Schools: Many who failed MCAS quit

by Megan Tench, Globe Staff, 7/18/2002

Boston school officials announced findings yesterday that a significant number of the students in the Class of 2003 who failed the high-stakes MCAS exam in the spring of 2001 and who did not take the retest in December of 2001 have dropped out of high school.

Data released at yesterday's School Committee meeting showed that of the 1,675 students who failed the math portion of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System exam in the spring, 572 students did not take the retest. Of the 572, 168 dropped out of high school.

Remaining in school were 278 who simply did not take the test again. Transfers out of the system accounted for 106 and the other 20 withdrew because they were expelled, hospitalized, or in jail.

On the English portion of the test, 1,330 students did not pass the first exam, and 379 did not take the retest. Of the 379, 107 dropped out. Of the remaining students, 187 didn't take the exam, 68 transferred out of the district, and 17 withdrew because they were expelled, hospitalized, or in jail.

School officials could not say how much overlap there is in the data between the two portions of the exam.

So far, 51 percent of the Class of 2003 in Boston have yet to pass the exam.

School Committee chairwoman Elizabeth Reilinger said she is concerned about the high number of students who remained in school but did not take the retest.

''Something is wrong with this picture,'' she said. ''I don't know where the disconnect is and I am trying to get a sense of that.''

The Class of 2003 is the first that must pass the MCAS to graduate. Students have five opportunities to take a retest. However, taking the retest is not a requirement.

Students in the Class of 2003 now have two more opportunities left to retake the exam.