Tri-Town students perform above state average in MCAS for most subjects

Students in the Old Rochester Regional School District scored above state averages in nearly every category for the MCAS, although the percentage of students meeting or exceeding state standards dropped for civics, science and elementary school math. 

Student test scores from the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System were released by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education on Sept. 22 and show a mainly downward trend compared to last year, although Tr-Town students performed mostly better than average.

The district had the strongest improvement in 10th grade math, with the number of students meeting or exceeding standards increasing by seven percentage points compared to 2025. 56% of the district’s 10th graders met or exceeded standards. 

“In 2026, students across our districts demonstrated academic resilience, outperforming state benchmarks in ELA (English language arts), math, and science,” Superintendent Michael Nelson wrote in a statement. “A notable point of pride this year is our strong participation rates across all our schools, which highlights the strong attendance and learning culture maintained throughout the tri-town community.”

The number of third- through eighth-grade students who met or exceeded standards for English language arts increased by one percentage point, up to 50%, while the number rose by three percentage points for 10th graders, up to 62%. 

The number of students state-wide who met or exceeded expectations for English scores dropped by two percentage points for elementary students and by six points for 10th graders. The number of students state-wide who met or exceeded expectations for math dropped by one percentage point compared to last year. 

Students at Old Rochester Regional Junior High School met or exceeded standards at rates above the state average for seventh and eighth grade English, and eighth grade science. 

The percentage of students who met or exceeded standards for seventh grade math was below the state average, with 36% of students falling in this category, while the percentage who met or exceeded standards for eighth grade math and civics matched the state average of 42% and 40%, respectively. 

“We are proud that our elementary schools in Marion, Mattapoisett, and Rochester all performed above the state average in multiple subject areas,” Nelson wrote. “These achievements highlight the dedication of our teaching staff and the strength of our core curriculum across grades three through six.”

Sippican Elementary School was the only Tri-Town elementary school with the percentage of students meeting or exceeding state standards that were below state averages. Students in fifth and sixth grade were below the state average for English, and students in sixth grade were below the state average for math. 

The number of students who met or exceeded standards for fifth and sixth grade English fell by nine and 11 percentage points, respectively, compared to last year. The number of students who met or exceeded standards for sixth grade math also fell by 11 percentage points. 

An above-average percentage of third and fourth graders at Sippican School met or exceeded standards for English, as well as third through fifth graders for math and fifth graders for science. 

The percentage of third grade math and English results that met or exceeded standards rose significantly this year at the school, with an increase of nine percentage points compared to 2025. 

Students at Old Hammondtown Elementary School scored at or above state standards at a higher rate than the state average across every grade and category. 

For fourth grade English, 43% of students met or exceeded standards, while 50% did so for fourth grade math. For all other grades and subjects, more than half of students met or exceeded standards. 

Old Hammondtown sixth grade students performed especially well in English, and fifth graders in science. About three-quarters of sixth graders met or exceeded standards for English, and 80% of fifth graders met or exceeded standards for science. 

Students at Rochester Memorial School scored at or above state standards at a higher rate than the state average across every grade and category. 

Math scores at the school saw the biggest shift compared to last year. 

Students in third and sixth grade met or exceeded standards at a lower rate than last year, with the number falling by 13 and 12 percentage points, respectively. Students in fourth and fifth grade met or exceeded standards for math by 11 and 13 percentage points, respectively, compared to last year. 

“While we celebrate these achievements, we remain focused on continuous growth to ensure we reach every single student,” Nelson wrote. 

Students at Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical School met or exceeded state standards at significantly low rates this year, with a significant drop compared to last year. 

Only 21% of students met or exceeded standards for 10th grade science, down by 30 percentage points from 2025. For English, 31% of students met or exceeded standards, down 14 percentage points from last year, and 30% of students met or exceeded standards for math, down 15 percentage points from last year. 

Superintendent Aaron Polansky was not immediately available for comment.