Wakefield reports return to pre-pandemic MCAS levels; curriculum leaders point to writing program and screeners

Wakefield Public Schools reported that grades 3 through 8 met or exceeded pre-pandemic levels in both math and English language arts on the 2025 MCAS, a result the district said earned recognition from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

District curriculum leaders presented the data at the Oct. 28 Wakefield School Committee meeting and emphasized that the recognition covered both subjects across multiple grade cohorts. "We've done this while our student population has grown since 2019," the presentation said, noting Wakefield was one of 13 districts recognized statewide and one of two districts with 3,000 or more students to achieve that distinction.

Why it matters: The coordinators said the gains reflect a package of changes, including a shift to more structured writing instruction in middle and high school, adoption of universal screening tools, and alignment of curriculum across grades.

Key details from the presentation included:

- Writing instruction: Margaret Messier, 5 through 12 ELA coordinator, described a multi-year shift away from a previously used Pearson approach and the district's adoption of the Empower writing program for grades 5 12. "We reorganized our curriculum so that each term focused on a type of writing," Messier said, and added that the Empower process provides a repeatable structure for students taking on tasks such as MCAS writing prompts.

- Universal screeners and benchmarks: The district reported gains on locally administered tools. Officials said 75 percent of students in grades K 4 scored at or above grade level on DIBELS, and that at the elementary level 72 percent or more of students scored at or above grade level in I-Ready math while 77 percent did so in I-Ready reading by the end of last school year. The presentation described substantial seasonal growth at Galvin Middle School in I-Ready math and reading.

- High school indicators: Wakefield Memorial High School students showed gains on AP exams and the SAT, the presentation said. The district reported a 12-point increase in English SAT scores over two years and a marked rise in students completing advanced coursework, including a jump among students with disabilities.

- Student growth percentiles and subgroups: Coordinators stressed the importance of SGP (student growth percentile) as a growth measure and said average SGPs in grades 5 8 were generally in the fifties and sixties, which the state treats as moderate to high growth. Staff said they are paying particular attention to multilingual learners, whose numbers have grown, and to students with disabilities, and are working to align supports and curriculum so pull-out services are coordinated with classroom instruction rather than separate and disconnected.

- Civics testing: Jason Baby, 5 through 12 history and social studies coordinator, noted 2025 was the first operational year for the eighth-grade civics MCAS, and that Wakefield eighth graders performed in civics at levels similar to their ELA, math and science results. He said the exam emphasized skills such as analyzing primary sources and civic problem solving.

What leaders said next: Dr. Lyons, the district superintendent, and the curriculum team urged continued focus on implementation. "These bright spots demonstrate points on a canvas, not a comprehensive image of academic excellence," the presentation said, adding the district will keep aligning instruction, data meetings and cross-level visits to sustain progress.

Implementation and caveats: Coordinators acknowledged gains are not uniform across every subgroup and said further work is needed to ensure access to core materials for multilingual learners and students with disabilities. The district also noted that while MCAS is no longer a graduation requirement, it remains an important placement and programmatic tool.

The presentation and accompanying video will be shared publicly, the district said, and committee members asked that the district consider wider promotion of the state recognition.