Arlington Disputing State’s MCAS Report

The 2013 MCAS results are in, but the Arlington Public Schools believes both the overall district and Ottoson Middle School should be bumped up a level on the state’s accountability report, according to a Friday release.

On the accountability report, the state designates districts and schools with a 1-5 level, 1 being the highest performing, 5 the lowest, based on the MCAS results.

In the recently posted 2013 report, the Arlington district received a level 3 designation, as did Ottoson.

However, the district believes both the overall district and middle school should actually be at level 2. The inaccuracy is from “coding errors” in reports submitted to the state in October 2012 that underreported the number of English Language Learner (ELL) students at Ottoson, according to the district.

“This resulted in the state expecting English language proficiency test results from 15 former ELL students who were not actually required to take the proficiency test,” according to the district release.

“All Ottoson students requiring ELL services received them and were tested. However, given the inaccurate coding, it appeared to the state that [Ottoson] did not reach the required participation rate on the test required for ELL students.

The inaccurate results automatically gave Ottoson and the overall district level 3 designations, according to the district.

The district is currently working with the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to correct the data and make the middle school and district level 2 designations.

Superintendent Kathleen Bodie is also directing a review of all data collection and submission processes to the state, according to the release.

Arlington Public Schools’ designations:

• Arlington Public Schools, 3
• Arlington High School, 2
• Ottoson Middle School, 3
• Bishop, 1
• Brackett, 1
• Dallin, 1
• Hardy, 1
• Peirce, 2
• Stratton, 2
• Thompson, 2