Boston Herald
March 13, 2003

Looking Beyond MCAS
by Anne Wheelock, Boston

The Boston Herald reports that 78% of Boston's high school seniors have now
passed MCAS ("Hub students make MCAS strides," March 12). Based on revised
enrollment figures, 2,778 out of current 3,545 seniors will graduate from
Boston high schools this spring.

But this report tells only half the story -- almost literally. Boston's
original class of 2003 included 5,634 students three years ago. The 767
students who failed the MCAS combined with the 2,856 students lost from the
class since October 1999, means that almost half the original class will not
receive a high school diploma with their classmates. The more students who
disappear from the rolls, the higher the MCAS pass rates. When all students
who were members of the class of 2003 are included in the count, only 49%
have passed MCAS. The Department of education should restate all MCAS pass
rates based on the numbers of all students who were originally enrolled in
the class of 2003 as 9th graders.