| K-12 education in Massachusetts | |
 | |
| Education facts | |
| State superintendent: Patrick Tutwiler | |
| Number of students: 896,103 | |
| Number of teachers: 70,653 | |
| Teacher/pupil ratio: 1:12.6 | |
| Number of school districts: 316 | |
| Number of schools: 1,751 | |
| Graduation rate: 88% | |
| Per-pupil spending: $18,733 | |
| See also | |
| Massachusetts Department of Education • List of school districts in Massachusetts • Massachusetts • School boards portal | |
| |
| Public education in the United States Public education in Massachusetts Glossary of education terms | |
| Note: The statistics on this page are mainly from government sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. Figures given were the most recent as of June 2015. | |
Contents
- 1 General information
- 2 Academic performance
- 2.1 NAEP scores
- 2.2 Graduation, ACT and SAT scores
- 2.3 Dropout rate
- 3 Educational choice options
- 3.1 Developments
- 3.1.1 Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue (2020)
- 3.1 Developments
- 4 Education funding and expenditures
- 4.1 Revenue breakdowns
- 4.2 Expenditure breakdowns
- 4.3 Personnel salaries
- 5 Organizations
- 5.1 State agencies
- 5.2 Unions
- 6 Government sector lobbying
- 7 Transparency
- 8 Studies and reports
- 8.1 State Budget Solutions education study
- 9 School districts
- 9.1 Elections
- 10 Recent legislation
- 11 Education ballot measures
- 12 In the news
- 13 See also
- 14 External links
- 15 Footnotes
The Massachusetts public school system (prekindergarten through grade 12) operates within districts governed by locally elected school boards and superintendents. In 2022, Massachusetts had 896,103 students enrolled in a total of 1,751 schools in 316 school districts. There were 70,653 teachers in the public schools, or roughly one teacher for every 13 students, compared to the national average of 1:16. In 2020, Massachusetts spent on average $18,733 per pupil.[1] The state's graduation rate was 88 percent in the 2018-2019 school year.[2]
General information
- See also: General comparison table for education statistics in the 50 states and Education spending per pupil in all 50 states
The following chart shows how Massachusetts compares to the national level for the most recent years for which data is available.
| Public education in Massachusetts | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Schools | Districts | Students | Teachers | Teacher-to-pupil ratio | Per pupil spending* | |
| Massachusetts | 1,751 | 316 | 896,103 | 70,653 | 1:12.6 | $18,733 | |
| United States | 90,323 | 13,194 | 47,755,383 | 2,783,705 | 1:16 | $13,494 | |
| *Per pupil spending data reflects information reported for fiscal year 2020. Sources: Education statistics in the United States | |||||||
Academic performance
The sections below do not contain the most recently published data on this subject. If you would like to help our coverage grow, consider donating to Ballotpedia.
| Education terms |
|---|
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| For more information on education policy terms, see this article. |
 |
NAEP scores
- See also: NAEP scores by state
The National Center for Education Statistics provides state-by-state data on student achievement levels in mathematics and reading in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The table below presents the percentage of fourth and eighth grade students that scored at or above proficient in reading and math during school year 2012-2013. Compared to three neighboring states (Connecticut, New Hampshire, and New York), Massachusetts had the highest share of students who scored at or above proficient in reading.[3]
| Percent of students scoring at or above proficient, 2012-2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Math - Grade 4 | Math - Grade 8 | Reading - Grade 4 | Reading - Grade 8 | |
| Massachusetts | 58% | 55% | 47% | 48% |
| Connecticut | 45% | 37% | 43% | 45% |
| New Hampshire | 59% | 47% | 45% | 44% |
| New York | 40% | 32% | 37% | 35% |
| United States | 41% | 34% | 34% | 34% |
| Source: United States Department of Education, ED Data Express, "State Tables" | ||||
Graduation, ACT and SAT scores
The following table shows the graduation rates and average composite ACT and SAT scores for Massachusetts and surrounding states during the 2012-2013 school year. All statements made in this section refer to that school year.[3][4][5]
In the United States, public schools reported graduation rates that averaged to about 81.4 percent. About 54 percent of all students in the country took the ACT, while 50 percent reported taking the SAT. The average national composite scores for those tests were 20.9 out of a possible 36 for the ACT, and 1498 out of a possible 2400 for the SAT.[6]
Massachusetts schools reported a graduation rate of 85 percent during the 2012-2013 school year, second-lowest among its neighboring states
In Massachusetts, more students took the SAT than the ACT in 2013, earning an average SAT score of 1553.
