MCAS exam scores mixed;   By Michele Kurtz and Bill Dedman, Globe Staff, 9/20/2002 CAMBRIDGE - In the shadow of a new lawsuit challenging the state's use of the MCAS test as a graduation requirement, state education officials yesterday unveiled disitrict-by-district results for 2002 that detailed a mixed picture, from a widespread drop in math scores for 10th grade to gains in English performance in several grades. State Education Commissioner David P. Driscoll announced the results in Cambridge, the seat of MCAS opposition. In front of the Graham and Parks School where Driscoll spoke, about 20 adults - buoyed by news of the lawsuit filed yesterday - hoisted signs protesting the test while a handful of students stood alongside, placards in hand. Driscoll, who came outside and shook the protesters' hands, applauded the school, which posted a 22-point gain in the percentage of eighth-graders passing the math portion of the test. It was a contrast to statewide math results for eighth-graders: the percentage of eighth-graders who passed dropped from 69 to 67. A Globe analysis of the scores found similar problems statewide in 10th-grade math. Out of 273 districts reporting scores for high school students, 122 had their passing rates drop - a signal that math instruction is a dilemma that stretches beyond the urban districts where failure rates historically have been high. The Globe also ranked districts based on the scores for all grades where students took the exams. Among the 212 districts that have all grades, Wellesley once again came out on top, followed by districts in other affluent areas, such as Wayland, Weston, and Winchester. Wellesley finished ahead of Wayland but owes its victory mostly to its eighth-grade history students; Wayland did slightly better than Wellesley in 10th-grade English and math. Boston dropped three spots from 205 to 208 while Holyoke, where some of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit filed yesterday attend school, ranked last again. In Andover, which jumped 11 spots to ninth place, officials said they wonder if their 10th-graders' performance in math may account for the climb. More than half of students scored in the ''advanced'' - or top - level on the math test, up from 36 percent the previous year. Superintendent Claudia Bach said it's tough to say, however, whether a math focus is making the difference or some classes of students simply perform better than others. ''We're pleased with the gain, but next year maybe we'll be back in 20th again,'' she said. The Ayer public school district also improved its standing, from 142 to 85. ''We really are an urban school district, but we have a small number of students, and a very low class size,'' said Kevin O'Malley, Ayer public schools superintendent. The Globe also used the results to rank districts on each test and grade level. The top districts were: Everett (third-grade reading), Conway (fourth-grade English), Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter in Franklin (fourth-grade math); Pelham in (sixth-grade math), River Valley Charter in Newburyport (seventh-grade English), Carlisle (eighth-grade math); North Reading (eighth-grade history); Dover-Sherborn Regional (10th-grade English); and Acton-Boxborough Regional (10th-grade math). The most highly watched scores remain those for the 10th grade. Students in the class of 2004 will be the second class required to pass the English and math portions of the test in order to earn a diploma. Statewide results released earlier this month showed about 31 percent of those students must still pass; about 19 percent of students in the class of 2003 have yet to pass. The outlook was much brighter in 10th-grade English than in math: 202 districts posted improvements, another 29 held steady, and only 37 saw their passing rates drop. Boston, like many districts, boosted its 10th-grade English scores, but at the same time had its percentage of failures in math increase - from 47 to 52 percent - after some improvement. ''That is an indicator of how horrific the problem is in the district's high schools,'' said John Mudd, director of the Mass. Advocacy Center, a Boston nonprofit that opposes the exam. ''The numbers show that we are not making the progress that we should be making for these kids.'' And like other districts plagued with high failure rates, Boston now faces the daunting challenge of getting students from both the classes of 2003 and 2004 over the MCAS hurdle with remedial classes, tutoring, and other interventions. Boston schools Superintendent Thomas W. Payzant, who last year expressed reservations about making the math portion of the exam a graduation requirement, said he wants to see more retest data before making any drastic decisions. ''We may need more time to teach our students how to learn mathematics,'' he said. ''But I am not ready to blink yet. I think we need to look at all the data very carefully and see what the group who hasn't passed really looks like.'' Although Driscoll said he was ''extremely pleased'' with the state's overall performance, he acknowledged that Massachusetts has a long way to go in teaching students math. Yesterday, Cambridge Superintendent Bobbie D'Alessandro joined Driscoll at the press conference and noted that, at least in her district where plenty of parents have objected to the MCAS test, some students appear to be starting to get serious about the exam. The test, she said, has provided valuable information about each student's strengths and weaknesses to help teachers target their instruction. ''MCAS is such a valuable diagnostic tool for us,'' D'Alessandro said. ''This isn't about passing a test; it's about preparing students for life.'' Driscoll and other MCAS proponents insist the test is a motivator, not a punishment. ''Kids, if they put the effort in, can pass,'' he said. ''And we are starting to see significant improvement.'' But outside Graham and Parks, protestor Larry Ward remained adamant that the MCAS test is unfair. Ward, of the Coalition for Authentic Reform in Education, has two daughters who attend the school. ''What are we celebrating when we have [thousands] of kids who are threatened with not getting a diploma?'' he said. Megan Tench of the Globe Staff contributed to this report.   This story ran on page A1 of the Boston Globe on 9/20/2002. © Copyright 2002 Globe Newspaper Company.