MCAS

Greater Lawrence Tech Maintains Level 1 Status Following Release of MCAS Results

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Greater Lawrence Technical School
Superintendent John Lavoie
57 River Rd, Andover,
MA 01810

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2017

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

Greater Lawrence Tech Maintains Level 1 Status Following Release of MCAS Results

ANDOVER — Superintendent John Lavoie is pleased to announce that Greater Lawrence Technical School, for the fourth year in a row, attained Level 1 school status from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) following the release of MCAS results.

DESE announced the following MCAS scores for GLTS’ Class of 2019:

English – 99 percent passed (18 percent at advanced, 72 proficient, 9 percent needs improvement, 1 percent failing)
Math – 94 percent passed (36 percent advanced, 40 percent proficient, 18 percent needs improvement, 6 percent failing)
Biology – 95 percent passed (10 percent advanced, 53 percent proficient, 31 percent needs improvement, 5 percent failing)

On the English portion of the exam, GLTS students have a higher than average growth rate from 2016 to 2017 compared to the state average. GLTS also saw a 2 percent decrease in students grouped in the failing category than in 2016.

For math, from 2016-2017, there was a 15 percent increase in the number of students scoring in proficient, a 5 percent increase in advanced and a five percent reduction in the failure rate.

In biology, there was a 4 percent increase of students scoring in the advanced category and a 2 percent decrease of those in the failing category from last year to this year.

Across all subjects, English language learners and students with developmental disabilities performed higher than the state average.

“Everyone here at GLTS is extremely excited to once again have earned this status from DESE,” Superintendent Lavoie said. “This achievement is the direct result of the collaborative effort of academic and vocational instructors that work together every day to improve student performance.”

GLTS earned its Level 1 status in 2014 following a three-year instructor-led literacy initiative that trained all teachers in reading, vocabulary and writing strategies. During this period, the Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) was also revitalized. This collaborative group of teachers and administrators established school-wide expectations for curriculum and lesson planning that continue to improve instruction across the GLTS’ academic and career areas.

Additionally, in 2014, the ILT invited Research for Better Teaching — an organization dedicated to improving classroom teaching and school leadership — to GLTS to train teacher leaders in their Formative Assessment for Results (FAR) program. This program works to support teams of instructors, who are teaching the same content, to work together, plan lessons and curriculum, analyze student data and improve instruction based on that data.

Over the past few years, the ILT has also created a new set of core values — growth mindset, high expectations, supportive environment and life-long learning — along with a new vision and mission that guides the administration, teachers, staff and students in their everyday activities.

“I firmly believe that our Literacy Initiative, the work teacher teams have done with the FAR program and our comprehensive focus on our core values has made all the difference in our student achievement, reducing our dropout rate and increasing our graduation rate,” said Assistant Superintendent-Director/Principal Elizabeth Freedman. “In order for students to flourish, we need to believe in, support and empower teachers. That’s what we’ve tried to do, and it’s working.”

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Hull Public Schools Receive MCAS Results

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Hull Public Schools
Michael F. Devine, Superintendent
180 Harborview Road
Hull, MA 02045

For Immediate Release

Monday, Oct. 23, 2017

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

Hull Public Schools Receive MCAS Results

Hull Students Consistently Exceeded Statewide Average for Math and English Testing Results

HULL — Superintendent Michael F. Devine reports that the Hull Public Schools have received and reviewed the district’s Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) exam scores, and he is pleased to note that Hull students consistently exceeded statewide average scores.

“The results show clearly what we in the community already know: that Hull students are bright, strong, and motivated, and that they are receiving an excellent education in the Hull Public Schools,” Superintendent Devine said. “That said, the raw numbers indicate, as they always do, that we still have work to do, and we can always improve.”

Hull Public Schools students partially met, fully met, or exceeded expectations at rates higher than the state average in every category tested, except for eighth grade mathematics.

The results are insightful, especially considering the fact that this was the first year for students in grades three through eight to take the Next Generation MCAS tests. The students were taking the third different type of test in four years, with the MCAS and PARCC tests being replaced this year in grades three through eight and next year in grade 10. With the new exams adding a new challenge to students, state officials expect test results to improve in future years.

The school district was designated “no level” on this year’s assessment. “No level” is a new designation, which indicates that the district as a whole is not earmarked for improvement. (Previously called Level 1)

The district noted three areas of concern:

First, the Lillian M. Jacobs Elementary School was designated a Level 3 school because of a new rule that penalizes schools if fewer than 90 percent of any category of student take any one portion of the exam. At the school, three fifth grade students refused to take the Science and Technology/Engineering assessment. That factor, alone, resulted in the Level 3 designation, even though the school performed very well on the assessment, and would have been given “No Level” otherwise.

