State's 8th-graders score well in writing test, despite gender gap

Massachusetts eighth-graders ranked third in a 2007 national writing assessment released yesterday, but boys scored significantly lower than girls, renewing concern among state education officials about a widening gender gap.

While educators expressed satisfaction with the Commonwealth's overall results, they said the state needs to focus more on why boys are not measuring up.

According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as "the nation's report card," 60 percent of girls in the Bay State scored at or above proficient, compared with 32 percent of boys. Nationwide, the gap existed as well, with 41 percent of girls scoring at or above proficient compared with 20 percent of boys.

"There are a lot of troubling indicators for boys, but I don't think we have very good evidence as to the cause of it; I haven't seen a single study that pinpoints the problem," said Paul Reville, chairman of the state Board of Education.

He said that some factors, such as cutbacks on playground activities, could be limiting some boys' ability to let off excess energy and allow them to concentrate better in the classroom. "These are some of the things we'll look at," Reville said.

The chairman said he will analyze the report and then probably meet with other state and district administrators to discuss what can be done differently.

"We need to spend more time paying attention to the impediments and what students are telling us, and we need to be more willing to experiment with different approaches to reach children, such as same-sex education," he said.

He added: "Doing better with girls doesn't necessarily come at the expense of boys' educations. We have to teach to different learners, and good teachers transcend categories."

As president of the Cambridge-based Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy, Reville co-wrote a policy brief in 2006 titled "Are Boys Making the Grade? Gender Gaps in Achievement and Attainment." The 12-page study analyzed MCAS test results in math and English language arts and other indicators, such as graduation rates.

The study found that girls were outperforming boys in English language arts. It also indicated that girls were pulling even with boys in eight-grade math. Eighth-grade girls tested slightly lower than boys statewide. But in Boston, girls tested slightly better than boys.

Jeffrey M. Nellhaus, acting commissioner of the state Department of Education, called writing a critical life skill and said, "It is unacceptable for this to be a problem area for any of our students.

"We need to reassess how we are both teaching and testing writing to ensure that every student gets the skills, practice, and expertise they need to do well in school, college, and in their future careers," he said.

Boston's public school students participated in the testing for the first time last year, with 1,100 eighth-grade students from 34 schools taking the exam. Results from the district showed that 35 percent of girls scored at or above proficient level, while 15 percent of boys scored at or above proficient.

The overall performance of students in the district exceeded the average performance of 10 other large cities nationwide, with 25 percent of Boston students scoring at or above proficient, compared with 22 percent average for the other cities.

More than 3,400 Massachusetts eighth-graders from 135 schools participated in the 50-minute test of narrative, informative, and persuasive writing. Overall, Connecticut and New Jersey ranked first and second.