Boston's MCAS scores continue accelerated improvement

BRIGHTON - The Department of Education released the school and district Spring 2004 MCAS scores today, and the results for Boston Public Schools show promising data that students who needed to improve at a greater rate did so in this administration of the test.

Superintendent Thomas W. Payzant and School Committee Chair Elizabeth Reilinger have stated that the rate of improvement in Boston, while steady, needed to accelerate for those students who were behind in order to begin to narrow the achievement gap.

This year, the performance of Boston Public Schools students improved in almost every subject and every grade. However, the percent of students performing in the Proficient and Advanced categories, the top two scoring categories, has increased at a greater rate for African American and Hispanic students than their White and Asian classmates.

Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino said that the impressive MCAS results are another indicator of the quality of work that students in the Boston Public Schools have demonstrated over the past few years.

"I am proud of the improvement that our students have shown on the MCAS exams," he said. "The achievement of students in the Boston Public Schools is proof that an urban district can improve and perform when the students, teachers, principals, parents and the community work together to ensure the success of our schools."

Committee Chair Reilinger pointed to the improvement at the tenth grade level as evidence that recent reform efforts are taking hold.

"The School Committee and School Department committed to reforming our high schools by breaking them down into small schools and small learning communities to improve the relationships between students and adults in the buildings," she said. "Now, we are seeing that the additional support can make a difference. We see that more African American and Hispanic students leaped into the Proficient and Advanced categories and we hope that trend continues."

Superintendent Payzant reiterated that the School Department is focused on narrowing the achievement gap this year and said these results show that Boston is making progress toward that goal.

"We are starting to see what type of improvement can be realized when all students are supported and held to the same standard," he said. "I am particularly pleased to see more African American and Hispanic students performing at the Proficient level and above. I have said that we need to ensure that students are not only moving out of the lowest scoring category but that we need to concentrate on propelling all students into the Proficient score range so that they can succeed in school and in life."

The statewide release of the scores was hosted at Brighton High School where 52% of students scored in either Proficient or Advanced on the Mathematics exams, up from 29% in 2003. In English Language Arts (ELA) 36% scored in either Proficient or Advanced, up from 34% in 2003.

Massachusetts Commissioner of Education David P. Driscoll said he chose Brighton High School to host the release because of the great improvement they have demonstrated.

"The strides being taken at Brighton High School exemplify what we need to see more of across the state," Driscoll said. "A 25 percent increase in the number of students scoring in Proficient and Advanced in just one year is a tremendous accomplishment and the school's teachers and students deserve to be congratulated."

On the grade 10 MCAS Mathematics exam, the percent of students passing is up compared to last year and has increased significantly since the first administration in 1998. This year, 74% of students passed the exam up from 64% last year and 25% in 1998. Likewise, on the grade 10 ELA test, 77% passed this year as compared to 70% last year and 43% in 1998.

However, the concentration is on moving students into the top two categories. On the grade 10 Mathematics exam, African American students increased from 25% in Advanced and Proficient in 2003 to 31% in those two categories in 2004. Likewise, Hispanic students had a similar increase with 28% performing in the top two levels in 2003 with 35% performing there in 2004. The increase for Asian students for the same scoring levels and the same time increased by two percent points and White students remained at the same level.

On the grade 10 ELA test, African American students increased from 28% to 30% from 2003 to 2004 in the Advanced and Proficient categories. Also, Hispanic students increased from 24% to 28% for the same scoring levels and same timeframe. Asian students saw a one percentage point increase while White students declined by one percentage point in those two categories from 2003 to 2004.

In all subjects and grades except for Grade 6 Mathematics, the Boston Public Schools rate of improvement outpaced that of the state.

Read the MCAS Results of Spring 2004