Wakefield 2022 MCAS Results: Math Scores Rise, Some English Scores Fall

WAKEFIELD, MA — State 2022 MCAS results last week offered a mixed outlook for the Wakefield Public Schools, with English and science scores dipping for some grades as math scores improved in several grades.

Statewide, English Language Arts scores fell while math scores increased in third through eighth grade for 2022 testing compared to 2021. Math scores dipped slightly in tenth grade.

In Wakefield, the rate of third through eighth grade students meeting or exceeding expectations in English remained level as the math rate improved by nine percent. Science meeting/exceeding expectation rates then dipped by four percent in fifth and eighth grade, deviating from state trends which saw scores stay level.

In tenth grade, English scores fell four percent while math scores improved by three percent.

Tenth grade science test scores this year were not comparable to previous years as the state rolled out a new “next generation” MCAS test for tenth graders for the first time in 2022.

State officials last week highlighted trends in their data that they said showed struggles in English tests among younger students.

In Wakefield, grade-by-grade figures showed a somewhat similar pattern. The third grade English meeting/exceeding expectations rate fell 11% in 2022. The fourth grade rate fell 13%.

Fifth grade scores showed less of a decline, with a two percent decrease in the meeting/exceeding expectations rate in English. The sixth, seventh and eighth grade rates each then improved, leading to the lack of overall change in third through eighth grade numbers compared to 2021.

2022 was the first year of full MCAS testing since 2019. The state canceled testing in 2020 due to COVID-19. Though officials brought tests back for 2021, tests in grades three through eight ran as "half tests."

Data from 2021 still showed sharp drops in student scores as classes navigated the impacts of remote learning and an array of other issues related to COVID-19. Despite math and science gains this year, 2022 state metrics across categories remained below pre-pandemic figures from 2019.

In Wakefield, in comparison, 2022 data showed meeting/exceeding expectations rates for fifth grade English, eighth grade English and eighth grade science sitting even with 2019 figures.

Sixth grade English, sixth grade math and seventh grade English scores in 2022 were higher than their 2019 counterparts.

Other figures remained below 2019 marks.

State officials last week acknowledged lingering impacts of lost learning during COVID-19 on students.

Among comments, State Education Secretary James Peyser said on Thursday that the results “show that it may take a few years for students to recover academically from the COVID-19 pandemic."

State Sen. Jason Lewis, whose district includes Wakefield, issued a joint statement with Committee on Education co-chair and State Rep. Alice Peisch.

“We applaud the hard work and dedication of faculty and staff at Massachusetts schools who remain committed to providing the best possible education to our children,” Lewis and Peisch wrote. “Despite their best efforts, it is clear that the public health crisis has negatively impacted student learning and mental health since march 2020.”

Lewis and Peisch said their committee will hold an informational hearing later this year to hear testimony on both the extent of interrupted learning and next steps to address student needs.

“The legislature will utilize the critical data and information gathered by the Education Committee to inform future policy decisions on where we go from here to ensure that our students are well served as we come out of the pandemic,” the pair continued.

Debate has continued about the place of the MCAS and standardized testing in general in school accountability systems.

Earlier this year, though, the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted to increase minimum MCAS scores required to graduate high school.

That move came during a meeting at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education headquarters in Malden, prompting protests and opposition from groups concerned about student stress, an increased focus on test prep and an incomplete picture of school and student success in test score data.

Amid opposition, State Education Commissioner Jeff Riley argued for the tighter MCAS graduation standards in filings with the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, saying research had shown students who score at or near the current passing threshold were not prepared for success at the postsecondary level.

New MCAS graduation requirements are set to take effect for the high school class of 2026.

Speaking last month, Wakefield Public Schools Superintendent Doug Lyons said the district was unlikely to see a “profound effect” from the change.

He noted concerns, though, saying the state’s move raised questions about how state education officials would support schools and their students to meet new expectations.

“You can’t simply raise scores and (expect) the outcomes are going to match,” Lyons said. “You have to kind of change something on the front side to get something to change on the backside.

See Wakefield’s 2022 MCAS data here.