The Level 4 List: Jeremiah E Burke and The English High Schools (Boston)

JEREMIAH E BURKE

The Jeremiah E Burke High School in Boston, which serves approximately 635 students in grades 9 through 12, was named to the state's Level 4 school list in January 2010. Burke's student population is nearly two-thirds African American/Black; the low income population has ranged from 63.3 to 76% since 2007-08 while the Limited English proficiency population is about a quarter of the population. In 2011-12, 38.7% of students spoke English as a second language and 20.4% were special education students (Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education).

On the 2009 MCAS exam, 31% of 10th students overall were proficient or advanced in English Language Arts (ELA) and 41% were proficient or better in math. At the subgroup level that year, 55% of Hispanic/Latino students were proficient in ELA while just 24% of African American/Black students were proficient. Additionally, before Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) was phased out  due to the No Child Left Behind waiver granted to Massachusetts in 2012, Burke had not met AYP at the subgroup level in ELA from 2006 through 2011 and in math from 2007 through 2011. In 2008-09 students missed an average of 22.7 days of school and the attendance rate was 83.8%. The dropout rate that year was 21.1% and had been above 10% every year since 2002-03.

Since being designated a Level 4 school, proficiency rates on the MCAS exams at Burke have improved in both ELA and math. Below are the percentage of students who were proficient or better on each section of the exam from 2009 - 2012.

	2009	2010	2011	2012
ELA	31%	29%	41%	50%
Math	41%	28%	39%	50%

In 2012, the percentage of students in ELA receiving a 'Warning/Failing' grade decreased 11 percentage points while the percentage of students receiving a score in this range in math decreased 8 percentage points. Further:

• The percentage of students 'Advanced' in ELA increased 4 percentage points from 1% in 2011 to 5% in 2012.
• The percentage of students with an 'Advanced' score in math doubled from the previous year.
• Just 2% of male students received a 'Warning/Failing' score in ELA
• No student with a disability received a 'Warning/Failing' score in ELA with 90% scoring in the 'Needs Improvement' range
• The percentage of Low Income students proficient or better in math increased 14 points from 2011 to 2012

In terms of its Cumulative Progress and Performance Index (CPPI), Burke met its state-mandated goals at the aggregate level and for the African American/Black subgroup this year but missed other targets including that for Low Income students and High Needs students. In regard to the CPI, which is a score given to assess a subgroup, school or district's progress toward 100% proficiency, Burke had an overall score of 80.4 in ELA and 76.1 in math both of which were above the target range for the school; scores range from 0 - 100 with 100 denoting that all students are proficient.

The attendance and dropout rates at Burke have improved over the last few years (data for 2011-12 is not yet available). Out of school suspensions were down 5.3 points in 2011-12 from 2010-11 to 0.9%.

	08-09	09-10	10-11	11-12
Dropout Rate	13.9%	14.5%	12.6%	N/A
Attendance Rate	84.1%	86.9%	88.2%	91.1%

In 2012, the school was in the 5th percentile relative to schools serving common grades.



THE ENGLISH HIGH

The English High School in Boston, which serves approximately 750 students also in grades 9 through 12, was named to the state's Level 4 school list in 2010 along with Burke. English's student population is just over half Hispanic/Latino and a third African American/Black; the low income population has been about three-quarters of the population since 2005-06 while the Limited English proficiency population has ranged between 22.7 and 38.1%. In 2011-12, 50% of students spoke English as a second language and 23.5% were special education students (Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education).

On the 2009 MCAS exam, 40% of students overall were proficient or advanced in English Language Arts (ELA) while 38% were proficient or better in math. That year only 1% of the population was 'Advanced' in ELA; from 2004 through 2009, the percentage of students 'Advanced' in ELA ranged from 0 - 1%. Before Adequate Yearly Progress was phased out, English had not made AYP at the subgroup levels in ELA and math from 2004 to 2011. Additionally, in 2008-09 students missed an average of 17.6 days of school and the attendance rate was 87.7%. The dropout rate that year was 5.4%.

Since being designated a Level 4 school, proficiency rates on the MCAS exams at English improved from 2010 to 2011 only to decline in 2012. Below are the percentage of students who were proficient or better on each section of the exam from 2009 - 2012.

