Andover School Officials 'Pleased' With District's MCAS Results

ANDOVER, MA — Andover officials are pleased with the district's MCAS results released Tuesday in comparison to the state results, the administration said in a statement.

"At a first look, we are pleased with the district’s spring 2021 MCAS participation rate and results compared to overall state results," the administration said.

Newly released results from the spring MCAS exams show more Andover students failing to meet expectations compared to their peers in the same grades who took the standardized tests before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education said Tuesday.

But the district still did significantly better than students statewide, and the drop-off was smaller.

"Due to the unusual circumstances of last year and the impact of COVID-19 on our students, staff and families, we are taking a measured look before offering an assessment," the administration said. "We will be using this data, along with additional district and local assessments to support student learning for the current school year."

The percentage of students receiving a score of "meeting expectations" or higher dropped over ten percent in the average test versus 2019, the most recent previous year the test was given after the exams were skipped in 2020 amid the sudden pivot to remote learning.

The largest drop-off in Andover was in 4th-grade math. The percentage of 4th graders who met or exceeded expectations was 53 percent, down from 72 in 2019.

In math, the percentage of third through eighth grade students meeting or exceeding expectations fell from 67 percent in 2019 to 57 percent in 2021, while for the English language arts test, it dropped from 71 percent in 2019 to 65 percent in 2021.

>>MCAS Results Show Slide In Scores During Pandemic

There was a similar decline on the science tests, with 63 percent of fifth and eighth grade students meeting or beating expectations, versus 74 percent in 2019.

There was also a drop for 10th graders, but a smaller one. The percentage at least meeting expectations fell from 81 to 74 percent in math and 84 to 80 percent in English Language Arts.

Only the 4th grade English Language Arts results showed an improvement, with 71 percent of students at least meeting expectations — up one point over the last testing year.

Despite the decline, Andover students still did better than the state as a whole — and lost less ground. On the average test, 63 percent of Andover students met or exceeded expectations, down from 71 points from 2019. Statewide, just 42 percent of students met or exceeded expectations on the average test, down from 51 percent in 2019.

While teachers unions and some advocates have called for pausing use of the MCAS tests or eliminating their use as a graduation requirement, Gov. Charlie Baker on Monday said he would be "very aggressive about supporting the ongoing process of using diagnostic tools to ensure that kids are getting the basic education that they're entitled to."

Families will receive their child's MCAS scores after Sept. 30, the education department said.

The 2021 tests for third through eighth grades were shorter than usual, a factor the department said can cause individual student performance to vary.

Materials from State House News Service were used in this report.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.