Photo: Kate Samp for Strategies for Children

Yesterday, Massachusetts officials released the results of the new MCAS, “an updated version of the test that was given for the first time in spring 2017 to students in grades 3-8 in English language arts and mathematics,” according to a press release.

The results show some good news. But the new test also reveals how much work Massachusetts still has to do to help all of its students succeed.

The new version of the MCAS “was created with input from hundreds of teachers following a thorough review and update of the state’s curriculum frameworks. The next-generation MCAS establishes high expectations to better reflect whether students are on track for the next grade level and ultimately for college and a career.”

“In general, the new standards for Meeting Expectations are more rigorous than the standards for reaching the Proficient level on the legacy MCAS.”

“Spring 2017 is a baseline year for a new test in grades 3-8, and spring 2017 scores should not be compared to previous years’ scores.”

The scores fall into four categories: “Exceeding Expectations, Meeting Expectations, Partially Meeting Expectations and Not Meeting Expectations.”

Among the results:

“Approximately 50 percent of grades 3-8 students are already scoring in the Meeting or Exceeding Expectations categories on the new test. Some students will find that they scored Proficient on the legacy MCAS in 2016 but only Partially Meeting Expectations on the next-generation MCAS in 2017.”

The statewide data is posted here.

After reviewing the data, Chris Martes, the president and CEO of Strategies for Children, pointed out key aspects of the results, including:

• 47 percent of third grade students met or exceeded expectations in reading — which means more than half did not. Third grade reading is a critical indicator for future success in school and beyond.

• Achievement gaps persist – only 29 percent of economically disadvantaged students met the third-grade reading benchmark. The same is true for both African-American and Latino students.

• Gaps in scores between school districts highlight the inequalities across our commonwealth: Only 44 percent of students in Pittsfield, 31 percent in Worcester, and 29 percent in Boston met the third-grade reading benchmark.

• More investment in the early childhood continuum from birth to 3^rd grade is needed to improve outcomes and close gaps. Strategies for Children recommends that state policymakers:

* Pass An Act Ensuring High Quality Pre-Kindergarten Education (H.2874, S.240), a bill that would expand preschool. Massachusetts lags behind other states in preschool access and quality. This bill would phase-in preschool funding statewide beginning with high-needs communities that often have lower preschool access yet trail their peers in third grade testing data. Let’s level the playing field for all young children, and expand access to high-quality preschool.

* Continue to invest in the early childhood workforce. This fiscal year, Massachusetts made bold investments in early educator compensation. We must continue to invest in teachers to ensure that they have the skills and knowledge they need to support all children, from birth, in early language and literacy development.

“We know that Massachusetts’ performance on third grade reading has been relatively flat since 2001. We know that wide achievement gaps persist. That’s why we must take action to support all children, starting as early in life as possible. Schools can’t do it alone,” Martes says.

“We look forward to using the new MCAS baseline data to monitor performance in the future, as we work to close opportunity gaps in early childhood and level the playing field for all our kids.”