Test Scores Show Pandemic Toll on Learning in Massachusetts

BOSTON (AP) — Statewide MCAS test results from the spring 2021 exam released Tuesday show how the pandemic has taken a toll on the test scores of Massachusetts students.

Overall, the results revealed that many more students had gaps in their knowledge of math and, to a lesser extent, English language arts, compared to students in the same grades before the COVID-19 pandemic, with fewer students meeting or exceeding grade level expectations.

In 2021, 46% of students in grades 3-8 scored “meeting expectations” or higher in English language arts, while 33% scored the same in math.

Both represent a drop compared to 2019.