Worcester Public Schools maintained its overall standing in the state’s annual accountability system, with nearly three-quarters of the district’s schools classified as not requiring assistance or intervention and four elementary schools earning special recognition for their performance.
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education classified WPS as “not requiring assistance or intervention” for making moderate progress toward its targets during the 2025-26 school year.
Among the 44 Worcester schools receiving individual accountability classifications, 31 were deemed not to require assistance or intervention, while 13 were classified as requiring assistance or intervention.
Four elementary schools — Columbus Park, McGrath, Midland and Worcester Arts Magnet — were named Schools of Recognition, a designation DESE gives to a limited number of schools demonstrating notable progress toward annual accountability targets, with an emphasis on improved achievement and high growth in English language arts and mathematics.
The results present a mixed picture for the district, with progress at a number of individual schools alongside persistent challenges in test performance, chronic absenteeism and the high school graduation rate.
“Accountability data gives us the urgency to look under the hood,” Superintendent Brian E. Allen said in the district’s release. “State testing gives us one piece of the picture. We must stay the course with our core academic strategies, focusing on areas that are working well, and pinpointing learning gaps to target support where it’s most needed.”
Twenty-one Worcester schools improved their overall accountability scores from the previous year. Seven — Flagg Street, Lake View, Wawecus Road, Midland Street, Worcester Arts Magnet, Columbus Park and McGrath elementary schools — increased their scores by at least 5 percentage points.
Columbus Park met 98% of its annual progress targets, the highest rate reported by the district, followed by Worcester Arts Magnet at 90%. Flagg Street and Francis McGrath each met 89%, Worcester Dual Language Magnet met 80% and Elm Park met 78%.
Across all 44 schools, four met or exceeded their targets, 19 made significant progress, 18 made moderate progress and three made limited or no progress.
The state’s accountability system considers MCAS performance among its measures, and Worcester’s latest scores showed little movement in grades 3 through 8 and larger declines among 10th-graders.
In English language arts, 25% of Worcester students in grades 3 through 8 met or exceeded expectations, down from 26% the previous year. In math, 24% met or exceeded expectations, unchanged from 2025.
Among 10th-graders, 26% met or exceeded expectations in English language arts, down from 33% a year earlier. In math, the share fell from 24% to 20%.
Other measures included in the accountability report were also mixed.
Worcester’s four-year graduation rate remained at about 86%, compared with a statewide average of 89%, while the district’s dropout rate remained at 2%. The share of students participating in advanced coursework increased from about 52% in 2025 to 54% in 2026.
English learners in grades 1 through 8 exceeded targets for attaining English language proficiency, gaining 7 points from the previous year, while the rate among high school students declined by 3 points.
Chronic absenteeism remained a challenge, with the rate essentially unchanged at 19% among students in kindergarten through eighth grade and 34% among students in grades 9 through 12.
MCAS remains part of the state’s accountability system even though voters in 2024 eliminated passage of the exam as a requirement for receiving a high school diploma.
