Item Staff Report
The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education released the results of the 2008 spring MCAS test to the public Wednesday, showing varied results throughout Greater Lynn
Click here for complete district-by-district MCAS results.
In Saugus, the Belmonte Middle School continues to struggle with its MCAS scores while the Waybright School continues to stun with its impressive scores. The Oaklandvale and Lynnhurst schools lost some ground while the Veterans School made some significant strides in fifth grade math and fourth grade English. Scores at the High School remained much the same as last year, but students held their own in the science/technology category, matching the state in the advanced category and besting it by one in proficient.
Overall the most noticeable pattern in the district scores is that every grade level topped the state average in the needs improvement category. It is not the category where high scores are coveted.
The majority of students in Swampscott scored above the state average at all grade levels and in all content areas of the MCAS test.
Scores in Swampscott have improved slightly across the board each year for the last several years. Superintendent Matthew Malone said overall he is pleased with the district results.
“Swampscott Public Schools continue to score high on state achievement tests despite the budget cuts of last three years,” he said. “It should be noted all of the results are the work of some outstanding educators who work with kids every day. Student results are a direct result of the teachers’ skills and abilities. It is also important to note parents and students working with us as partners are a key factor in our success.”
Elementary students in Nahant didn’t fare quite as well as their peers in Swampscott on the MCAS. The percentage of students at Johnson Elementary School who ranked as advanced on the MCAS is below the state average, but the percentage of student failing the test is also below the state average at all grade levels.
Calls to Johnson Elementary School Principal Diane Mulcahy regarding the MCAS results were not returned on Wednesday.
In Marblehead, scores at the Malcolm L. Bell School showed the most improvement in math for grade three, while Marblehead High School 10th grade scores showed a drop in both English Language Arts and math.
Compared to the state scores, Marblehead excelled with its 10th grade results.
At the Malcolm L. Bell School, 30 percent of students scored in the proficient category in Math in 2008 compared to 25 percent in 2007. The percent of students who failed in the math category dropped from 5 percent in 2007 to 1 percent in 2008.
Peabody Schools saw varying results on the 2008 test.
“There are some pockets of marked increases in some subjects, pockets of stability, and pockets where there’s been a couple of declines,” said Superintendent Milt Burnett, adding he needed some time to absorb the information before making any real analysis. Burnett, however, did note the improvements seen over at the Welch School.
The percentage of Welch School fifth graders reaching the advanced level in mathematics increased from 0 percent to 8 percent. On that same note, the percentage of those same students failing decreased greatly from 35 percent to 13 percent.
Third grade students at the Summer Street School in Lynnfield showed great improvement in math. The percentage of students scoring advanced increased from 27 percent to 59 percent. The percentage of students needing improvement decreased from 14 percent to only 6 percent.
Revere Superintendent Paul Dakin said Revere High School 10th graders demonstrated improvement on the assessment test, especially in English, compared to 2007, as well as math, while middle school student scores, in particular, math, dropped enough to raise concerns with local educators.
“Our elementary scores followed the pattern of the state in that they leveled off and dropped,” Dakin said.
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