Urban Districts Show Gains on Third Grade Reading MCAS �

Urban Districts Show Gains on Third Grade Reading MCAS �

Urban Districts Show Gains on Third Grade Reading MCAS

September 14, 2010 by Irene Sege

The school and district 2010 MCAS scores were released this afternoon, and there’s encouraging news from the 10 urban commissioner’s districts in Massachusetts. Third grade reading scores are up in all 10 districts – Boston, Brockton, Fall River, Holyoke, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, New Bedford, Springfield and Worcester. The achievement gap statewide narrowed, but remains large. In 2010, 43% of third graders from low-income families scored proficient or above on the reading MCAS, up from 35% in 2009. Among students whose families are not low-income, 74% of third graders scored proficient or above on the reading MCAS this year, up from 69% in 2009.

“The most important challenge we face in public education today is accelerating