Though Below State Average, Cambridge Schools Up Scores

Cambridge scored notably below state averages on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) test last spring, but the city’s beleaguered school system still has something to celebrate.

When the standardized test scores were presented at a meeting of the Cambridge School Committee last night, district officials lauded an increase in district scores from previous years.

“Rather than small incremental progress we’ve seen in the past, this seems different,” committee member Alan C. Price said.

Passing scores in the 10th grade—which determine whether or not students may graduate from high school—increased 9 percent over the past three years in English and 10 percent since last year in math.

This year 63 percent of Cambridge 10th-graders already have the necessary scores to graduate when they are seniors, compared with 49 percent of 10th-graders in 2002 and 53 percent in 2001.

And the district—plagued by persistent gaps in achievement in minority and low-income students—also boasted a higher passing rate of black and Hispanic students as compared with the state.

But scores among Asian, white and non-native English speaking black students slipped this year, and the district lagged behind state scores for special education and low-income students.

Nonetheless, officials and committee members emphasized their progress at a time when morale in the system is low after years of declining enrollment and a divisive battle over school mergers.

“We need to do more publicizing of the positive in our system,” said Executive Director of Student Achievement and Accountability Maryann MacDonald, who announced the district’s results. “We are doing as well as and in some cases exceeding our counterparts in the state.”

MacDonald recognized two schools, the Fletcher-Maynard Academy and the King School, for showing marked increases in performance this year.

Leaders of both schools shared their strategies with the committee.

They said they had worked to align their school curricula with the test, extended class periods, provided after school programs, and focused on literacy in both language arts and math classes.

Their presentation was met with effusive praise from committee members.

“I’m extremely happy to hear about high expectations for all kids,” said Mayor Michael A. Sullivan, who chairs the committee. “We don’t take the time to say thank you very often.”

But Alice L. Turkel—the only committee member not running for re-election—said that the school system should not be too quick to rejoice.

“I don’t want to be accused of putting a positive spin on all this,” she said. “Significant declines should be noted as well as particular increases.”

Committee members also praised the swift action of newly-installed Superintendent of Schools Thomas Fowler-Finn in bringing the test scores to the committee.

Under former superintendent Bobbie J. D’Alessandro, the committee had to wait until the results of several different tests had been compiled before they saw any scores, according to committee member Nancy Walser. And Fowler-Finn’s decision to present the scores shortly after their release has led to “more focused discussion,” she said.

“I’m glad this info came out right away,” committee member Joseph G. Grassi said. “Even having this discussion is quite monumental for the system.”

—Staff writer Claire A. Pasternack can be reached at cpastern@fas.harvard.edu.