Southbridge’s MCAS Progress is Fantastic – Right?

Ken O’Brien
According to the MCAS results released today,Southbridge High has met and exceeded its targets in all but one category.







Source (Click Here)

Now, I’m no expert. In addition I’m probably goingto reinforce my reputation for being overly negative.
Nevertheless, there is something I finddiscomforting about these results.
The progress is, as I understand it, based upon the performance of grade 10 students in relation to grade 10 students in prior years as well as statewide. 
But we should also look at the progress of this group of students compared to their past standings.
Now, this group of students would have been in grade 8 in 2010. When I compare the results of these students on the MCAS in 2010 to the results in 2012 the progress is phenomenal.






















For example, in 2010 in English Language Arts 59%ranked as Proficient or Higher. 6% ranked as Advanced.  In 2012 these jumped to 76% and 25%respectively.
In Mathematics in 2010, 26% ranked as Proficient orHigher with 8% ranked as Advanced. In 2012 these numbers jumped to 51% and 26%.
In Science and Tech/Eng in 2010, 27% were rated asProficient or Higher and 1% were considered Advanced. In 2012 these numbersclimbed to 43% and 7%.
I have to ask, is it plausible that such dramaticprogress could have been achieved among essentially the same body of studentsin just two years?
I am not attempting to denigrate our teachers or administration.I simply would like to understand how these kinds of results could have beenachieved.

Is it accounted for by a 44% to 53% decline in the number of students included?

One additional observation; there has been a similarinflation in results statewide. Does this call into question the integrity ofthe assessment tool on a year-to-year basis?