Norwell Public Schools continue to rank among the top-performing districts in Massachusetts, according to the latest Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) report card. The district met or exceeded state expectations in key performance areas, with notable improvements in mathematics.
At the recent Norwell School Committee meeting, Director of Teaching & Learning Diane Provenzano presented the findings, emphasizing the district’s commitment to academic excellence.
“There are 399 districts in the state and 44 districts in the state received this rating, and we are one of those 44 districts in the state to receive that, which is I think terrific for us,” Provenzano said.
One of the district’s biggest strengths was its progress in math achievement. Provenzano credited the success to targeted curriculum improvements and additional student support.
“My biggest takeaway is the strength of what we have seen happen over the last few years in our math,” she said. “There were a few years back when we brought on elementary our major adoption in the elementary. We knew that we needed to do a little bit of work there. And as we’ve watched this over now a few years, we are seeing, I think, the benefit of that attention that we’ve played with the curriculum materials, with the support of some of our math aides.”
Math scores at the middle and high school levels were particularly impressive, with seventh-grade students ranking higher than most in the state. At Norwell High School, 10th-grade students achieved the ninth-highest math MCAS scores in Massachusetts.
While math performance has been a success, district officials noted that English Language Arts (ELA) remains an area for growth. Provenzano said there has been progress in early literacy, but work remains to be done in later grades.
“We are hopeful that we can do the same for our ELA that we have done for our math,” she said. “Our 10th-grade MCAS scores at 86% is high. And as we know, nationally, reading and language scores are down everywhere, down in the state, and we actually had a few upticks.”
To address this, the district is focusing on strengthening literacy instruction at all levels, beginning with elementary curriculum enhancements and increased reading support. Superintendent Matthew Keegan noted that the district’s ability to analyze student performance data has been critical in shaping instruction.
“We kind of understand the data more. We understand the students who need the support and make sure they’re getting the support,” Keegan said. “A lot more targeting has happened at the middle school. High schools had support. We’re really not only focused on helping the kids who are at the top continue to excel, but making sure that the kids that maybe had lost a few things during COVID are consistently getting that reinforcement going forward just to kind of lift everything up.”
With Norwell maintaining its strong academic standing, school officials remain focused on sustaining progress and ensuring that all students receive the support they need to succeed.
See the full video on Norwell Spotlight TV.