The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has recognized Watertown Public Schools for its efforts in combating pandemic-era learning loss, as part of a larger release of 2025 MCAS data that shows many schools statewide are still struggling with the academic fallout from COVID-19.

State education officials reported strong MCAS test scores for Watertown Public Schools, highlighted by Watertown’s performance in math achievement in grades 3-8. WPS is

one of only 41 school systems in Massachusetts to meet or exceed its pre-pandemic math achievement in grades 3-8​​.

Watertown matched its pre-pandemic MCAS scores, with 48 percent of students meeting or exceeding expectations on math assessments. The state average for math currently stands at 41 percent, down 8 percentage points from 2019. 

“This recognition is the result of years of focused planning, smart use of data, and proven strategies for accelerating learning—all driven by the commitment of our dedicated teachers, strong leadership, and targeted supports within a caring and inclusive community,” said Dede Galdston, Superintendent of Schools.

Watertown also bucked the statewide trend of notable learning loss in English Language Arts. Since COVID, the statewide ELA performance has dipped by double digits, from 52 percent to 42 percent. In this year’s MCAS data, Watertown showed a nearly full recovery from the pandemic, with 48 percent of WPS students meeting or exceeding expectations. 50 percent of Watertown students met this goal in 2019.

Across all three MCAS testing subjects (English Language Arts, Math, and Science), Watertown Public Schools outperformed the state average of students meeting or exceeding expectations. Additionally, WPS also had a lower percentage of students who are partially meeting expectations or not meeting expectations, in comparison to the state average. 

2025 once again marks a year in which Watertown has earned state-level recognition from DESE for academic accomplishments. In the previous two years, both the Hosmer Elementary School and the Cunniff Elementary School earned School of Recognition honors, the highest designation a Massachusetts public school can achieve upon the release of accountability data.