Boston Public Schools

2025 MCAS Performance Dashboard — Data from Massachusetts DESE

29%
ELA Proficient
Grades 3-8
28%
Math Proficient
Grades 3-8
~$27K
Per Pupil
Spending
26.3%
Chronic
Absenteeism
71%
Not Proficient
ELA 3-8
72%
Not Proficient
Math 3-8
60%
Not Proficient
ELA Gr.10
62%
Not Proficient
Math Gr.10
17,710
Students Tested
Grades 3-8
3,078
Students Tested
Grade 10

Boston vs State — Meeting or Exceeding Expectations

Where Boston Students Fall — Grades 3-8 ELA

All Subjects — Boston vs Massachusetts

Key takeaway: Boston trails the state by 11-20 percentage points across every subject and grade span. Only 22% of students meet science standards in grades 5 & 8, compared to 42% statewide — a 20-point gap.

ELA — % Meeting/Exceeding by Grade

Math — % Meeting/Exceeding by Grade

Average Scaled Scores by Grade — ELA

Average Scaled Scores by Grade — Math

Science & Civics

Science gap is stark: In Grade 8, only 17% of Boston students meet science standards vs 37% statewide. The new Civics test (Grade 8) shows 23% meeting expectations vs 39% statewide.
506.7
White Avg
ELA Score
501.5
Asian Avg
ELA Score
479.7
Black Avg
ELA Score
478.7
Hispanic Avg
ELA Score
470.6
Disability
ELA Score
36.1 pts
Widest Gap
ELA Score

ELA Scaled Scores by Race — Grades 3-8

Math Scaled Scores by Race — Grades 3-8

Special Populations — ELA Scores (3-8)

High School (Gr. 10) — ELA by Race

Year-Over-Year Change by Group — High School ELA

Alarming decline: Every single racial/ethnic group and special population saw high school ELA scores decline in 2025. English Learners dropped 3.9 points, Black students dropped 3.9 points, and All Students dropped 2.9 points.

Student Growth Percentile (SGP) — Non-High School

Student Growth Percentile (SGP) — High School

Growth by Race/Ethnicity — All Subjects

Growth vs Achievement paradox: High school math SGP is 57.8 (above typical), yet only 38% meet proficiency. Students are growing, but from such a low base that most remain far below grade level. Growth alone doesn't close the gap.
26.3%
Elem/Middle
Chronic Absent
36.1%
High School
Chronic Absent
-1.1
Elem/Middle
YoY Change
-2.2
High School
YoY Change

Chronic Absenteeism by Race — Elem/Middle

Chronic Absenteeism by Race — High School

Special Populations — Chronic Absenteeism

Progress with a long way to go: Boston reduced chronic absenteeism from 27.4% to 26.3% in grades K-8, but over 1 in 4 students are still chronically absent. Students with disabilities (35.5%) and low-income students (31.6%) face the highest rates.
79.7%
4-Year Grad
Rate 2024
-0.8
Change from
Prior Year
4.5%
Annual
Dropout Rate
88.9%
Extended
Engagement

4-Year Graduation Rate by Race

Graduation Rate by Special Population

Dropout Rate by Group

Graduation declining: The overall 4-year grad rate fell from 80.5% to 79.7%. English Learners have only a 68.1% grad rate (-1.2 YoY) and an 8.2% dropout rate — nearly double the district average. Students with disabilities have a 63.8% grad rate.
48%
Accountability
Target %
Moderate
Progress
Classification
23%
HS All Students
Points %
62%
Non-HS
Points %

2025 Points Earned — Non-High School

2025 Points Earned — High School

Accountability Breakdown

IndicatorNon-HS PointsNon-HS MaxHS PointsHS MaxStatus
ELA Achievement2404HS Declined
Math Achievement2404HS Declined
Science Achievement2404HS Declined
ELA Growth2424Typical Low
Math Growth2434Typical High
Graduation Rate——04Declined
Extended Engagement——04Declined
Dropout Rate——14No Change
EL Proficiency3444Met/Exceeded
Chronic Absenteeism3444Met/Exceeded
Adv. Coursework——34Typical High
High school is the crisis point: Boston earned 0 out of 12 possible achievement points at the high school level — every subject declined. The district's "moderate progress" classification is propped up by non-HS scores and chronic absenteeism improvements.