Mystic Valley Students Ace MCAS Exams
Once again students at the Mystic Valley Regional Charter scored among the top schools in the Commonwealth on the annual MCAS exams. Mystic Valley’s high school was ranked 32nd of 289 districts in the state in both the ELA and Math exams. No failing grades were given in English or Science to any of the 10th graders taking the exam and only 1% of the students taking the exams did not pass the Math exam. 96% of the 10th grade students taking the ELA scored Advanced or Proficient and 91% of the students who took the 10th grade Math exam scored Advanced or Proficient. Mystic Valley officials were pleased with the results. Seeing that year in and year out Mystic Valley students are performing well on the 10th grade scores show that Mystic Valley’s curriculum from Kindergarten on is working as the tests are cumulative in nature and a good measure of the education the children are receiving by 10th grade.
98% of all Mystic Valley students from grades 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10 received a passing grade on the ELA portions of the exam and 93% of those students received a passing grade in Math. Mystic Valley’s students received the highest grades in school history on the: 3rd grade ELA; 3rd grade Math; 4th grade ELA; 5th grade ELA; 5th grade Math; 7th grade ELA and 10th grade Math exams and 90% of the 7th graders taking the ELA exam scored advanced or proficient. 2011 was the first year in which Mystic Valley’s 3rd grade scores were better than the scores of all six of its sending districts. Comparing each grade’s scores to Mystic Valley’s past classes shows that the scores at the lower grade levels are improving which bodes well for future 10th grade scores to continue to be high.
George Benzie, Assistant Director for Grades 9-12, after reviewing the results, stated that:”we continue to be impressed with the work ethic of our students and the dedication of our teachers. Mystic Valley prides itself on providing a world class education. The latest MCAS results solidify our resolve and tell us that we are doing something right”.
41Mystic Valley Class of 2011Students Win Adams Scholarship
41 of the 72 members of the Mystic Valley Class of 2011 have recently been informed that they have won the John and Abigail Adams scholarships provided by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The scholarships entitle the students to four full years of tuition free enrollment at any Massachusetts state college or university.
The 57% rate of scholarship recipients is believed to be among the highest in the state. Over the last three years more than half of Mystic Valley’s graduates have received the scholarship. The scholarships are awarded to Massachusetts public high school students who score at the Advanced and Proficient levels on grade 10 MCAS tests in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. (A student must earn a score of Advanced on the ELA or Mathematics test and a score of Proficient or higher on the second test.); and have a combined score that places them in the top 25% of the graduating class in their district.
Dr. Joseph McCleary, Executive Director of the Mystic Valley Regional Charter School stated that “John and Abigail Adams best represent the original and continuing Massachusetts tradition of valuing the life of the mind. Our students and school community are proud to be a part of that tradition. Congratulations to the Class of 2011 on their extraordinary achievement”
The students took the exam during their sophomore year. These particular students were members of the initial kindergarten class at Mystic Valley and will be the first group of students to graduate from Mystic Valley after receiving their entire K-12 education at the school. Mystic Valley Assistant Director George Benzie said that “congratulations go out to our seniors for this great achievement. It is a tremendous accomplishment for a school to have 41 out of 72 students eligible for the John and Abigail Adams Scholarships. It is a testament to the students’ hard work and dedication to their studies”.
The students who received the scholarships are: Leah Brown, Samantha Brown, Brennan Bushee, Audrey Cain, Alana Casullo, Ryan Cerrato, Cailyn Chiccuarelli, Samantha Childs, Hayley Cunningham, Amanda DiBenedetto, John Dion, Evan Dolber, Kelly Finn,Zachary Hamhoomis, Brendan Hogan, Sean Hooley, Calvin Huynh, Michelle Jaynes, Joan Kinnon, Patrick Kinnon, Tiffany Kwong, Derek Lee, Stephanie Lin, Stephanie Martorana, Joanna McPherson, James Monzione, Nicole Mui, Gina Pedro, Hunter Poulos, Jessica Poutre, Rachel Rennie, Taylor Roseen, Jessica So, Kayla Teves, Emalee Thomas, Krithiknath Tirupapuliyur, Stephanie Venezia, Jenna Walker, Hillary Wen, Meredith Williams and Jeffrey Yee.
Adams Scholarship Winners
History of Success
Students at Mystic Valley performed exceptionally well at all levels on the standardized tests given during the past year. Over half of the members of the Class of 2011 received the John and Abigail Adams Scholarships as a result of their MCAS scores. These scholarships entitle them to receive free tuition at any Massachusetts state college or university. The rate of scholarship success is thought to be among the highest in the state!
Mystic Valley annually tests its students twice annually using the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS), a nationally recognized and widely used test of student performance. Annual evidence of successful academic progress using the ITBS is measured by a comparison of consecutive spring scores over a period of one calendar year. An average of one full year's growth for all students in grades K-8 as measured by a core total score is a primary academic goal.
For more detailed information regarding test scores see the 2010-2011 Annual Report.
