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Freetown elementary schools lag behind regionalized middle, high schools in MCAS performance - Taunton, MA on Astini News

The recently released Freetown and Lakeville 2011 MCAS scores were historic. They represent the final numbers of the two towns before they officially became a fully regionalized district on July 1.

The scores also underscored a point long made by school officials — elementary school scores would lag behind until the towns completed the merger.

The 2011 Freetown Elementary School scores were below the state average in both English and mathematics; meanwhile the scores for regionalized grades five through 10 surpassed the state average in almost every category.

The third and fourth grade students' "proficiency or higher average" in English was 48 percent, in contrast to the state average of 69 percent. In math, the same students' proficiency average was 53 percent, while the state posted a 58 percent proficient or higher percentage. Freetown also had a higher percentage of students who either failed or scored in the "needs improvement" range. 

The average Freetown-Lakeville proficiency percentage for students in grades 5 through 10 in English was 82 percent, while the state average was 69 percent. In math, 61 percent of the district's students scored proficient or higher, while the state percentage was 58 percent.

The district percentage of students who failed or posted "needs improvement" scores was lower than the state average as well.

"It was what we had expected, and this is another reason why we fully regionalized," Freetown-Lakeville Transitional School Committee member Robert Nogueira said after hearing the results.

"We can now lower class sizes and concentrate on the elementary schools," he added.
Since the early 1970s, the two towns have had a fully regionalized middle school and high school.

Last year, both towns voted to regionalize their entire systems.

As a result, both Freetown Elementary School and Assawompset Elementary are now boasting class sizes in the low 20s. Last year, some classes at those schools were nearing 40 students per class.

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