Billerica Public Schools

Student Achievement

The achievement of students in the Billerica Public Schools is in part measured by student successes in the MCAS, SAT and Advanced Placement tests. Good test scores and sustained improvements are a direct reflection of dedicated teachers, students and parents in conjunction with the effective use of quality educational programs. Our test results are summarized as follows:

MCAS

The MCAS test is a measure of the overall achievement level of Massachusetts Schools. The tests are given by the Massachusetts Department of Education. The following table compares the percent of Billerica students passing the exam against the percent of all Massachusetts students passing the test. The Billerica passing rate is higher than the State passing rate on all MCAS tests.

MCAS (as of June 2005)
Test	Billerica	State
Grade 3 – Reading	94%	93%
Grade 4 – English	92%	90%
Grade 4 – Mathematics	90%	84%
Grade 5 – Science & Technology	92%	89%
Grard 6 – Mathematics	83%	76%
Grade 7 – English	98%	93%
Grade 8 – Mathematics	80%	69%
Grade 8 – Science & Technology	81%	74%
Grade 10 – English	99%	89%
Grade 10 – Mathematics	98%	86%

MCAS Graduation Requirements

Starting with the class of 2003, passing the Grade 10 MCAS test “competency determination” is a requirement for obtaining a high school diploma. For the Class of 2005, 341 of the 346 students have met the standard MCAS “competency determination.” Three students took the specially designed MCAS Alternative Assessment.

SAT

The SAT tests are used as a measure for acceptance into college. The combined verbal and math score of the Billerica Memorial High School Class of 2005 (1053) again exceeded the combined score for all the public high schools in Massachusetts (1047).

Advanced Placement

Seventy-five Billerica Memorial High School students took a total of 151 Advanced Placement exams in various subjects. The results again exceeded the state and national averages for the number of students attaining a qualifying score of 3 or higher.

Billerica Massachusetts USA

77% 71% 60%

Seventeen BMHS students earned awards for their performance on the AP exams. There were three AP Scholars With Distinction, three Scholars With Honor and eleven AP Scholars.

Post-secondary Plans for the Class of 2005:

The Billerica Memorial High School Class of 2005 had 341 graduates. Of these, 282 students (82%) continued their education at the post-secondary level. Two hundred seven (60%) continued at four-year colleges, including MIT, Swarthmore, Boston College, Boston University, Babson, Emerson, UMass Amherst, UMass Lowell, and many others.

Sixty-eight students (20%) continued at two-year colleges, with most attending Middlesex Community College. Seven students (2%) continued at other schools such as Universal Technical Institute. Also, we are proud to report that six students (2%) chose to support our country by serving in one of the branches of the United States Military.

Ditson Elementary School

· The Ditson School had a very busy year addressing a number of important areas. The Don’t Laugh at Me Character Education Program continued in full swing. Character Education Videos and related worksheets were introduced on a monthly basis. The staff and students were exposed to a wide variety of topics throughout the year.

· The science curriculum was enhanced by bringing in the Acton Discovery Museum, the Museum of Science and the Electric Company to present various programs at all grade levels. It was a well worthwhile and productive effort enjoyed by all.

· The Ditson Student Council continued with its variety of community service efforts during the school year. They raised money for the Tsunami Victims totaling $2,500 and once again feted their elderly pen pals with an end of year concert and luncheon.

· In all it was a very productive year involving the students, teachers and the Ditson Community.

Dutile Elementary School

· Implemented a rich developmental reading and writing program for Dutile Kindergartners

o 4 Blocks

o Fontes and Pinnell Phonics

· Received two Partners for Education Grants:

o Listening Centers were purchased to accompany last year’s audible books award

o Whisper phones were purchased for the magnification of the student’s own voices

o The Quick Reads technology component was purchased for fourth and fifth grades. Training was provided to staff

· A successful reading incentive program was carried out around the theme of Finding Nemo. Thousands of books were read by Dutile students. A Literacy Day celebration and balloon launch was the culmination of the program and was highlighted by the student’s “fishing” in a pool of goldfish

· Prepared the students and school community for an author visit and celebration

o Author Jeff Nathan presented to the whole school

o Bump a Nose Productions came to present a reading program to the first and second graders

o Greg Tang presented a math program to students in grades 1-5

· The Student Performance Record to record reading performance was developed so that all children at the Dutile have a continuity of information about reading performance passed on year to year

· Staff participation in outside conferences:

o Differentiated Instruction

o 4 Blocks

o Primary Writing

o DRA

o Making Words

o Northeast Early Literacy Conference

· Formed a Task Force which met monthly to explore curriculum issues and disseminate their findings to grade level peers