“We are appealing this designation, as it is very unfortunate and it does not paint an accurate picture of the true academic performance at the Jacobs Elementary School,” Superintendent Devine said. “The truth is that nearly all of our elementary school students are proficient in Math, English and Science, and three students refusing to take an exam should not denigrate the hundreds who took the exam and performed well. It further creates an unwarranted stigma for the hardworking teachers whose success in the classroom deserves a better report card from the Commonwealth.”

Second, while eighth graders were Partially Meeting, Meeting, or Exceeding state expectations in Math at a higher than average rate, it was the lowest rate in the district. Also, 40 percent of eighth graders were rated as Meeting or Exceeding expectations, which was below the state average of 47 percent.

“While it is difficult to draw definitive conclusions based on the first year of a new exam, eighth grade mathematics has been earmarked for improvement. The district will work closely with school administration and classroom teachers to ensure that math is a point of emphasis in the Middle School, and we are hopeful that we will see improvement going forward,” Superintendent Devine said.

Finally, the Hull High School was designated a Level 2 school and will seek to improve its narrowing of the achievement gap, and the state would like to see higher exam participation among economically disadvantaged students, who took the exam at a slightly lower rate than other students.

The results in English Language Arts and Mathematics are broken up into four levels: Exceeds Expectations, Meeting Expectations, Partially Meeting Expectations and Not Meeting Expectations. All 10th grade exams and all results in the Science and Technology/Engineering category are broken up into four levels: Advanced, Proficient, Needs Improvement and Warning/Failing.

Of note:

Lillian M. Jacobs Elementary School

  • 94 percent of third grade students were at least partially proficient in English Language Arts (ELA) and 92 percent in Mathematics. More than half of third graders fully met or exceeded expectations (the highest two levels) in both categories.
  • 98 percent of fourth grade students were at least partially proficient in ELA and 94 percent in Math. Sixty-eight percent of fourth graders fully met or exceeded expectations in ELA, and 55 percent in Math.
  • 95 percent of fifth graders were at least partially proficient in ELA and 89 percent in Math. Sixty-one percent of fifth graders fully met or exceeded expectations in ELA, and 50 percent in Math. Fifty-six percent of fifth graders were rated proficient or better in Science and Technology/Engineering. (Third/fourth graders are not tested in that category.)

Memorial Middle School

  • All sixth graders (100 percent) were at least partially proficient in ELA, and 92 percent in Math. Sixty-nine percent fully met or exceeded expectations in ELA.
  • 95 percent of seventh graders were at least partially proficient in ELA, and 97 percent in Math. Fifty-nine percent fully met or exceeded expectations in ELA, and 55 percent in Math.
  • 88 percent of eighth graders were at least particularly proficient in ELA, and 85 percent in Math. Fifty percent fully met or exceeded expectations in ELA, and 40 percent in Mathematics. Superintendent Devine notes that this is an area that is earmarked for improvement.

Hull High School

  • All 10th graders (100 percent) passed the exam in ELA, and 95 percent in Math. Ninety-five percent were rated as Proficient or Advanced in ELA, and 85 percent were rated as Proficient or Advanced in Math.
  • 99 percent of 10th graders passed the Science and Technology/Engineering portion of the exam, with 88 percent rated Proficient or Advanced..

The Next Generation MCAS tests were developed after the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted in November 2015 to create a new, computer-based test that was tailored to Massachusetts. It updates the nearly 20-year-old MCAS test and is designed to give a better indication of readiness for the next grade level than older assessments. 

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Whittier Tech Achieves Level 1 School Status Following Release of MCAS Results

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Maureen Lynch, Superintendent
115 Amesbury Line Road
Haverhill, MA 01830

For Immediate Release

Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017

Contact: Jessica Sacco
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: jessica@jgpr.net

Whittier Tech Achieves Level 1 School Status Following Release of MCAS Results

100 Percent of Students Pass English, 98 Percent Pass Math and 94 Percent Pass Science and Technology

HAVERHILL – Superintendent Maureen Lynch is pleased to announce that Whittier Tech has attained Level 1 school status from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) following the release of MCAS results yesterday.

DESE announced the following MCAS scores for Whittier Tech’s Class of 2019:

• English: 100 percent passed – 30 percent advanced, 65 percent proficient, 5 percent needs improvement.
• Math: 98 percent passed — 46 percent advanced, 39 percent proficient, 13 percent needs improvement, 2 percent failing.
• Science and Technology: 94 percent passed – 28 percent proficient, 51 percent proficient, 15 percent  needs improvement, 6 percent failing.

“We are thrilled,” Superintendent Lynch said. “I’m honored to be the superintendent of a Level 1 district where everyone works so hard to ensure success of our students. With our Early College Program and one-to-one iPad instruction for every student, we are really moving our students forward in significant ways on the academic side, and continue to offer a top-notch vocational-technical education that leads students straight to promising careers.”

On the English test, there was a 2 percent increase from last year in the advanced and proficient categories. In math, there was a 5 percent increase, while science and technology saw a 3 percent increase.

