Medford's MCAS Results Show Dip In English Scores

MEDFORD, MA — Newly released results from the spring 2022 MCAS exams show Medford students’ scores have increased in math and science, but dropped in English.

The district’s results echo the statewide drop in English scores, indicating that it could take years for Massachusetts students to recover from lost and disrupted learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Education Secretary James Peyser.

In Medford, the percentage of students receiving a score of "meeting expectations" or higher in English dropped in nearly every grade since 2021. However, every single grade improved in math since last year.

The largest drop-off in Medford was in 6th grade English. The percentage of 6th graders who met or exceeded expectations was 37 percent, down from 49 in 2021.

In math, the percentage of third through eighth grade students meeting or exceeding expectations rose from 26 percent in 2021 to 32 percent in 2022, while for the English language arts test, it dropped from 45 percent in 2021 to 40 percent in 2022.

Read more: MCAS Scores Dip Shows COVID-19 Learning Recovery May Take 'Years'

There was an improvement on science tests, with 38 percent of fifth and eighth grade students meeting or beating expectations versus 34 percent in 2021.

For 10th graders, English scores got worse and math scores improved, with the percentage at least meeting expectations dropping from 45 to 40 in English rising from 26 to 32 percent in math.

Grade 10 science results were not provided for 2021 because students in the class of 2023 were not required to take that test. In 2022, 63 percent of students who took the science test were proficient or better, compared to 65 percent in 2019.