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Rockport schools report ‘substantial progress’ toward MCAS targets, but high school absenteeism ticks up
Summary
District staff told the Rockport School Committee that all three schools are making substantial progress toward state MCAS targets, while the high school’s chronic absenteeism exceeded its target (18.8% target vs. 22.9% actual); the committee asked for student‑level cohort data at the next meeting.
Kathy Riley, superintendent of schools, and district staff presented Rockport’s accountability summary on Oct. 2, saying the district overall is in “substantial progress toward targets” while flagging uneven subject results and a rise in chronic absenteeism at the high school.
Miss Goodu, who led the accountability presentation, said the district’s composite measure places Rockport at 56% toward targets districtwide and noted that the high school stood at 51% toward its targets. “All three schools were substantial progress towards targets,” she said, while pointing to subject‑level variation: “The science achievement exceeded target; ELA and math achievement declined overall.”
Committee members pressed for details about how the state calculates accountability scores, and Miss Goodu explained the two components the state uses: achievement (average scaled score) and growth (student growth percentile). She also emphasized how small cohort sizes magnify year‑to‑year swings in percentage metrics for a small district.
On attendance, the presentation identified chronic absenteeism as a concern. Miss Goodu noted the state definition applies regardless of excused or unexcused absences: chronically absent means missing more than 10% of the school year — “that’s 18 days or more,” she said — and reported the high school’s chronic absenteeism target was 18.8% while the actual rate was 22.9%.
Committee members and staff agreed to return at the next regular meeting with more student‑level cohort analysis and the MCAS (state assessment) results broken down by grade and subgroup so the committee can review targeted interventions and supports. The district said teachers and department coordinators already have the detailed MCAS materials and will use them to identify standards and students who need targeted help.
The committee did not take any formal vote on programs or budget allocations as part of the presentation; members asked staff to bring cohort data and recommended next steps when MCAS results are presented in greater depth at the next meeting.
