Lynn Schools 2007

LYNN - Efforts to improve MCAS scores across the district, as well as special programs for minority and special education students are working to improve Lynn schools, according to the Department of Education (DOE).

At a recent meeting of urban superintendents, the DOE announced that Lynn has been bumped down to a priority two school district, making it the only large, urban district in the state to make such an improvement.

Lynn, along with Boston, Brockton, Fall River, Lawrence, Lowell, New Bedford, Springfield and Worcester are all considered large “high poverty” (30 percent or higher below the poverty line) urban districts, according to the DOE.

Based on MCAS scores and other data, the DOE rates the needs of each district in four categories, with priority four being the best and priority one, or “Commissioner’s Districts” the worst. The schools in the Commissioner’s Districts are in the most need of aid from the DOE, and are subjected to random visits and curriculum suggestions from that department.

Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction Joanne Roy, who attended the meeting in place of Superintendent Nicholas Kostan, announced the status change to the School Committee Thursday night.

“We have been upgraded to a priority two school district, with no priority schools,” she said. “We should be very proud because in talking about DOE districts, the Commissioner’s District is not a good thing. It means the DOE will be coming in and putting their stamp on what is going on in the district.”

Roy said that the DOE asked her to join officials from the other large urban schools and give advice on how to improve on the MCAS and other areas.

Kostan said the distinction is a very proud moment for the district, because that means that all of the hard work teachers and administrators have put in to help students and improve learning is working.

“We just want to shout this from the roof tops, this is the best news we’ve heard from the DOE in many, many years,” he said. It is quite an accomplishment and an important step forward for both the school department and the city. We have a lot of dedicated teachers stepping up to help Lynn reach our goal of becoming the best urban school in the state.”

Priority two schools are still subject to a close watch by the DOE, and Lynn does still have schools in the MCAS corrective action category.

But the ruling moves Lynn from the company of other troubled school districts, as it now stands alone as the only large urban school in the priority two segments.

Other priority two districts include medium sized urban districts such as Everett, Pittsfield, Haverhill and Malden, along with Salem, which is considered a small urban district.