School Leaders Vote to Approve International Students for 2012-2013

On Tuesday night, Lynnfield school officials approved a request to have five international students attend the High School for the 2012 – 2013 academic year.  The school committee voted 4 – 1 in favor of the measure, with Timothy Doyle casting the only dissenting vote.

The focal point of the meeting was the review of MCAS results from the elementary, middle, and high school levels.

Middle School principal Stephen Ralston presented the most comprehensive review of the MCAS results.  Ralston explained the results based on the testing categories of English/Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science.

For English/Language Arts all middle school grade levels placed above the state average percent correct by question type and by standard.  “Our open response average score for the ELA was a 2.72 out of 4, which is no change from 2010,” Ralston said.

Lynnfield middle school students performed above the state average in Mathematics testing as well.  “Additionally, grades five, seven, and eight were above the state average in all of the state standards,” Ralston said.

Ralston went on to explain that the Middle School Science MCAS exam has four main strands: life science, physical science, earth/space science, and engineering/technology.  In recent years, the science curriculum has been taught in a more integrated approach as opposed to focusing on individual subjects.  Last year, Lynnfield eighth graders scored six points above the state average in science. 

Despite scoring above the state average in most areas, Committee member Michael Craffey argued that there is room for improvement in mathematics and science based on the 2011 MCAS scores at the Middle School level.

“I tend to think that we have some issues at the Middle School that need to be addressed,” Craffey said, also noting the large class sizes at Middle School.  The committee will investigate these issues as the budget process for next school year approaches. 

Ralston also spoke about the challenges facing science instruction and learning at the Middle School level.  “We become more or less generalists in the Middle School,” he said, explaining that the High School level students study one subject per year.  In the Middle School the approach has been more of a spiral approach where students learn several scientific subjects in a given year.  

Superintendent of schools Dr. Thomas W. Jefferson pointed out the inconsistency regarding scoring methods of the MCAS science exam.  “Science is also the area where there probably is the most vacillation statewide,” Jefferson said. 

Kevin Cyr, the assistant principal of Lynnfield High School, spoke proudly about the hard work of students and teachers.  Administrators are looking to realign the curriculum for the high school next year.  “We continue to integrate the MCAS questions into our instruction,” Cyr said.

Jefferson also noted the dedication of volunteers and school employees.  “It’s so reaffirming when you see the quality of the teachers and the community members,” said Jefferson, who is in his first year as Lynnfield superintendent of schools.