Contrary to last week’s MCAS report in the Press, Bromfield’s 10th-grade math scores went up slightly this year, rather than down.
In its report, the Press wrongly stated that 10th-grade MCAS math scores at the Bromfield School were lower in 2014 than in 2013. In fact, 10th-grade MCAS scores at Bromfield were higher.
Bromfield, district
score differently
According to Russell Wass, math department leader at Bromfield, “The Bromfield School had 98 percent of our 10th-graders earn scores of advanced or proficient on the 2014 math MCAS, not 95 percent. The previous year we had 97 percent achieve this, so we had an increase in that percentage, not a decrease.” Wass also noted that Bromfield ranked 12th in the state in both 2014 and 2013.
The numbers the Press reported last week were correct for the Harvard School District math scores at 10th grade. But results for the district and for the Bromfield School are not identical. (See the table on page 6.)
State figures show that 101 students took the math MCAS at Bromfield. District results were based on the scores of 105 students, four of whom live in the district but are enrolled elsewhere under outplacement programs.
Who takes the test?
All students who are educated with public funds take the MCAS. Thus, home-schooled students do not take the test, nor do those who pay tuition for private or religious schools. Students at such schools do take the MCAS, however, if their tuition is paid with public funds.
Students in the School Choice program take the test at the school they attend, and their scores are reported in that district. Someone who “choices in” to Bromfield from Bolton, for example, becomes part of the Bromfield scores. A student who lives in Harvard but “choices out” to Acton-Boxborough becomes part of the A-B scores on MCAS.
Students from Harvard who attend other schools under outplacement plans are still educated with public funds from this district. Their scores are reported for the Harvard District, according to Jacqueline Reis of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Harvard students also attend the Francis W. Parker Charter School and the Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School. Students at those schools also take the MCAS. But each of those schools appears as its own school district in the MCAS results. Their results are not combined with those of the districts where they are geographically located.
