SALEM, Mass., October 22, 2018 (Newswire.com) - Two KnowAtom schools lead Massachusetts in science scoring on the 2018 Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS), according to the most recent data from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).
The J. T. Hood Elementary School and L.D. Batchelder Elementary School were two of only four schools in Massachusetts with more than 90 percent of its students scoring “Advanced” or “Proficient” on the most recent statewide science standards-based assessment.
This is nearly double the state average, with just 48 percent of students across Massachusetts scoring proficient or greater.
Out of 847 schools in Massachusetts, J.T. Hood ranked No. 1 in the state for Grade 5 students scoring ”Advanced,” with 68 percent of students reaching this category. Across Massachusetts, only 18 percent of fifth-grade students scored “Advanced.”
J.T. Hood is also tied for No. 3 for students scoring proficient or greater, at 91 percent.
L. D. Batchelder Elementary School is tied for No. 2 for Grade 5 students scoring “Advanced,” and No. 2 in the state for students scoring proficient or greater.
“Our users are among the most discerning and forward-thinking public educators in the world,” said KnowAtom CEO and founder Francis Vigeant. “North Reading's strong teacher leadership adopted KnowAtom to push elementary science and engineering to the top. We celebrate NRPS success as a sustainable milestone in what it means to teach and learn elementary science in Massachusetts.”
North Reading Public Schools has been using KnowAtom’s comprehensive, grade-specific science curriculum designed for the new Massachusetts science standards since 2010.
The core of KnowAtom’s next generation inquiry process is students investigating phenomena and designing solutions to problems hands-on. This approach ensures that all students are engaged every day as scientists and engineers in the classroom.
Whitney Cleary, the fifth-grade science teacher at J. T. Hood, has been teaching using the KnowAtom curriculum for nine years and credits her school’s focus on making science a core subject, equal to ELA and math, for the gains in scoring and students’ overall enthusiasm for science learning.
“We get science throughout our day,” Cleary said. “With that extra time, I’m allowed more opportunities to do hands-on activities, so we do a lot of maker space ideas and problem-solving. The hands-on experiments are the fun part. That’s where students at this age really shine. They get to see how the knowledge they’ve learned really connects to the world around them.”
About KnowAtom
KnowAtom makes real science possible in every K-8 classroom. We provide a complete K-8 solution designed for mastery of the Next Generation Science Standards: fully aligned curriculum, integrated hands-on materials and targeted professional development. Our research-based, classroom-tested tools and techniques bring students’ own ideas to life with hands-on materials and technology.
To learn more, visit www.knowatom.com or call 617-475-3475.
Media Contact:
Sara Goodman
617-475-3475 ext. 2005
sgoodman@knowatom.com
As Seen On: Boston Herald, CBS News 8, and the Journal Sentinel
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