Did Avery School students succeed or flounder in their 2023-24 science tests?

Of the 56 students of Avery School who took part in the science portion of the MCAS in the 2023-24 school year, 20 met the testing standard (35.7%), while two exceeded expectations (3.6%), according to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

The students' overall success rate in the subject grew by 17.3% in the 2023-24 school year from the previous school year.

Dedham Public Schools District, which Avery School is part of, reached an average proficiency rate of 45.4% in science during the 2023-24 school year.

Meanwhile, 29.9% of Avery School students hit the ELA benchmarks, and 33.7% were considered proficient in math.

At the time, 199,813 students took the science test in Massachusetts, with 88,716 students passing (44.4%) — 1.3% more than the year before.

Massachusetts spends more money on K-12 education per pupil than most other states, ranking fifth in the nation, according to a 2025 report. The state allocates over $24,000 per pupil, totaling $22.5 billion annually.

Subject	Number of Students Tested	Number of Students Passing	Proficiency Rate (%)	Change from Previous Year (%)
Math	184	62	33.7%	-2.2%
ELA	184	55	29.9%	-8.3%
Science	56	22	39.3%	17.3%