Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Massachusetts Accountability System

  • The Massachusetts Accountability System is the set of policies and practices that the state uses to measure and hold schools and districts responsible for raising student achievement for all students, and to prompt and support improvement where necessary.  Massachusetts’ Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) previous accountability system was in place since 2012 and changed in the fall of 2018 due to new federal requirements under the Every Student Succeeds Act.

    The Massachusetts Next-Generation Accountability System includes data from the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) as well as data from important additional indicators beyond student test scores, such as graduation rates and access to advanced coursework.  A school district, and each school within the district are both collectively and independently part of the Accountability System.

    The most recent MCAS results can be found here.   The most recent Accountability System information and results can be found here.

    Annual MCAS and Accountability Presentations to School Committee 

    2023 MCAS and ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT - 10/16/2023
    2022 MCAS and ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT
     - 10/17/2022
    2021 MCAS and ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT - 10/4/2021. * 
    2019 MCAS and ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT - 10/07/19
    2018 MCAS and ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT - 10/15/18

    *DESE did not create an Accountability Report for 2020