Nashoba Tech students makes large gains on MCAS tests

Last year's sophomores at Nashoba Valley Technical High School showed significant gains in the MCAS test.

In the English Language Arts test, a higher percentage - 43 percent- scored in the proficient category than ever before since the test began in 2003, and in math, more students performed in the proficient and advanced categories - 39 percent and 16 percent, respectively - than ever before.

Those results make Superintendent of Schools Dr. Judith L. Klimkiewicz "happy, but not satisfied," she said.

"I won't be satisfied until we raise all students to the level of proficient and prepare them for the lifelong learning process," Klimkiewicz said. "The good news is, we are consistently improving."

In all, 96 percent of the students in the class of 2008 - the students who took the test last spring - passed the English portion, up from 93 percent of the students in the class of 2007 who took the test for the first time last year. In math 89 percent passed, up from 79 percent last year.

Only two Nashoba Tech students failed both the English/language arts and the math test.

"We were one of the top improving districts in the state in Math," said Melissa LeRay, the Nashoba Tech's director of special education and testing. "And for proficient and advanced, we had one of the highest percentage gains."

Nashoba Tech went from 21 percent proficient math in 2005 to 39 percent this year, and from 15 percent advanced to 16 percent.

In English/language arts, Nashoba Tech students saw an increase in proficient, from 36 percent to 43 percent, but a decrease in advanced, from 4 percent to 2 percent.

In both English Language Arts and Math, Nashoba Tech saw decreases from last year in both the failing and needs-improvement categories.

To pass, students must score in either the needs improvement, proficient or advanced categories. Students who fall into the failing category - 11percent this year in math and 4 percent in English Language Arts - have several opportunities to retake the test.

Klimkiewicz and LeRay praised the staff for helping to prepare students for the MCAS.

- Submitted to The Journal