The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education
2010 MCAS Results
I am pleased to present you with the 2010 Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) state results from the thirteenth annual administration of MCAS tests that took place last spring. Participation rates remained high and overall student achievement improved on 11 of the 17 tests. Once again, our results show progress in multiple subjects and grade levels.
MathematicsImprovement was most impressive in Mathematics, where the percentage of students performing at the Proficient level or higher increased from 2009 by one to five points at grades 3 and 5-8. While results were flat in grades 4 and 10, 75 percent of 10th grade students performed at the Proficient or Advanced level. I am particularly encouraged by the improvements in middle school Mathematics where for the first time in history more than half of all students in grades 7 and 8 scored in Proficient or Advanced levels.
English Language ArtsStudent achievement in English Language Arts (ELA) improved between 2009 and 2010 at three grade levels across the state (grades 3, 6, and 7), was flat at another three grade levels (4, 5, and 8), and declined by one point to 78 percent Proficient and Advanced at grade 10. Grade 3 results showed the greatest improvement with an increase of six points in the percentage of students scoring Proficient or higher.
Science and Technology/Engineering The percentage of students who performed at the Proficient or higher levels in Science and Technology/Engineering (STE) increased statewide in 2010. The improvement ranged from one point (grade 8) to four points (grades 5 and high school). Sixty-five percent of students in grade 10 performed at the Proficient or Advanced levels.
Progress of Students in the Class of 2012 toward Meeting the State Graduation Requirements
Eighty-six percent of students in the class of 2012 have already met the MCAS testing requirement for their Competency Determinations (CD) by performing at the Needs Improvement level or higher in ELA, Mathematics, and STE through the spring 2010 MCAS test administration. This figure represents an improvement over the first-time pass rates for the classes of 2010 (80 percent) and 2011 (83 percent). Sixty-seven percent of students have fully met the CD requirements by performing at the Proficient or Advanced level in both ELA and Mathematics and the Needs Improvement level in STE.
Performance of Subgroups
I am encouraged by the progress made in grade 3 ELA and Mathematics. The percentage of African American students performing at the Proficient or higher levels increased by seven points in both subjects. The percentage of Latino students performing at the Proficient or higher level increased by six points in ELA and seven points in Mathematics.
The achievement gap between African American and white students has narrowed slightly in ELA in grades 3, 5, and 7 and in Mathematics at grades 3, 7, 8, and 10. The gap between Latino and white students has similarly narrowed in ELA at grades 3, 5, 6, 7, and 10 and in Mathematics at grades 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 10.
Students from most grade 10 subgroups made gains in the percent earning a score of 220 or higher on all three grade 10 tests (for example, 70 percent of African American students compared to 66 percent in 2009; 66 percent of Latino students compared to 62 percent in 2009; 58 percent of students with disabilities compared to 55 percent in 2009; 72 percent of low income students compared to 68 percent in 2009).
Public Release of School and District Results
The Department will release MCAS results for schools and districts to the public on September 14.
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