Westborough Schools Make the Grade

School Committee Meeting

Dr. Daniel Mayer, assistant superintendent of schools, presented the school committee with the scores of the 2011 Advanced Placement Exams taken last spring.

The AP exam grades on a 1 to 5 scale with the score of 3 qualifying a student for college credit. Given this grading system, he reported the following:

- A total of 188 students participated in the testing program in May, taking a total of 323 exams.

- Students scored 3 or above on 92% of the tests taken.

- Students scored 4 or above on 73% of the tests and a 5 on 49% of the tests.

Dr. Mayer said that the school district is "committed to continue to provide professional develpment for AP teachers by enrolling them in summer training programs, supporting their enrollment in workshops and conferences and encouraging them to collaborate with colleagues in other institutes." 

“Overall we had a very strong showing, and we can use these results to create a discussion about areas that need improvement,” he added.

Superintendent of schools Marianne O'Connnor assured the comittee that, due to the strenuous workload and time commitment of AP classes, the emotional and social welface of the student is always considered when letting students sign up for them.

Following the AP exam results, Dr. Mayer shared the 2011 MCAS results, noting that Westborough students, on average, are performing at exceptionally high levels. In all subjects - English/Language Arts, Math and Science - they have consistenly scored significantly higher than the state average.

Karen Henderson, Chair of the School Commitee, spoke for everyone on the committee when she said, "we are very happy with what we are seeing."