Lynn study finds free lunch helps MCAS focus

LYNN – A study released Tuesday attributes improved academic performance among Lynn’s public school students to the fact that 64 percent receive free lunch.”The percentage of students eligible for free lunch correlates highly with MCAS scores,” said Dr. Robert D. Gaudet, author of “Benchmarks for Massachusetts Middle Cities: A Look at Educational Achievement,” published by the independent Pioneer Institute.According to Gaudet, students in 14 older industrial cities statewide must work harder to boost educational achievement because they are often burdened by poverty. Seventeen years after Education Reform legislation was passed, “the relationship between poverty and achievement remains pervasive and powerful,” he said.Gaudet also found a relatively strong correlation between the percentages of students eligible for free lunch in a school district and the dropout rate, as well as in the change over time in the dropout rate. Lynn’s dropout rate declined between 2004 and 2008 while the rate increased in Fall River, Lawrence, Springfield, Holyoke and Brockton.Lynn School Superintendent Catherine Latham was elated by the report that indicates Lynn was among five districts showing strong improvement in English Language Arts (ELA) and in math between 2004 and 2008.Lynn posted a 12-point gain in ELA and a 14.7-point gain in math during that period.”This study validates what our teachers are doing. It’s wonderful when a third party gives a report like this,” said Latham, noting that the free lunch program feeds more than 80 percent of the students in some of the city’s schools.For example, at Ingalls Elementary School, 85 percent of the students participate in the free lunch program.”I think the improved results show how much emphasis we put on professional development, giving teachers the strategies they need to help the kids that we have,” she said.Gaudet noted that three of the 14 school districts with strong over-performance in ELA have higher percentages of free lunch students. In math, Lynn and Brockton have higher percentages of free lunch students – 63.8 percent in Lynn compared to the Middle Cities average of 56.5 percent.”This is encouraging in that it suggests that these cities are providing instruction that is effective in meeting the learning needs of their students and in overcoming any disadvantage that poverty may bring to some students,” said Gaudet, adding that the report and the ongoing research known as the Middle Cities Initiative present an opportunity for educators and policymakers to identify those communities that have been more effective than others in meeting the educational needs of their diverse student populations.MCAS scores in the Middle Cities are generally lower than state average. On the grade 10 ELA MCAS for 2008, Taunton had the highest Composite Performance Index (CPI) at 83.1, while Lawrence posted the lowest at 63.The CPI is determined through a formula that combines and averages the ELA and MCAS scores.The strongest performers in terms of total improvement were Lynn, Fitchburg, Holyoke, Springfield, Taunton and Worcester, according to the study.”It’s interesting that three districts performed better in both ELA and math – Brockton, Fitchburg and Lynn. This may indicate that educators in these districts are utilizing policies and practices that are meeting the needs of their students,” Gaudet stated.Among the report’s conclusions: The highest scoring communities tend to have lower percentages of students eligible for free lunch.