Massachusetts has a brag-worthy reputation for its schools, but a new analysis suggests the reading story for older students is a lot shakier than it looks on report cards. Roughly 150,000 middle- and high-school students are not meeting grade-level expectations in English language arts, and the shortfalls fall hardest on Black, Latino, multilingual and disabled students. The report warns that these gaps are hiding behind high course-passing rates and could quietly shut students out of tougher classes and post-secondary options. Educators say the message is blunt: early reading gains are not enough once kids hit adolescence.
What the Numbers Show
According to a report by The Education Trust in Massachusetts, about half of students in grades six through eight and grade 10 did not meet grade-level benchmarks on the 2025 MCAS English language arts exam, which translates to roughly 150,000 students statewide. The breakdown in 10th grade is stark: 76% of Asian students and 59% of white students met or exceeded expectations, compared with 35% of Black students and 31% of Latino students.
Which Students Are Hardest Hit
Multilingual learners are facing the steepest gaps. The report finds that between 65% and 75% of multilingual learners in grades 6–8 and 10 are not yet meeting ELA expectations, and students with disabilities and those from low-income backgrounds are also far more likely to fall behind. “Literacy development does not end in third grade, and our policies should reflect that reality,” Jennie Williamson, state director for EdTrust in Massachusetts, writes in the report, underscoring that the state cannot treat early literacy wins as a finish line.
Recommendations and Policy Context
The report urges state and district leaders to expand evidence-based adolescent literacy interventions, strengthen educator preparation and professional learning, and provide high-quality, culturally responsive instructional materials in middle and high schools. That call comes as Beacon Hill has already acted on early literacy reform. Governor Maura Healey signed the Right to Read law earlier in 2026, according to Mass.gov, and advocates now want a similar level of urgency for older grades. As the EdTrust report notes, districts that combine strong daily instruction with timely interventions are already showing measurable gains.
State Response and Next Steps
The state’s official 2025 MCAS summary points to a mixed picture. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education reported that ELA results rose in grades 3–8 but slipped in grade 10 compared with 2024, a shift the department said may reflect changes to high-school testing rules and student participation. In response, DESE is steering districts toward tools such as the Adolescent Literacy Intervention Selection Tool (A-LIST) and PRISM grants to help leaders choose and expand research-backed interventions. DESE materials and the 2025 results are available on the department site.
For Boston-area families and school leaders, the report puts numbers to what many have been warning about for years: reading support cannot tap out after third grade. The real test comes this school year, as districts decide whether to turn the findings into concrete moves like targeted tutoring, new curriculum adoption, and intensive adult training that actually close the gaps the data has laid bare.
