Voters are set to make an important decision this November about the future of education in Massachusetts. Selecting "Yes" on Question 2 would end the MCAS graduation requirement that is currently in place for students in the state.

Even the youngest students, third graders who were only in kindergarten when schools shut down, remain significantly behind their pre-pandemic peers.

"The power of being in school is definitely clear in the achievement results in the 2024 MCAS results," he said. Additionally, 3% of the state's roughly 1,800 public schools were cited as making "limited or no progress" in 2024, down from 6% in 2023.