Crece Test Results Reach Highest Level in Over Two Decades

CoquiList

Results from the 2025-2026 Crece standardized tests reached their highest level in more than two decades, the Department of Education confirmed this weekend. A total of 121,712 public school students participated in the exams administered between April 13 and May 1 of this year, and the figures mark a sustained trend of academic recovery following the collapse brought on by the pandemic ¹.

"The system is recovering," said Education Secretary Eliezer Ramos Pares, while presenting data that exceeded the agency's own expectations ¹.

Context: From Rock Bottom to Recovery

The Crece tests --Cernimiento, Revision y Evaluacion Continua del Estudiante (Screening, Review, and Continuous Student Evaluation)-- measure proficiency in Spanish, mathematics, English as a second language, and science for students in grades 3 through 8 and 10th grade. They are aligned to the Puerto Rico Core Standards 2022 and are offered in both digital and paper formats ⁴.

The recovery trajectory has been dramatic. In 2022, overall proficiency hit rock bottom at just 30%, a direct reflection of prolonged school closures caused by the pandemic and hurricanes ². Since then, the climb has been steady: 32% in 2023, 35% in 2024, and 45% in 2025 --the first time since 2019 that results surpassed pre-pandemic levels ².

The 2025 data showed significant gains by subject: Spanish and science each reached 51% proficiency, mathematics rose to 43%, and English to 39%, with gains ranging from 8 to 13 percentage points over the previous year ²³. Now, the 2026 results surpass those marks and stand as the best since the early 2000s ¹.

Key Data

• 121,712 students participated in the 2026 Crece tests ¹
• Tests were administered from April 13 to May 1, 2026 ⁴
• 2025 proficiency by subject: Spanish 51%, science 51%, mathematics 43%, English 39% ²
• Recovery from the lowest point: 30% in 2022 to the highest levels in two decades in 2026 ¹²
• Top-performing municipality: Barranquitas at 75% proficiency; lowest was Maunabo at 25.2% ²
• Leading region: Caguas at 56%, surpassing its 2019 mark by 12 points ²
• Specialized schools lead with 61.3% proficiency; vocational schools improved from 25% to 33.4% ²
• Test administration cost: $8.9 million to Pearson PEM Puerto Rico ³
• DE budget for 2026-2027: $3.493 billion (27% of the fiscal budget) ³

What This Means for You

If you have children in public schools, these results reflect real and sustained improvements in the system. The subjects showing the greatest gains --Spanish and science-- suggest that teaching strategies are bearing fruit. However, mathematics and English remain below 50% proficiency, meaning more than half of students still do not reach the expected level in those areas.

A concerning data point: math performance drops significantly between fifth and sixth grade across most schools ². If your child is in that transition, it is worth closely monitoring their progress.

The gap between municipalities is also notable: Barranquitas reaches 75% while Maunabo barely hits 25.2% ². Ask your child's principal how local results compare with regional and national averages.

The organization ABRE Puerto Rico has urged analysis of whether the tests contain the correct metrics for evaluating student knowledge ³, so these numbers, while positive, deserve context.

How to Act / Checklist

1. Check your school's results. Visit the Department of Education's E-Data portal at de.pr.gov to see the breakdown by school.
2. Talk to the teacher. Ask how your child's results compare with grade-level averages and which areas need reinforcement.
3. Identify available tutoring. If your child is below proficiency in math or English, look for free tutoring programs through the school or community centers.
4. Review practice exercises. The DE publishes Crece practice exercises that serve as review tools throughout the school year.
5. Participate in school meetings. Test data is used to develop school improvement plans --your voice in those meetings matters.

What's Next

The new 2026-2027 school year kicks off this week in public schools. The next round of Crece tests is scheduled for the March 17 to May 7, 2027 window ⁴. The main challenge will be maintaining momentum in the context of $1.2 billion in budget cuts facing the Department of Education, a reduction that has raised concerns about the ability to sustain the programs driving these improvements ³.

Dr. Edgar Leon, an education expert, has argued that the system requires complete restructuring from the foundational levels up, not from central offices down ³. Meanwhile, the DE also faces debts to municipalities for school transportation services --Vega Baja is claiming $257,000 for the past two academic years-- and pending payments to special education service providers that threaten continuity of services for thousands of students with disabilities ³.

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Sources

1. El Nuevo Dia, "Mejora el desempeno academico de estudiantes de escuelas publicas en pruebas estandarizadas," August 3, 2026
2. NotiCel, "Considerable mejoria en el rendimiento de algunas escuelas publicas," April 4, 2026
3. Radar Boricua, "Pruebas estandarizadas en Puerto Rico: resultados sorprenden," August 2026
4. Puerto Rico Department of Education, de.pr.gov