Students score well in science

Most schools produce solid results on MCAS

"There's still room for improvement. We're going to drill down this data and see how we can improve. We're not resting on our laurels," said Melrose Superintendent Joseph Casey.

Three area public high schools had a 100 percent pass rate on the state's science MCAS exam, a graduation requirement for the class of 2010.

Manchester Essex Regional High School, Salem Academy Charter School, and Mystic Valley Regional Charter School in Malden had every student pass the test, according to data released last week by the state Department of Education.

"They did a heck of a job," said Rachel Hunt, head of school at Salem Academy, where 19 students took a physics test in the spring of 2007. "We encouraged them to take it as freshmen, after they've spent the year learning the subject."

Science is the newest graduation requirement of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System. Math and English MCAS exams have been a required since 1998. Starting with the class of 2010, students must also pass one of four science exams - biology, chemistry, physics, or technology/engineering. Tests, which have multiple choice and essay questions, may be given as early as ninth grade.

"We just decided to put our emphasis on having as many students succeed in the biology exam as early as possible," said Charles Symonds, principal at Rockport High School. The school had a 97 percent pass rate on the science test, according to state data.

Statewide, the pass rate for the class of 2010 was 88 percent. The rate includes students who took the tests as ninth-graders last year or as sophomores this year. Of the 38 public high schools north of Boston, 26 met or exceeded the state's pass rate, and 16 schools had a pass rate of 95 percent or better, the data show.

So what's the secret to their success?

A potent mix of discovery-based learning and analytical skills, educators said.

"Across the district, we've had a focus on inquiry-based science," said Lisa Dana, superintendent of the Danvers public schools. "Our kids ask a lot of questions. Our teachers ask a lot of questions of them, too."

Danvers High, where students must take four years of science, had a 97 percent pass rate on the science MCAS. Of the 251 students, 7 percent scored in the advanced category, 63 percent in proficient, 27 percent in needs improvement, and 3 percent failed.

Dana, who has a doctorate in science education, said an emphasis on hands-on learning, which starts in elementary school, likely played a role in the high school's MCAS success.

"It's really a foundation that starts in kindergarten, which we follow all the way through until 12th grade," she said. "I believe its paying off."

The Manchester Essex Regional School District also teaches discovery-based teaching methods.

"We adopted it because its good teaching and good science," said Marcia O'Neil, the district's superintendent. "We are able to look at what connects skills and concepts so that students understand them, know how to apply them, and then do well on MCAS."

At Rockport High, Symonds credits his students' literary skills for helping them ace the biology exam. "I do think our students are very literate, and as a result, they can digest information in a biology text pretty well; and I think that's a key difference from kids who are taking chemistry, which requires a more complex skill set," he said.

Newburyport High School had a 98 percent passing rate, which one educator attributes to the school district's scrutiny of practice MCAS tests published by the state.

"We look to see how they compare with what we're already doing in classes," said Ken Cole, chairman of the school's science department.

"We were able to make the appropriate adjustments. It gave us a sense of whether we were approaching the concepts appropriately."

Teachers also emphasize problem-solving. "Being able to solve the problems, to work through them logically, is another piece of it," Cole said. "We started years ago, to make sure we were aligned with the state. I guess we are."

At Melrose High School, which had a 95 percent pass rate, the curriculum is aligned. Staff training also has emphasized critical thinking and hands-on learning, School Superintendent Joseph Casey said.

"Science isn't something you learn by rote," Casey said. "There has to be a hands-on component. You also have to understand how what you're doing in a lab relates" to the curriculum.

But while Melrose High scored 7 points higher than the 88 percent rate statewide, the district still plans to analyze the scores. Of 203 students who took the test, 15 percent scored in the advanced category, 48 percent in proficient, 32 percent in needs improvement, and 5 percent failed, according to state data.

"There's still room for improvement," Casey said. "We're going to drill down this data and see how we can improve. We're not resting on our laurels."

Kathy McCabe can be reached at kmccabe@globe.com.