‘Our Data Is Good’: Malden School Officials React To MCAS Results

MALDEN, MA — Malden Public Schools superintendent Ligia Noriega-Murphy said this week the district is still not where it needs to be in terms of MCAS scores after two years of COVID-19 learning disruptions.

She and district leaders also highlighted bright spots and progress in recent data, though, eyeing next steps as schools look to continue recovery efforts after lost learning.

“Our data is good,” School Committee Member Adam Weldai said. “Our teachers and our (education support professionals) and our administrators, everyone should be extraordinarily proud.”

READ: Malden 2022 MCAS Results: English Scores Dip, Math Scores Rise

The MCAS returned in full form earlier this year after being canceled in 2020 and condensed in 2021.

The state then released 2022 MCAS results last week. Noriega-Murphy spoke to the School Committee on Monday, presenting her preliminary analysis of the data and discussing larger trends at play.

All told, Malden local MCAS scores followed some state trends, with English scores falling across several grade levels compared to 2021 figures. Math scores stayed level in tenth grade, while improving in third through eighth grade. Fifth and eighth grade science scores also improved.

Noriega-Murphy noted those trends before digging deeper into the set of state data shared last week.

Noriega-Murphy said there was a decrease in performance on essay components of English tests. Likewise, though, she noted strong overall MCAS participation, sitting at 99% district-wide.

Participation improvements were pronounced at Malden High School, Noriega-Murphy said, where participation climbed by nearly 40%, rising from around 60% in 2021 to 98% in 2022.

“Those are really rock solid numbers,” Malden Mayor and School Committee Chair Gary Christenson said of the change.

High school Principal Christopher Mastrangeloto said school personnel worked together to begin planning MCAS efforts well in advance of MCAS testing this year.

Concerned about previous test participation rates, Mastrangelo said they identified high needs students and ran outreach to students and caregivers in addition to test prep programming and other initiatives. Collectively, the work aimed to boost school attendance on MCAS days and, as a result, increase participation in the tests.

“It was a team effort,” Mastrangelo told the School Committee.

State officials last week noted lingering concerns in statewide MCAS data. Results, they said, indicated that it could take years to see a full recovery from COVID-19 lost learning.

In Malden, Noriega-Murphy said the district is, itself, in a “recovery period.”

Data from 2022, she continued, will mark a new baseline, with the district now looking to ensure that it builds on current performance in metrics ranging from MCAS scores to classroom attendance.

“Next year, we have to move higher,” Noriega-Murphy said.

Noriega-Murphy said she is anticipating a more in-depth presentation of MCAS data at a School Committee meeting at some point next month.