	2009	2010	2011	2012
ELA	40%	40%	45%	39%
Math	38%	38%	45%	31%

In 2012, the percentage of students in ELA receiving a 'Warning/Failing' grade decreased 4 percentage points while the percentage of students receiving a score in this range in math also increased 12 percentage points from 2011. Further:

• In 2012, the percentage of students 'Advanced' in ELA declined 5 percentage from 2011 to 0% of the overall population while the percentage of students 'Advanced' in math decreased by half to 9% of the population.
• The percentage of students 'Proficient' in math has increased 6 percentage points from 2009.
• Males and females were evenly matched in the percentage falling into 'Warning/Failing' category in math (39% vs. 38%).
• The percentage of students in 2008 who were 'Advanced' or 'Proficient' in science was 3%; this number was 23% in 2012. 
• The graduation rate in 2011 was 50.3% compared to 64.4% for the Boston Public School district as a whole.

In terms of its Cumulative Progress and Performance Index (CPPI), English met its goal at the African American subgroup level but did not meet any of the other targets this year. In regard to the CPI, English has an overall score of 77.1 in ELA and 62.8 in math.

The dropout rate has remained nearly the same while the attendance rate has decreased since 2008-09.

	08-09	09-10	10-11	11-12
Dropout Rate	5.4%	5.5%	5.7%	N/A
Attendance Rate	87.7%	86.8%	87.6%	83.4%

In 2012, the school was in the 5th percentile relative to schools serving common grades.

If both schools meet all of the requirements, Burke and English could exit Level 4 status at the end of the 2012-13 school year.


Citation: www.doe.mass.edu 


You may also be interested in:

• The Level 4 List: Charlotte M. Murkland Elementary School (Lowell) 
• The Level 4 List: Henry Lord Middle School (Fall River) 
• The Level 4 List: EJ Harrington and Wm Connery Elementary Schools (Lynn)

Lynn School Business to be Discussed at this Week's City Council Meeting: 10/23/12

At the Lynn City Council meeting to be held Tuesday, October 23, 2012, Lynn Superintendent Catherine Latham will give a presentation regarding potential funding for the new Marshall Middle School.

http://www.ci.lynn.ma.us/cityhall_documents/city_council_2012/2012_10_19_11_19_37.pdf

The City Council Meeting will begin at 8:00pm in the Council Chambers at Lynn City Hall.

Lynn School Committee Meeting: 10/25/12

The next Lynn School Committee meeting  is scheduled for Thursday October 25, 2012 at 7:00pm. SC meetings take place at 90 Commercial Street.

Items on the agenda include:

-Visitor Policy - Officer Ferrari and Richard Iarrobino
-Discussion of the site of the new Thurgood Marshall Middle School
-Enrollment Report - October 1, 2012

For the full agenda, see: http://www.ci.lynn.ma.us/clerk_meeting_notices_2012/School%20Committee-Meeting%20and%20Agenda-Oct%2025,%202012.pdf

The Level 4 List: EJ Harrington and Wm Connery Elementary Schools (Lynn)

CONNERY

The Connery Elementary School in Lynn, which serves approximately 600 students in grades Pre-K through 5, was named to the state's Level 4 school list in January 2010. Connery's student population is just over two-thirds Hispanic; the low income population has ranged from 91.9 to 93.7% since 2007-08 while the Limited English proficiency population has ranged between 43.6 and 63.7%. In 2011-12, 77.1% of students spoke English as a second language (Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education).

On the 2009 MCAS exam, 11% of students overall were proficient or advanced in English Language Arts (ELA) while 24% were proficient or better in math. In 2006, just 19% of 3rd grade students achieved either  a proficient or advanced score on the reading exam. Before Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) was phased out  due to the No Child Left Behind waiver granted to Massachusetts in 2012, Connery had not met AYP at the aggregate or subgroup level in ELA from 2004 through 2010. Additionally, in 2008-09 students missed an average of 7.6 days of school and the attendance rate was 95.4%.

