Framingham MCAS Scores Show “Moderate” Progress Within School District

FRAMINGHAM - Local scores from the most recent round of Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) exams show that Framingham Public Schools (FPS) has made “moderate” progress, though results from some local schools have indicated a need for assistance.

The Framingham School Committee discussed the spring 2025 MCAS scores alongside accountability data during their meeting on Wednesday, October 8. Assistant Superintendent for PreK-12 Education Anne Ludes gave a presentation on the local results, which was a part of the MCAS scores recently released across Massachusetts.

In general, the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) determined that there has been “moderate progress towards targets” within FPS, while the district as a whole has not been deemed to be in need of assistance or intervention. With that overall classification in mind, Ludes did explain that most schools in the city were determined to be in need of some amount of focus or targeted support: Framingham High School fell within that category, along with Barbieri Elementary, Brophy Elementary, Harmony Grove Elementary, McCarthy Elementary, Potter Road Elementary, Cameron Middle, and Fuller Middle.

King Elementary School was recognized by the state as a “school of recognition” due to their achievement and improvement over time. King was one of just 61 schools across Massachusetts with the distinction, as Ludes called the accomplishment “remarkable.”

The data presented by Ludes indicated that 25% of students in Grades 3 through 8 within the FPS system are exceeding or meeting expectations in both English language arts (ELA) and science and technology/engineering, while 21% of which are doing so in math. A total of 40% of Grade 10 students in the city are at or above expectations within math, while 39% of them qualify for that threshold in science and technology/engineering. 37% of local Grade 10 students are meeting or exceeding ELA expectations.

A comparison of 2024 and 2025 MCAS scores in Framingham shows more areas of growth than areas of decline. A total of 10 specific age cohorts saw an increase in the percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations in a specific category compared to last year, while seven groups saw a drop in that percentage.

Still, all six of the primary MCAS scores—ELA, math, and science and technology/engineering among both pre-high school students and those in Grade 10—are below the statewide average. The Grade 3 through Grade 8 scores are all between 17 and 20 percentage points below the Massachusetts average, while Grade 10 scores are between five and 14 points behind the statewide average.

Ludes said that only 13 school districts within Massachusetts have gotten back to pre-COVID levels in both ELA and math, while 50 have gotten back to pre-COVID marks in at least one of those subjects.

“(DESE) went on to say that overall, the 2025 results show that Massachusetts students are still behind where they were in 2019,” Ludes continued.

Ludes highlighted positive growth across FPS within ELA and math, as data in achievement, growth, and high school completion did improve overall compared to 2024. Ludes touted improved progress among local students attaining English language proficiency as well.

The assistant superintendent mentioned that Grade 10 scores in all three MCAS subjects dropped across the state compared to 2024 following the vote last November to rescind MCAS proficiency as a requirement to graduate high school. Ludes told the School Committee that she did not want that fact to be seen as an excuse within Framingham; she explained she wanted to include that as an additional piece of context, adding that she is curious to see how local high schoolers now feel about the MCAS in the wake of last year’s ballot question passing. Ludes said she does not blame high school students for the drop in those scores, though she believes that communication about the importance of MCAS tests within FPS has to be better. District 1 School Committee member Rich Robles went as far as to say that considering the lack of a graduation requirement, the high school MCAS results might not be “reliable.”

Given the spring 2025 MCAS results, Ludes said the school district will look to strengthen and focus their instruction based off of state standards at each grade level in order to meet the needs of students, with a specific emphasis on teaching language and utilizing instructional materials. She explained that FPS will be putting a “targeted focus” on chronic absenteeism, while local education leaders look to add access to education through expanding Pre-K programming and “rethinking” alternative programs for high school students.

“While we’ve certainly made some gains in this last year, there is so much work to do,” Ludes continued.

District 3 School Committee member Jennifer Moshe called the amount of Framingham schools in need of targeted support “very concerning,” as she mentioned that she’s curious to see what has worked so well at King Elementary. David Gordon of District 2 and FPS Superintendent Dr. Robert Tremblay agreed; the latter added that local school officials hope those strategies can be identified and utilized across the city, though he stressed that each school has different dynamics, targets, and situations that can lead to different results.

“I want to make sure that we’re not doing this to say, ‘This is the top school, and everybody else is lesser than,’” Tremblay said on Wednesday.

“Everybody is doing their best to lift all of our children…Those demographics change year-to-year, the profiles change, the complexities change. But, if we can find that recipe that works, that’s the one we’ll adopt.”