Milford MCAS Results: Schools Perform On Par With State Rate

MILFORD, MA — Massachusetts released the results for the latest round of MCAS tests, and Milford schools performed at the same level as the state rate on most exams. The state uses the tests as a key guide to performance of its schools and as part of its effort to bring accountability to the education system.

The district was classified as "partially meeting targets" and making "moderate progress towards targets." This designations means the district will not require intervention from the state. The district received a two-year cumulative rating of 49 percent for progress toward meeting targets.

This is the second year of the state's accountability system, marketed as a more "comprehensive look" at districts and schools in specific. The designations are given based on how districts and schools perform in six different categories:

• MCAS achievement in English Language Arts (ELA), Math and Science/Technology/Engineering (STE)
• MCAS growth in ELA and Math
• High school completion rates
• Progress toward English language proficiency for English learners
• Chronic absenteeism (missing 10% or more of a student's membership)
• High school advanced coursework completion.

Students in grade 5 in the district stood out, scoring higher than the state rate in the science MCAS. Forty-five percent of students met expectations on the exam, compared to the 40 percent of students statewide.

Milford Public Schools Superintendent Kevin McIntyre said he was pleased with the district's accountability score, but more work was left to be done:

"Overall I am pleased that the accountability percentile at Milford High School has nearly doubled in three years, we increased the percentage of annual criterion referenced target percentage by 43.5% year over year; great progress for our English Learners at both Stacy Middle School and Milford High School. We also received all of our points for advanced coursework completion at Milford High School. There is much to celebrate in the progress that has been made over the last three years, but there is also much work that is ongoing. We continue to focus on mathematics learning and growth and our new Mathematics Curriculum Director has been reviewing data from multiple sources, meeting with teachers, and visiting classrooms to observe practice directly. Additionally, after piloting interim assessment tools last year we are fully implementing iReady at the 1-5 level which will provide teachers with actionable data in real time at multiple points during the school year. We continue to focus on developing performance assessments connected to relevant and rigorous units that engage and challenge students in authentic ways through our partnership with MCIEA .... There are a significant number of initiatives happening across the district that support all of our learners. I am not sure that you can ever be satisfied with the results, but I am extremely proud of the hard work and dedication of our faculty and staff. "

The state rolled out "next generation" tests in 2019, which have much higher expectations, especially in math and English. Sixty-one percent of 10th graders statewide met or exceeded expectations on the new English MCAS, while 59 percent hit that mark for the max exam. Both percentages were well below the results from 2018 where 91 percent met those parameters for English, and 78 percent scored at that level on the old Math exam.

Thankfully for students, the state is taking that into account when determining passing scores. For the next two years, the passing score will be at the upper end of the "not meeting expectations" category.

Check out how all the Milford schools did on the 2019 MCAS test below:

Milford High School Grade 10 Math and English

Milford High School Grade 10 Science

Stacy Middle School

Woodland Elementary School