Braintree Students Beat State Average on PARCC

One word was used by Braintree Superintendent Frank Hackett to describe the town’s performance on the PARCC test Monday night: awesome.

The Braintree School Committee reviewed the result of the standardized test this week, who performed above the state average. In English, 80 percent of Braintree students in grades three through eight scored either a four or a five on the exam, beating the state average of 60 percent. In math, students again beat the state average 66 percent to 52.

The PARCC exam is scored on a five-point scale. Students scoring a four met expectations while a five indicates that the student performed above expectations. A score of one, two, or three means a student did not meet expectations, partially met expectations, or approached expectations.

“I think the results speak volume of the capacity of our students. It is really a point of great pride for all of us who work in a way that’s unified,” Mayor Joseph Sullivan said. “The scorecard says we’re doing well.”

The results were discussed the night before the state was scheduled to announce the future of standardized testing for Massachusetts students. Instead of deciding to commit to the current MCAS exam or PARCC, a third option to create a next-generation MCAS with elements of both exams was chosen.

“No matter what test they put in front of us I think we’re going to do well no matter if it’s MCAS or PARCC,” School Committee Chairman David Ringius said.

Earlier this month, the committee expressed concerns with the state possibly choosing the PARCC exam, noting that some communities may not be able to afford to implement the online exam.

Parents of students who took the exam will get their child’s individual assessment in December.