Massachusetts: Proficiency decline in all subjects; students no longer required to pass exam to graduate
It’s been two years since voters agreed to lift the requirement that students must pass the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) test to graduate, and while the percentage of sophomores meeting or exceeding expectations has declined statewide in all subjects, Franklin County schools saw slightly more mixed results in the spring 2026 test.
Franklin County Technical School
Since 2024, the percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations in English language arts at Franklin County Technical School has been declining, going from just above half of students at that caliber, down to 21% in 2026. The majority of students partially meet expectations.
In math, exam scores experienced a plateau. Both this year and last year, 24% of students met or exceeded expectations in math, falling since a post-pandemic high of 42% in 2024.
Exam results looked rosier in science, with 27% of students meeting or exceeding expectations compared to 21% in 2025.
Despite the decline in students meeting or exceeding expectations in English, and results remaining steady in math, both Superintendent Ryan Rege and Principal Brian Spadafino expressed pride in the gains that the students have made, based on student growth figures that highlight progress. According to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, both English language arts and math growth data show students in the 50th percentile, which Rege says is a good indicator.
“That means our students — compared to other students that had similar score to them in eighth grade — our students are doing better than 50% of those students across the state, so that’s really positive,” Rege explained.
With the exam no longer a graduation requirement, Rege noted that students across the state are underperforming. With this in mind, Rege said it’s necessary to impart the importance of MCAS as a state benchmark to see growth. . . .
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