DESE report shows Canton schools well above average
By Mike BergerWhile overall standardized test results were mixed and absenteeism remains an ongoing concern throughout the district, Canton schools continue to perform well in relation to their counterparts, according to the latest accountability report put out by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).
Although a formal accountability classification was not assigned to most schools in 2022 due to the lingering impacts of COVID-19, schools did receive an accountability percentile, which offers a measuring stick for overall performance compared to other Massachusetts schools in the same gradespan.
As detailed by CPS Data Analytics Manager Josh Fogel during the October 6 School Committee meeting, the percentile ranges between 1 and 99 and is calculated using up to two years of data for all accountability indicators, including average composite MCAS scores, growth in student performance, chronic absenteeism rates, graduation and dropout rates, advanced coursework completion, and progress demonstrated by English Language Learners (ELL).
Most Canton schools were rated well above average, with the JFK Elementary as the top performer in the 81st percentile, followed closely by Luce Elementary (79th percentile). Both schools, in fact, improved in comparison to other K-5 schools since the metric was last calculated in 2019, with the Luce gaining 8 percentage points and the JFK climbing by 1 point.
[Click here for a listing of individual school profiles prepared by DESE]
The Hansen Elementary School, meanwhile, finished in the 77th percentile — still very strong but lower than its rating district-best marks in 2018 (88) and 2019 (82). Canton High School also saw declines but still performed better than 72 percent of 9-12 secondary schools.
The Galvin Middle School saw the largest declines and landed in the 54th percentile among 6-8 schools — down from a percentile of 71 in 2018 and 64 in 2019. Fogel said lower scores among ELL and lower income students were a factor, but overall he said the GMS accountability measure offers “some reasons for celebration and opportunities for growth.”
He added that CHS clearing the 70th percentile was commendable while the elementary schools’ percentiles showed that all three are in “good shape.”
During his initial MCAS presentation to the School Committee, Fogel stressed that absenteeism continues to be a challenge for the district as it works to return to pre-pandemic achievement levels. Notably, he said, chronic absenteeism — defined as missing 10 percent or more of the school days in a year — increased by 171 percent for students in grades 3-8 from 2019 to 2022. District-wide, Fogel said CPS students had an average of 11 absences in 2022 and 18 percent of the students were deemed chronically absent in 2022 — compared to 11 percent in 2021.
On an encouraging note, Fogel said the district’s Test and Stay program, managed to prevent 6,518 total absences last year.
In terms of overall MCAS performance, Fogel said math scores increased slightly from 2021, while ELA scores declined and science scores fell slightly in grades 3-8. He cited lower writing scores and early literacy challenges as two areas of focus to address ELA performance.
District administrators and school principals will now devise focus areas for each individual school, which will be presented at a future School Committee meeting. Individual student MCAS reports will also be mailed home to parents in the coming weeks.
Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=93739
Posted by Mike Berger
on Oct 21 2022. Filed under News, Schools.
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