The percentage of students considered proficient on one of the state's 8th grade math test, either the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) or the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC).
Math skills are critical to a variety of careers and important for life skills ranging from budgeting and smart shopping to understanding the news. The middle school math examination serves as a checkpoint for high school preparation; performance on this exam can help predict high school success in math.
In 2025, 35% of 8th graders were considered proficient in Essex County, a decrease of 1 percentage point from 2024, and slightly lower than the state rate of 38%. Among districts, rates were highest in 2025 in River Valley Charter (82%), Hamilton-Wenham (73%) and Manchester Essex Regional (66%), and lowest in Hill View Montessori Charter Public (9%), Lynn (13%), and Lawrence (19%).
In Essex County in 2025, proficiency was lower among low-income (18%), Hispanic (19%) and African American (23%) students compared to those who are Asian (64%), not low-income (50%), or White (46%). While proficiency declined slightly or remained the same among most groups from 2024 to 2025, proficiency among Black or African American students increased by 1 percentage point.
Middlesex, MA had a higher proficiency rate in 2025 at 51%. Disparities were similar in both counties.
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.
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education defines "Low Income" students as those that meet any of the following criteria: identified as participating in state-administered programs (SNAP, TAFDC, MassHealth, or Foster Care), reported by a district as homeless, or a family income of up to 185% of the Federal Poverty Level.
As assessments vary among states, it is not possible to include comparable data for the nation or other areas in this indicator.
| All Students | Asian | Black or African American | Hispanic or Latino | Low Income | Non-Low Income | White | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essex County, MA | 35% | 64% | 23% | 19% | 18% | 50% | 46% |
| Middlesex County, MA | 51% | 77% | 27% | 23% | 24% | 64% | 57% |
| Massachusetts | 38% | 73% | 21% | 19% | 19% | 53% | 45% |
| School Districts in Essex | |||||||
| Amesbury | 32% | 26% | 12% | 42% | 36% | ||
| Andover | 65% | 86% | 51% | 37% | 70% | 62% | |
| Beverly | 39% | 18% | 15% | 15% | 53% | 46% | |
| Community Day Charter Public School - Prospect | 43% | 43% | 44% | 42% | |||
| Danvers | 35% | 40% | 11% | 16% | 43% | 38% | |
| Georgetown | 23% | 7% | 26% | 21% | |||
| Gloucester | 24% | 19% | 17% | 32% | 24% | ||
| Hamilton-Wenham | 73% | 67% | 74% | 71% | |||
| Haverhill | 27% | 14% | 17% | 16% | 44% | 41% | |
| Hill View Montessori Charter Public | 9% | 9% | 10% | 9% | 13% | ||
| Ipswich | 40% | 8% | 46% | 44% | |||
| KIPP Academy Lynn Charter | 35% | 30% | 37% | 34% | 39% | ||
| Lawrence | 19% | 21% | 18% | 17% | 27% | 25% | |
| Lawrence Family Development Charter | 39% | 39% | 35% | 50% | |||
| Lynn | 13% | 38% | 12% | 10% | 10% | 25% | 18% |
| Lynnfield | 61% | 83% | 27% | 25% | 65% | 62% | |
| Manchester Essex Regional | 66% | 64% | 67% | 66% | |||
| Marblehead | 57% | 38% | 27% | 62% | 59% | ||
| Marblehead Community Charter Public | 46% | 56% | 59% | ||||
| Masconomet | 53% | 25% | 26% | 56% | 53% | ||
| Methuen | 30% | 55% | 30% | 21% | 24% | 37% | 41% |
| Newburyport | 46% | 18% | 26% | 49% | 47% | ||
| North Andover | 54% | 79% | 38% | 29% | 18% | 65% | 56% |
| Peabody | 33% | 26% | 16% | 18% | 47% | 39% | |
| Pentucket | 47% | 46% | 28% | 51% | 46% | ||
| River Valley Charter | 82% | 84% | 83% | ||||
| Rockport | 58% | 29% | 68% | 60% | |||
| Salem | 20% | 22% | 4% | 9% | 39% | 37% | |
| Salem Academy Charter | 40% | 58% | 20% | 34% | 50% | 67% | |
| Saugus | 47% | 57% | 30% | 37% | 36% | 61% | 53% |
| Swampscott | 40% | 40% | 16% | 45% | 40% | ||
| Triton | 44% | 25% | 33% | 50% | 46% |
| All Students | Asian | Black or African American | Hispanic or Latino | Low Income | Non-Low Income | White | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essex County, MA | 2,822 | 152 | 68 | 619 | 721 | 2,096 | 1,801 |
| Middlesex County, MA | 8,124 | 1,773 | 254 | 700 | 1,210 | 6,909 | 4,759 |
| Massachusetts | 25,567 | 3,671 | 1,415 | 3,159 | 5,482 | 20,080 | 15,914 |
| School Districts in Essex | |||||||
| Amesbury | 43 | 5 | 5 | 38 | 36 | ||
| Andover | 278 | 65 | 20 | 22 | 256 | 176 | |
| Beverly | 123 | 2 | 9 | 18 | 105 | 104 | |
| Community Day Charter Public School - Prospect | 49 | 47 | 33 | 16 | |||
| Danvers | 86 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 74 | 69 | |
| Georgetown | 19 | 1 | 18 | 16 | |||
| Gloucester | 50 | 5 | 17 | 33 | 40 | ||
| Hamilton-Wenham | 90 | 8 | 82 | 75 | |||
| Haverhill | 166 | 6 | 54 | 59 | 107 | 93 | |
| Hill View Montessori Charter Public | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||
| Ipswich | 53 | 2 | 50 | 49 | |||
| KIPP Academy Lynn Charter | 44 | 6 | 32 | 27 | 17 | ||
| Lawrence | 199 | 4 | 183 | 155 | 44 | 7 | |
| Lawrence Family Development Charter | 26 | 26 | 16 | 10 | |||
| Lynn | 149 | 32 | 10 | 78 | 87 | 62 | 22 |
| Lynnfield | 98 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 94 | 75 | |
| Manchester Essex Regional | 63 | 9 | 54 | 59 | |||
| Marblehead | 131 | 6 | 8 | 123 | 117 | ||
| Marblehead Community Charter Public | 11 | 9 | 10 | ||||
| Masconomet | 150 | 4 | 9 | 141 | 134 | ||
| Methuen | 165 | 6 | 11 | 59 | 73 | 92 | 84 |
| Newburyport | 77 | 2 | 6 | 71 | 70 | ||
| North Andover | 178 | 26 | 6 | 14 | 14 | 164 | 123 |
| Peabody | 140 | 5 | 16 | 36 | 104 | 111 | |
| Pentucket | 74 | 6 | 8 | 66 | 66 | ||
| River Valley Charter | 23 | 21 | 20 | ||||
| Rockport | 30 | 4 | 26 | 29 | |||
| Salem | 51 | 4 | 5 | 15 | 36 | 37 | |
| Salem Academy Charter | 30 | 7 | 8 | 16 | 14 | 12 | |
| Saugus | 91 | 8 | 3 | 21 | 36 | 55 | 56 |
| Swampscott | 65 | 8 | 5 | 60 | 51 | ||
| Triton | 67 | 3 | 15 | 52 | 58 |
