Tewksbury Sixth graders Struggle On MCAS Test, Fall Below State Average For Proficiency

TEWKSBURY, MA -- Sixth graders in the Tewksbury Public School system lagged behind their peers across the state in English and mathematics, according to test results released by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Wednesday. Additionally, Tewksbury 5th and 7th graders scored lower than state averages in mathematics on the next generation MCAS test.

Tewksbury Public Schools officials were not immediately available for comment. Overall, 56% of Tewksbury students in grades 3-8 met or exceeded expectations in English language arts, above the state average of 49%. In mathematics, 50% of students met or exceeded state expectations, above the state average of 48%.

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Massachusetts released the first results under the state's next generation standardized testing for public school students Thursday. While students in 10th grade took the older version of the MCAS test last spring, students in grades 3-8 took the newer version of the test used by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to evaluate school performance.

Tewksbury fourth and eighth graders did particularly well on the tests when compared to state averages. In math, 66% of fourth graders and 60% of eighth graders met or exceeded expectations. In English language arts, 65% of fourth graders and 66% of eight graders met or exceeded expectations.

The complete results are available on the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Website.

Patch file photo.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).