By James Vaznis, Globe Staff
Fifty-seven percent of the state’s schools are failing to measure up under federal achievement standards, education officials announced this afternoon.
The determinations were based on MCAS scores, which officials also released today for individual schools. (For individual district results, http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/state_report/mcas.aspx)
Although MCAS scores were up in nearly every grade level tested in English and math, the increases were not large enough to satisfy the scoring benchmark set under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The federal law, which each state administers, seeks to have all students be proficient — showing a command of grade level material — by 2014. Schools need to show annual progress in reaching that goal.
Across the state, 982 elementary, middle and high schools failed to meet the benchmarks, up from 929 last year, according to the preliminary data.
The state also announced that 123 school districts, including 32 independently run public charter schools, failed to meet test score targets under No Child Left Behind.
State education officials have expressed frustration that the No Child Left Behind Law is forcing them to give so many schools negative designations, believing that many of the schools are providing solid academic programs. Many local school officials say it’s unrealistic to expect that 100 percent of children, regardless of learning disabilities and fluency in English, will score proficient.
In an effort to focus on the positive, state officials today unveiled 187 “Commendation Schools,” a new program to recognize schools making strides in boosting the academic achievement of their students and success in closing achievement gaps between students of different backgrounds.
“There are so many great success stories in schools across this Commonwealth because of the efforts of administrators, teachers, students and parents who are united and committed to making every effort to ensure that every child that walks through the door receives a high quality education,” Governor Deval Patrick said in a statement before a 2 p.m. press conference to announce the results at the Eliot School in Boston’s North End.
The No Child Left Behind Act also recognizes schools with solid academic performance by calling them schools in “good standing.” Forty-three percent of the state’s schools meet this criteria.
Schools that miss test score targets for two years are labeled “in need of improvement.” If these schools receive federal funds to educate low-income students under the Title I program, any student at the school has the right to transfer to another school.
If a school continues to miss scoring benchmarks, then the school moves into “corrective action” and then “restructuring.” In both cases, schools must undertake dramatic overhauls to accelerate student achievement, such as adopting new curriculum, hiring a new principal, or replacing teachers.
To shed a negative designation, schools must show two consecutive years of improvement. This year, 63 schools, including four in Boston, succeed in doing that.
