Marblehead School Officials 'Very Pleased' With MCAS Scores

MARBLEHEAD, MA — Marblehead Public Schools' showing in the 2018 MCAS results released Thursday was a strong one not just among North Shore communities, but among school districts across the state, district officials said.

"Overall, we are very pleased with this year's MCAS results," Assistant Superintendent Dr. Brad Smith told Patch in an email.

A little MCAS background in one of the more confusing years for the standardized test system:

• The next-generation MCAS scores given in grades 3-8 are in their second year, and officials have warned against rushing to judgements as they establish a baseline. Students in grade 10 took the legacy tests, which are in their last year. Read more about legacy and next-generation tests here.
  
• The data released Thursday is the first containing the state's new accountability system, which state education officials are calling a more comprehensive look. Read more about the accountability system here.

The district outpaced state averages in many categories, highlighted by how it did in science. Smith said grades 5, 8, and 9 ranged from 20-26 percentage points above the state average, and he made particular note of the Village School's performance.

The 10th-grade students shined in the legacy testing. Ninety-eight percent scored proficient or advanced in English language arts, 91 percent did so in math, and 94 percent did so in science. Only a total of a dozen students across the three subjects scored in warning/failing territory.

Scroll below for the 2018 MCAS results for next-generation tests (grades 3-8) and legacy tests (grade 10.) School-by-school scores will be provided in the coming days.

"It is the hard work and dedication of principals, administrators and our entire teaching faculty, working together with students and parents, that makes a difference in student learning and achievement," Smith said.

In the new accountability system, Marblehead Public Schools landed in the 17 percent of schools statewide that were categorized as "meeting expectations." The state classified the district as "not requiring assistance or intervention."

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Next-generation

English language arts

Meeting or exceeding expectations: 961 (69 percent)

Exceeding expectations: 183 (13 percent)

Meeting expectations: 778 (56 percent)

Partially meeting expectations: 378 (27 percent)

Not meeting expectations: 56 (4 percent)

Math

Meeting or exceeding expectations: 890 (64 percent)

Exceeding expectations: 127 (9 percent)

Meeting expectations: 763 (55 percent)

Partially meeting expectations: 431 (31 percent)

Not meeting expectations: 75 (5 percent)

Legacy

English language arts

Proficient or advanced: 250 (98 percent)

Advanced: 188 (74 percent)

Proficient: 62 (24 percent)

Needs improvement: 0 (0 percent)

Warning/Failing: 4 (2 percent)

Math

Proficient or advanced: 233 (91 percent)

Advanced: 182 (71 percent)

Proficient: 51 (20 percent)

Needs improvement: 17 (7 percent)

Warning/Failing: 5 (2 percent)

Science

Proficient or advanced: 224 (94 percent)

Advanced: 149 (63 percent)

Proficient: 75 (32 percent)

Needs improvement: 11 (5 percent)

Warning/Failing: 3 (1 percent)

Photo by Mike Carraggi, Patch