Superintendent Jon Sills Reacts to Bedford's MCAS Results.

Sophomores at Bedford High School were perfect on the English Langauage Arts section of the 2012 MCAS exams. 100 percent of BHS sophomores scored a proficient or higher on the English portion of the MCAS.

Superintendent of Bedford Public Schools, Jon Sills, attributes this to the success of Bedford's English Department, not just at the high school level, but at the elementary and middle school levels as well.

"We're very proud of our English Department," Sills said. "Their success at Bedford High School builds on their work with the lower grades as well."

Sills said Bedford English teachers at all grade levels work together in developing new ways to help their students find success on the English portion of the MCAS.

"It's a highly collaborative department," Sills said. "They always have new ways of engaging students thinking in challenging ways."

English teachers at BHS focus on creating expectations for students above and beyond those of the classroom.

Evidence of this is found through BHS results on this year's Advanced Placement English Exam. Of 23 BHS students who took the exam, 10 scored a five, the highest score, and 10 scored a four, the second highest score; the caveat being BHS does not offer an AP English course.

Sills said while he saw much success in the results of this year's MCAS exams, he also saw many areas in which Bedford schools could improve in coming years, especially in Math at the elementary and middle levels.

"I believe we need to create more coherence in math," Sills said. "Ideally we will improve in building the curriculum from grade to grade."

"Another area where we need to improve is with students with high needs," Sills said. "We are below the standard we should be at, and it will be our priority focus this year."

Sills said the shortcomings in the results for Bedford students with high needs does not stem from Bedford Special Education teachers, who he praised.

"The teaching is very strong," Sills said. "We just need additional support in that area."