5 of 6 Dedham Schools Don't Meet All MCAS Goals

Earlier this week, the state released the heavily anticipated MCAS scores for the Dedham School District, and they read like a rollercoaster.

Several schools did not meet adequate yearly progress, meaning some will have to revamp school improvement plans, follow through on "corrective action," while others will need to turn it around to hold off further action next fall.

Attempts to reach a spokesperson at the school department were not successful.

Dedham High School failed to meet the subgroup requirement for English for the second year in a row, according to the state's Department of Education website. Principal Jake Santamaria and his staff will have to revise the school's improvement plan and notify parents of the school's status.

Down the road, Dedham Middle School is under the state's corrective action plan after failing to meet adequate yearly progress for the second year for student subgroups in English, and for subgroups and aggregate in math.

Under the No Child Left Behind law, the district must take one of a choice of options (see page 5 of link):

• Change curriculum and organize professional development events
• Extend the length of the school day or school year
• Replace staff that are not making adequate yearly progress
• Decrease management authority at the school
• Restructure the internal workings of the school
• Seek expert assistance in planning and implementation

Many parents know of Avery School's failure to meet AYP in math this year, which led the district to offer school choice to parents – of which only eight students elected to move schools. Avery implemented new math curriculum and hired a math coach for the coming year.

Riverdale didn't meet adequate yearly progress in either the aggregate or subgroups for English, and failed to meet AYP in math for subgroups. If Riverdale doesn't meet AYP on the 2011 MCAS tests, it will face the same situation as Avery this year, and be required to offer school choice. Both Avery and Riverdale are classified as Title I schools.

At Oakdale, the school didn't meet adequate yearly progress in English in either aggregate or subgroups, but has no status under NCLB.

The district, by law, must notify parents if a school didn't meet AYP this year.

Greenlodge was the only school in the district to meet AYP in both English and math in both aggregate and subgroups.