Racial Equity
Percent of Students Passing Grade 3 Reading, 2022


Percent of Students Passing Grade 3 Reading, 2022

What does this measure?

The percentage of students considered proficient on one of the state's 3rd grade English Language Arts test, either the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) or the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC).

Why is this important?

Early literacy skills are critical to a successful school experience. Third grade is considered an important milestone in a student's career in terms of reading proficiency and is correlated to whether a student will graduate high school. Up through 3rd grade, students are learning to read; after 3rd grade, they must be able to read in order to learn. There are persistent gaps in academic achievement among students of different races, ethnicities and incomes. Notably, racial gaps persist even among students of similar socioeconomic backgrounds.

How is our county doing?

In 2022, 39% of Essex County 3rd graders were considered proficient in reading, down 6 percentage points from 2021 and lower than the state passing rate of 44%. Among districts, rates were highest in 2022 in Boxford (77%), Topsfield (69%), Andover and Ipswich (both at 67%), and lowest in Lawrence (18%), Lynn (20%) and Salem (28%).

In Essex County in 2022, proficiency was lower among Hispanic students (20%), economically disadvantaged students (23%), and African American students (30%) compared with students who are not economically disadvantaged (57%), white (53%) or Asian (55%). Proficiency declined from 2021 among all groups except for students who are not economically disadvantaged (up 12 points). Proficiency declined the most for economically disadvantaged students (down 22 points from 2021).

How do we compare to similar counties?

Middlesex, MA had a higher proficiency rate in 2022 at 53%. Disparities were similar in both counties.

Why do these disparities exist?

Studies point to a variety of factors believed to contribute to disparities in test scores and other measures of student achievement. School systems in the United States are highly segregated, and students of color disproportionately attend schools with high proportions of low-income students who may not have benefited from early learning opportunities at the same rate as other students. Schools also have different levels of resources ranging from qualified/experienced teachers to advanced courses to facilities and technology, and schools with large Black and Latino populations often have lower levels. In addition, teachers across all school systems tend to be disproportionately white, and teaching practices and curriculum may not be culturally relevant to students of color.

Notes about the data

As assessments vary among states, it is not possible to include comparable data for the nation or other areas in this indicator.

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education did not administer Spring 2020 MCAS for the 2019-2020 school year due to the cancellation of state assessments and school closures related to COVID-19.

Data prior to 2017 is not comparable due to changes in the state test.

Percent of Students Passing Grade 3 Reading, 2022
All StudentsAsianBlack or African AmericanEconomically DisadvantagedHispanic or LatinoNot Economically DisadvantagedWhite
Essex County, MA39%55%30%23%20%57%53%
Middlesex County, MA53%64%32%26%25%66%59%
Massachusetts44%62%28%26%23%60%53%
School Districts in Essex
Amesbury50%35%18%58%55%
Andover67%84%54%33%50%72%66%
Beverly47%13%25%36%61%52%
Boxford77%60%79%75%
Community Day Charter Public School - Gateway34%25%28%58%
Community Day Charter Public School - Prospect29%29%30%30%
Community Day Charter Public School - R. Kingman Webster43%41%40%50%
Danvers45%31%31%52%47%
Georgetown52%50%53%53%
Gloucester51%43%30%59%55%
Hamilton-Wenham63%29%69%63%
Haverhill30%29%23%19%44%41%
Hill View Montessori Charter Public41%29%31%50%50%
Ipswich67%63%68%66%
KIPP Academy Lynn Charter27%41%22%24%43%30%
Lawrence18%42%35%17%17%26%29%
Lawrence Family Development Charter40%40%40%42%
Lynn20%29%25%16%14%33%39%
Lynnfield61%79%43%20%64%64%
Manchester Essex Regional65%33%71%66%
Marblehead57%38%50%60%58%
Methuen33%47%37%23%21%47%46%
Middleton49%24%54%46%
Nahant38%42%
Newburyport61%40%64%63%
North Andover58%64%40%37%40%64%60%
Peabody34%73%44%24%15%45%37%
Pentucket54%37%53%58%54%
River Valley Charter78%85%79%
Rockport45%29%51%45%
Salem28%20%11%17%15%49%47%
Saugus40%31%33%27%50%47%
Swampscott54%33%20%60%56%
Topsfield69%70%69%
Triton47%38%53%46%

