Melrose 2022 MCAS Results: Some Scores Improve As State Notes Challenges

MELROSE, MA — State 2022 MCAS results last week offered a mixed bag of results for the Melrose Public Schools, with scores bucking some state trends while mirroring trends in other areas in the wake of learning disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic and pandemic precautions.

Statewide, English Language Arts scores fell while math scores increased in third through eighth grade for 2022 testing compared to 2021. Math scores dipped slightly in tenth grade.

In Melrose, the rate of third through eighth grade students meeting or exceeding expectations in English fell three percent from 63% to 60% in 2022. Third through eighth grade math rates improved by five percent. Fifth and eighth grade science rates jumped seven percent, beating state rates which remained level.

The tenth grade English meeting/exceeding expectations rate improved by three percent as math scores remained level.

Tenth grade science test scores this year were not comparable to previous years as the state rolled out a new “next generation” MCAS test for tenth graders for the first time in 2022.

2022 was the first year of full MCAS testing since 2019. The state canceled testing in 2020 due to COVID-19. Though officials brought tests back for 2021, tests in grades three through eight ran as "half tests.”

Data from 2021 still showed sharp drops in student scores as classes navigated the impacts of remote learning and an array of other issues related to COVID-19. Despite gains this year, 2022 state metrics across categories remained below pre-pandemic figures from 2019.

In Melrose, in comparison, the tenth grade English meeting/exceeding expectations rate and the eighth grade science rate were three percent higher than 2019 figures.

Elsewhere, local scores remained below 2019 counterparts, following state trends.

These results came as state officials last week acknowledged lingering impacts of lost learning during COVID-19 on students.

Among comments, State Education Secretary James Peyser said on Thursday that the results “show that it may take a few years for students to recover academically from the COVID-19 pandemic."

State Sen. Jason Lewis, whose district includes Melrose, was among others reacting, issuing a statement with joint Committee on Education co-chair and State Rep. Alice Peisch on Thursday.

“We applaud the hard work and dedication of faculty and staff at Massachusetts schools who remain committed to providing the best possible education to our children,” Lewis and Peisch wrote. “Despite their best efforts, it is clear that the public health crisis has negatively impacted student learning and mental health since March 2020.”

Lewis and Peisch said their committee will hold an informational hearing later this year to hear testimony on both the extent of interrupted learning and next steps to address student needs.

“The legislature will utilize the critical data and information gathered by the Education Committee to inform future policy decisions on where we go from here to ensure that our students are well served as we come out of the pandemic,” the pair continued.

Debate has continued about the place of the MCAS and standardized testing in general in school accountability systems.

Earlier this year, though, the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted to increase minimum MCAS scores required to graduate high school.

That move came during a meeting at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education headquarters in Malden, prompting protests and opposition from groups concerned about student stress, an increased focus on test prep and an incomplete picture of school and student success in test score data.

Amid that opposition, State Education Commissioner Jeff Riley argued for the tighter MCAS graduation standards in filings with the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, saying research had shown students who score at or near the current passing threshold were not prepared for success at the postsecondary level.

New MCAS graduation requirements are set to take effect for the high school class of 2026.

See Melrose’s 2022 MCAS data here.