Westfield Public Schools Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski (WNG file photo)
WESTFIELD – Westfield Public Schools Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski and Director of Assessment and Accountability Denise Ruszala spoke Monday about the district’s accountability data and MCAS results released by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education late last week.
“We are no longer in need of intervention. The district as a whole has improved significantly from last year,” Czaporowski said.
This year, the state has done away with the level classifications. Two years ago (FY17), Westfield received a Level 3 status; last year new levels were not assigned. “If they had the Level status, we got out of Level 3,” he said.
In place of levels is a new accountability system with three classifications; not requiring assistance or intervention, or requiring assistance in two categories. The new accountability system designated the vast majority of schools and districts as not requiring assistance or intervention while other schools and districts were designated as in need of Focused/Targeted Support or Broad/Comprehensive Support.
The new accountability system considers: Student achievement, Student growth, High school completion, English proficiency, Chronic absenteeism, and Advanced coursework.
The district as a whole is not requiring assistance or intervention. Only Westfield High School was listed as requiring assistance, based on attendance and absenteeism during the MCAS test. “Students need to be in school on those days. Parents opting out can cause the school to (be listed as) requiring assistance,” Czaporowski said.
“We have already put together an attendance committee,” he added, one which will be headed by Ruszala and Christopher Rogers, Administrator of Student Interventions.
In terms of each school’s overall performance relative to other schools in the state, Abner Gibbs was the highest performing elementary school this year, at a 51 accountability percentile, compared to a 22 two years ago (FY2016). Last year, the accountability percentiles were not assigned to Grades 3 to 8, as they made the change to Next Generation MCAS.
Ruszala said that last year, Abner Gibbs implemented full inclusion of Special Education teachers into the general classrooms, the only one to do so, although all of the schools are heading in that direction.
“We saw some really nice gains,” Ruszala said.
Other elementary schools which showed increases included Franklin Ave, which rose from 21 accountability percentile in FY16 to 43; Highland, which increased from 23 to 35, and Paper Mill which increased from 39 to 43.
Munger Hill remained at the 44 accountability percentile, and Southampton Road School decreased slightly from 50 to 48.
Westfield Middle School remained at the 17 accountability percentile from FY16. Westfield Middle School North and Russell Elementary were not listed because they changed grade levels and closed (Russell).
In 2017, Westfield Technical Academy was in the 17 accountability percentile, and in 2018, moved up to 34, another highlight for the district, Czaporowski said.
WHS decreased from 28 in accountability percentile in 2017 to 26 in 2018. Czaporowski said this incorporates the attendance and drop-out rates, although he said the latter improved with the Pathways program at the Alternative Learning Center, where 23 of the 25 seniors graduated in 2018. This year, enrollment at the Alternative Learning Center has increased from 32 to 51.
Students in Grade 10 at both WTA and WHS took the Legacy MCAS on paper last year for English Language Arts, Math and Science (STEM). The Legacy MCAS results for Grade 10 for percentage of students achieving Proficient/Advanced in ELA were Westfield 88, compared to a statewide average of 91; for Math, Westfield 69, State 78; and STEM, Westfield 68, State 74.
This spring, 2019, all Grade 10 students will take the online Next Generation MCAS in ELA and Math. Czaporowski said the students taking the new tests will have already taken the Grade 8 test online. “Students are more comfortable with online testing,” Ruszala said.
Students in Grades 3 to 8 in 2018 took the online Next Generation MCAS. The categories for the Next Generation test are Exceeding Expectations, Meeting Expectations, Partially Meeting Expectations and Not Meeting Expectations.
The combined scores for percentage of students in Grades 3 to 8 Meeting or Exceeding Expectations in Westfield in ELA were 51, the statewide average; and in Math, 47, compared to the statewide average of 48.
The 2018 MCAS report card is available online at profiles.doe.mass.edu.
Westfield Public Schools Director of Assessment and Accountability Denise Ruszala and Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski. (Photo submitted)
Ruszala said the Parent-Guardian MCAS reports for the students will be going out in the next couple of weeks. She said they are individual reports on the child’s performance in comparison to the district and state in math, ELA and science. “For a parent, it’s a snapshot in time. It’s not the be all and end all; just one little piece of academic performance,” Ruszala said.
In assessing the data, the district also has the ability to look at results by individual questions. If one question is missed across the board, they will be asking if they are missing something in that teaching, Czaporowski said.
“This is still a new assessment based on new frameworks which will take time to stabilize and measure,” Ruszala said, adding that the district has been teaching the new curriculum frameworks, and has participated in online testing for several years. The new frameworks are more rigorous grade level expectations for student achievement, Ruszala said.
“The last standards were very specific,” said Czaporowski, giving the example of students being assigned a specific book to read. He said the new standards are based on acquiring skills, and give teachers and students the flexibility on how to get there. He said the district is also transforming lesson plans with more real world applications.
Students also now have options with programs like “Edgenuity” at WHS to take enrichment and make up courses on their own, Czaporowski said.
Ruszala said for staff, it means changing instructional practices. “These students are ready for these standards and shifts; ready for these gains,” she said, adding, “Parents can feel more confident about our schools.”
Czaporowski said he wanted to “shout out” to the teaching staff for teaching the new standards.
Ruszala said that the population is still changing in the district. She said there are more English language learners this year than ever – 275, up from an average of 240. The special education population is increasing, along with students in the high needs category.
Czaporowski said these increases would normally cause declines in testing, but instead there are increases. He said the district is focusing on and promoting the growth mindset that all students can learn. “We are changing the culture of teaching for students – they can do anything if they try,” he said.
“To me, that’s encouraging,” Ruszala said.
“We have a long way to go,” Czaporowski said, noting that Math in general is showing the least improvement, but, he added, it is still showing improvement.
“In my third year as Superintendent, this makes me very happy. Scores are showing gains. It’s a validation of the work we’re doing, and supports our strategic planning moving forward,” Czaporowski said.