· Created “Making Cents” lesson plans to emphasize practical math skills in school and at home making mathematics an integral part of our students lives

· Raised $18,000 to purchase and upgrade technology; purchased 24 new Emacs for every networked classroom, including 3 additional laptops

· Upgraded memory on all Macintosh computers to run OS and MS Word platform

· Activities planned to enhance community and parent involvement:

o Halloween Social

o Bingo Night

o Talent Show

o Field Day

o Literacy Day

o School Fundraising Auction

o Tsunami Fundraising effort

o Home for the Holiday Christmas

o Salvation Army Sock Tree

o 100^th Day of School Celebration

o Billerica Food Pantry benefit

· Provided training strategies for prevention of teasing and bullying

o Presented HAWC Bullying Prevention Program for fourth and fifth grade students

o Received Partners for Education grant to present All-Starz play to second and third grade students at all Billerica Elementary Schools

o Received Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare funding to provide videos and other materials for the Character Education program

o Presented Character Education Theme of the Month with specialized projects, videos and reading materials

o Performed December musical incorporating Character Education

Hajjar Elementary School

· The Hajjar School successfully ran a five-week summer reading program to increase the reading ability of incoming second graders. In September a Reading Readiness Workshop, conducted by our reading specialists, for parents of Kindergarten children was well attended.

· The second phase of “Lesson One: The ABC’s of Life” was begun. All staff participated in workshops conducted by the author of this nationally recognized program. The program teaches life skills such as self-control, self-confidence, and responsibility among others.

· Our Civic Committee conducted various community service events such as Toys of Tots, Reading Incentive Program, Food Pantry donations, and Citizenship Day. This past Citizenship Day a special fundraiser was held for “Homes for our Troops. Over $2,500.00 was raised for Homes For Our Troops which helps build new or adopts existing homes for our severely disabled veterans of the War on Terror.

Kennedy Elementary School

· Conducted a successful reading incentive program called “Read Across America”. The kick off for the program was a Community Reader Day on March 2 where various community members came to read in the children’s classes. This was followed by an assembly where the reading teachers challenged the students to read 12,000 books by the second week of May. The principal, Mrs. Iatron said she would ride a Harley Davidson motorcycle if the children met the challenge. Mrs. Iatron did in fact ride a Harley since the reading incentive program was highly successful with the children exceeding the goal.

· The Kennedy successfully ran another summer math program to increase the math ability of students entering grade four who were identified as being “at risk”. The School Council sponsored this program.

· Character Education was expanded with the implementation of “Lesson One: The ABC’s of Life” program. This is a violence prevention program promoting self-control and the development of a positive attitude in students. It is the first part of this character education initiative in which consultant, Jon Oliver provides training for all staff and students. The program will continue in the school year 2005-2006.

· A Selectmen’s Grant was awarded to the Kennedy School PTO which allowed for the purchase of ten eMAC Computers and a laser printer. These computers are located in the computer lab, which has enabled the relocation of some of the iMAC computers to the classrooms. All classrooms have at lease one iMAC computer and the computer lab has 16 eMAC computers.

· Five staff members (Grades 1-5) and the Principal participated in the Math Textbook Adoption Committee from October 2004 through January 2005. The entire staff participated in professional development centered on the new Houghton Mifflin Math Program which was just adopted by the Billerica Public Schools.

· Contact has been made with Billerica Elder Services. One senior volunteer assists in a first grade class this year and it is our hope that the program will expand to include more senior volunteers in the 2005-2006 school year.

· Through the receipt of Community grants two fourth grade classrooms have been equipped with Alpha Smarts computers. This will provide more intense assistance with student writing in these classes. This has the potential for expansion in the next school year.

Parker Elementary School

· Had the highest achievement in the district on the science MCAS in the fifth grade.

· Received a grant from the Billerica Partners for Education to fund an art exhibit based on art forms prevalent during Billerica’s history.

· Conducted a successful math incentive program for parents to work with their children on math facts. The PTO volunteers made flashcards for every student in the school which were reviewed by parents four times per week.

· Conducted a successful reading incentive program where children traveled the continents by reading a specified number of books; sponsorship came from Dunkin Donuts. Students who completed the program each month had the opportunity to participate in drawings for free books.

· Each class participated in a community outreach program where they did task such a planting flowers at the Senior Citizens center, making cards for families and collecting items for distribution to soldiers serving overseas.

· Participated in the annual Billerica Scholarship Trivia Night with one team of parents and one team of teachers.

· Sponsored two scholarships for graduating high school seniors.

· Children attended hands on science presentations for each class in grades k-5 with presenter Tom Whali. Topics included such things as bridge building and simple machines.

