Salem Public Schools reports MCAS gains in grades 3–8; officials flag writing and subgroup gaps

Superintendent Dr. Zweig told the Salem School Committee on Oct. 6 that Salem Public Schools showed notable year-over-year MCAS improvements in grades 3–8, but that the district still faces subgroup gaps and early-grade writing deficits.

Dr. Zweig led the presentation and said the district’s grades 3–8 results improved at a higher rate than the state in all three tested subjects between 2024 and 2025: English language arts rose by 8 percentage points, mathematics rose by 2 percentage points, and science rose by 3 percentage points. "We're outpacing many of them," Dr. Zweig said of comparable districts, adding that the gains reflected sustained work by teachers and school leaders during pandemic recovery.

The presentation team said the district met or exceeded more state‑set targets over the last two years than any other gateway city in Massachusetts. "For the second year in a row, the Salem Public Schools met or exceeded more targets than any gateway city in the Commonwealth," Deputy Superintendent Kay Carboni said.

Presenters differentiated between achievement (percent meeting/exceeding standards) and student growth percentiles…