Behind The Sound Bite: Student Achievement in Massachusetts
Inaugurations are mostly about pomp and circumstance. But there’s some substance there too, especially when it comes to the governor’s inaugural address. Gov. Deval Patrick’s speech on the day of his inauguration focused on the achievements during his first term as well as his priorities for the future. In particular, he focused on the importance of public education in the commonwealth, while noting that “Massachusetts leads the nation in student achievement.” In this edition of Behind the Sound Bite, we decided to look for the facts behind that claim and found that the Bay State does do well compared to other states on standardized tests, but isn’t a leader in all subject areas.
How does Massachusetts measure student achievement?
The Bay State uses the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) to gauge student performance. The MCAS test students in English language arts, mathematics and science.
How does Massachusetts measure up with other states?
Bay State students do very well, but they’re not always leading the nation, according to the National Assessment of Education Progress. NEAP is a federally funded school system assessment program. Based on test scores for students in the eighth grade, Massachusetts comes out on top in math and reading. In science, Massachusetts is tied for second place behind North Dakota, Montana, Vermont and New Hampshire. In writing, Massachusetts students’ scores put them at No. 3 behind New Jersey and Connecticut.
Are there any other measures of student achievement across the United States?
There are lots of different groups that rank states based on academic achievement. One such ranking from Education Week ranks the Bay State as No. 3 behind Maryland and New York. The Education Week ranking bases its scores for each state on a variety of factors including a student’s chance for success, education standards, teacher quality and school finance.
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