How will Saugus Middle-High School achieve turnaround to top 10% MCAS performer in state?

To work towards the Saugus Middle-High School rising to the top 10% of state high schools on MCAS performance by June 2027, Superintendent Erin McMahon is spearheading a plan driven by accelerating student achievement and creating a sense of belonging for students in a safe and healthy learning environment.

The Saugus Middle-High School falls in the bottom 10% of all high schools in Massachusetts as measured by sophomores’ math and English/language arts scores on last spring’s MCAS.

Another major concern is that the Saugus Middle-High School would receive a D-minus on a report card if evaluating where students are based on grade level standards for literacy, McMahon said.

“Our kids are better than this and we can close the gaps,” McMahon said.

Teachers and administrators are in the beginning stages of implementing a plan designed to move the Saugus Middle-High School from the bottom 10% to top 10% in state high schools on English/language arts and math MCAS scores by the summer of 2027.

That begs the question – how does a district go about achieving such an ambitious goal?

As a start, administrators in September observed more than 170 teachers in the Saugus Public Schools to determine if they are fostering safe and respectful learning environments in their classrooms.

Educators have also collected data analysis templates to understand where students stand academically in real time, McMahon said.

As one example, McMahon shared that nearly 75% of Saugus second-graders are one or two years behind where they should be for literacy.

Interim assessments are planned every six weeks to help gauge how students measure up on different age-level standards in literacy and math.

McMahon listed interim assessments, grades and attendance as examples of lead indicators of how students are faring in school. Teachers can then make necessary adjustments or interventions if concerns surface by reviewing these lead indicators, she noted.

Learning gaps can be attacked by teachers strategically spiraling in lessons from previous years that focus on standards students have yet to master, McMahon said.

Research shows that if kids haven’t learned to read by age 8 they have a one in four chance of graduating high school on time, McMahon said. She stressed that’s why fully grasping literacy skills is so important in the early elementary school grades.

The district has deployed math and literacy coaches to assist students who are struggling on certain standards with the goal of moving their understanding to the appropriate grade level.

Two teachers at the Veterans Lower Elementary School and six teachers at the Belmonte STEAM Academy are tasked with running small group instruction in literacy for kids who need it the most, McMahon said.

The goal, McMahon explained, is to make at least one year’s growth for every student in math and reading year over year beginning in 2022.

“We’re looking to accelerate, not remediate,” McMahon said.

McMahon told the Advertiser educators seem excited about following through with the plan to boost student achievement by making sure their students achieve proficiency in grade-level academic standards.

When she was a regional superintendent and associate chief of academics and innovation in the Denver Public Schools, McMahon helped lead an early literacy strategy that resulted in a 17% gain on assessments districtwide.

Another goal the School Committee established in concert with McMahon is that by next June, every teacher in the Saugus Public Schools will demonstrate proficient or exemplary practice in well-structured units and lessons as evaluated by an administrator through at least one formal observation.

A sense of belonging key

In order to “get to the moon” of Saugus being a top 10% high school on the MCAS, McMahon said the focus must also be on developing a sense of belonging in the schools.

McMahon pointed to the positive behavior intervention system in place at the Middle-High School, the presence of Project Lead the Way and movement toward standard board configurations for students in classrooms as strengths. She praised guidance counselors, teachers and administrators for helping to provide a safe learning environment for students.

School Committee member Dennis Gould said he believes the entire district is excited about the goal of getting to a top 10% high school and has embraced the plan.

What School Committee member Ryan Fisher said he likes is how McMahon and teachers are working with every child to improve the quality of education in the Saugus Public Schools. He expressed confidence this plan would translate to improved MCAS results over time.

“We’re trying to make Saugus top of the pack,” Fisher said.

By the time students graduate from high school, McMahon said it’s critical they have achieved proficiency on math and literacy standards so they are college and career ready to pursue choice-filled lives.

While acknowledging it’s a moonshot to go from a bottom 10% to top 10% Middle-High School, McMahon feels the goal is realistic as long as educators focus on lead measures they can control and not get distracted.

“The reason it will work is we as a team have a plan to get there,” McMahon said. “We’re on our way, we have good momentum and we have a really good team with leaders who truly care.”