· During the month of December participated in our annual toy drive for the Billerica Elks and collected over 300 toys for distribution to needy families.

· Participated in the Coats for Kids drive through Anton Cleaners.

Vining Elementary School

· The Vining School initiated a Poetry Incentive program, “Poetry is Life on Paper”. The goal for the Vining School community was to read 5,000 poems in one month. Parents were encouraged to visit the Children’s Room at the Billerica Public Library. In conjunction with the reading of poetry the entire staff encouraged students to create their own original works and to present and celebrate their poetry during Poetry Café Night. A classroom book of poems from each classroom were presented and added to the Vining School Library.

· In order to continue to build the Vining School staff’s knowledge in balance literacy, both reading specialists Mary Turo and Debra Dagle and Kindergarten Teacher Jean-Marie Kahn, developed a ten hour professional development program for teachers utilizing the model Guided Reading the Four Blocks Way. Teachers met in grade level teams to specifically understand reading strategies specific to each grade level. This literacy model included Month by Month Phonics, Making Words, Guided reading Comprehension Strategies and Non-Fiction reading.

· This year will mark the 10^th anniversary in supporting the Billerica Food Pantry during the holiday season. This initiative was spearheaded by Ann Hintz ten years ago and continues to be a driving force every holiday season.

Locke Middle School

· With funding provided by Town Meeting the Locke Middle School provided 20 sessions of After School Math MCAS Preparation Program for all special needs students. Additionally, each student was provided with a two line high-end calculator used in all math courses.

· New Grade 7 and 8 social studies textbooks were adopted and purchased for all students. This adoption, with its many ancillary materials, updates our curriculum pathways to the latest Massachusetts Frameworks for middle schools.

· Many Locke Middle School Teachers took advantage of Billerica Partners for Education Grants for Innovative Instruction. Included was a Field Study – Science Research Project measuring the cleanliness of Nuttings Lake.

Marshall Middle School

· Marshall School special education teachers attended four full days of training in Mathematics.

· Students and staff published Volume I of a new school newspaper, Life in the Middle.

· Marshall School teachers offered an after-school tutoring program in MCAS Mathematics. The program targeted at-risk students.

· Average daily attendance for Marshall School students increased to 95.9%.

· A new World History textbook was adopted for Grade 8 Social Studies.

· We installed 9 new Dell computers in the library to provide research capability for Marshall School students and staff. This brought the total number of workstations in the library to 19.

· The school welcomed 10 new staff members who were hired as a result of retirements or transfers.

· In partnership with the PTO, the school sent monthly informational mailings to all families in the District.

Billerica Memorial High School

· The SAT results published by the College Board and based upon the Class of 2005 indicated a very strong showing in Math. Billerica Memorial High School students produced an average score of 543. This score was 21 points above the Massachusetts average of 522 and 28 points above the national average of 515. The average best scores for students in the Class of 2005 now attending four-year colleges is 536 in the verbal, and 573 in math.

· During the 2004-05 school year, 75 students took a total of 151 Advanced Placement exams. The number of exams is up from 110 the previous year. The BMHS advanced placement exam results indicate that 77% of the tests taken resulted in passing scores of 3, 4, or 5. The Massachusetts average was 71%, and the national average was 60%.

· Seventeen BMHS students have earned awards for their performance on the AP exams:

o AP Scholar with Distinction: three students scored a 3 or higher on five exams.

o AP Scholar with Honor: three students scored a 3 or higher on at least four exams.

o AP Scholars: eleven students scored at least a 3 or higher on at least three exams.

· The BMHS Annual Yearly Progress Report (No Child Left Behind) rated a 93.9 performance rate in English Language Arts, and a 93.2 performance rate in math. The state target performance rates were an 80.5 for English Language Arts, and a 68.7 in math. It should be noted that 53% of our sophomores scored in the Advanced category on the Spring 2005 MCAS exam.

· As part of our professional development on assessment, each teacher is submitting two assessments with rubrics, including student samples, for our Special Progress Report to the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. These rubrics are designed to document what is expected in the school-wide expectations that are a part of the school’s mission.

· A common planning time has been established for chemistry teachers as we prepare for the MCAS Chemistry exam becoming a graduation requirement (spring 2008 exam.). This planning time enables chemistry teachers to coordinate curriculum and instruction in a manner that will best fit the state standards.

· The two-year report to the New England Association of Schools and

· Colleges was submitted in November of 2004, and approved in a letter dated February 14, 2005.

· Thirty-seven more curriculum guides were completed (actually 41 with social studies about to be submitted) during the 2004-05 school year. Guides for almost all core academic courses will be completed by the end of the current school year.

· Based upon the Fall 2004 PSAT scores, we have two commended students in the 2006 National Merit Program sponsored by the National Merit Scholarship Program.

