Swampscott tends to hover around the median among comparable Massachusetts communities in MCAS results, even as the district’s students consistently score above the statewide average.

Tests are administered to students in third through eighth grade as well as tenth grade. All tested grades take math and English language arts, while grades five, eight and ten are also tested on science and technology / engineering. Eighth grade students also take a civics test, which was first administered in 2025.

Students receive scaled scores ranging from 440 to 560. A score of 500 is required to meet expectations. 

Students previously had to achieve a minimum score on the tenth grade exams to graduate high school. In 2024, Massachusetts voters got rid of the requirement. While the stakes are now lower for students, MCAS results are still considered as a major component of school and district accountability. 

In Swampscott, sixth-grade English language arts scores rose 10%. Eighth grade scores increased 6% in English language arts, 10% in math, 9% in science and technology, and 8% in civics. Tenth grade math scores improved 13% from 2025. Most other results were within 1% of last year’s results.

“We are immensely proud of the progress and growth our students are demonstrating across the district,” Superintendent Jason Calichman told the Swampscott Tides. “Our educators have worked very hard to support all students in striving to meet and exceed grade-level expectations, and seeing those efforts pay off is incredibly rewarding.”

However, when comparing with peer communities – which includes Georgetown, Hamilton, Hull, Ipswich, Lynnfield, Manchester-by-the-Sea (Manchester-Essex Regional School), Marblehead, Middleton (Masconomet Regional High School for 7th grade and beyond), Newburyport, Rockport, Scituate, and Winthrop – Swampscott seems to still remain close to the middle of the group.

English Language Arts

Swampscott ranked ninth among the 13 peer communities in English language arts for grades three through five, as well as tenth grade. The district dipped in the rankings for sixth grade, where it placed 11th. It also ranked last among the peer communities for the seventh-grade test.

The district ranked higher in eighth grade, tying for fifth.

Hamilton consistently ranked first among the peer communities, except in fourth grade, when Lynnfield ranked first, and seventh grade, when Manchester-by-the-Sea ranked first.

Math

In math, Swampscott ranked eighth in both third and fifth grade. It ranked 12th in fourth grade and 11th in sixth grade. Seventh and eighth grades were closer to the middle of the group, ranking seventh and sixth, respectively.

Tenth grade had the district’s strongest ranking, placing third among the peer communities and tying with Scituate and Middleton.

Science and Technology

Science and technology/engineering is tested three times, in grades five, eight and ten. Swampscott’s strongest performance came in Grade 10, when it ranked second among the peer communities, behind only Hamilton.

The eighth-grade results were in the middle of the group, at sixth, while fifth grade ranked slightly lower, at ninth.

Civics

Only eighth-grade students take the civics test. Swampscott had the second-highest score among the peer communities, behind only Hamilton.