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Learning Standards Standards

What does a student learn in ?

Massachusetts writes its own curriculum frameworks rather than adopting national ones outright. The frameworks borrow heavily from the Common Core and the Next Generation Science Standards, then get rewritten to fit what the state wants its graduates to know. Each subject runs on its own revision cycle, with math and reading refreshed in 2017, science in 2016, and history in 2018. The result is a set of expectations that look familiar from state to state but read in the state's own voice.

  • MA Curriculum Framework: ELA
  • MA Curriculum Framework: Math
  • MA STE (NGSS-based)
  • MA History & Social Science Framework
Source: Massachusetts Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks
The shape of K-12
A plain-language read of how the state runs school.
What students learn
Reading and writing follow the 2017 framework, which asks students to read harder texts each year and back up what they say with lines from the page. Math runs on the 2017 framework through eighth grade, then opens into algebra, geometry, and a second year of algebra in high school. Science is built around the 2016 framework and treats science as something students do, with engineering folded in alongside biology, chemistry, and physics. History runs as a multi-year sequence ending in civics.
How students are measured
The MCAS is the spring test that anchors the system. Students in grades 3 through 8 take it in reading and math every year, plus science in grades 5 and 8. In high school, students sit the grade 10 MCAS in reading and math, then take a biology MCAS at the end of their biology course. A sample of fourth, eighth, and twelfth graders also takes the NAEP in winter, which is used for state-by-state comparisons rather than individual scores.
Frameworks adopted, by subject
The standards documents the state writes against in each subject.
Subject Framework Adopted Source
Mathematics
Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks
2017View
English Language Arts
Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks
2017View
Science
Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks
2016View
Social Studies
Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks
2018View
Assessments
The tests students take across K-12, grouped by purpose.

Other

Tests that do not fit the buckets above.

State Summative

MCAS: ELA/Literacy (Grades 3-8)

Massachusetts's spring summative test in reading and writing for grades 3 through 8, aligned to the Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for ELA.

When given:
spring
Frequency:
annual
Official source
State Summative

MCAS: Mathematics (Grades 3-8)

Massachusetts's spring summative math test for grades 3 through 8, aligned to the Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics.

When given:
spring
Frequency:
annual
Official source
State Summative

MCAS: Science (Grade 5)

Science and Technology/Engineering assessment in grade 5, aligned to the Massachusetts STE Curriculum Framework.

When given:
spring
Frequency:
annual
Official source
State Summative

MCAS: Science (Grade 8)

Science and Technology/Engineering assessment in grade 8, aligned to the Massachusetts STE Curriculum Framework.

When given:
spring
Frequency:
annual
Official source
State Summative

MCAS HS: English Language Arts (Grade 10)

High school MCAS in English Language Arts, administered in grade 10.

When given:
spring
Frequency:
annual
Official source
State Summative

MCAS HS: Mathematics (Grade 10)

High school MCAS in Mathematics, administered in grade 10.

When given:
spring
Frequency:
annual
Official source
State Summative

MCAS HS: Biology

High school MCAS in Biology, aligned to the Massachusetts STE Curriculum Framework. Taken after completion of a biology course.

When given:
by course completion
Frequency:
by course completion
Official source
National Monitoring

NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress)

Federally administered sample-based assessment in reading, mathematics, science, and writing. NAEP results inform state-by-state comparisons rather than individual student or school accountability.

When given:
biennial in winter
Frequency:
every two years
Official source
Browse by grade and subject
Pick a cell to see exactly what students learn that year.
Subjects covered
4
Grade levels
13
Standards on file
1,004
Assessments tracked
8
Most recent adoption
2018
Common questions
  • Does Massachusetts use Common Core?

    Not exactly. The state writes its own curriculum frameworks, and the current versions in math and English were adopted in 2017. They draw on Common Core but add Massachusetts-specific content, so the standards here are not identical to other states that kept Common Core as-is.

  • What is the MCAS, and who has to take it?

    MCAS is the state's spring test. Students in grades 3 through 8 take it in reading and math every year, plus science in grades 5 and 8. In high school, students take MCAS in English, math, and biology, and passing the grade 10 tests is part of earning a diploma.

  • Which subjects have official state standards?

    Four: English language arts, mathematics, science and technology/engineering, and history and social science. Science and engineering are treated as one combined framework, which is why students see engineering design questions on the science test.

  • How often do the standards change?

    Slowly. The current math and English frameworks date to 2017, science to 2016, and social studies to 2018. The state board reviews each subject on a roughly seven to ten year cycle, so the documents teachers plan from tend to stay stable for most of a student's school career.

  • Where can I see what students are supposed to learn this year?

    The grade-level pages on this site break out every standard by subject and grade, with the exact language from the Massachusetts frameworks. Pick a grade and subject above to see the full list.

Sources
Every page link goes back to the state's own document.

Frameworks

Assessments