Schools
Tewksbury School Report Card: Strong Performance, Middling Growth
There were no accountability determinations for last year, but new state report cards include enrollment, MCAS scores and more.
TEWKSBURY, MA — State report cards for the 2020-2021 school year show Tewksbury schools outperformed state averages on most metrics, but student progress on MCAS achievement was more typical.
The district report card and report cards for each school are available here.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary education made no accountability determinations for the 2020-2021 school year, but the report cards include enrollment, MCAS scores and more. According to the district report card, Tewksbury schools outperformed most of the state on most metrics, but in MCAS scores Tewksbury students showed less growth than typical schools.
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On the 0-100 student progress scale, with higher numbers meaning more progress, Tewksbury scored 43.6 on Grade 3-8 English language arts, above the state average, and 48.7 in grade 10 English. But in Grade 3-8 math and Grade 10 math, Tewksbury scored in the low 30s, below the state averages.
Still, Tewksbury scored well on most metrics. In measures including attendance, college attendance, access to the arts, MassCore completion and more, Tewksbury outperformed the state. While MCAS progress was low, absolute results were higher than the state average, with a larger proportion of students meeting or exceeding expectations.
Find out what's happening in Tewksburyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Every Tewksbury high school graduate completed the MassCore requirements, versus 85 percent statewide.
Like at schools around the country, the 2020-2021 school year looked fairly different in Tewksbury than pre-pandemic years. Enrollment fell nearly 5 percent from 2020 to 2021 in Tewksbury and next-year college attendance fell over 15 percent.
But attendance didn't fall dramatically in Tewksbury as it did in many districts. Chronic absenteeism fell from 7.1 percent to 5.7 percent of students from 2020 to 2021, whereas statewide it rose from 13 percent to 17.7.
Tewksbury spent $16,711 per student in 2020, down slightly from $16,825 in 2019. Statewide, per-student spending rose slightly.
Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.
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