Exploratory Analysis of K-12 Education Data in Massachusetts
Introduction
Massachusetts consistently ranks as the top state for education in the United States. At the same time, the state struggles with widespread systemic disparities in student outcomes among Black and Latinx students, low-income groups, students with disabilities, and English language learners (Massachusetts Education Equity Partnerships, 2018). This report aims to provide an overview of the state’s changing demographics, the persistent education disparities, and possible avenues for policy interventions. Data come from the Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE).
Section 1 covers the demographic of the student population and its distribution. Section 2 discusses areas of disparities in school quality and student outcome. Section 3 highlights school funding and spending.
Key Takeaways
Demographic changes and distribution
Massachusetts has experienced significant changes in its student demographics. The number of white students has declined by more than 20%, while the Hispanic student population and English learners have more than doubled. English language learners (ELL) is the fastest-growing student groups.
Growth of low-income and ELL has not been evenly distributed across the state. The continued concentration of Black, Hispanic, and English learner students in fewer districts highlights a persistent issue of school segregation.
Disparities and challenges
Despite progress, clear disparities exist in graduation rates, MCAS (the state standardized exam) scores, and chronic absenteeism among Black, Hispanic, ELL, and low-income students
Low-income students, ELL, Black and Hispanic students are more likely to attend schools with less experienced teachers and poorer access to the recommended curriculum.
Although funding for Chapter 70 (the state aid program) funding has increased, funding ‘high-need’ districts spend less per pupil than the state median. This disparity raises questions about the efficiency of fund allocation and the persistence of structural inequalities within the education system.
Note: DESE defines “high-need” as students who are either current or former (within the last four school years) English language learners, low-income students (defined as participating in a means-tested program), or students with disabilities (defined as having an Individualized Education Plan). (MA DESE 2024)
Proposed Solutions
This provides support for advocates’ call to expand the METCO program, which allows Boston students to attend schools in participating suburban districts. This voluntary program has shown positive results (Jung, 2024).
DESE should expand its targeted interventions to address persistent disparities, including data tracking, family engagement, and out-of-school learning recovery. These strategies have shown progress towards reducing chronic absenteeism (Kane, 2024).
DESE should considering other measures of school quality and student learning that do not rely on the MCAS, the state standardized exam.
Education Resource Strategies organization provides actionable recommendations for effectively utilizing the recent increase in Chapter 70 funding, including targeted salary increases, reduced class sizes, and increased investments in professional development.
Section 1. Demographics
There has been a notable decline in the proportion of White students and substantial growth in the populations of English learners and Hispanic students. Since 2003, the white student population in Massachusetts decreased by over 20%. In contrast, the population of English learners and Hispanic students in Massachusetts has more than doubled since 2003.
While the distribution of Black, Hispanic, and English learner students has broadened over the past twenty years, the narrower distribution on the chart suggests these groups are still concentrated in fewer districts relative to white students. One analysis commissioned by DESE showed that 60% of students in Massachusetts attend racially segregated schools, a significant concern (Scharfenbeg 2020; Quintero & Hansen 2021; Jung 2024).
The plot displays the growth of English learners (EL) since 1993 across the ten most populous districts, which collectively account for about 20% of all student enrollment in 2023. Over the past three decades, all districts (and, to a lesser extent, Newton and Springfield) experienced significant growth in their EL population. There is substantial variation in the growth of this population. For example, Brockton’s EL population increased steadily with occasional lulls, while New Bedford saw little to no growth until a significant spike around 2015. Other districts, like Lowell and Lawrence, experience significant fluctuations in their EL populations. This dashboard allows users to select a student group to view the trends over time.