Over the past decade, Puerto Rico’s education system has faced compounded disruptions — including Hurricane Maria in 2017, earthquakes in 2019 and 2020, and the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to prolonged school interruptions and infrastructure challenges. Despite these challenges, Puerto Rico has seen recent gains in student achievement, suggesting that putting educators at the center of systems change helps drive sustained improvement. As many school systems across the United States continue to recover from the COVID-19 era, Puerto Rico’s progress offers a case study in how alignment and collaboration with teachers may support systemwide gains.
Recent results from Puerto Rico’s CRECE (Crecimiento, Revisión y Evaluación Continua del Estudiante) assessments show that student performance increased by 8-13 percentage points across subjects, with more than half of students demonstrating proficiency in Spanish and science. Approximately 45% of students reached proficiency in 2025, up from 35% in 2024, representing a 10-point increase in a single year. In math, science, Spanish and English, students have now met or exceeded pre-pandemic levels, indicating not only recovery but also continued academic progress.
Puerto Rico’s progress coincides with a broader shift toward instructional coherence in recent years. This approach emphasizes:
- Centralized curricular maps aligned to standards.
- Core competencies across subject areas.
- A sustained focus on literacy across grades.
- Development of high-quality instructional materials.
- Ongoing refinement of assessments.
Educator Engagement
A defining feature of this strategy is the intentional effort to work with teachers as partners in implementation. Rather than framing reforms as external mandates, we have focused on giving educators aligned tools, clear expectations, and opportunities to shape instructional practice. “We are seeing results for two key reasons. First, we have integrated high-quality instructional materials across all subjects and grade levels. Second, and most important, our teachers have participated as essential stakeholders in the development of curricular tools and standardized testing items, ensuring that what happens in the classroom informs these materials, and that these materials, in turn, support classroom instruction,” says Dr. Morro. She also emphasizes that this has been the key difference from past efforts and mandates.
The emphasis on partnership is reflected in the development and implementation of the assessment system itself. CRECE assessments are grounded in established psychometric processes and supported by a technical advisory structure. At the same time, their effectiveness depends on how they are used in practice — alongside educators. As Stephen Sireci, professor at the University of Massachusetts and president of Puerto Rico’s Technical Advisory Committee, noted: “This is not just a success story for Puerto Rico, but a model to follow everywhere. The key is to work with teachers, not against them, and to put students first.”
Ongoing Refinement
At the same time, recent reporting reflects an ongoing conversation about how to interpret the results. Stakeholders identified a gap between current performance and long-term goals, so the Puerto Rico Department of Education is continuing to examine whether the metrics fully capture student learning and how results inform policy and practice. “We are encouraged by the results we are seeing, while recognizing that there is still much work ahead. Our teachers have been the backbone of our system and the reason we have been able to overcome so much adversity in recent years. Their central role in this transformation is yet another testament to their leadership, commitment, and unwavering dedication to our students,” said Secretary Ramos Parés.
This dual reality — encouraging gains alongside continued reflection and refinement — is common across education systems. Assessment systems are most effective when paired with transparency, ongoing validation, and alignment to instructional priorities.
Puerto Rico’s experience suggests that coherence and collaboration matter. When curriculum, instruction, and assessment are aligned — and educators are engaged as partners in that work — student outcomes may improve in measurable, meaningful ways. Still, the work ahead remains critical, and we must continue to support teachers, deepen instructional practice, and ensure that all students benefit from these gains.
For state policymakers and education leaders, Puerto Rico offers a clear takeaway: improvement efforts may be more effective when they are done with educators, not to them, and when leadership prioritizes both system alignment and the conditions that enable teachers to succeed.