Since being designated a Level 4 school, proficiency rates on the MCAS exams at Connery has improved steadily in both ELA and math. Below are the percentage of students who were proficient or better on each section of the exam from 2009 - 2012.

	2009	2010	2011	2012
ELA	11%	17%	29%	28%
Math	24%	19%	31%	34%

In 2012, the percentage of students in ELA receiving a 'Warning/Failing' grade decreased 9 percentage points while the percentage of students receiving a score in this range in math decreased 13 percentage points. On the math exam, the percentage of students receiving an 'Advanced' score (those between 260 and 280) doubled from 5% in 2011 to 10% in 2012. Further:

• The percentage of students 'Advanced' in ELA increased 2 percentage points from 1% in 2011 to 3% in 2012.
• The percentage of students with a 'Needs Improvement' score in ELA increased 10 percentage points from the previous year.
• The percentage of students who were not proficient in math ('Needs Improvement' or 'Warning/Failure' combined) decreased two percentage points (69% in 2011; 67% in 2012).

In terms of its Cumulative Progress and Performance Index (CPPI), Connery met all of its state-mandated goals at the aggregate and subgroup levels this year. In regard to the CPI, which is a score given to assess a subgroup, school or district's progress toward 100% proficiency, Connery had an overall score of 69.4 in ELA and 70.5 in math; scores range from 0 - 100 with 100 denoting that all students are proficient. In 2012, the school was in the 13th percentile relative to schools serving common grades.

The attendance rate and average number of absences at Connery has remained consistent and in the same range over the last few years. Out of school suspensions were down 1.3 points in 2011-12 from 2010-11.

	08-09	09-10	10-11	11-12
Avg. # Absences	8.0	7.9	7.6	7.2
Attendance Rate	95.3%	95.2%	95.5%	95.6%

HARRINGTON

The Harrington Elementary School in Lynn, which serves approximately 640 students also in grades Pre-K through 5, was named to the state's Level 4 school list in 2010 along with Connery. Harrington's student population is just over two-thirds Hispanic/Latino; the low income population has ranged from 86 to 90.9% since 2005-06 while the Limited English proficiency population has ranged between 32.9 and 56.2%. In 2011-12, 66.5% of students spoke English as a second language (Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education).

On the 2009 MCAS exam, 16% of students overall were proficient or advanced in English Language Arts (ELA) while 11% were proficient or better in math. This was a decrease from the previous year when 19% were proficient or better in ELA and 20% in math. Before Adequate Yearly Progress was phased out, Harrington had not made AYP at either the aggregate or subgroup levels in both ELA and math from 2007 to 2009. Additionally, in 2008-09 students missed an average of 10.6 days of school and the attendance rate was 93.6%.

Since being designated a Level 4 school, proficiency rates on the MCAS exams at Harrington improved from 2009 to 2011; proficiency rates remained the same in 2012 from the previous year. Below are the percentage of students who were proficient or better on each section of the exam from 2009 - 2012.

	2009	2010	2011	2012
ELA	16%	21%	35%	35%
Math	11%	21%	35%	35%

In 2012, the percentage of students in ELA receiving a 'Warning/Failing' grade increased 2 percentage points while the percentage of students receiving a score in this range in math also increased 2 percentage points from 2011. The school was also in the 80th percentile for ELL/former ELL students on the 5th grade science exam; the percentage of students achieving an 'Advanced' score in science nearly doubled from 2011 to 2012. Further:

• The percentage of students 'Advanced' in ELA remained the same from 2011 to 2012 while the percentage of students 'Advanced' in math decreased by 2 percentage points.
• The percentage of students 'Proficient' in math has increased 19 percentage points from 2009.
• The percentage of students in 2008 who were 'Advanced' or 'Proficient' in science was 2%; this number was 33% in 2012.

In terms of its Cumulative Progress and Performance Index (CPPI), Harrington met all of its goals at the aggregate and subgroup levels this year. In regard to the CPI, Harrington has an overall score of 68.8 in ELA and 67.8 in math. In 2012, the school was in the 19th percentile relative to schools serving common grades.

Test scores are not the only area that has improved at Harrington. The attendance rate has increased and the average number of absences has decreased since 2008-09.

