 2025 | Math 2026 |
|---|
| Grade 3 | 42% | 43% | 44% | 42% |
| Grade 4 | 40% | 37% | 43% | 43% |
| Grade 5 | 38% | 38% | 40% | 39% |
| Grade 6 | 42% | 40% | 41% | 43% |
| Grade 7 | 42% | 40% | 39% | 37% |
| Grade 8 | 44% | 42% | 38% | 42% |
| Grade 10 | 51% | 45% | 45% | 44% |
Grade 10 ELA: Widespread Declines
The median district fell 6 points, and some of the state's highest-scoring districts saw drops of 20 points or more. Both the 2025 and 2026 tests were given after voters removed the MCAS graduation requirement in November 2024, so that change alone doesn't explain a drop between these two years. The data can't tell us the cause, but the decline is broad rather than limited to a few districts.
Biggest drops
Biggest gains
Grade 10 Math
High school math was roughly flat statewide (93 districts up, 104 down), with large swings in both directions at the district level.
Biggest gains
Biggest drops
Grades 3–8
Combining grades 3 through 8, ELA fell in 194 of 264 districts (median change -1.5 points). Math held up better: 149 districts improved and 115 declined.
ELA: biggest gains
ELA: biggest drops
Math: biggest gains
Math: biggest drops
Want to see individual schools? Read 2026 MCAS Results by School.
Methodology: District results from DESE's Next Generation MCAS achievement reports for spring 2025 and spring 2026. Grades 3–8 are combined into one rate per district, weighted by the number of students tested in each grade. Districts need at least 300 tested students in grades 3–8, or 100 in grade 10, in both years to appear. Year-to-year changes for small districts can reflect a single cohort.