MCAS results please officials:
Educators plan to continue to work on improving students' test scores
This year, tenth-graders in Massachusetts recorded their best results on the state MCAS exams since 1998, but public schools in Dedham, Norwood, Walpole and Westwood still plan on working to improve their scores.
"Generally speaking, we were pleased with the results and saw the trends in English and math as anticipated," said Westwood Superintendent John Antonucci.
Westwood High School ranked highest of the four towns, coming in 11th in the state for grade 10 English and 42nd for mathematics.
Antonucci said with the release of the scores, "the real work begins now." Antonucci plans to meet with his staff, teachers and curriculum director, Avalin Green, to analyze the data.
Dedham 10th-graders improved in both math and English this year. Half the Dedham High School sophomores had advanced scores in math, up 20 percent from last year.
Maureen Murray, curriculum director for the Walpole school district, said Walpole "held their own" on the MCAS scores.
"We mirrored the state level performance, but we have to continue to work to get our students over the bar for the retake in November," she said.
Murray cited mixed results: a decrease by 8 percent in advanced scores, but an increase by 10 percent in English proficiency. In math, Walpole students showed less in the need improvement category since last year, but more in the failing ranks, which is a concern, Murray said.
Fifty-two percent of Walpole High School 10th-graders had advanced scores in math, up from 45 percent last year. Proficient ranks dropped from 31 percent to 27 percent in math. Those percentages of students scored as needing improvement dropped by 7 percent; failing ranks rose from 4 percent to 8 percent.
Norwood High School also showed improvements. Twenty-one percent of sophomores reached advanced scores and 63 percent rank proficient in English this year. In math, 48 percent had advanced scores and 27 percent were proficient.
"We are very pleased with our 10th-graders," said Norwood Superintendent Ed Quigley. "We have more students ranking in the advanced and proficient categories in both subjects than ever before and less failing students."
Quigley congratulated the staff and students for their hard work. By teaching students the Massachusetts framework and giving extra assistance to those struggling, Quigley said, "we are moving in the right direction."