Brockton MCAS results largely mirror state trends, data director says; English-learner gains highlighted
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Sign Up Free
Summary
Director of accountability Ethan Cancel presented MCAS and accountability data showing Brockton’s scores largely track statewide flat trends, modest growth percentiles, an overall 22% meeting/exceeding threshold, and strong progress on English-learner proficiency; the district was flagged on a low graduation-rate threshold (65% vs 66.7%).
Ethan Cancel, the district’s director of accountability, told the committee that Brockton’s MCAS results "mirror the state trends" and that overall scaled scores are largely flat compared with statewide results.
"We mirror the state trends," Cancel said, summarizing ELA, math and science outcomes and noting that while some grade bands moved slightly, the district’s scaled scores closely tracked statewide movement.
Cancel highlighted student-growth percentiles (SGP), which measure improvement: Brockton’s SGPs clustered near the state average (about 48–51), which the state defines as within the typical-growth range. He cautioned that SGP year-to-year variation can reflect measurement error and should be interpreted alongside other evidence.
In subgroup analysis Cancel said 22% of all students met or exceeded grade-level expectations as defined by the state. He drew attention to a district bright spot: English-learner proficiency exceeded targets across multiple indicators.
On accountability, Cancel said the state uses lagging indicators and three years of data to classify districts. He noted Brockton was flagged for a low graduation rate (65%) against the state threshold of 66.7%, while the district made 45% of its state targets—classified as moderate progress.
Cancel closed by urging the committee to focus on coherent instruction, early literacy and targeted support to sustain gains, and said his office will continue to break data down for the public and committee.