School Committee Discusses Test Results at Monday Night Meeting
– Allison Goldsberry
Last year’s test results are in, and so far Medford and the rest of the state have a reason to celebrate.
For the second year in a row, Massachusetts students topped the charts of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam. This year Bay State students outscored every other state on three of the four NAEP exams and tied for first on the fourth.
The NAEP tests representative samples from each state in core subjects and scores are reported only at the state level so education systems can be compared state-to-state. Schools are randomly selected for participation and the Grade 8 class at the McGlynn Middle School was the only school in the district asked to participate.
Superintendent Roy Belson said the state’s results reflect the quality of the Massachusetts public education system.
Assistant Superintendent Beverly Nelson said the results indicate that the state’s own assessment exam, the MCAS, is one of the most rigorous in the nation.
Nelson said last year’s MCAS results are in but are embargoed at least until October 4. Medford is busy untangling the web of data from the state and a full report will be issued soon on the city’s progress on the exam.
According to Nelson, statewide student performance on the MCAS exam is up after remaining flat last year.
Meanwhile, back at home in Medford, Belson was happy to report the Medford High School class of 2007 broke the school record for high achievement on Advanced Placement (AP) exams.
Forty-five recent graduates received 138 qualifying scores on the AP exams- more than triple the number from the class of 1994.
Belson said Medford offers 15 AP courses, far more than many other schools, both public and private, nationwide. Students can take AP courses in every major subject area, from Calculus to Italian to Studio Art.
Social Studies Department Plans Active Citizenship, Veterans Programs
The Social Studies Department is off to a busy start this fall with plans to partner with Tufts University for an active citizenship education program and to bring veterans’ stories to high school students via school assemblies.
Social Studies Department Coordinator Bernadette Ricciardelli introduced Tufts sophomore Sarah Ullman, who, for the next three years, will work with Ricciardelli to make politics and citizenship come alive in high school classrooms.
Students studying contemporary issues will be exposed to a curriculum aimed at developing political awareness and active citizenship, with a particular focus on the 2008 elections. Students will hear from guest speakers, from local pols to national figures, and those who are eligible will be encouraged to register to vote.
Picking up on the theme of active citizenship, Ricciardelli said she is developing a program to commemorate Veterans’ Day with a slate of veteran speakers at the high school. Local veteran Tom Convery is helping Ricciardelli grab interesting speakers for the program, including School Committee member and World War II vet Fred Pompeo.
School Notes
Kiwanis Donate $500 to Athletic Department
The Kiwanis Club of Medford is donating $500 to the Athletic Department for equipment and supplies.
Students Recognized with $1,000 Italian Scholarship
Medford High School Seniors Eric Annable and Tania Santini have won the Federazione Associazioni Abruzzesi Scholarship for $1,000 each. They will be honored at a dinner with Dr. Carlo Cipollone, Educational Director of the Italian Consulate, Saturday night.
Medford Family Network Celebrates 15th Anniversary
The Medford Family Network began as an extension of Medford’s early childhood program and has grown over fifteen years into a community resource with everything from parent education workshops, adult English classes, and playgroups for children. Director Marie Cassidy, with the MFN from the beginning, said the MFN serves 1,800 families every year.
The following students of the Class of 2007 earned AP credit:
Carla Andre, Pritam Barua, Alaina Beckshaw, Michael Bove, Nalani Brown, Lian Bruno, Nicholas Chitopoulos, Julianne Cormio, Maria DePalma, Nicholas DiBlasi, Sarah Fingerman, Katie Ford, Scott Galica, Casey Germann, Timothy Gilligan, Emily Giurleo, Courtney Hughes, Gregory Hughes, Ka Ip, Lindsay Kephart, Arantxa King, Mirela Kuralic, Edward Lai, Kynthia Lai, Victoria Lee, Levi Liao, Julia Nitsche, Sara Paiva, Elizabeth Peixoto, Catherine Petrone, David Poon, Hiabella Rabelo, Lisa Ray, Roxanne Righini, Gabrielle Rizzo, Loni-Anne Sanford, Lauren Santini, Elizabeth Schere, Bridget Souza, Shaun Steele, Elyse Traverse, Freeland Tuden, Julia Yanakopulos, Vladimir Zaitsev, and Mariana Zapata.
The following students of the Class of 2008 earned AP credit:
Gianna Aliberti, Danica Bybell, Anthony Carvello, Andrew Casey, Joseph Cerasuolo, Angela Diaco, Amanda Du, Cecelia Flores, Jamie Forrest, Lori Forti, Peter Galebach, Terrence Gartland, Nabil Hoq, Shanon Keating, Mary-Kate Kelley, Meghan King, Michael Maloney, Rhea McCullough, Brittany Medeiros, Selam Mehretu, Amy Mei, Sarah Menkin, Christelle Mundelle, Michelle Nguyen, Laura Panadero, Felisha Pierre-Louis, Antonia Pugliese, Janelle Reppucci, Federica Rinaldi, Louis Rocco, Tania Santini, Kayla Scire, Terence Tran, Kasey Walsh, Brendan Whooley, and Owen Ziegler.
The following students of the Class of 2009 earned AP credit:
Piro Cani, Victoria Carvalho, Brett Cavallaro, Matthew Cipollone, Nicole Coakley, Matthew Connor, Sean Doherty, Alexis Donnaruma, Keerthana Gnanapradeepan, Meghan Keogh, Rachel Le, Dar Mangeym, Trevor Marchand, Lisa Moreira, Livia Motz, Patrick Nigro, Long Bin Pan, Ann Parker, Michael-Erik Ronlund, Susan Trinh, and Christopher Vaudo.