MCAS Results Show Mixed Performance for Swampscott Students Across Subjects

There are only eight out of the 18 Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) subjects assessed across the district on which above 50% of Swampscott students met or exceeded expectations.

“The tests are designed to measure mastery of the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks in each subject,” Superintendent Jason Calichman told the Swampscott Tides. “We also teach to those standards. However, remember that this is one test, one data point, for a student. We also need to look holistically at their performance and incorporate their classwork, our internal assessments, their contributions to our community – there are many ways to measure success.”

The MCAS is a set of standardized tests given throughout the state to students. The tests are created by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education staff, educators and test contractors. MCAS are given on a computer and have a variety of question formats, including multiple choice, short answers and essays.

Students in grades 3 through 8 and grade 10 take the MCAS in English language arts and mathematics. Students in grades 5, 8 and one high school grade (usually ninth or tenth grade) take a science MCAS, and grade 8 students take civics MCAS test as well.

In Swampscott, the data is as follows:

Grade and Subject	Meeting or Exceeding Expectations %	Exceeding Expectations %	Meeting Expectations %	Partially Meeting Expectations %	Not Meeting Expectations %	Number of Students Includes
3 – English language arts	53	7	46	35	12	149
3 – mathematics	50	10	40	36	14	149
4 – English language arts	53	3	50	36	11	145
4 – mathematics	43	8	4	47	10	145
5 – English language arts	45	2	42	41	15	137
5 – mathematics	45	4	4	42	13	138
5 – science and tech/eng	52	10	42	31	17	135
6 – English language arts	35	4	31	47	18	148
6 – mathematics	46	1	45	36	18	147
7 – English language arts	37	5	32	50	13	146
7 – mathematics	47	5	42	45	8	144
8 – English language arts	52	7	45	33	15	163
8 – mathematics	40	6	34	49	11	163
8 – science and tech/eng	44	4	40	45	11	161
8 – civics	60	10	50	35	5	162
10 – English language arts	54	5	48	37	9	170
10 – mathematics	48	12	36	39	12	170
10 – science	67	10	57	27	6	158
3-8 – English language arts	46	5	41	3	14	888
3-8 – mathematics	45	6	40	43	1	886
5, 8 – science and tech/eng	48	6	41	39	14	296

“There are many factors contributing to these scores, but of course we want students to excel and succeed,” Calichman said.

For the middle school, the trends for meeting and exceeding expectations in English language arts as well as mathematics and science are still going down, after last year’s slight bump up.

“That is true when you look at the same grade year to year. However, we all know that different cohorts of students have different strengths and weaknesses,” Calichman said. “As a result, it is better to look at the data in a different way to measure ‘value add.’”

Calichman emphasized that it’s “more important” to analyze data by following a class cohort over time, rather than focusing solely on results from a single grade level.

“For example, when you look at scores as students progress through grades 5-8 as a cohort, you will see improvement,” he said.

When compared locally, the Marblehead School District is pretty comparable, with 12% of third through eighth graders exceeding expectations in English Language Arts, 47% meeting expectations, 33% partially meeting and 8% not meeting expectations.

The Lynn School District, however, has fewer students meeting expectations compared to Swampscott. Only 1% of third through eighth grade students are exceeding in Lynn in English language arts, 16% meeting expectations, 44% partially meeting expectations, and 39% not meeting expectations.

“I believe that Swampscott has been doing great work,” Calichman said. “Our educators and students are valued as individuals first, and we take great pride in the work we do every day.”

The scores for state averages, however, aren’t too different:

Grade and Subject	Meeting or Exceeding Expectations %	Exceeding Expectations %	Meeting Expectations %	Partially Meeting Expectations %	Not Meeting Expectations %
3 – English language arts	42	6	37	39	19
3 – mathematics	44	10	34	36	21
4 – English language arts	40	4	36	41	19
4 – mathematics	43	8	35	40	17
5 – English language arts	38	5	33	47	15
5 – mathematics	40	7	33	43	17
5 – science and tech/eng	46	9	37	34	20
6 – English language arts	42	10	32	36	22
6 – mathematics	41	7	34	42	17
7 – English language arts	42	7	34	36	22
7 – mathematics	39	9	30	41	20
8 – English language arts	44	11	33	34	22
8 – mathematics	38	8	31	41	21
8 – science and tech/eng	37	6	31	44	19
8 – civics	39	6	33	45	16
10 – English language arts	51	10	41	35	15
10 – mathematics	45	12	33	39	16
10 – science	46	11	35	38	16
3-8 – English language arts	42	7	34	39	20
3-8 – mathematics	41	8	33	40	19
5, 8 – science and tech/eng	42	8	34	39	19

“I think as everyone has read in the media, the results across the state are discouraging,” Calichman said. “The scores have not rebounded to pre-pandemic levels of 2019.”

While Massachusetts continues to rank at the top in the “Nation’s Report Card,” MCAS results in English language arts and high school math are lower than in 2021, when many students were still at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Overall, about 42% of Massachusetts students are meeting expectations on the tests. Prior to the pandemic, the numbers were closer to half of students.

This year, 18% of students failed the MCAS. About 11% of students in Massachusetts did so prior to the pandemic.

For Swampscott, though, Calichman added that at all levels of education within the district, the schools’ improvement plans have goals “related to meeting the needs of all students.”

“This is intentional,” he said. “We are working hard as a district to put systems in place to support students in both growth and achievement – to meet them where they are and push them forward with flexible, engaging, standards-aligned instruction. At the same time, we want school to be a place where they want to be, they feel they belong, and thrive in all areas of their lives.

Calichman went on to say that the district is “working hard” to support all students and families.

“We have a phenomenal staff that works tirelessly and cares deeply for our kids,” Calichman said. “Partnering with families and our community is a focus for us, and we are achieving great things. Again, MCAS is one data point at one point in time. I couldn’t be prouder of working in such a phenomenal district.”