Math scores are up, language scores lag

By Elizabeth Bernardi   

Results for the 2007 Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) examinations are in. By the numbers, Somerville’s results are mixed, reflecting successes in mathematics and continued struggles in English Language Arts, but the district remains positive about the changes it has made to comply with state standards.

The MCAS results are used by the state to determine a district’s progress toward 100 percent student proficiency in Math and English by the year of 2014, a goal set by the federal No Child Left Behind Law.

The test, which was designed with the help of Massachusetts teachers, is considered one of the most rigorous in the nation. Students are tested in every grade from third through eighth, and again in high school in grade ten. Passage of the final MCAS exam is a requirement for high school graduation.

At the high stakes high school level, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Vince McKay said the news this year was positive.

‚ÄúThe high school over the last three years in both math and language arts has shown slow but steady improvement each year.‚Äù The MCAS provides results in several forms, and McKay pointed to the Composite Performance Index  (CPI), a single number out of 100 that effectively summarizes the findings for a particular subject.

“In English Language Arts,” said McKay, “the CPI was 77 in 2005, 79 in 2006 and 80 in 2007. In Math we went from 75 to 76 to 78. That’s steady improvement.”

Results are distributed for the district’s various subgroups (which are based on ethnicity and family income) as well. According to McKay, all subgroups have shown similar steady improvement except for those students with limited English skills.

At the elementary level, McKay said the picture was more complicated. There are 14 exams issued to students in grades three through eight, and of those 14, the district improved in five, showed no change in five, and declined in four.

“Math has been our area of improvement,” said McKay. “In fourth grade in particular, we were up 13 percent.” He attributed the improvement to the new mathematics curriculum, currently in its third year.

“We’re up as well in grade six math, almost 7 percent increase, and the same with grade eight math – 4 percent improvement. That’s the result of a lot of hard work over the last several years.”

The challenge now, said McKay, will be to make similar improvements in the Language Arts.

“All four exams that showed a decline were in English Language Arts, and we’re not sure yet what the cause of that was.”

Despite so many positive numbers, the 2007 results leave the district in a state of “Corrective Action,” indicating that it failed to meet “Adequate Yearly Progress” (AYP) toward 100 percent proficiency. Since 2001, the district has failed to meet AYP only one other time, in 2005. But throughout that time, various student subgroups have struggled consistently.

“This is our fourth consecutive year not making it for all subgroups,” McKay said. “Even though we made it in aggregate [in the past], we have never made AYP for all subgroups.”

This points to the challenges Somerville faces as an urban school district, both in teaching students and in assessing the MCAS results to make future changes.

“One difficulty is the transients of student population,” said McKay. Another challenge is the number of students who have limited proficiency in English, with 51 different home languages represented. And then there are the economic challenges faced by many families in Somerville.

Despite this, McKay was quick to add that the district makes no excuses, and that it highly supports the rigor of the MCAS exam.

“These are tests that were largely developed by our teachers, as opposed to being bought off the shelf. Holding kids to these standards is a good thing to prepare them to be successful in the 21st century in a global economy, so we believe strongly in these standards, and we are determined to get every kid in our care to reach these standards.”

In a message on the school district’s website, Superintendent Tony Pierantozzi echoed that sentiment. “While the educational system will not be rerouted to focus on MCAS test prep,” Pierantozzi wrote, “we know we need to redouble our efforts to continuously improve how we teach to ensure every student learns our curriculum topics and standards.”

The district has a three-tiered approach to tackle this goal. There is first remediation for students who are struggling. Second, there is the alignment of the district curriculum with state standards and improved instruction, and third is working with the “special populations,” as McKay called them. This includes the students with limited English proficiency and those with other special education needs.

“We’re making sure that those students have access to the same high-quality curriculum,” said McKay.

To those ends, the district has implemented the Somerville Curriculum Standards, as a focal point for the district’s work. The district has also added curriculum team leaders, faculty in each building who work on instructional planning. And students who score below proficient in one year’s exam are offered after-school MCAS test preparation that begins in November the following year to get them back on track. All of this is the district’s way of preparing students to meet a predetermined standard without allowing that standard to overtake the school year.

McKay himself is a newcomer to Somerville, with previous experience on the South Shore and in Bedford and Brookline. Two months into his new job in Somerville, McKay is impressed with what Somerville is doing for its students.

“I came here because I strongly believe in our mission to provide a high quality education for all students and to be a leader among urban districts in our state,” he said, “and we are very focused on that. That is something that the district leadership and the school committee embraces.”