New Bedford Public Schools Accountability Data Shows Schools’ Continued Progress

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– Brooks Elementary School improves to Level 1
– Rodman Elementary School improves to Level 2

Highlights:
– Two schools increased their accountability Levels, with Brooks moving from Level 3 to highest ranking of Level 1; Rodman moved from Level 3 to Level 2.
– Across the district, 9 schools showed improvement as they increased in their percentile rankings for student growth.
– In English Language Arts, 10 schools showed improvement in percentile; in Math, 15 schools showed improved percentile rankings.
– Keith, Roosevelt and Normandin middle schools stayed above the 5th percentile statewide but did not gain additional momentum.
– Rankings are based on the performance of other schools with the same grade spans across Massachusetts.

New Bedford Public Schools continued to show progress as 9 schools improved under state accountability rankings, with 3 school total designated as Level 1, the highest possible ranking. Elizabeth Carter Brooks Elementary School improved from Level 3 to Level 1, and Thomas R. Rodman Elementary School improved from Level 3 to Level 2, the state’s second-highest ranking.

While the state ranks schools by accountability levels, 1 to 5, with Level 1 as its highest accountability level, all schools are also ranked by percentile. Percentile rankings show where schools are compared to other schools in their grade spans across the state based on student achievement and growth as measured by indicators including standardized test scores (e.g., a school in the 45th percentile is ranked higher than 45% of other schools with the same grade levels across the state).

NEW BEDFORD ADDS ANOTHER LEVEL 1 SCHOOL, ANOTHER LEVEL 2 SCHOOL

Elizabeth Carter Brooks Elementary School rose significantly from a Level 3 school to a Level 1 school. The school had been on the state and federal watch list since 2010, was in the 5th percentile statewide just two years ago and rose to the 31st percentile this year.

Thomas R. Rodman Elementary School rose from a Level 3 school to a Level 2 school, moving from the 18th percentile in 2015 to the 22nd percentile in 2016.

Casimir Pulaski Elementary School, which was named Level 1 in 2015, remained Level 1 and continued to excel, from the 35th percentile to the 42nd percentile. In 2013, Pulaski was a Level 3 school, at the 11th percentile statewide, and has demonstrated significant growth in the past three years.

William H. Taylor Elementary School, another Level 1 school named in 2015, remained Level 1 and held its own at the 47th percentile statewide. The school has improved significantly since 2013 when it was in the 23rd percentile statewide.

Jireh Swift Elementary School, formerly a Level 1 school, has declined to Level 3. While Swift actually improved its percentile ranking from the 35th to 38th percentile, a low participation of students taking the state assessments required by the resulted in the Commissioner to designating the school to Level 3 status.

Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Mitchell Chester stated, “Achievement results are important indicators for educators, families, and community members. We are committed to results that represent all students, not just some. Before the participation requirement was instituted, some schools tested only their highest achieving students, and the results did not represent the whole school. For this reason, we do not assign the highest accountability rating to schools where participation did not include at least 95 percent of each student group.”

PROGRESS ACROSS NEW BEDFORD SCHOOLS

Schools whose percentile rankings increased include: Charles S. Ashley School; Elizabeth Carter Brooks School; John B. DeValles School; Alfred J. Gomes School; Ellen R. Hathaway School; John A. Parker School; Casimir Pulaski School; Thomas R. Rodman School; and Jireh Swift School.

New English Language Arts and Math programs at the elementary level continue to reap benefits with 11 schools showing a boost in moving more students up to the advanced level in terms of proficiency and all 18 schools doing the same in Math.

GAINS FOR A LEVEL 5 SCHOOL

John A. Parker School, the district’s only school designated in the lowest performing category of Level 5 and placed in state receivership, made progress in 2016.

Parker showed the most progress among the Level 5 schools in Massachusetts. The school rose from the 8th percentile statewide last year to the 18th percentile statewide this year, a significant growth for students. Parker School is the only Level 5 school under the direct receivership of a Superintendent rather than an outside operator; Superintendent Pia Durkin was appointed Receiver in 2013.

LEVEL 4 SCHOOLS REMAIN A PRIORITY

New Bedford High School remained in the 2nd percentile with growth in both English Language Arts and Math noted as demonstrated on MCAS. However, the school continues to work to increase proficiency rates in those areas. Hayden McFadden Elementary School, which last year was in the fourth year of a turnaround plan that predates the current administration, remained in the 1st percentile statewide.

“In order to improve outcomes for all students at New Bedford High, we are strengthening supports for educators in every classroom with a strong focus on English and mathematics to continue to improve teaching and learning,” said Headmaster Bernadette Coelho. “We are working closely with the central office and our leadership team at NBHS to ensure that our supports are proactive and are geared toward increasing achievement for every student at our school.”

Hayden McFadden Elementary School, which was identified in 2011 as a Level 4 school and then began a turnaround plan that predates the current administration, remained in the 1st percentile statewide. Hayden McFadden grew slightly in both English Language Arts and Math, and this year New Bedford Public Schools submitted a new turnaround plan based on the recommendations of the Local Stakeholder Group and approved by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Both New Bedford High School and Hayden McFadden remain priorities to ensure growth and advance achievement for all students at the schools.

ON THE ROAD TO IMPROVEMENT

Superintendent Durkin stated, “Each year as the state releases its accountability rankings, it is affirming to see that New Bedford’s schools remain on the road to improvement. These rankings include a lot of numbers – percentile rankings, school levels and student growth – but behind these numbers are the lives of 13,000 students. The results for our city validate the work of every educator in New Bedford to give all students the excellent education they deserve. These results also remind us that while we continue to make progress, there is still much work to be done in our schools and we welcome the challenge as we seek to improve the lives of every kid in our city.”

“The latest data reflects real progress in our schools,” said Mayor Jon Mitchell. “Much work remains, but it’s clear that the administration and teachers are moving the New Bedford Public Schools in the right direction.”

*Brooks moved from LEVEL 3 to LEVEL 1
** Rodman moved from LEVEL 3 to LEVEL 2
*** Swift moved from LEVEL 1 to LEVEL 3 in spite of growth and due solely to low test participation

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