Compare School Districts
Are districts helping students achieve higher scores over time?
Is district performance changing by year, grade, or subject?
Use the controls below to choose the school districts you want to compare and the metric you'd like to view. I recommend focusing on Test Score Progress and Race-Balanced Progress because research shows they are stronger indicators of school quality (see the school metrics page for details).
District Cards
Test Score Levels: The percentage of students who meet or exceed expectations on the MCAS standardized tests. It reflects the district’s overall level of academic achievement in a given year.
Test Score Progress: The district’s average Student Growth Percentile (SGP), which measures how much students grew academically relative to peers with similar prior MCAS scores. A score of 50 represents typical growth, higher values indicate faster-than-average growth.
Race-Balanced Progress: A regression-adjusted version of Test Score Progress. It statistically removes the relationship between student demographics (specifically the proportion of White students) and average SGP.
For the progress metrics (Test Score Progress and Race-Balanced Progress), the dashed line at 50 marks the state average (typical growth). Districts scoring above 50 exhibit above-average growth, whereas those below 50 show below-average growth.
For Test Score Levels, higher percentages mean more students meet or exceed expectations. While higher values reflect stronger academic performance, part of that performance likely stems from factors outside of school quality.
About the Data
These comparisons rely on data from the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS), provided by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. For details on how the metrics are constructed, see the school metrics page. To explore results for individual districts or schools, visit the school districts or schools pages.