| Comparison table for graduation rates and test scores, 2012-2013 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Graduation rate, 2013 | Average ACT composite, 2013 | Average SAT composite, 2013 | ||||
| Percent | Quintile ranking** | Score | Participation rate | Score | Participation rate | ||
| Massachusetts | 85% | Second | 24.1 | 22% | 1553 | 83% | |
| Connecticut | 85.5% | Second | 24 | 27% | 1532 | 85% | |
| New Hampshire | 87.3% | First | 23.8 | 19% | 1567 | 70% | |
| New York | 76.8% | Fourth | 23.4 | 26% | 1463 | 76% | |
| United States | 81.4% | 20.9 | 54% | 1498 | 50% | ||
| **Graduation rates for states in the first quintile ranked in the top 20 percent nationally. Similarly, graduation rates for states in the fifth quintile ranked in the bottom 20 percent nationally. Sources: United States Department of Education, "ED Data Express" ACT.org, "2013 ACT National and State Scores," accessed May 28, 2015 The Commonwealth Foundation, "SAT scores by state, 2013" | |||||||
Dropout rate
- See also: Public high school dropout rates by state for a full comparison of dropout rates by group in all states
The high school event dropout rate indicates the proportion of students who were enrolled at some time during the school year and were expected to be enrolled in grades nine through 12 in the following school year but were not enrolled by October 1 of the following school year. Students who have graduated, transferred to another school, died, moved to another country, or who are out of school due to illness are not considered dropouts. The average public high school event dropout rate for the United States remained constant at 3.3 percent for both school year 2010–2011 and school year 2011–2012. The event dropout rate for Massachusetts was lower than the national average at 2.7 percent in the 2010-2011 school year, and 2.5 percent in the 2011-2012 school year.[7]
Educational choice options
- See also: School choice in Massachusetts
School choice options in Massachusetts include charter schools, inter-district and intra-district open enrollment policies and online learning programs. In addition, about 12.37 percent of school-age children in the state attended private schools in the 2011-2012 academic year, and an estimated 2.67 percent were homeschooled in 2012-2013.
Developments
Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue (2020)
On June 30, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, which concerned whether the government can exclude religious institutions from student-aid programs. The case related to Article X, Section 6 of the Montana Constitution, also known as Montana’s Blaine Amendment.[8]
In its 5-4 opinion, the court held that the application of Article X, Section 6 violated the free exercise clause of the U.S. Constitution. The majority held Article X, Section 6 barred religious schools and parents who wished to send their children to those schools from receiving public benefits because of the religious character of the school.[9]
The case addressed the tension between the free exercise and Establishment clauses of the U.S. Constitution—where one guarantees the right of individuals' free exercise of religion and the other guarantees that the state won't establish a religion—and the intersections of state constitutions with state law and with the U.S. Constitution.
Massachusetts is one of the states with a Blaine Amendment.
