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READ: MCAS results show only half of Mass. students meet expectations

BOSTON — Just half of Massachusetts students in grades three through eight have met or exceeded expectations on the new "next generation MCAS test" in math and English.

State education officials publicly released the spring 2017 test results on Wednesday. It's the first time the test has been administered.

Educators were quick to caution against making direct comparisons between a student's performance on the new test and the original, nearly 20-year-old, MCAS.

Scoring for the new test falls into four categories: Exceeding Expectations, Meeting Expectations, Partially Meeting Expectations and Not Meeting Expectations.

As a result, officials say some students who scored "proficient" on last year's MCAS test may find they only scored "partially meeting expectations" on the new, tougher exam.

Officials say the test results released Wednesday won't affect graduation.