Woburn Lags Behind State Averages In MCAS Testing For Grades 3-8

WOBURN, MA -- Woburn Public Schools students in fourth, seventh and eighth grades 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, Woburn sixth graders scored lower than state averages in mathematics on the next generation MCAS test.

Woburn Public Schools officials were not immediately available for comment. Overall, 49% of Woburn students in grades 3-8 met or exceeded expectations in English language arts, which matched the average across the state. In mathematics, 45% of students met or exceeded state expectations, below 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.

There were some bright spots in the report: Woburn 57% third graders met or exceeded expectations in English Language Arts, above the state average of 47%. Fifty six percent met or exceeded expectations in math, above the state average of 49%.

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

In 2015 Woburn Memorial High School was designated an under-performing school by the state following the release of MCAS scores. The turnaround between 2015 and 2016 led to the school receiving a national award for improvement.

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).