Waltham's MCAS Results Show Dip In English Scores

WALTHAM, MA — Newly released results from the spring 2022 MCAS exams show Waltham 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 Waltham, 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 Waltham was in 4th grade English. The percentage of 4th graders who met or exceeded expectations was 31 percent, down from 40 in 2021.

In math, the percentage of third through eighth grade students meeting or exceeding expectations rose from 30 percent in 2021 to 37 percent in 2022, while for the English language arts test, it dropped from 42 percent in 2021 to 38 percent in 2022.

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

There was a slight improvement on science tests, with 31 percent of fifth and eighth grade students meeting or beating expectations versus 30 percent in 2021.

For 10th graders, both English and math scores improved, with the percentage at least meeting expectations rising from 50 to 54 percent in English and 40 to 41 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, 50 percent of students who took the science test were proficient or better, compared to 63 percent in 2019.

Only the 5th grade science results and 8th grade English results stayed the same, with 27 and 44 percent of students at least meeting expectations, respectively.