Education funding and expenditures
- See also: Massachusetts state budget and finances
Breakdown of expenditures by function in fiscal year 2013
Source: National Association of State Budget Officers
According to the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO), states spent an average of 19.8 percent of their total budgets on elementary and secondary education during fiscal year 2013. In addition, the United States Census Bureau found that approximately 45.6 percent of the country's school system revenue came from state sources, while about 45.3 percent came from local sources. The remaining portion of school system revenue came from federal sources.[10][11]
Massachusetts spent approximately 11.2 percent of its budget on elementary and secondary education during fiscal year 2013. The state school systems' revenue came primarily from local funds. Massachusetts spent the lowest percentage of its total budget on public education when compared to its neighboring states.
| Comparison of financial figures for school systems, fiscal year 2013 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Percentage of budget | Per pupil spending | Revenue sources | ||||
| Percent federal funds | Percent state funds | Percent local funds | |||||
| Massachusetts | 11.2% | $14,515 | 5.1% | 40.2% | 54.7% | ||
| Connecticut | 14.1% | $16,631 | 4.3% | 38.3% | 57.4% | ||
| New Hampshire | 23.4% | $13,721 | 5.7% | 35.5% | 58.8% | ||
| New York | 19.3% | $19,818 | 5.6% | 39.8% | 54.6% | ||
| United States | 19.8% | $10,700 | 9.1% | 45.6% | 45.3% | ||
| Sources: NASBO, "State Expenditure Report" (Table 8). U.S. Census Bureau, "Public Education Finances: 2013, Economic Reimbursable Surveys Division Reports" (Table 5 and Table 8). | |||||||
Revenue breakdowns
- See also: Public school system revenues in the U.S. to compare all states.
According to the United States Census Bureau, public school system revenues totaled approximately $598 billion in fiscal year 2013.[11]
In Massachusetts, the primary source of school system revenue was local funding, at $8.7 billion in fiscal year 2013. Massachusetts' total revenue was the second highest when compared to its neighboring states.
| Revenues by source, fiscal year 2013 (amounts in thousands) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Federal revenue | State revenue | Local revenue | Total revenue |
| Massachusetts | $818,054 | $6,428,534 | $8,732,961 | $15,979,549 |
| Connecticut | $434,543 | $3,870,444 | $5,801,990 | $10,106,977 |
| New Hampshire | $163,890 | $1,020,089 | $1,691,687 | $2,875,666 |
| New York | $3,335,657 | $23,632,698 | $32,430,464 | $59,398,819 |
| United States | $54,367,305 | $272,916,892 | $270,645,402 | $597,929,599 |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "Public Education Finances: 2013, Economic Reimbursable Surveys Division Reports" (Table 1) | ||||
Expenditure breakdowns
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, public school system expenditures totaled approximately $602 billion in fiscal year 2012.[12]
Public education expenditures in Massachusetts totaled approximately $15.6 billion in fiscal year 2012. This was the second highest total expenditures when compared to Massachusetts' neighboring states.
| Expenditures by type, fiscal year 2012 (amounts in thousands) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | General expenditures | Capital outlay | Other | Total expenditures |
| Massachusetts | $14,151,659 | $1,117,723 | $302,920 | $15,572,302 |
| Connecticut | $9,344,999 | $680,346 | $280,432 | $10,305,777 |
| New Hampshire | $2,643,256 | $159,997 | $52,826 | $2,856,080 |
| New York | $52,460,494 | $2,097,414 | $3,538,973 | $58,096,880 |
| United States | $527,096,473 | $48,773,386 | $25,897,123 | $601,766,981 |
| Source: National Center for Education Statistics, "Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: School Year 2011–12 (Fiscal Year 2012)" (Table 5) | ||||
Personnel salaries
Note: Salaries given are averages for the state. Salaries may vary between a state's urban, suburban, and rural districts and should be adjusted for cost of living. For example, a MacIver Institute study of average teacher salaries in 60 metropolitan areas found that salaries in New York City were the third-highest in absolute figures but 59th-highest when adjusted for the cost of living.[13]
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average national salary for classroom teachers in public elementary and secondary schools declined by 1.3 percent from the 1999-2000 school year to the 2012-2013 school year. During the same period in Massachusetts, the average salary increased by 14.9 percent.[14]
| Estimated average salaries for teachers (in constant dollars**) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-2000 | 2009-2010 | 2011-2012 | 2012-2013 | Percent difference | |