	08-09	09-10	10-11	11-12
Avg. # Absences	10.6	8.7	8.1	8.1
Attendance Rate	93.6%	94.8%	95.1%	95.1%

If both schools meet all of the requirements, Connery and Harrington could exit Level 4 status at the end of the 2012-13 school year.



Citation: www.doe.mass.edu 


You may also be interested in:

• The Level 4 List: Charlotte M. Murkland Elementary School (Lowell) 
• The Level 4 List: Henry Lord Middle School (Fall River) 
• Lynn MCAS Results 2012: Part II 
• Lynn's Connery Elementary Featured in the Boston Globe

From the Comment Section: The Daily Item

In a recent Daily Item article, there was discussion about Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy was looking to the federal government for assistance with the influx of unaccompanied minors moving into the city of Lynn and entering the school system. On the online version of the paper, what has come to be typical Item commenter remarks on this sort of topic were made including the following by user concerned56786:

Now Connery School is having a night for parents where they will tell these people about services in Lynn and where they get can get help. This will be at the cost of people who are required to pay taxes. We know these people are not paying anything. Teachers are required to be there to assist. Translator will be around as well. Come on, do we have to give these people all these services?

FACT CHECK: This remark, however, is not entirely accurate. Yes, the Connery School is hosting a resource fair for community members, but this fair is being sponsored by the Lynn Community Association (LCA), not the city or school system. Furthermore, teachers will be on site, not because they are required to assist with the fair, but because this event is being held the same night as Connery's parent-teacher night; if translators are present, it is likely for this reason as well. Additionally, this event is open to all in the community (even non-immigrants and those who pay taxes).

The 2012 LCA Resource Fair will be held at Connery Elementary (50 Elm St) on Tuesday, October 23 from 6 - 8pm. Admission is free for all. For more information, see: http://lynncommunity.org/?p=693

10th Essex District State Rep Election Q & A: Dwight 'Dusty' Caufield

Dwight 'Dusty' Caufield is currently running for 10th Essex District State Representative this fall as the Republican candidate for office. His opponents are Robert Fennell (D), the incumbent, and write-in candidate Gardy Jean-Francois (D). See below for the answers to a few questions posed to Mr. Caufield regarding his candidacy.

What are your reasons for running for state representative?

Lack of Leadership - Lynn has been used as the dumping ground for the North Shore. We need Jobs not group homes, halfway houses, methadone clinics etc.

Transparency - The Legislator continually keeps the public in the dark on issues by closed committees and secret ballots. They work for us and have a right to know how they vote and what goes on in committees.

Job Development - Without jobs we will never see any improvement in the Lynn area. Without jobs these empty houses will stay empty. We need to work with the city to entice investors to bring work to the city. If they hire a Lynn resident they get tax breaks for an example.

What do you consider to be your top issues? 

1. Bring jobs into the city instead of methadone clinics. Developing the waterfront has been an issue since the 70's and not much has been done. Do they think an investor will want to get involved when he sees a methadone clinic will be next to his hotel? See above Job development. 

2. Term limits - I am running against a man who has been in office 18 years and has zero bills, this his is only one example. Public service should be some one who wants to help out the community not enrich himself and his friends. They stay too long and they are owned by the party and special interest groups. One of the few things my opponent has accomplished is helping a powerful friend build in Peabody make money at the expense of a Lynn neighborhood.

3. Family Values - I believe more has to be done to keep families together and to get them involved in the community. I have seen instances where a child won't play sports because the single parent cannot afford the fee. Families breaking up because they are losing their house. This is very stressful on families and a little help is all they need to get over the rough spots.

What separates you from your opponents?

What makes myself  different from the other candidates is the fact that have a very diverse background. Professionally I have worked in the Health Care Industry (Mass Gen Hosp), Manufacturing (Gillette/Proctor and Gamble Corp.), The Arts (Symphony Hall), and Teaching (Peterson School of Engineering).

I also grew up in three sections of Lynn: East, West and also the Highlands. Product of the Lynn School system and also Lynn athletics. As an adult and father I have also been involved with Lynn athletics for the youth of the area.

Anything else you would like to add?

