October 18, 2022

Dear Canton Families, 

In the next few days, you will receive your child’s Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) scores in the mail. The individual student report will look similar to those in the past and it outlines your child’s achievement levels on their MCAS from Spring 2022 testing. 

The Spring 2022 MCAS marked a return to students taking a full MCAS in English Language Arts (ELA) and Math for grades 3-8 and 10 and in Science for grades 5, 8 and high school, after taking a modified MCAS in 2021 due to the pandemic.  To understand your child’s report, parents/guardians can access this presentation provided by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). 

Given the impact of the pandemic on schools and student attendance, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) correctly predicted there would be a state-wide impact on achievement levels. In alignment with the state results, we saw instances of a dip in some scores, while other areas demonstrated improvement. 

We are extremely proud of the efforts of our school community last year, and the majority of our scores were once again consistent with or above state averages. 

For additional MCAS information, I highly encourage you to watch this video, recorded by Josh Fogel, District Data Analytics Manager, that provides a comprehensive overview of the District MCAS data. Additionally, he made a 30-minute presentation at the October 6 School Committee meeting (beginning at 1:44 on the recording). 

In an effort to continually improve, MCAS performance played a key role in setting priorities and designing our 2022-23 District Goals and School Improvement Plans. MCAS results are used globally at the District level to make adjustments to our curriculum and instruction, while also helping us to understand the learning needs of each of our students. 

Our building principals have made (or will be making) their MCAS presentations at their School Council meetings, which are open to all families. Additionally, we will be recording a video that captures the school’s results and presentation. 

If you have any questions about the MCAS report or your child’s performance on MCAS, please contact the administration at your child’s building. 

We appreciate your support and welcome your partnership as we continue to enhance our school communities, elevate the learning for every child, and serve as champions of excellence.

Sincerely,

Derek Folan
Superintendent