A parade of administrators told the School Committee Wednesday night that steps are being taken to ensure that students' MCAS scores will improve.

Department administrators and principals were each given an opportunity to assess  MCAS scores for their area of responsibility and explain plans for improvement.

“We’re building the foundation,” said Superintendent Dr. Kimberly Shaver-Hood. “It’s critical that we have collaborative efforts district-wide. What we do in K and Pre-K certainly carries through to the 12th grade.”

MCAS are statewide standardized tests designed to hold schools, districts, and students accountable for student performance in three core subjects: English, math and science and technology.

District-wide, Wareham’s students performed below the state average in all three subjects in the spring 2014 tests. The only exception was fourth graders in math, where the percentage of fourth graders scoring "proficient" or "advanced" topped the state average by four points.

In happier news, for the second year in a row, Wareham High School achieved "Level 1" status as a result of MCAS results.

Schools are ranked individually based on their progress from previous years. Level 1 is the highest a school can rank, with Level 5 being the lowest. A school ranked Level 4 or lower can be taken over by the state.

Decas Elementary showed improvement, going from a Level 3 school to Level 2. Minot Forest Elementary stayed at Level 2, and Wareham Middle School stayed at Level 3.

Director of Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Andrea Schwamb, who’s in her first year in Wareham, told the School Committee that students in kindergarten through Grade 6 are going through a Formative Assessment for Teachers (FAST). New to the district, FAST tests are administered quarterly with the results immediately accessible by teachers and administrators -- allowing teachers to "create interventions" with students who need special attention.

“It is our collective goal . . . that the conversation will be different next year,” she said.

She added that the school district is focusing on professional development throughout the year, and that they're following a "four pillar system" aimed at improving literacy, mathematics, technology and student safety, across the board.

Administrator of Special Education Dr. Sue Anne Marks also spoke about addressing individual students’ needs.

“We recognize we have students with us that have a range of needs,” said Marks. She said there’s an effort to alter instruction for individual students who need it.

She also said there is now a centralized support and oversight system that allows administrators to review practices and policies and make changes accordingly.

The support system "is something different,” she said. “We’ve now centralized.”

Administrator of Data Management, Accountability, and Research Dr. Christine Panarese said that Wareham is facing the challenge of an increasing number of “high need” students.

“As we’re trying to move forward, our high needs population is increasing and increasing at a dramatic rate,” she said.

Part of the meeting focused on what was done at Decas to improve, and what the Middle School could do to improve.

Panarese, who was  principal at Decas last year, said constant student and classroom monitoring, students interventions, and a focus on instruction were all contributing factors to an improvement in MCAS scores.

The percentage of students at Decas scoring proficient or advanced went from 38 percent in 2013 to 44 percent in 2014.  The percentage of students at Decas scoring advanced in math went from 10 percent to 24 percent.

Wareham Middle School Principal Daniel Minkle, who took over in April, said he’s not satisfied with being a Level 3 school.

“Part of the challenge is to define where the child is and move them forward,” he said, adding that he was confident in the group around him. “We have a cohesive administration in this building and in this district.”

As for the high school, committee member Melvin Lazarus compared Wareham to Old Rochester Regional High School in Mattapoisett, which as of 2014 is a Level 2 school. Bourne High School is also a Level 2 school.

“I think we should be very proud of what’s going on at the high school,” said Lazarus. “We’re still a Level 1 school.”

Shaver-Hood said she’s been impressed with the district’s focus as a whole. “Everybody works incredibly hard in our district,” she said.

Lazarus said that, in the past, there was instability in school administrators, but he’s confident in the current regime.

“Both students and staff have been walking on eggshells,” he said. “Finally, we have some stability in the schools.”