Local district test scores remain above state averagesDate: 10/6/2016 GREATER SPRINGFIELD – Students who took the spring 2016 Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) received higher than state averages in advanced and proficient across subjects across grade levels in the public school districts of East Longmeadow and Longmeadow as well as the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District (HWRSD)
In East Longmeadow Public Schools all grade levels for science and technology and engineering ranked as 60 percent in proficient or higher against the state average of 54 percent. The ranking was the same for students who took the spring 2015 MCAS. In the advanced category, the district was 15 percent against the 17 percent state average. For the 2015 MCAS, the district was 14 percent in this subject and category against the state average of 15 percent.
Forty-five percent of East Longmeadow students ranked in the proficient category compared to the 37 percent state average. Compared to the previous year, the district saw an improvement. Students taking the 2015 MCAS were on par with the state average – 33 percent of students received proficient rankings last year.
The district remained on par with state averages in the needs improvement category, in which 33 percent of students received the status both years. The 2015 and 2016 MCAS scores both showed lower than state average percentages for warning and failing rankings. The state average in that category was 13 percent compared with the district’s score of seven percent. In 2015, the district ranked much the same.
East Longmeadow Superintendent of Schools Gordon Smith told Reminder Publications he believes his district continues to achieve at a high level across grade levels.
“We saw as a district our composite performance index in math go up by 1.5 points for all students,” he added. “We have really focused in on math during the last few years. Last year we introduced a new math curriculum in our elementary grades. We saw some results that were really positive and inspiring.”
According to information from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, students taking the Grade 10 math MCAS received a composite index score of 93.9 compared to 91. 7 in the previous year.
When asked what he believes would be the areas where the district needs to improve, Smith stated, “We need to continue what we’re doing right now so that we can continue to show positive results in English language arts (ELA), math, and science. I think that right now, even though we’ve seen positive gains in math it’s not where our ELA level of achievement has been.”
Students in grades 3 through 8 took the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) exam for the second year in spring 2016, he noted.
“That actually puts us in a really good position for grades 3 through 8 to move into MCAS 2.0 because that’s going to be somewhat modeled on the PARCC exam. I think we’ll see some good things there,” Smith said.
In Longmeadow Public Schools, the district saw a slight dip in the percentage of students placing in the proficient or higher category across grade levels for science and technology and engineering in 2016. Seventy-three percent of students received a proficient or higher ranking, while the state average 54. The state average was the same for 2015 and the district had 72 percent of students place in that category that year.
The district saw improvements in the advanced category for the subject as well. Twenty-nine percent of students achieved the ranking. The state average was 17 percent. In 2015, 25 percent of students scored in the category and the state average was 15 percent.
The needs improvement as well as the warning and failing scores for this subject were also significantly lower than state averages in 2016 and 2015, but change for the district in these categories was minimal.
Twenty-four percent of students received needs improvement rankings in 2016 compared to the state average of 33 percent. The year prior 25 percent of students scored in that category and the state average was the same. Four percent of students ranked in the warning and failing category in 2016 and the state average was 13 percent. In 2015, the state average was 12 percent and three percent of students received the status.
Longmeadow Superintendent of Schools M. Martin O’Shea said his district has been responsive to the state’s new science framework. The district plans on introducing a new elementary school science series this year called FOSS science, which he described as a hands-on approach to science.
“At the end of the day, if we are attentive to the standards and if we are attentive to strong instruction, then the scores tend to take care of themselves,” he explained. “The focus is more on instruction and alignment with the standards than it is on the test scores themselves.”
O’Shea said the district also has higher than average growth scores for subjects such as ELA and mathematics.
Longmeadow chose not to take the PARCC exam during the past two years.
When asked what his district is doing to ready for MCAS 2.0, which incorporates computer and online testing used in PARCC and begins in 2017, he replied, “We are preparing for that requirement both in terms of technology readiness on our part, but also in terms of the skill readiness of students.”
HWRSD students across grade levels in science, technology, and engineering were above state averages in the proficient or higher category – 64 percent of students received this ranked in this area compared to the state average of 54 percent. In 2015 the district ranked three points lower in this classification and the state average was the same.
The district came in one point below the state average of 17 percent in advanced scores, which was the same as the previous year’s test. Students scored well above the state average in proficient. The state average was 37 percent and 48 percent of HWRSD students placed in this ranking. Forty-seven percent of students taking the 2015 MCAS received proficient rankings compared to the then state average of 39 percent.
Needs improvement scores were also two points below the state’s average of 33 percent in 2016 and five percent of HWRSD students ranked in the warning and failing category compared to the 13 percent state average. In 2015, the district was on par with the 33 percent state average in needs improvement and six percent below the state average of 12 percent in warning and failing categories.
HWRSD Superintendent of Schools Albert Ganem Jr. said he believes the district has shown positive growth in its MCAS scores, but also noted there is room for more improvement.
He added students in grade 3 taking the math MCAS ranked the highest in four years – 44 percent of students scored advanced. This was also the same for grades 4 and 5.
“We’re looking at our school scores; we’re looking at individual schools, and we’re looking at trends and we’re looking to take this district from very good to great,” Ganem said.
Although HWRSD did not take the PARCC exam, Ganem said his district is working on a plan for making sure students have the necessary technology and skills to use that technology for MCAS 2.0.
All three superintendents also voiced their opposition to the Nov. 8 ballot question to increase cap on charter schools in the Commonwealth.
Ganem said he believes HWRSD provides a good education and “there is no need for a charter school” or any Hampden or Wilbraham students to attend a charter school because of the quality of education in his district.
“Any parent that would ever be interested in a charter school I would like them to have a conversation with me first and let me explain to them what we can offer them here,” he added.
O’Shea said he believes charter schools are not subject to the same rules and the same amount of oversight as public school districts.
“I’m not opposed to the competition that charters might provide and it’s important for families to have options, but I believe there should be a level playing field otherwise you have a situation where charters have an advantage. They’re drawing revenue away from public school districts,” he explained.
Smith said he believes there are interesting points on both side, but is against the ballot question.
“I’d like to see it remain as a cap because I think we are doing a good job and I think that if we had similar flexibility to charter schools, maybe we could even do a better job,” he noted.
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