The Hull Public Schools have been recognized by state for reaching pre-pandemic levels of academic achievement, according to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

DESE released the results of this year’s Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) earlier this week, and Hull was one of 63 school districts that reached this milestone.

**PASSING THE TEST:** The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education this week recognized schools whose students scored at or above pre-pandemic levels on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System tests. Jacobs School Principal Kyle Shaw and Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Christine Cappadona attended the ceremony on behalf of the Hull Public Schools. [Photo courtesy of the Hull Public Schools]

District leaders hailed this achievement as significant, as the overall results show that post-pandemic learning loss continues to be a major challenge for many students.

Jacobs School Principal Kyle Shaw and Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Christine Cappadona (the former Jacobs principal) attended the recognition ceremony at Ottoson Middle School in Arlington. Shaw and Cappadona have worked together to address chronic absenteeism and improve early literacy in Hull’s schools.

“Today, we are recognizing 63 districts for returning to pre-pandemic achievement levels in grades 3-8, but next year, I hope that all districts have met this benchmark,” said state DESE Commissioner Pedro Martinez. “We want to exceed where we were in 2019, but the first step is to get back to that baseline.”

The Lillian M. Jacobs School was one of only 22 schools in the state to reach this milestone in English Language Arts (ELA). This achievement was earned by only 1.2% of the 1,817 schools. In addition, 54 districts achieved this level in math, with 13 districts recognized for students reaching pre-pandemic levels in both ELA and math. According to the statewide test results, about 42% of the state’s students met testing expectations, compared to about half of all students before the pandemic.

Hull’s full test results, as well as those for all other schools in the state, are available at https://profiles.doe.mass.edu.

“It is important to note that due to Hull’s recent school reconfiguration, this recognition of the Jacobs School is shared by the former Memorial School and Hull High School, where our eighth graders attended last year,” Superintendent Michael Jette said. “These results reinforce that the transition from three schools to two schools was carefully planned and well executed by everyone involved.”

Massachusetts voters in November approved a ballot question that removed the MCAS test as a requirement for graduation, and a committee appointed by the governor is expected to make initial recommendations for a new high school graduation standard by the end of the year.

“We know that when students feel connected and engaged at school their attendance improves. Our focus on creating meaningful classroom experiences and extracurricular opportunities has helped bring our chronic absenteeism rate to significantly below the state average,” Shaw said. “With students present and ready to learn, our all-star staff provides the instruction and support that drives student achievement. It is no surprise that Jacobs now finds itself in the top 1% of schools that have met or exceeded their ELA scores since the pandemic. We are proud of our students and grateful for our teachers.”

“We know that school communities are working hard to support their students, and I’m glad to highlight positive results among several districts while also recognizing the work that we still need to do as a state,” Education Secretary Dr. Patrick Tutwiler said. “We know our educators and students can do great things when all students are welcomed to school and attend classes every day, and the state’s investment in early literacy will build a solid start for future academic success.”

The next meeting of Hull’s school committee is scheduled for Monday, October 6 at 6:30 p.m. in the high school exhibition room.

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