Seekonk MCAS Results

Seekonk School Superintendent Rebecca Kidwell reviewed the district’s MCAS results with the School Committee on October 5.

Some key takeaways:

• All testing is on the computer - math and science tests use an equation editor
• Passing scores on high school tests are no longer a graduation requirement - this decision came from a ballot question and a belief that for some students, MCAS was an unfair obstacle to earning a diploma
• Testing and participation is still required by federal law - may impact federal funding for Massachusetts
• The district will still use results to drive curriculum and instruction
• Subjects tested included English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Technology/Engineering, and Civics - Grade 8 only
• For Grades 3 through 8, there was a steady performance in Math and Science and a decreasing performance in English Language Arts

Kidwell displayed graphs from 2017 through 2026, comparing Seekonk schools to the state averages.

For Seekonk High School, Kidwell showed the rates going into an even steadier decline “potentially related to the fact that students in grades nine and ten taking this test where it's not a graduation requirement, it’s a little bit of a tough sell.”

“They do still impact scholarship opportunities,” Kidwell explained. “They do still impact what we look at as far as students’ skills and what students know and are able to do. So I would still encourage our high school students to try and take MCAS seriously, but I also do understand that that’s a tough proposition to convince teenagers of.”