8th grade math MCAS Next Generation

Students meeting or exceeding expectations on 8th grade math MCAS

Definition: Percent of all students in grade 8 scoring “meeting" or "exceeding expectations” on the mathematics Next Generation MCAS.

This indicator is included in the Performance & Engagement section of the Condition of Education in the Commonwealth Data Report focusing on high expectations and promoting rigorous content standards and aligned assessments. Equally important is an emerging commitment to support strategies that allow all students to focus on learning challenging content. This means creating inclusive school and classroom settings that promote academic achievement, while attending to the needs of the Commonwealth’s most at-risk populations.

Source: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education: Next Generation MCAS Report for Grade 8 Students

*While comparing indicators, please keep in mind that different data sources use different definitions of student subgroups.

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Unpacking the Impact of the Supreme Court’s Affirmative Action Ruling

December 18, 2024

In June 2023, the Supreme Court struck down race-based affirmative action practices in higher education, fundamentally altering the landscape of college admissions nationwide. Now, as colleges and universities share data on their first-year student enrollment, we can begin to unpack the real-world impact of this Supreme Court decision. This blog post examines what led to this moment, what the data from schools in Massachusetts and across the nation tells us, and what steps lie ahead for creating equitable pathways to higher education.