Whittier moved from a Level 1 to a Level 2 school in 2015 and 2016 due to not meeting target growth standards set by the state for high needs, disabled and Hispanic students in English, math and science.

Today, Whittier has met all of the performance benchmarks set by DESE, and is one of only 70 districts out of 383 in the state to achieve Level 1 status. Beginning with the spring 2012 results, districts and schools are measured with the Progress and Performance Index. Whittier has met the PPI target for all of its students, earning it the Level 1 rating.

Scores have climbed steadily for Whittier since the MCAS was first implemented as a graduation requirement in 2003. For example, in the past five years, the number of Whittier students who have scored at the advanced level in English Language Arts has jumped from 9 to 30 percent. Ten years ago, DESE had Whittier on “watch” status for its low test scores.

To ensure the success of every student at Whittier, teachers meet weekly in Professional Learning Communities to integrate technology in lesson plans, instructional strategies and common assessments to measure student progress in the subjects and grade levels they teach.

As a result, Whittier students have made noteworthy improvements from their seventh grade MCAS scores. The average growth rate from their English MCAS scores from seventh to 10th grade was 51 percent. In math, the growth rate was 56 percent.

Tenth grade students took all three tests as sophomores in March, May and June of 2017 and will receive their official results in the mail. Those who did not pass the math or science and technology sections will retake the tests during the school year. Whittier has enjoyed a 10-year stretch during which 100 percent of its students passed all sections of the MCAS test by graduation day.

About Whittier Tech:

The regional school educates 1,300 students from 13 cities and towns – Haverhill, Amesbury, Newburyport, Rowley, Ipswich, Georgetown, Newbury, West Newbury and Groveland.

Its Open House for eighth grade students and their parents is Nov. 5, 1-4 p.m., at the school, 115 Amesbury Line Road. For more information or to apply online, go to whittiertech.org

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Horace Mann School Receives Revised Level 2 Designation after State Review of Performance Data

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Melrose Public Schools
Superintendent Cyndy S. Taymore
360 Lynn Fells Parkway
Melrose , MA 02176

For Immediate Release

Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

Horace Mann School Receives Revised Level 2 Designation after State Review of Performance Data

School Exits Level 3 Status After Year of Dedication and Partnerships

MELROSE — Superintendent Cyndy Taymore is pleased to report that the Horace Mann Elementary School, which was designated for Level 3 status after the 2014 MCAS results — and had been slated to remain at Level 3 after the 2015 Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) assessment — has been upgraded to Level 2 status following a re-review of the criteria by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

“This revision reflects the extraordinary effort put forward by the entire faculty and staff of the Horace Mann School,” Superintendent Taymore said. “We are grateful to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for recognizing this work and allowing the school’s ranking to reflect that.”

Schools statewide are classified into levels 1 through 5. Those that met their gap-narrowing goals were designated as a level 1 and those that require additional assistance were placed in levels 3, 4, and 5. Looking broadly, this has been an excellent year for Melrose Public Schools.

In a letter to Superintendent Taymore, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education clarified the findings, saying: “This fall we received an appeal from another district on behalf of its Level 3 focus school that led us to reexamine and revise our focus school exit criteria.”

The state’s reexamination indicated that the Horace Mann School did indeed meet the criteria for exiting Level 3 status, which has ripple effect benefits across the district.

Superintendent Taymore and Horace Mann Principal Mary Ellen Cobbs specifically would like to highlight the following actions that aided in the school’s improvement:

  • The school partnered with the North District and School Assistance Center and received grant to hire an Instructional Coach.
  • Staff reviewed and modified scheduling practices, improving students’ access to the General Education Curriculum, something that was previously earmarked as a concern.
  • Teachers increased the frequency of math and literacy data meetings for high needs students and faculty and staff met regularly to assess how well students were progressing toward specific benchmarks. This practice has since been duplicated in other Melrose Elementary Schools as a result of its success at Horace Mann.
  • The school increased the supervision of how well teachers paced students through the year’s expected lesson plans, after the exam results indicated that students in different classrooms were ending the year at earlier points in the curriculum than others. As a result, by the end of the 2014-2015 school year, all teachers completed the curriculum and extra “step up” units that previewed the following years’ content.
  • A school-wide incentive to increase use of online math and literacy programs was initiated, and an after school math club and a before school science club were made available.
  • The culture of the school has also been changed. In April, a team of teachers began the framework for the new Positive Behavior Intervention System. This includes a commitment to include multiple lessons per month that address issues like empathy, respect, responsibility, bullying and safety.

“These high impact, coordinated efforts that placed us as a Level 2 school would not have been possible without the dedicated teachers and staff who committed themselves to adjusting practices, taking risks, and coming back time and time again to ensure the school is always moving forward,” Principal Cobbs said. “I’m so proud of the entire staff and congratulate them on this accomplishment.”

​The district will participate in PARCC again this year. It is expected that a new exam, MCAS 2.0, will be implemented by the state in 2017.​

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