Curriculum changes designed to improve scores
By Ken Powers Contributing Writer

Marlborough - Changes in curriculum and instruction have been implemented in a pair of Marlborough's school programs that displayed below-standard performance in recent Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) testing.

Superintendent Barbara Mc- Gann and Assistant Superintendent Jim Jolicoeur briefed the Marlborough School Committee about those changes at the Nov. 13 school committee meeting.

The student programs that were identified as being in need of corrective action were the English as a second language (ESL) and the special needs programs.

McGann was quick to point out the entire Marlborough School District did meet the No Child Left Behind Act standards, as set forth in the MCAS regulations, for 2007.

"In addition to having the MCAS data studied in much more detail by teachers," Jolicoeur said, "differentiated instruction and curriculum development are two areas that have been reviewed and enhanced."

The school committee was first apprised of the program deficiencies last month.

State-of-the-art software will allow testing and instruction data to be analyzed on a classroom-byclassroom basis by the school administration, who will then report that data to the school committee on a periodic basis.

"There isn't a specific timetable on those reports," school committee member Mark Hediger said. "We're going to let the leadership team put everything they need to in order, and then we'll go forward from there."

A key change for both programs has been the aligning of the curriculum - teaching the same material in each class in each grade - to help create a smooth transition for students as they go from grade to grade.

School committee member Joe Delano said the ESL and special needs programs are two areas that need addressing in a number of communities statewide.

"Cities, towns and school districts all over the state with diverse populations and widespread special education programs are struggling with this," Delano said. "But once students are enrolled in Marlborough schools for an extended period of time, they do well on the MCAS tests.

"In high school we're doing very well," Delano said. "Test scores of students who have been with us since the seventh or eighth grade all the way through their senior year, their test scores compare well to other students in similar programs throughout the state."

Progress in MCAS testing at the elementary and intermediate school level shows improvements do happen, but that they take time, school committee member Michelle Bodin-Hettinger said.

"We're incredibly proud of the scores at the lower levels. It shows concentrated, detailed work pays off ," Bodin-Hettinger said. "There's progress there, but we have more work to do."