2026 State Test Score Results Data Series
The 2026 State Test Score Results Data Series is published by the Education Data Center and is designed to provide updates on 2026 state assessment data.
What to expect: Our goal is to provide high-level insights on ELA and math state summative assessment outcomes for students in grades 3-8. We will publish overviews as State Education Agencies (SEAs) publicly release assessment results and/or as we receive aggregate results via public records requests.
For additional information about each state assessment, please see the end of this post. All available 2026 assessment data used for this data series will be published by the EDC in December.
Questions, comments, or suggestions? Let us know at info@eddatacenter.org!
Trends Over Time
Last Friday (Sep 4), the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) released the annual 2026 ELA and math results from the M-STEP assessments for students in grades 3-7. Note that Michigan tests Grades 3-7 on the M-STEP; Grade 8 moved to the PSAT 8/9 in 2019 and is not included here. The state reports M-STEP results across four levels: Not Proficient, Partially Proficient, Proficient, and Advanced - with students in the top two levels considered proficient.
In 2026, ELA proficiency levels fell at least slightly in every tested grade, while math generally held steady. Neither subject has returned to pre-pandemic proficiency levels.
ELA: Approximately 39.8% of students in grades 3-7 reached proficiency in 2026, down slightly from 40.7% in 2025. All grades dropped between 0.6 points (Grade 5) and 1.2 points (Grade 6). Since 2019, girls have fallen 5.9 points compared to 3.0 for boys in ELA.
Math: Approximately 35.9% of students reached proficiency in 2026, similar to 36.0% in 2025. Though small, Grade 6 showed the greatest improvement (+0.4 points), with Grade 5 dropping 0.7 points. Since 2019, girls have fallen 4.7 points compared to 0.9 for boys in math.
Among districts with the largest gains in 2026 compared to 2025, Bear Lake Schools leads in ELA (+16.9 points) and Pentwater Public School District in math (+14.8 points). Both are small districts where small changes can have large impacts on district rates, so while the changes are notable, these changes should be read with this understanding in mind.
MDE notes that the state’s 2024 literacy and dyslexia laws - Public Acts 146 and 147, signed in October 2024 - are only now approaching full implementation, with districts required to comply with the K-3 dyslexia screening requirement by the 2027-28 school year.
The state also highlighted a number of new actions (as of 2026) to help support literacy moving forward. According to the press release:
When it comes to literacy, the department is implementing historic measures passed by the legislature and signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in late 2024 and 2026. The 2024 law is just now getting close to being fully implemented and work is beginning on carrying out requirements in the July 2026 laws, so the state test results from assessments students took in spring 2026 don’t yet fully reflect the benefits of the laws.
MDE and the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential in March released the Every Child Reads Next Steps Forward plan and the governor in May issued Executive Order 2026-12: Every Child Reads Champions Council. On Thursday Gov. Whitmer announced appointments to the Every Child Reads Council that will advise the governor on Michigan’s literacy agenda.
A recent article from Chalkbeat, meanwhile, highlights the steady gains of Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) since 2019, which have reached a “12-year high in the percentage of third graders scoring proficient or above in reading and writing, and it bucked a statewide trend of little to no improvement in early literacy.” The district’s superintendent, Nikolai Vitti, cited investments in certified teachers, using evidence-based curriculum, student interventions, and wraparound services as some of the contributing factors for the progress in DPSCD.
Results by Achievement Level
A Closer Look at 2026
State Assessment Background
Assessment Name: M-STEP (grades 3-7)
Additional Information:
General M-STEP assessment resources can be found here: https://www.michigan.gov/mde/Services/Student-Assessment/m-step
2026 results are available from MI School Data: https://www.mischooldata.org/grades-3-8-state-testing-includes-psat-data-performance/
The MDE 2026 press release can be found here: https://www.michigan.gov/mde/news-and-information/press-releases/2026/09/04/mi-must-continue-plans-to-improve-student-proficiency
Data presented here are specific to this state’s assessment and are not comparable to assessments administered by other states. For questions, please reach out to info@eddatacenter.org.
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