mobanmarketSALEM, MA — Salem school officials are lauding the district’s gains in the most recent MCAS testing results as the debate rages statewide about the role the standardized tests should play in determining classroom success and suitability for high school graduation.
Salem High School and the Horace Mann Elementary School were among the 57 schools statewide to be named “Schools of Distinction” for high achievement, significant growth and meeting their MCAS and Accountability goals.
As a district, the state Department of Secondary and Elementary Education said Salem schools made “substantial” progress toward proficiency targets. Over the last two years, Salem has met or exceeded more accountability targets than any of the 26 “Gateway” cities across the state.
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“I want to commend Salem’s students and our educators for their achievements,” said Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo, who also chairs the Salem School Committee. “While we still have lots of work to do, the gains and academic accomplishments demonstrated by this data is worth celebrating. The progress that Salem Public Schools is witnessing is the direct outcome of the intentional efforts of so many across our community.
“We’re a city and a school district that is focused on and prioritizes the success of every child, creating a culture of belonging and high standards for every student, and providing the strategies and tools necessary to achieve that goal. The Spring 2024 MCAS and accountability data is powerful evidence that what’s happening in Salem is making a positive difference for our city’s kids. I couldn’t be prouder to be a Salem Public School parent and to be part of this remarkable community.”
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While Superintendent Steve Zrike said, “these are the largest one-year high school increases in Salem’s history and among the largest increases anywhere in the Commonwealth,” he also repeated his previously stated belief that the MCAS “are only one indicator of student and school success.”
The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System continues to be divisive statewide as supporters say they are an important tool for “assessment and accountability” while others — including prominent teachers’ unions and many urban school administrators — said they are “harmful,” “punitive” and are supporting a November ballot initiative (Question 2) to remove MCAS passage as a high school graduation requirement.
That requirement has been in place in Massachusetts since 2003.
“It’s concerning that the state continues to use an accountability system that is obviously not working — one that is punitive toward the students with the highest levels of need, one that only exacerbates the achievement gaps we’re seeing between students in our cities and their peers in wealthier suburbs,” American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts President Jessica Tang said in a statement to Patch on Tuesday.
Salem celebrated the high school results — which include Salem High, New Liberty Innovation and Salem Prep — that showed the highest achievement scores in Salem High history in ELA, math and science — a 13 percent increase in proficiency in ELA, a 15 percent increase in math and a 23 percent increase in science.
The Horace Mann Laboratory School met or exceeded 92 percent of the state’s performance goals while Bates Elementary School (78 percent), SHS (59), and Saltonstall School (56) also met/exceeded performance targets.
Witchcraft Heights Elementary School (70) and the Collins Middle School (48) made substantial progress toward improvement goals while the Carlton Innovation School (45) and Bentley Academy Innovation School (48) made moderate progress.
“We are very encouraged by the progress we are making, particularly at the high school level as well as in math district-wide,” Zrike said. “While we are pleased by the improvement, we still have extensive work to do to ensure that every student achieves their academic potential.”
(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at [email protected]. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)
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