State Drops Framingham High From Level 1 to Level 3

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts will lower Framingham High from a level 1 school from a level 3 school.

Level 1 is considered a top performing school.

Framingham High is being lowered as less than 90 percent of the English Language Learners (ELL) students participated in the the latest round of MCAS tests in the spring of 2015.

If a school has less than 90 percent participation rate overall or in a subgroup, like ELL, it can not be a level 1 or level 2 school despite test scores.

The state requires grade 10 students to pass the MCAS exams in order to graduate.

This is the second time in less than 5 years that the state has lowered the high school’s level due to participation levels.

Former Principal Michael Welch argued successfully to raise the level one year but in a different year, the state refused to change the level.

Overall, Framingham High students scored well on the MCAS exam.

• 94 percent of Framingham High students scored proficient or advances in English Language Arts
• 83 percent proficient or advance in math
• 83 percent scored proficient or advanced in science.

Framingham High students in grade 10 took the MCAS exams in the spring of 2015. They are now juniors at the high school.

Overall participation rates for each exam were high as well.

• 97 percent of the students took the ELA exam
• 98 percent of the students took the math exam
• 99 percent of the students took the science exam

The state automatically, drops a school to level 3 status if the school has less than 90 percent participation level overall or in one sub group or in one exam. A school is drop to level 2 automatically if less than 95 percent participation level happens overall or in a sub group.

The Framingham Public School district’s administration said in a press release that the “high school is in the process of improving its processes ad procedures to ensure that all students are assessed.”

In September, the federal government made it known it was investigating a discrimination complaint on behalf of ELL students at Framingham High.

The complaint alleges Framingham High discriminated against English Language Learner students during the 2014-15 school year.

Editor’s Note: Framingham High Principal Elyse Torbert did not start until July 1, 2015. This is her first year as principal.

And in full transparency, I have a freshman daughter at Framingham High.