Braintree reports mixed MCAS outcomes, shifts toward science-of-reading and expanded interventions

Braintree School Committee — Curriculum directors presented detailed 2025 assessment results on ELA, math, science and civics and outlined steps the district will take to address persistent gaps and accelerate recovery from pandemic-era declines.

Dr. Mary Ellen Gennaro, the district’s ELA lead, said overall 3–8 ELA meeting-and-exceeding rates rose three percentage points to 51% and the district remains above the state. She highlighted subgroup growth for current and former English learners (student-growth percentile, SGP, of 55) and singled out grade 4 for a six-point gain. "This year was the first year that it flipped, 80% graded by AI and 20% by humans," Gennaro said, describing the vendor change in essay scoring.…