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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio)— After a year of pandemic-induced remote learning, MCAS scores dropped across the majority of the state.
The board of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education met Tuesday to discuss the impacts that the pandemic and remote learning had on 2021 MCAS test scores. The results mirrored a national trend, with scores from all around the state dropping.
"Overall we've seen drops across the board in the commonwealth and everyone is going to have to step forward and work on our kids mental health and on their academic needs going forward," Education Commissioner Jeff Riley said in the meeting.
Read More: Mass. State Lawmakers To Consider Ending MCAS Graduation Requirement
The board found that math scores for grades three to eight dropped on average around 16 percentage points and 7 percentage points for grade 10 compared to the scores from 2019. The MCAS testing was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic.
Riley said these drops did not increase any racial disparity seen in past MCAS results.
"Racial achievement gaps did not increase during this time and that is because drops were seen all over the commonwealth...including our wealthiest suburbs," Riley said.
"Lexington experienced double digit drops in [grades] three to eight math proficiency. These are drops that districts have not seen to this degree in probably in the last 30 years."
WBZ's Karyn Regal (@karynregal) reports that these scores will not be used rate schools as low performing, but instead to show where they can improve after the pandemic.
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