31.7% of Old Mill Pond School students met or exceeded science MCAS expectations in 2023-24 school year

Of the 82 students of Old Mill Pond School who took part in the science portion of the MCAS in the 2023-24 school year, 26 met the testing standard (31.7%), while none exceeded expectations, according to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

The students' overall success rate in the subject dropped by 6.9% in the 2023-24 school year from the previous school year.

Palmer Public School District, which Old Mill Pond School is part of, reached an average proficiency rate of 21.2% in science during the 2023-24 school year.

Meanwhile, 22.8% of Old Mill Pond School students hit the ELA benchmarks, and 34.9% 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.

According to a 2025 analysis from WalletHub, Massachusetts education system was considered the best in the nation, based on factors such as class size, student performance, funding, school safety, and teacher qualifications.

Subject	Number of Students Tested	Number of Students Passing	Proficiency Rate (%)	Change from Previous Year (%)
Math	238	83	34.9%	4.2%
ELA	237	54	22.8%	-8.8%
Science	82	26	31.7%	-6.9%