Legacy MCAS Open Response Item Results: 2009-2021 Student Scores

Results from the open response items of the legacy Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) are available for students averaging a score of 2 or above between 2009 and 2021. The data is published by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education on the educationtocareer.data.mass.gov platform. It covers grades 3-10 in English Language Arts and Mathematics, and grades 5, 8, and high school in Science and Technology/Engineering.

Use Cases

• Analyzing average open response scores (AVG_2_PCT) by student group (STU_GRP) and subject (SUBJ) across school years (SY).
• Comparing performance metrics (AVG_2_CNT, STU_TESTED) across different organization types (ORG_TYPE) like districts (DIST_NAME) and schools (ORG_NAME).
• Tracking year-over-year changes in the percentage of students scoring 2 or above (AVG_2_PCT) for specific grades (GRD) and subjects (SUBJ).

Strengths

• Covers a 13-year time span (2009-2021) for longitudinal analysis.
• Includes disaggregated data by student group (STU_GRP), grade (GRD), and subject (SUBJ).
• Published by the authoritative state education department (DESE) with clear data definitions.

Limitations

• Data is limited to students averaging a score of 2 or above, excluding lower-performing students.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Coverage years vary by subject and grade level, complicating cross-subject comparisons.

Provenance

Source

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)

Collection Method

Statewide standardized assessment administration.

Time Range

2009 to 2021 (with subject/grade coverage varying within that range).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-03 23:04:47; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Massachusetts, United States.