| Massachusetts | $63,656 | $73,945 | $72,915 | $73,129 | 14.9% |
| Connecticut | $70,762 | $68,690 | $70,621 | $69,766 | -1.4% |
| New Hampshire | $51,567 | $54,912 | $55,079 | $55,599 | 7.8% |
| New York | $69,723 | $76,464 | $74,620 | $75,279 | 8% |
| United States | $57,133 | $58,925 | $56,340 | $56,383 | -1.3% |
| **"Constant dollars based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, adjusted to a school-year basis. The CPI does not account for differences in inflation rates from state to state." | |||||
Organizations
State agencies
The mission statement of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education reads:[15]
| “ | To strengthen the Commonwealth's public education system so that every student is prepared to succeed in postsecondary education, compete in the global economy, and understand the rights and responsibilities of American citizens, and in so doing, to close all proficiency gaps.[16] | ” |
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is led by the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education. The current Commissioner is Mitchell D. Chester. The Secretary of Education is the state's chief education official. Matt Malone was sworn into the position in 2013.[15][17]
The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education is composed of 11 members appointed by the governor. The board must include the following:[18]
- Chairman of the Student Advisory Council
- Secretary of Education
- Nine members appointed by the Governor
- One member, selected from a list of three nominees provided by the Massachusetts State Labor Council, AFL-CIO
- One member to represent a business or industry with a "demonstrated commitment to education"
- One member to represent parents, selected from a list of three nominees provided by the Massachusetts Parent Teachers Association
- Six additional members
Unions
In 2012 the Fordham Institute and Education Reform Now assessed the power and influence of state teacher unions in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Their rankings were based on 37 different variables in five broad areas: resources and membership, involvement in politics, scope of bargaining, state policies and perceived influence. Massachusetts ranked 21st overall for union power and influence, or "average," which was in the third of five tiers.[19]
The main unions related to the Massachusetts school system are the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA), an affiliate of the National Education Association (NEA), and the Massachusetts Federation of Teachers, an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers. For the 2008 tax period MTA had $53,490,500 in total income.[20] For the same period, the Massachusetts Federation of Teachers had $4,171,622 in total income.[21]
List of local Massachusetts school unions:[22]
- Massachusetts Teachers Association
- Massachusetts Federation of Teachers
- Boston Teachers Union
- Bridgewater-Raynham Education Association
- Education Association of Worcester
- AFT Lowell
- AFT Lynn
- AFT Lawrence
- Haverhill Education Association
- Springfield Education Association
Government sector lobbying
- See also: Massachusetts government sector lobbying
The main education government sector lobbying organization is the Massachusetts Association of School Committees.
Transparency
The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, which "provides independent research and analysis of state budget and tax policies," tracks actual spending in real and nominal terms using its "Budget Browser," which is available here.
Legislators in favor of transparency, headed by Senator Cynthia Creem, introduced a budget amendment in 2009 that would require the Secretary of Administration and Finance to create a spending transparency website.[23]
Studies and reports
State Budget Solutions education study
State Budget Solutions examined national trends in education from 2009 to 2011, including state-by-state analysis of education spending, graduation rates and average ACT scores. The study showed that the states that spent the most did not have the highest average ACT test scores, nor did they have the highest average graduation rates. A summary of the study is available here. The full report can be accessed here.
School districts
- See also: School board elections portal
Elections
No Massachusetts school districts within Ballotpedia's coverage scope are holding school board elections in 2024.
Our coverage scope for local elections continues to grow, and you can use Ballotpedia's sample ballot tool to see what school board elections we are covering in your area.
Recent legislation
The following is a list of recent education bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Massachusetts state legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.
- Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.
