For Immediate Release
Thursday, November 15, 2001
Contact:Heidi B. Perlman, 781-338-3106 or Jonathan Palumbo, 781-338-3105

10 Schools praised for improvement on the MCAS exams

MALDEN - Ten Massachusetts high school principals have been selected to receive $10,000 awards for their school’s significant improvement on the 2001 MCAS exams. The Edgerly School Leadership Awards are being given out by William S. Edgerly, Chairman of the Foundation for Partnerships. Commissioner of Education David P. Driscoll will join Mr. Edgerly at 8:30 a.m. on Friday to present the first of this year’s awards to Principal William Mahoney of Medford Vocational Technical High School in Medford. On the English MCAS exam, the scaled score at the Medford Vocational Technical High School rose from 209 to 229, with the percent of students failing the test dropping dramatically from 81 percent in 2000 to 30 percent failing in 2001. On the math test, the scaled score rose from 208 to 229 with the percent failing being cut from 81 percent in 2000 to 25 percent in 2001. Overall, of 10th graders tested, 82 percent passed the English exam and 75 percent passed math. "These 10 schools demonstrate the energy and creativity that reside in our state," Mr. Edgerly said. "They prove that a united spirit can lift expectations and achievement well above the limits of the past." Commissioner Driscoll credited this year’s improved results to the hard work he has seen in districts across the state. "The dramatic improvement we saw in this year’s MCAS results did not happen by accident," Commissioner Driscoll said. "A look behind the numbers shows that there are success stories all over the state. These schools are examples of all the hard work that took place in schools everywhere which led to the overall improvement." The other nine schools being honored this year are the Gateway Regional High School in Huntington, Monument Mountain Regional High School in Great Barrington, Charlestown High School, Pathfinder Vocational Technical High School in Palmer, Tantasqua Regional Vocational High School in Fiskdale, Thorndyke Road School in Worcester, North Brookfield High School, Leominster Center for Technical Education and the Thomas V. Nash Elementary School in Weymouth. The schools were recognized as having among the highest improvement in overall MCAS performance between 2000 and 2001 in both English Language Arts and Mathematics. This is the third year schools have been selected for the Edgerly School Leadership Awards. The award is presented to the principal for use in the school. Mr. Edgerly is Chairman Emeritus of the State Street Corporation, a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, former trustee of The General Hospital Corporation, and has served as Chairman of the Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership and the Boston Private Industry Council. For more information on the MCAS exams visit the Department of Education website www.doe.mass.edu/mcas.



Last Updated: November 15, 2001



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