  

This election is about Lynn and the mediocre representation we have put up with for too long. This is just not good enough for the Lynn I grew up in and should not be an option. I see empty houses and no jobs to help them along. It is easy to get some funds from a broke Government to move things along but without a sustained and strong economy Lynn will always be Mediocre.

For more information, see: http://dwightcaufieldforstaterep.com/
Also see:  Lynn District Candidate: State is Taking Advantage of Lynn (The Daily Item)

The Level 4 List: Henry Lord Middle School (Fall River)

The Henry Lord Middle School in Fall River, which serves grades 6 through 8, was named to the state's Level 4 school list in January 2010. Lord's student population is nearly two-thirds White; the low income population has ranged from 73.2 to 84.3% since 2007-08 while the Limited English proficiency population has ranged between 0 and 1.9%. In 2011-12, 26.4% of students spoke English as a second language and the special education population stood at 23.7% (Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education).

On the 2009 MCAS exam, 45% of students overall were proficient or advanced in English Language Arts (ELA) while 32% were proficient or better in math. Two years before that the percentage of students proficient or better in math at each grade level ranged between 14 and 22%; from 1998 - 2007, 8th math proficiency rates ranged from just 1 - 14%. Before Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) was phased out  due to the No Child Left Behind waiver granted to Massachusetts in 2012, Lord had not met AYP at the subgroup level in ELA since 2004. Additionally, in 2008-09 students missed an average of 11.4 days of school and the attendance rate was 93.2%.

See here for Lord's Level 4 Redesign Plan:  http://www.fallriverschools.org/Fall%20River%20Lord%20MS%20MSV%20Report%20FINAL%202012%2003%2012.pdf

Since being designated a Level 4 school, proficiency rates on the MCAS exams at Lord improved in 2010 only to fall back to pre-Level 4 designation levels in 2012. Below are the percentage of students who were proficient or better on each section of the exam from 2009 - 2012.

	2009	2010	2011	2012
ELA	45%	55%	53%	44%
Math	32%	40%	38%	29%

In 2012, the percentage of students in ELA receiving a 'Warning/Failing' grade increased 4 percentage points while the percentage of students receiving a score in this range in math decreased 5 percentage points. At the subgroup level, approximately half of all African American students failed the math MCAS exam while no students with disabilities were advanced in either math or ELA. There were also a considerable achievement gaps between low income and non-low income students on the 8th grade science/technology exam. On a positive note, Lord met its target for Hispanic/Latino students in ELA on the 2012 MCAS exam. Overall, the school was in the 18th percentile relative to schools serving common grades.


Test scores are not the only area in need of improvement at Lord. The attendance rate and average number of absences has actually worsened since 2008-09. The retention rate, however, has decreased 2.5 points over the past three years.

	08-09	09-10	10-11	11-12
Avg. # Absences	11.4	13.2	13.9	15.1
Attendance Rate	93.2%	92.3%	91.7%	91.2%

If the school meets all of the requirements, Lord can exit Level 4 status at the end of the 2012 - 13 school year.


Citation: www.doe.mass.edu

Lynn on Chronicle - Video Links

For those who missed it, here are the links to the Chronicle feature on Lynn:

A Fresh Look at an Old City

Waterfront and Wilderness

Lynn's International Accent

Lynn Showbiz Central

From the Comment Section: Lynn School Watch

Lest there be too much positive sentiment about Lynn's trajectory in the wake of last night's Chronicle episode about the city, I found this comment on the local blog Lynn School Watch regarding the episode from an anonymous user:

"I am sick of paying the already high taxes in this deteriorating city due to the incompetence of the so-called leaders! Did anyone see Chronicle last night? What a joke and misrepresentation of Lynn! I didn't hear anything mentioned about the crime rate, rat problem and failing school system this city has!"

Given that the episode was only a half hour, was the Lynn special a total misrepresentation of the city? Did the producers gloss over some glaringly obvious areas that need to be improved?


