DR. SUZANNE SCALLION
WESTFIELD — Statewide, the percent of students scoring Proficient or higher on MCAS rose in most subjects in most grade levels compared to 2014, said state education officials last week when this year’s scores were released.
According to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), 88 percent of 10th graders last spring (class of 2017) met the state’s minimum testing requirements to earn a high school diploma on their first attempt by scoring Needs Improvement or higher in English language arts, mathematics and science and technology/engineering. That is the same percentage as last year (class of 2016) and in 2013 (class of 2015). Eleven years ago, when the graduation requirement first took effect with the class of 2003, only 68 percent met the requirements on their first try.
Westfield’s report card
Westfield’s MCAS scores showed a mixed report card compared to state averages.
The strongest scores were in English Language Arts in Grades 5-10. Grades 3 and 4 were the exception, with mathematics edging out English and reading.
Among third graders, 61 percent had a Proficient or higher score (combining Advanced and Proficient) in reading, compared to 60 percent statewide, and 71 percent combined score in mathematics, compared to 70 percent statewide.
Fourth grade math scores showed 51 percent combined score of Proficient or higher, compared with the state’s 47 percent average. The fifth grade science combined score was at 52 percent compared to the state’s 51 percent. These were the only categories in which Westfield showed a higher percentage than the state average.
“We were very excited about that,” said Westfield School Superintendent Dr. Suzanne Scallion. “We had focused intensely on shoring up the reading and math in the elementary schools.”
She said four years ago the district began some intervention programs to support at risk learners scoring in the Needs Improvement category in grades 3-10. She said the data analysts for the Read 180 program said the students were achieving in the top 2-3 percent in the nation, and making up two years of school in one year.
“Dr. Jennifer Alexander and the teachers are using this program so successfully. There has been a big improvement in literacy,” Scallion said, adding that language arts supervisor Chris Tolpa and district literacy liaison Carly Bannish have also worked very hard on the literacy program.
Scallion said the change in the trend of improvement is even more noteworthy due to changing demographics in Westfield, including an 8.5 percent increase of students in poverty in the last five years, which often negatively impacts scores.
The lowest percentage of Proficient or above scores showed up in grades 7-8 math and eighth grade science.
Seventh grade combined scores for mathematics were at 38 percent, compared to 51 percent state-wide. This category also had the largest Warning/Failing score at 31 percent, compared to 23 percent state average. These scores have improved slightly from the previous year, with 4 percent more students scoring in Proficient and above, and 4 percent fewer in the two lowest categories.
The eighth grade math combined score was 46 percent, compared to a 60 percent state average, with 25 percent at Warning/Failing (state 17 percent), the second highest for Westfield. Again, this showed an improvement over last year of 7 percent in the higher categories, and 7 percent fewer in the lower categories.
“These are the kids caught in the middle,” Scallion said. “They started the new math program in fourth grade, and don’t have the foundation of K-3.”
She said these students were taught based on the old standards, and had to change to new math.
“The kids really struggled,” she said.
Scallion pointed to South Middle School’s scores in particular as showing improvement this year. Eighth grade math combined scores for South this year were 41 percent, up from 26 percent in 2014. Seventh graders at South scored 37 percent in Advanced and Proficient combined, up from 27 percent the previous year.
The overall eighth grade science combined score was 40 percent at Proficient or above, compared to the state’s average of 42 percent. Here, Westfield is close to the state averages, and has improved over last year’s scores by 4 percent. Again, South Middle School’s combined scores improved from 31 percent in 2014 to 40 percent this past spring.
Tenth grade scores for English at 90 percent for Proficient or above (state 91 percent), showed the highest percentage for Westfield. Broken down, 40 percent were in the Advanced category, and 49 percent Proficient (compared to the state’s 49 percent and 42 percent). Seven percent of students scored Needs Improvement, and 3 percent Warning/Failing, also the lowest in these categories for Westfield.
Scallion called the secondary scores “outstanding.”
“Overall, we’re seeing what we expected to see. We still have work to do,” Scallion said. “I’m very pleased with the efforts of our curriculum director Susan Dargie, all the teachers, and the students who are working very hard. Everything is moving in the right direction.”
