EPS begins academic recovery under Supt. Hart

By Neil Zolot

Everett’s Average Scaled Scores in the 2025 state Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) test results rose slightly or remained stable compared to 2024. English Language Arts (ELA) scores rose from 480 to 484 and Math from 482 to 483.5, while Science remained at 481. “We’re inching forward,” Superintendent William Hart said at the School Committee meeting on Monday, October 6. “Nothing happens overnight, but we’re making progress.”

More specifically, Grades 3-8 ELA scores are 480 and Grade 10 ELA, 488; Grades 3-8 Math, 482 and Grade 10 Math, 485 and Grade 10 Science, 481. New Grade 8 Civics is at 482. The numbers fall within the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) range of Partially Meeting Expectations of 470-500 and are below state averages of 494 for Grades 3-8 ELA and Math and Grades 5 and 8 Science and Technology, 495 for Grade 8 Civics, 497 for Grade 10 Science, 498 for Grade 10 Math and 499 for Grade 10 ELA. (Scores of 440-470 are considered Not Meeting Expectations, 470-500 as Partially Meeting Expectations, 500-530 as Meeting Expectations and 530-580 as Exceeding Expectations.)

Nevertheless, DESE classified the Everett school system as Not Requiring Assistance or Intervention and Making Substantial Progress Towards Targets, but Hart cautioned, “Being pleased with the results doesn’t mean I’m satisfied. Sound educational planning precedes rising test scores. You will continue to see these numbers rise.”

“I feel it’s going to go to up from here,” School Committee member at-Large and Chairperson Samantha Hurley added. “There’s room for improvement and we’re addressing that.”

Plans, which build on strategic initiatives from last year, include providing professional development to strengthen literacy among all students, using high-quality materials and establishing professional learning communities among teachers to analyze student data and identify how to increase performance using the high-quality materials. A presentation given by Hart and Assistant Superintendent for Teaching, Learning and Student Success Margaret Adams outlined instructional priorities for the 2025-26 school year. “Our purpose is to support the literacy of our students and improve outcomes,” it reads. “Educators will intentionally implement student centered literary instructional strategies with high quality materials to plan data-drive instruction ensuring all students, especially those with disabilities and multi-language learners, experience targeted, rigorous instruction that leads to grade-level proficiency in reading fluency, comprehension and academic language development.”

Everett is in a DESE MCAS cohort with nine other communities. In 2024 it ranked 7th in Grade 10 Math, 8th in Grades 3-8 ELA and Math and Grade 10 ELA and 9th in Grades 5 and 8 Science. The cohort includes similar communities like Brockton, Chelsea, Lynn, Malden and Revere, but also dissimilar affluent suburbs like Barnstable, Marlborough and Milford.

Everett’s scores are ahead of Chelsea’s in 2025, which are 478 for Grades 3-8 ELA, 481 for Grades 3-8 Math, 477 for Grades 5 and 8 Science, 479 for Grade 10 ELA, 480 for Grade 10 Math 479 for Grade 10 Science and 479 for Grade 8 Civics. Local scores are also higher than Brockton’s, where former Everett School Superintendent Priya Tahiliani now works. Brockton’s scores are 480 for Grades 3-8 ELA, 480 for Grades 3-8 Math, 479 for Grades 5 and 8 Science, 486 for Grade 10 ELA, 482 for Grade 10 Math, 479 for Grade 10 Science and 480 for Grade 8 Civics.

MCAS is not as important as it used to be since a ballot question last year removed it as a requirement for graduating High School reading, “For a student to receive a diploma the proposed law would require the student to complete coursework certified by the student’s district as demonstrating mastery of the competencies contained in the state academic standards.” City voters approved it 7,339 to 4,479.

However, the vote did not eliminate the test. “The state decides this is a way to benchmark planning and academic support,” Hart explained. “It’s one measure of student progress or lack of progress.”

A key factor may be absenteeism, with chronic absenteeism defined as students missing 10% or more days during the 180-day school year. “We have to have the students in our buildings to move the needle,” Hart noted before Adams reported that Everett’s rate of chronic absenteeism was 30.4% among non-High School students in 2023-24 but dropped to 25.3% in 2024-25 and was 41.2% at the High School but dropped to 39.8%. Chronic absenteeism also dropped in every subcategory, except non-High School students with disabilities, but the increase was only .5%. She said it is important to “set good patterns right now” to minimize absenteeism over the course of the entire school year.