Lynn Public Schools reports mixed MCAS results but credits improvements and new data tools
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Summary
District officials told the School Committee on Sept. 26 that Lynn Public Schools made measurable gains on DESE's accountability framework, including several schools exiting "requiring assistance" status, but overall proficiency remains low and work on targeted supports and data tools is ongoing.
Superintendent and district staff presented MCAS accountability results and district progress to the Lynn School Committee on Sept. 26, saying the district has shown "moderate progress" while also identifying areas that still need significant work.
Dr. Jennifer Shorter, who led the accountability presentation, explained that the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) accountability framework combines achievement, growth, high-school completion and other indicators. She said the district's criterion-reference target rose from 34% in 2023 to 55% in 2024; a weighted, cumulative calculation produced a 46% figure the district described as "moderate progress." According to Shorter, district improvements included gains in achievement and advanced coursework points and stronger English-language-proficiency scores at the high-school level.
Shorter named three schools that are no longer identified by DESE as "requiring assistance": Druids Elementary, Harrington Elementary and Hood Elementary, and said 12 schools overall improved their percentile rankings across the Commonwealth. She highlighted double-digit gains in elementary science proficiency (about a 10-point increase) and small math gains at the elementary level, while noting declines in some middle-school measures and an overall drop in K–8 ELA proficiency.
Committee members pressed for detail on the proficiency benchmark used by DESE; Member Dugan asked whether the scaled-score threshold for "meeting" expectations was 500, and Shorter confirmed it is. Shorter said teachers are identifying students who are within about 10 points of threshold scores and implementing targeted interventions to help them cross the proficiency line.
The district also described a newly implemented data dashboard (Open Architects powered by Power BI) that combines MCAS and local assessment data for principals and teachers, enabling the district to track standards-level progress and to support differentiated instruction.
Superintendent Alvarez framed the year as a start of recovery and growth after pandemic-era declines, noting specific operational and policy work behind the results: a strengthened MTSS (multi-tiered system of supports), policy revisions, improved IEP compliance (reported to have increased from 67% in August 2023 to 96% in May), and creation of new departments focused on innovation, data/accountability and equity. Alvarez said documents and artifacts supporting the presentation would be posted online.
What's next: the administration said it will develop predictive algorithms to estimate how many points schools need to reach higher bands, continue professional development tied to data cycles, and use the new dashboard to inform targeted supports.
Sources: Presentation by Dr. Jennifer Shorter and remarks by Superintendent Alvarez at the Sept. 26, 2024 Lynn School Committee meeting.