Marblehead has top MCAS scores

MARBLEHEAD-In their MCAS scores, Marblehead?s mainstream schools have climbed into the Top School Districts category in Massachusetts.Superintendent of Schools Paul Dulac called the overall scores good and the Marblehead High scores “excellent” – but he pointed out that there were students in the Needs Improvement category as well, “particularly in math and science/technology.”The exams were given last spring to students in Grades 3, 4, 7, 8 and 10. Students must pass the MCAS exams at the high school level to graduate. Passing scores include those in the Advanced, Proficient and Needs Improvement categories.Ninety-five percent of last year?s third graders passed the MCAS in English Language Arts and 92 percent passed the MCAS in math and the numbers were 96 and 92 percent in Grade 4.In Grade 7, 98 percent passed English and 91 percent passed math.In Grade 8, 98 percent passed English, 93 percent passed math and 94 percent passed science/technology.In Grade 10, 99 percent passed English and 98 percent passed math.At the Marblehead Community Charter Public School for students in Grade 4-8, students take the MCAS exam each year and 100 percent of the students in Grades 5, 6, 7 and 8 passed the English exam. At the Grade 4 level 98 percent passed English.On the math exam, 96 percent of the fourth graders and fifth graders passed. The passing share dropped to 94 percent in Grade 6 and 87 percent in Grade 7, but 98 percent of the eighth graders passed.On the science/technology exam 98 percent of the fifth graders and 95 percent of the eighth graders passed.