Education ballot measures
- See also: Education on the ballot and List of Massachusetts ballot measures
Ballotpedia has tracked the following statewide ballot measures relating to education.
- Massachusetts Public Aid for Non-Public Education Institutions, Question 2 (1986)
- Massachusetts Question 3, Methods of Assessing Student Fees Referendum (1994)
- Massachusetts Public Aid to Non-Public Education Institutions, Question 1 (1982)
- Massachusetts Question 2, System of Bilingual Education Initiative (2002)
- Massachusetts Local Taxes and State Share of Education Expenses, Question 3 (1980)
- Massachusetts State Student Loans, Question 4 (1972)
- Massachusetts Prayer in Schools, Question 9 (1972)
- Massachusetts Aid Grants for Higher Education, Question 3 (1974)
- Massachusetts Public Schools Cannot Discriminate Based on Race or Creed, Question 6 (1978)
- Massachusetts Question 1, Tax on Income Above $1 Million for Education and Transportation Amendment (2022)
- Massachusetts Repeal Competency Assessment Requirement for High School Graduation Initiative (2024)
- Massachusetts Authorization of Additional Charter Schools and Charter School Expansion, Question 2 (2016)
In the news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Massachusettseducationpolicy. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Historical public education information in Massachusetts
- Massachusetts state budget and finances
- Massachusetts Department of Education
- List of school districts in Massachusetts
- School choice in Massachusetts
- Charter schools in Massachusetts
- Massachusetts
- Education Policy in the U.S.
External links
- Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
- Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education
- Massachusetts Report Cards
Footnotes
- ↑ United States Census Bureau, "U.S. School System Current Spending Per Pupil by Region: Fiscal Year 2020," May 18, 2022
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Fast Facts: High school graduation rates," accessed September 28, 2022
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 United States Department of Education, ED Data Express, "State Tables," accessed May 13, 2014
- ↑ ACT, "2012 ACT National and State Scores," accessed May 13, 2014
- ↑ Commonwealth Foundation, "SAT Scores by State 2013," October 10, 2013
- ↑ StudyPoints, "What's a good SAT score or ACT score?" accessed June 7, 2015
- ↑ United States Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, "Common Core of Data (CCD), State Dropout and Graduation Rate Data File, School Year 2010-11, Provision Version 1a and School Year 2011-12, Preliminary Version 1a," accessed May 13, 2014
- ↑ Supreme Court of the United States, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue: "Petition for a writ of certiorari," accessed July 3, 2019
- ↑ Supreme Court of the United States, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, decided June 30, 2020
- ↑ NASBO, "State Expenditure Report," accessed July 2, 2015
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 U.S. Census Bureau, "Public Education Finances: 2013, Economic Reimbursable Surveys Division Reports," accessed July 2, 2015
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: School Year 2011–12 (Fiscal Year 2012)," accessed July 2, 2015
- ↑ Maciver Institute, "REPORT: How much are teachers really paid?" accessed October 29, 2014
- ↑ United States Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 211.60.Estimated average annual salary of teachers in public elementary and secondary schools, by state: Selected years, 1969-70 through 2012-13," accessed May 13, 2014
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, "Welcome to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Website," accessed May 20, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ The Official Website of the Governor of Massachusetts, "Secretary of Education," accessed May 20, 2014
- ↑ Massachusetts General Laws, "Part I, Title II, Chapter 15, Section 1E," accessed May 20, 2014
- ↑ Thomas E Fordham Institute, " How Strong Are U.S. Teacher Unions? A State-By-State Comparison," October 29, 2012
- ↑ Center for Union Facts, "Massachusetts Teachers Association," accessed June 10, 2014
- ↑ Center for Union Facts, "Massachusetts Federation of Teachers," accessed June 10, 2014
- ↑ Center for Union Facts, "Massachusetts teachers unions," accessed May 15, 2010
- ↑ The Daily News Tribune, "Bringing Transparency to the Budget," June 9, 2009