Some negatives left out of the Lynn discussion:

• Trash/Rodent Problem
• School System (standardized test score performance, condition of school buildings, overcrowding, graduation rates)
• Unemployment Rate/Educational Attainment
• Criminal Activity
• Number of Abandoned Properties/Foreclosed Homes
• Neglect of Some Public Areas (sidewalks, parks)

One also has to consider the intent of the feature. Perhaps, Chronicle was not attempting to give a complete overview of the city and its current state but simply highlight many of the positive changes that are occurring in the city as a way to combat the belief that there is nothing good about the city.


There were also many positives left out of the episode as well:

• Easy Access to Public Transportation/Proximity to Boston
• Dedicated Community/Neighborhood Groups (ex. Lynn Community Association, Goldfish Pond Neighborhood Association, Downtown Lynn Neighborhood Association)
• Distinct Neighborhoods (Highlands, Diamond District, etc.)
• Youth-Related Organizations (LYSOA, Part of the Solution, No Ceilings Youth Group)
• The Ford Full-Service Community School 
• Multiple Ponds (Goldfish, Flax, Sluice, Breeds)
• High Rock Tower/Park
• Lifelong Multi-Generational Lynn Families

Thoughts on the Chronicle feature?

You may also be interested in:

• Positivity is adding up in Lynn (Revitalizing a Community)
• Positive Drips of Revitalization Adding up Daily (Revitalizing a Community)
• A Slum by Any Other Name (Lynn-side Edition)
• Lynn Education Attainment Data (An Education)
• 9 Inches of Rat (Lynn-side Edition) 
• Lynn Grads Post an Impressive List of Post-Secondary Achievements (An Education)
• Lynn Police Department 2011 Annual Report
• Neighborhood Upgrades - A New Series (Lynn-side Edition) 
• Lynn MCAS Results 2012: Part I (An Education)

Public Meeting Regarding New Marshall Site/Construction Set for Next Week

There is a public meeting regarding the building of the new Marshall Middle School scheduled for next week. The meeting will focus on the design and site of the proposed new school building.

Date: Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Time: 7pm

Location: Marshall Middle School cafeteria, 19 Porter Street

http://www.ci.lynn.ma.us/clerk_meeting_notices_2012/Public%20Meeting%20-%20design%20and%20site%20Thurgood%20-%20Oct%2017,%202012.pdf

English Language Learners in Urban Districts Struggle on ELA MCAS exam

Below are the English Language Arts (ELA) results fro English Language Learners (ELL) students on the 2012 MCAS exam for the ten urban Commissioner's districts. The districts are listed in descending order according to their Composite Performance Index (CPI). A CPI of 100 is the equivalent of all students having achieved proficiency (proficient or advanced scores) on the exam.  More specifically, each student participating in the MCAS is given a CPI score based on well they perform on the MCAS which is later averaged among the district, school or subgroup in order to determine the overall CPI. Possible scores are 0 (Warning/Failing - Low), 25 (Warning/Failing - High), 50 (Needs Improvement - Low), 75 (Needs Improvement - High), and 100 (Proficient or Advanced). Also listed is the number of ELL students included for each district's results.

Key
Adv. = Advanced (Scores 260-280)
Prof. = Proficient (Scores 240-259)
NI = Needs Improvement (Scores 220-239)
W = Warning/Failing (Scores 200-219)

	Adv.	Prof.	NI	W	CPI	# Included
Lowell	2%	27%	43%	27%	63.3	2,633
Worcester	1%	22%	43%	34%	59.3	3,343
Boston	1%	21%	46%	32%	59.1	7,721
Brockton	1%	15%	46%	38%	53.6	1,719
Lynn	0%	13%	46%	41%	52.6	1,038
Springfield	1%	14%	41%	44%	51.3	1,953
Holyoke	0%	9%	35%	56%	49.9	792
Lawrence	0%	10%	40%	49%	47.6	1,215
Fall River	0%	8%	36%	56%	43.0	309
New Bedford	0%	4%	28%	68%	37.4	202

As the table indicates, the percentage of ELL students achieving advanced scores ranged from just 0 - 2% for all 10 districts. Lowell posted the highest CPI among these districts with a score that put its students mostly in the 'Needs Improvement' range. New Bedford was on the other end of the spectrum with a little over two-thirds of its ELL students in the 'Warning/Failing' category and no ELL students achieving an advanced score.

Citation: www.doe.mass.edu