Source: Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education




Number of Students Passing Grade 3 Reading, 2022
All StudentsAsianBlack or African AmericanEconomically DisadvantagedHispanic or LatinoNot Economically DisadvantagedWhite
Essex County, MA3,151160829526032,1872,090
Middlesex County, MA8,1031,4452931,3446436,7535,075
Massachusetts28,4043,0771,6397,8003,41120,59518,623
School Districts in Essex
Amesbury541424050
Andover3127672024292186
Beverly17223514136149
Boxford7066458
Community Day Charter Public School - Gateway158117
Community Day Charter Public School - Prospect1411143
Community Day Charter Public School - R. Kingman Webster1914175
Danvers120261094101
Georgetown5394451
Gloucester1004585585
Hamilton-Wenham8167569
Haverhill17812935285108
Hill View Montessori Charter Public134499
Ipswich71155660
KIPP Academy Lynn Charter3372022133
Lawrence16656144147227
Lawrence Family Development Charter3429335
Lynn22928211501127958
Lynnfield104111029484
Manchester Essex Regional5144748
Marblehead1021059286
Methuen15881166509285
Middleton5144737
Nahant55
Newburyport8687881
North Andover2031863218171150
Peabody15888591399123
Pentucket901098074
River Valley Charter252223
Rockport2341922
Salem832231195256
Saugus75432144244
Swampscott741036463
Topsfield565451
Triton73235064

Source: Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education




Percent of Students Passing Grade 3 Reading, 2017
All StudentsAsianBlack or African AmericanEconomically DisadvantagedHispanic or LatinoNot Economically DisadvantagedWhite
Essex County, MA45%57%31%45%28%45%55%
Middlesex County, MA54%67%35%54%30%54%57%
Massachusetts47%65%29%47%29%47%54%
School Districts in Essex
Amesbury54%54%40%54%55%
Andover62%78%50%62%30%62%61%
Beverly62%62%41%62%67%
Boxford59%59%59%58%
Community Day Charter Public School - Gateway66%66%64%66%
Community Day Charter Public School - Prospect65%65%65%65%
Community Day Charter Public School - R. Kingman Webster74%74%68%74%
Danvers46%46%44%46%47%
Georgetown69%69%69%69%
Gloucester50%50%44%50%52%
Hamilton-Wenham64%64%64%63%
Haverhill30%24%22%30%20%30%37%
Hill View Montessori Charter Public35%35%35%41%
Ipswich54%54%54%53%
Lawrence26%50%25%26%25%26%40%
Lawrence Family Development Charter63%63%62%63%
Lynn30%38%35%30%23%30%49%
Lynnfield85%94%85%85%85%
Manchester Essex Regional52%52%52%51%
Marblehead63%63%35%63%67%
Methuen41%75%41%29%41%47%
Middleton77%77%77%82%
Nahant50%50%50%50%
Newburyport47%47%47%49%
North Andover57%56%25%57%31%57%62%
Peabody49%45%32%49%28%49%53%
Pentucket39%39%39%37%
River Valley Charter39%39%39%41%
Rockport47%47%47%45%
Salem32%79%6%32%15%32%43%
Saugus54%54%61%54%51%
Silver Hill Horace Mann Charter39%39%30%39%39%
Swampscott70%70%70%70%70%
Topsfield68%68%68%66%
Triton48%48%48%51%

Source: Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education




Number of Students Passing Grade 3 Reading, 2017
All StudentsAsianBlack or African AmericanEconomically DisadvantagedHispanic or LatinoNot Economically DisadvantagedWhite
Essex County, MA3,955183753,9558213,9552,636
Middlesex County, MA8,6601,3863358,6606918,6605,668
Massachusetts33,5493,1911,80833,5494,26733,54922,769
School Districts in Essex
Amesbury909069077
Andover2735972739273186
Beverly23823821238204
Boxford54545447
Community Day Charter Public School - Gateway25252325
Community Day Charter Public School - Prospect31313131
Community Day Charter Public School - R. Kingman Webster31312331
Danvers1271278127108
Georgetown82828278
Gloucester1121128112100
Hamilton-Wenham84848476
Haverhill1774617751177109
Hill View Montessori Charter Public12121212
Ipswich68686857
Lawrence2836428325228318
Lawrence Family Development Charter52525152
Lynn401464740119240193
Lynnfield13716137137110
Manchester Essex Regional57575755
Marblehead1401406140127
Methuen2231822360223131
Middleton78787867
Nahant7777
Newburyport83838382
North Andover20518420512205157
Peabody2495624917249215
Pentucket57575751
River Valley Charter12121211
Rockport28282825
Salem1081111081810876
Saugus1121122011275
Silver Hill Horace Mann Charter373763726
Swampscott1211217121105
Topsfield67676759
Triton94949492

Source: Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education




INDICATORS TREND | ESSEX COUNTY