Dartmouth Schools show mixed results on standardized tests
Oct 5, 2022
A graph showing the year-by-year performance of Dartmouth elementary and middle schools on the annual MCAS exam compared to the state average. Note: the exam was cancelled in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic. Analysis by: Morgan Beard
Dartmouth Public Schools mostly bounced back on standardized test scores last year following a drop off in scores in the year after the Covid pandemic.
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released the results from its annual MCAS exams this week, showing Dartmouth mostly improving from last year’s lows.
“As a district, Dartmouth has started our work of raising our MCAS scores,” said Director of Teaching & Learning for Secondary Level Ross Thibault. “The impact of Covid is undeniable and that’s what you’re seeing state-wide.”
Of the schools, Potter Elementary showed the largest increase in the percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations on the exams, rising from 40% of students in 2021 to 48% last year, across the three subjects covered in the tests: English, math, and science.
Meanwhile, Dartmouth Middle School improved from 45.33% meeting or exceeding expectations in 2021, to 49% in 2022 and Quinn School ticked up from 50% to 51%, the best result of any of the town’s elementary schools.
At DeMello School though, the results were not as positive.
After showing the smallest drop off in scores last year among Dartmouth elementary schools, the percentage of DeMello students meeting or exceeding expectations dropped by 9% this year, falling from 53.67% to 42.67%.
Dartmouth High students, who take the test only in 10th grade, also saw scores slip this year with 61.33% of students meeting or exceeding expectations, down from 68% in 2021, a drop of 6.67%.
Despite some declines, all Dartmouth schools exceeded state averages which improved by .33% to 40.67% this year for grades three through eight, and fell by 6.33% to 51.67% for the 10th grade test.
When compared to other schools around the state, Quinn School did the best, ranking 409th out of 1,345 middle and elementary schools, putting it in the 70th percentile.
Dartmouth High ranked the second highest at 115th of 356 high schools, putting it in the 68th percentile.
Dartmouth Middle School ranked in the 66th percentile, Potter School in the 64th, and DeMello in the 54th.
