The October 26 meeting of the Mattapoisett School Committee heard a presentation on MCAS testing data that was generally encouraging, but the committee did not shy away from efforts to pinpoint areas where it can help facilitate improvement in weaker areas.
The summary of scores were as follows: 530-560 Exceeding Expectations, 500-529 Meeting Expectations, 470-499 Partially Meeting Expectation and 440-469 Not Meeting Expectations.
Student Growth Percentiles (SGP’s) were issued to students having registered prior scores and having met current grade-level requirements on a 1-99 scale and are measured against the state’s mean SGP. English Language and Mathematics are counted but not Science.
Dr. Shari Federowicz, assistant superintendent of Teaching and Learning, identified three statewide trends for ORR District consumption: English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics is in a recovery stage, while Science achievement has shown a slight decrease; Grade 3 (Kindergarten kids in 2020) show flat results; and while “recovery” may show improvement, “achievement” may not improve.
Mattapoisett has steadily been above the state mean but also shows a dip from 2022 to 2023.
Dr. Linda Ashley, principal at Center School, gave an overview of scores among Grades 3-6, which had ELA and math recovery and achievement scores higher than the state mean and Grade 5 Science scores above the state level. Ashley said ELA has work to do but is in an encouraging place post-pandemic.
She pointed out that determining the areas of punctuation is an area of challenge and also determining the meaning of words in context.
Old Hammondtown Principal Kevin Tavares said that Mattapoisett’s Mathematics accountability is in the top 12% in the state. He said that, although the district’s scores are flat, “our students perform at a pretty high level.”
Among 10 categories in which Grade 4 students were measured in math, the only area Mattapoisett fell below the state average (and only slightly so) was in understanding fractions and the properties of multiplication.
In Science, 65% of Mattapoisett Grade 5 students met or exceeded expectations.
Going forward, action steps are already being taken with the implementation of the district-wide HILL for Literacy program.
In math, Tavares gave an overview of several areas where Mattapoisett students are testing well above the state mean. Action steps include progress monitoring with Aimsweb Plus, Go Math! and teacher-made assessments.
Curriculum will be modified and realigned to meet pacing needs.
While the committee’s sentiment was that everything’s going in the right direction, Grade 3 was identified as lagging particularly in math.
Committee members Cristen Cowles and Chairperson Carly Lavin articulated a desire to help make the students as confident as they can be in learning and entering exams. While acknowledging that she doesn’t want to coach kids to tests per se, Lavin recognized areas where students can do better. Lavin said she would like to see more explanation in homework, students explaining how they arrive at their answers to questions in math assignments, for instance.
After further discussion, ORR Superintendent of Schools Mike Nelson sought to reinforce perspective by applauding the stakeholders’ effort to look at the more difficult test results by reminding the committee and administration that they are third-grade children.
“I don’t want to diminish the conversation on pushing in areas that we can improve, but it’s important to talk about the whole child,” he said.
Lavin acknowledged Nelson’s point, adding that what a third-grade child looks like today differs from what it was in 2019.
Nelson presented a 2024-25 Draft School Calendar and said having it earlier than in recent years has allowed for more planning. He said he hopes to have a calendar ready for the Joint School Committee’s vote in January.
Lavin asked for feedback from committee members on the proposed calendar.
Nelson said a key piece of feedback he has received from faculty is that two full days of professional development before the students arrive at the start of the school year has been beneficial.
In his business report, Assistant Superintendent of Finance & Operations Howie Barber told the committee the district has approximately $968,000 of “unobligated funding.”
In her Chairperson’s Report, Lavin noted that the system’s youngest learners have spent half of their lives under the unusual circumstances of the global pandemic and that the committee appreciates the efforts of the ORR Administration and faculty and staff to mitigate that situation for the children.
Recognizing his plan to retire at the conclusion of the school year, Lavin singled out Tavares’ commitment to the students that “will live on for years to come” and got some laughs when she called her remarks “the first of many opportunities” to laud him. Nelson piled on.
Given the floor, Tavares thanked the Parent Teacher Association for its support to Grade 5 students in their recent trip to the Boston Tea Party Museum. He also noted that Old Hammondtown has the most students participating in Project 351 in the ORR District.
Cowles said there are areas where preschoolers can use some extra help.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett School Committee is scheduled for Thursday, December 7, at 6:30 pm at Center School and remotely via Zoom.
Mattapoisett School Committee
By Mick Colageo