Greetings, and Happy New Year!
At the school committee meeting on December 12th, I presented our MCAS 2.0 results, along with our Accountability ratings for the Legacy MCAS test still being administered at the high school level and in science grades 5 and 8. Here are a few highlights from that presentation as well as the full presentation for your review.
We are in a testing transition in grades 3-8 Math and English Language Arts (ELA) that has extended over the past several years. For two years (14-15 and 15-16) we participated in the PARCC test along with many other districts in Massachusetts. While we received very little item analysis from these tests, we were able to glean several areas in which we needed to make progress: in math around applying concepts to new situations, choosing multiple correct responses, and showing-explaining work; and in ELA around analysis of multiple complex texts, especially in written or essay responses. These skills are part of the Common Core standards in ELA and math, released in 2010 and revised in 2017. We have been working as a district on aligning our instruction to these standards.
The MCAS 2.0 test, which students in grades 3-8 took for the first time in spring 2017, sets a baseline for the new test and as such gives us a solid starting point in a more coherent testing system. While it will take several years to adjust to the new test, Bedford has taken necessary steps to strengthen our instruction and student performance. Lane School's classroom teachers are involved in deep professional development around the teaching of reading so as to meet the learning needs of each student. JGMS teachers are collaborating more closely around the teaching of non-fiction reading and writing to further strengthen students' abilities to analyze and draw conclusions from multiple complex texts. In math, we are working closely to pace the curriculum and build in the more complex math practices required by the standards, and by these tests.
When you review the attached presentation, you will see in more detail how students performed and the steps we have taken. Families received detailed individual reports on their students' performance in the fall.
In terms of accountability, there are no accountability ratings for these new MCAS 2.0 tests, so the Lane School and John Glenn Middle School have no ratings. (That is true of all schools grades 3-8 across Massachusetts.) At the high school, we slipped to Level 2 for the first time because several subgroups (such as High Needs students) did not make the required proficiency gains in math and science, although we did make necessary gains in English. As is our practice each year, we analyze the learning needs of any student who scored below proficient and adjust instruction, student schedule, and course material to meet those individual needs.
Later this month the district will be sending its annual "report card" to all families in the district. This report card, issued by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), will give even greater detail on the district performance as well as other factors, including information about student demographics and teacher licensure. You will receive this report via email, and it will also be posted on the district website.
Here is the link to the presentation given to school committee in December.
MCAS 2.0 and MCAS Accountability
If you have any questions, please feel free to write or call.
MLS
