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Freetown-Lakeville highlights strong MCAS results and adopts new competency and graduation policies
Summary
The Freetown-Lakeville Regional School Committee on Nov. 12 reviewed 2025 MCAS results showing the district above state averages in several subjects and adopted updated competency (IKFE) and graduation (IKF) policies and revised handbooks to align with DESE requirements.
Freetown-Lakeville — The Freetown-Lakeville Regional School Committee on Nov. 12 reviewed 2025 MCAS results showing gains in several grades and adopted two policies to shift the district’s competency and graduation criteria.
Terry Fleming, who presented the assessment slides, told the committee that district students continue to outscore the state in multiple areas: third-grade math was 18 percentage points above the state in meeting and exceeding expectations, biology was 29 points above, and eighth-grade students scored 13 points above the state in the inaugural civics assessment. Fleming noted statewide writing scores declined about 6 percent and described how the district is using released items and student essays to guide instruction.
At the same meeting the committee voted to adopt an updated competency determination policy (IKFE) that emphasizes mastery in addition to course completion and to adopt a revised graduation policy (IKF) that replaces language referencing passing MCAS with competency-determination language. The committee also approved updated 2025–26 handbooks, which administrators said include added suspension and due-process language and an AI policy to ensure compliance with DESE requirements.
"Our students continue to perform above the state in multiple areas, and we'll keep using the released items and essays to support instruction," Fleming said.
Superintendent Dr. Starkey and the evaluation subcommittee were commended for their work aligning district priorities and instructional supports; the committee noted the policies and handbook changes are intended to clarify expectations and ensure regulatory compliance. The district also announced it received a $14,000 state cap-planning grant to develop a 6–12 scope and sequence for college- and career-planning.
The committee did not alter the district’s testing or graduation timelines at this meeting. Next steps include posting updated handbooks online and implementing the competency-determination language for the coming year.
