Canton Public Schools: Canton Public Schools Letter Regarding MCAS Scores

Press release from Canton Public Schools:

Leah Comins

October 14, 2021

Dear Canton Families,

In the next few days, you will receive your child’s Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) scores in the mail. The individual student reports will look similar to those in the past, but the context and overall purpose of MCAS was quite different in 2021. Massachusetts Commissioner of Education Jeff Riley outlines these differences and focus areas in his letter that accompanies the student reports.

As a school District, we wanted to address MCAS as well and what these scores mean moving forward — specifically, how they serve as one of many pieces of information to help inform the instruction and learning experience for your child.

COVID-19 and the pandemic greatly impacted the student, staff and family experience in 2021, leading to different learning models and many challenges. In addition, MCAS was shortened and modified, and the testing locations varied — remote vs. in person.

Acknowledging these facts, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) correctly predicted there would be a state-wide dip in scores. We saw instances of this dip as well. Yet we are extremely proud of the efforts of our school community last year, and the majority of our scores were consistent or above state averages.

Moving forward, DESE encouraged Districts to use this MCAS data to inform instructional approaches and intervention strategies to best serve our students. Knowing that achievement gaps exist, especially in certain subgroups, the MCAS data — in combination with our local benchmark assessments — help us address certain standards and skill sets. We know students are extremely resilient, and individualized data and strong relationships help educators know their students well.

For additional MCAS information, I highly encourage you to watch this video, recorded by Interim Assistant Superintendent Sarah Shannon and Director of Teaching and Learning Debbie Rooney, that provides a comprehensive overview of the District MCAS data. Additionally, they presented a 21-minute presentation at the October 7 School Committee meeting.

Our building principals will be making their MCAS presentations at their School Council meetings, which are open to all. Additionally, they will be recording a video that captures their school’s results and presentation.

We appreciate your support in navigating all aspects of last year — including MCAS — and we deeply welcome your partnership as we continue to re-establish our communities, enhance our teaching and learning, and serve as champions of excellence.

Sincerely,
Derek Folan
Interim Superintendent

This press release was produced by Canton Public Schools. The views expressed here are the author’s own.