Of the 880 students who took part in the English Language Arts portion of the MCAS, 55.6% scored below proficiency in the 2023-24 school year, according to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
In comparison, 36.4% met the subject benchmarks and 8.1% exceeded them.
The number of Ayer Shirley School District students who failed their English Language Arts assessments rose by 9.2% from the previous school year.
Ayer Shirley School District roughly covers schools within Middlesex County and has a main office in Ayer.
In the 2023-24 school year, 464,640 students took the English Language Arts test in Massachusetts with 58.2% failing the exam, 4.6% 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.
| School Name | Students who did not meet standards (%) |
|---|---|
| Ayer Shirley Regional High School | 24.8% |
| Ayer Shirley Regional Middle School | 59.9% |
| Lura A. White Elementary School | 58.6% |
| Page Hilltop Elementary School | 55.6% |
