September 8, 2004
ROMNEY LAUDS CLASS OF 2006 FOR OUTSTANDING MCAS ACHIEVEMENT
4 out of 5 students pass both the mathematics and English exams
REVERE – Governor Mitt Romney today released the statewide results from the latest administration of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) exam. Romney announced that four out of five students in the class of 2006 passed both the math and English portions of the test on the first try.
“We are seeing excellent improvement across the board – in every grade, every age and ethnic group and in every part of the state,” Romney said during a visit to Revere High School. “In Massachusetts, we demand the best from our students – and I am proud that we are getting it.”
Today’s results continue a multi-year trend of steady improvement on the MCAS test. In 2003, just 68 percent of the class passed the exam on their first try followed by 69 percent of the class of 2004 and 75 percent of the class of 2005. In all, 80 percent of the class of 2006 passed both exams. Students must pass both the English and math section of the test to earn their high school diploma.
“With each year’s improvement, the positive impact of this testing effort becomes harder to deny,” said Education Commissioner David P. Driscoll. “More and more of our students are showing us every year that they don’t need until grade 12 to perform at a grade 10 level. I always believed our students were capable of great achievements and they are proving me right.”
Results also showed a substantial narrowing of the achievement gap at some grades among students of different ethnicities. That narrowing is especially evident among grade 10 students, where a smaller percentage of black and Hispanic students passed both the math and English exams than white students, but the percentage difference is considerably smaller than it was in 2001.
In 2004, 69 percent of Hispanics passed English and 63 percent passed math; 77 percent of blacks passed English and 69 percent passed math; and 93 percent of whites passed English and 89 percent passed math. In contrast, 2001 scores indicate that 52 percent of Hispanics passed English and 43 percent passed math; 61 percent of blacks passed English and 49 percent passed math; and 87 percent of whites passed English and 81 percent passed math.
“I will not be satisfied until the achievement gap has been erased, but I am pleased to see that it is shrinking every year,” Romney said. “But it is still clear that we have much more work to do to ensure every single student – regardless of race – is getting the tools they need to succeed in our public schools and beyond.”
Other results include:
Of the 10th graders who did not pass the English exam, 68 percent scored a 216 or 218, which is within striking distance of the 220 minimum passing level. Of the sophomores who did not pass the math exam, 66 percent scored at least a 216.
In all, 82 percent of females and 78 percent of males in grade 10 who were tested earned a competency determination.
Performance on the English portion improved slightly or remained the same in grades 3, 4, 7 and 10. Math performance rose at each grade level tested with more students moving into Proficient and Advanced and fewer students falling into the Warning/Failing category.
More than 99 percent of all students in the grades tested participated in one or more of the 10 MCAS exams given in 2004. About 5,200 students with disabilities took part in MCAS by submitting portfolios through the MCAS Alternative Assessment.
The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System exam has been given annually as a key part of the state’s Education Reform efforts since 1998. District by district results are still being compiled and will be released publicly in late September.
For more information on the MCAS exam or to view the full report, look online at www.doe.mass.edu/mcas.
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