Test results from the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) released by the state on Sept. 22 showed Belmont students continuing to improve, though scores still have not reached pre-pandemic levels.
Tests are administered annually to students in grades 3 through 8 and 10. All students are tested on English Language Arts (ELA) and math, and students in grades 5, 8, and 10 are also tested on science and technology. Up until a 2024 ballot question repealed the requirement, students had to meet expectations on the tenth-grade MCAS to graduate from high school.
In Belmont, 69% of students in grades 3 through 8 met or exceeded expectations in ELA, according to results from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). In math, 72% met or exceeded expectations, and 75% met or exceeded expectations in science. In grade 10, 84% met or exceeded expectations in ELA, 87% met or exceeded expectations in math, and 89% met or exceeded expectations in science.
Parents can access individual student results through an online portal, according to Superintendent Jill Geiser.
“We will be bringing a student learning update, including MCAS data analysis, to the School Committee this fall. In the meantime, DESE has created for the first time a parent portal where parents can view their child’s MCAS score. The District has sent out a letter to families with instructions about how to access that portal through PowerSchool. This should provide a more streamlined way for families to access this information,” Geiser said in an emailed statement to The Voice.
Last month, Belmont High School (BHS) was named as one of the top high schools in the state by U.S. News and World Report, coming in behind Boston Latin School. Belmont students also earned high scores on Advanced Placement (AP) tests in 2025, according to data from the College Board.
Improvement Over Last Year
At the high school level, Belmont saw improvement in MCAS scores compared to last year. According to DESE, 81% of students met or exceeded expectations in ELA, 81% met or exceeded expectations in math, and 85% met or exceeded expectations in science in 2025.
Last year, students in grades 3 through 8 performed similarly to this year. 69% met or exceeded expectations in ELA (the same as this year’s data shows), 71% met or exceeded expectations in math, and 85% met or exceeded expectations in science.
Statewide Declines
Belmont’s 2026 MCAS passing rate was higher than the state average, according to the data. Statewide, 45% of grade 10 students met or exceeded expectations in ELA and 44% met or exceeded expectations in math. At the elementary and middle school level, 40% met or exceeded expectations in ELA, and 41% met or exceeded expectations in math.
Students are given scores ranging from 440 to 560, with a score of 500 needed to meet expectations. Students scoring below 470 are considered not meeting expectations, students scoring 470 to 499 are partially meeting expectations, and students scoring 530 and above are exceeding expectations.
Schools across Massachusetts saw scores decline after the COVID-19 pandemic, and many have struggled to regain ground six years later. In particular, the state has seen a decline in high school ELA scores. Belmont lags behind its pre-pandemic scores, according to data from the DESE.
