Framingham Making Progress Toward MCAS Goals

FRAMINGHAM, MA — The latest Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) scores show progress overall from Framingham Public Schools, but there is still room for improvement.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has released its accountability data for the Framingham Public Schools, with the district classified as making “substantial progress toward targets,” having received a two-year cumulative rating of 39 percent for moderate progress toward targets.

In this accountability system, DESE establishes targets for the district and individual schools in several categories including achievement and growth in English Language Arts (ELA) and math, and achievement in science, technology and engineering (STE).

Schools are also reviewed on high school competition rates, progress toward English language proficiency for English learners, absenteeism, high school advanced coursework completion and assessment participation.

The Framingham results for the percent of students in each grade (3-8) who scored in the "Meeting/Exceeding Expectations" range between 25 percent and 28 percent for ELA, and 19 percent and 25 percent for math.

The percent of students in the state who scored "Meeting/Exceeding Expectations" in STE are 29 percent in grade 5 and grade 8. In grade 10, 51 percent of students in ELA and 49 percent of students in math received an achievement level of "Meeting/Exceeding Expectations".

In total, 44 percent of 10th-grade students received an achievement level of "Meeting/Exceeding Expectations".

Additionally, the district met its English language proficiency targets and exceeded its chronic absenteeism targets in grades 3-8, and exceeded targets for chronic absenteeism of all students — high needs, low income, EL, and former EL.

The district also met targets in all grades for assessment participation in all grades, all students and all subgroups.

Those are the positives, but there are still areas in which the district needs improvement in the eyes of state officials.

Six schools are identified as requiring targeted assistance or intervention, officials said. Fuller Middle School, Barbieri Elementary, Harmony Grove Elementary and Brophy Elementary are all among the lowest-performing 10 percent of schools.

Here's what officials said about each:

Fuller Middle School

"While Fuller Middle School has made moderate progress toward targets, there was low student group performance in low-income, Hispanic/Latino, EL and former EL, and High need subgroups," officials said.

Barbieri Elementary School

"It is worth noting that Barbieri made substantial progress toward goals. With careful attention to subgroup data, there was low student group performance in both low-income and high-needs subgroups," officials said.

Brophy Elementary School

"While moderate progress was made toward targets, the school also requires assistance or intervention due to low student group performance for students with disabilities, low income, Hispanic/Latino, EL and former EL, and High needs subgroups," officials said.

Harmony Grove Elementary School

"With substantial progress toward targets, the school remains identified as requiring assistance and intervention. The rationale for this support results from low student group performance across the following areas: students who identify as white, students with disabilities, and low-income, Hispanic/Latino, and High-needs subgroups," officials said.

Additionally, three schools are designated as requiring assistance or intervention despite an accountability rating above the tenth percentile due to specified criteria.

These include Framingham High, King Elementary and Stapleton Elementary. Here's what officials said about those schools:

Framingham High School

Framingham High "... demonstrated 24% or limited or no progress toward targets, classifying the school as needing focused/targeted support. The rationale for this classification is a result of the low participation rate specific to the student populations of Hispanic/Latino and EL and Former EL."

King Elementary School

"King Elementary School demonstrated 43% or moderate progress toward targets. There was low student group performance in the student subgroup identified as low-income."

Stapleton Elementary

"Stapleton Elementary (16th percentile) demonstrated 78% meeting or exceeding targets. The need for focused/targeted support has been classified as a result of low student group performance for students identified as low-income."