Marblehead — Marblehead students continued to make steady academic gains in this year’s MCAS results, as both Marblehead Public Schools and the Marblehead Community Charter Public School highlighted strong growth, data-driven improvement, and the ongoing recovery from pandemic learning loss.
While MCAS results across the Commonwealth show many districts are still lagging behind pre-pandemic achievement levels, Marblehead schools — both district and charter — remain ahead of the state average in nearly every category.
The charter school, in particular, was recognized statewide for outperforming even pre-pandemic standards.
The charter school was one of nine schools or districts in Massachusetts where 2025 MCAS scores in grades 3 through 8 English Language Arts matched or exceeded 2019. For this, the charter school was honored by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
MCCPS’s scores show that recovery is well underway:
- Grade 7 ELA: 64% meeting/exceeding expectations (up from 34% in 2024 and 46% in 2019)
- Grade 8 ELA: 71% (up from 46% in 2024 and 61% in 2019)
- Grade 4 Math: 60% (up from 44% in both 2024 and 2019)
- Grade 7 Math: 69% (up from 37% in 2024 and 48% in 2019)
- Civics (first year tested): 50% meeting/exceeding expectations
Across Marblehead Public Schools, results showed continued growth and above-average performance, though several grade levels have not yet returned to 2019 proficiency rates.
While overall proficiency dipped slightly from 2024, the district remains well ahead of state averages in all core areas.
Assistant Superintendent Julia Ferreira opened the district’s MCAS presentation by emphasizing the focus on using data for continuous improvement. “We don’t just look at MCAS and move on,” she said. “Data analysis happens throughout the year.”
Brown Elementary School Principal Mary Maxfield reported that students continued to perform well above state averages, ranking in the top 15% of Massachusetts elementary schools for ELA and top 30% for math.
She highlighted particularly strong results in language development and algebraic thinking. However, she noted that writing remains a focus area.
“We’re seeing challenges statewide with essay writing, especially at younger grades where students must type their responses. We’ll continue to strengthen those foundational writing skills,” she said.
Maxfield also pointed to longitudinal data showing that students who attend Brown for all four years perform substantially higher than peers with shorter enrollment.
Glover Elementary School Principal Frank Kowalski celebrated a 17-point increase in third-grade ELA proficiency since 2022, placing the school in the top 13% statewide for ELA and top 20% for Math.
“We focus on early identification and intensive support,” Pawlowski said. “Through small-group instruction and literacy intervention, we ensure no student falls through the cracks.”
Principal Scott Williams reported consistent performance and growth, with 71% of students meeting or exceeding expectations in ELA and 59% in Math, alongside rising fifth-grade science scores at the Village Elementary School.
“We’re teaching students how to persist through challenging work, productive struggle is part of our philosophy,” Williams said.
He credited the gains to professional development in math discourse and writing, as well as the implementation of an inquiry-based science curriculum that emphasizes hands-on experimentation and analysis.
At Veterans Middle School, Principal Matt LeVangie highlighted sustained excellence, with the school ranking among the top 10–20% statewide in all subjects.
- 7th-grade ELA: top 14% statewide
- 8th-grade ELA: top 9%
- 7th-grade Math: top 16%, with a 5% increase in students exceeding expectations
LeVangie noted that student growth percentiles across all grades remained strong, with particularly high growth in middle-school ELA and math.
The school’s goals this year include deepening writing instruction and aligning curriculum between elementary and middle grades to ensure smoother academic transitions.
At Marblehead High School, results remained above the state average but below 2024 levels.
Principal Michele Carlson attributed the decline largely to reduced student engagement, noting that MCAS is no longer required for graduation.
“We’ve seen students spending 10 or 15 minutes on the entire test — not a reflection of their true abilities,” Carlson said. “We’re addressing that through communication, attendance support, and renewed focus on curriculum alignment.”
Despite the engagement challenges, Marblehead High remains in the top third statewide for Math and top 20% for Science, continuing to outperform the state across all categories. The school is using AP and PSAT data to triangulate academic trends and align supports within its Multi-Tiered Systems of Support framework.
Ferreira also discussed targeted efforts under the Student Opportunities Act, focusing on English Learners (ELs) and students with disabilities.
- EL students showed growth across all grade levels, with particularly strong gains in grades 6 and 10.
- Special Education students displayed high growth in Grades 5 and 8 ELA (SGPs 61–64) but uneven achievement overall, prompting the district to explore curriculum calibration and additional intervention supports.
“This data helps us identify what’s working and where we need to add support,” said Special Education Director Angela Graziano. “We’re already meeting to align programming and strengthen instruction across grade levels.”
Ferreira noted that teachers and principals are “speaking the same instructional language,” which is helping create more consistent expectations and student experiences from grade to grade.
“We’re not working in silos anymore,” Robidoux said. “Our teachers and leaders are using shared data systems and common goals to support students across schools.”
Though Marblehead’s MCAS results remain strong relative to the state, district leaders made clear that the goal is continuous progress, not complacency.