English/Language Arts

Elementary

· The elementary Language Arts website, Billericareads.org provides teachers, parents, students and community with current and useful information about a range of issues relating to elementary Language Arts curriculum and pedagogy in the Billerica Public Schools. With more than 1700 hits since its debut last April, the website contains interactive access to our spelling program, downloadable forms for testing, training sites for improving student writing, school based reading incentive information with regular updates, and much more. MCAS/ELA scores have maintained overall strong performance in all areas.

Middle School

· MCAS/ELA scores have shown solid growth over the last several years. Teachers have been concentrating on the continued improvement of students’ writing by engaging in open response writing activities with students, and in on-line training activities to gain a sharper understanding of MCAS writing expectations. Core pieces of literature have been established, using Massachusetts frameworks and readability standards as a guide, that articulate dedicated titles for grades 6-8, thus eliminating repetition and increasing students access to a variety of grade appropriate quality literature.

High School

· The BMHS English Department, in partnership with the BMHS library staff, have developed and implemented a mandatory research-writing project in grades 9-12. This comprehensive program is designed to provide students with consistent, and graduated instruction in the development of thesis driven research topics, the organization and development of information to support those topics, instruction on effective information gathering using library based and on-line resources, and the proper citation of sources, to name just a few components of this program. Included in the program is instruction in plagiarism avoidance and the use of a library based program, Turnitin.com which allows students and teachers to evaluate their work against a database of more than one million research papers, to ensure against plagiarism and to provide opportunities for meaningful teachable moments as students learn about integrating resources into their own meaningful, analytical research projects.

· Additionally, MCAS/ELA scores continue to be strong, with increased numbers of students scoring in advanced and proficient categories, and with a pass rate among the highest in the Merrimack Valley.

Social Studies

Middle School

· 7^th and 8^th grade Social Studies texts have been adopted to support the implementation of Pathway I from the Massachusetts Frameworks. The selection process involved the work of teachers and administrators and the collaboration of principals, publishers and administrators to ensure that both grades 7 and 8 were included in the adoption process, thus ensuring a seamless Social Studies transition among the three middle school grades. Additionally, curricula have been developed by teachers in all three grades to support these new materials and the Massachusetts frameworks

High School

· Social Studies curriculum is being written at a steady and productive pace, and includes the quality input of our experienced Social Studies teachers

Physical Education

· At all three levels Physical Education curricula have been developed and implemented by teachers, providing a continuous and consistent transition throughout the K-12 continuum.

Math, Business, Science & Health

· After a year-long evaluation process, a new elementary math series, Houghton Mifflin Math, was selected for adoption at all elementary schools beginning in August, 2005

· Professional development in mathematics content was provided to all middle school special education teachers

· Advanced Placement (AP) Statistics and AP Chemistry were added as junior/senior electives

· Chemical storeroom cleanouts began at the high school

· Continued the process of updating curriculum in all areas

· “The Yellow Dress”, a one-woman dramatic play that explores issues of dating violence, was presented to high school students

· Eleven teams from BMHS competed in the International DECA marketing competition in Anaheim, California. A team of three seniors placed in the top ten in the Entrepreneurship Written Event and a team of two juniors placed in the top eighteen in the Food Marketing Research Event

Special Education

· The department is preparing for the Department of Education Mid-cycle Review in which they will revisit how the district implements all requirements of the special education law.

· eSped, the web-based software program utilized for the writing of individual educational programs (IEPs), was implemented in September 2004. The writing, archiving, and data collection is inclusive within this program. All data required by the DOE is exported and sent to DOE via Billerica Public Schools Data Processing Department.

· Special Education teachers at both middle schools are participating in a two-year math training to build capacity and support students’ success in the MCAS Math Assessment.

· Related services (speech/language, occupational and physical therapy services) have been increased this year to meet the needs of students with disabilities.

· Students at BMHS have participated in vocational evaluations, work experiences, and competitive jobs within our community with the support of consultant services from Work Opportunities Unlimited.

· Special education teachers have participated in in-service training/workshops in the areas of behavior management, functional behavioral assessments, autism spectrum disorders, MCAS Alternative Assessments, assistive technology, augmentative communication, and a variety of additional professionally related areas.

Fine Arts

· The Middle School Art Enrichment continued thanks to a grant from the Karyn Button Memorial Foundation.

· The High School Marching Band and Silver Jade Colorguard captured the Division I Championship of the Musical Arts Conference.

· At the high school bells were purchased thanks to a grant from the Billerica Partners for Education and the Billerica Friends of Music.

· Vocal and instrumental groups at all levels performed concerts throughout the year.