Wareham Public Schools' MCAS scores continue to fall behind state averages, and according to a new state system, the district is not improving scores fast enough.

The new system was implemented after the Commonwealth waived certain federal No Child Left Behind requirements, in which states were working to get all students proficient in both English and math by 2014.

The new state goal is to reduce the "proficiency gap" of school districts' scores as compared to state averages by half in the six-year period between 2011 and 2017.

First, the scores:

The scores that students earn on tests place them in prescribed performance levels: advanced, proficient, needs improvement, or warning/failing.

The percentage of Wareham third-graders scoring proficient or higher in reading was 54%, compared to the state average of 61%. The numbers were the same for third-grade math.

In fourth grade, 51% of students scored proficient or higher in English, compared to 57% statewide. In math, 44% scored proficient or higher, compared to 57% of the state.

Fifth-graders test in English, math, and science and technology/engineering. In English, 53% of Wareham students scored proficient or advanced, compared to 61% of the state. In math, 48% of fifth-grade students scored proficient or higher, compared to 57% of the state. It was a struggle in science, in which 38% of the students scored proficient or higher, compared to 52% of the state.

Wareham Middle School students had a particularly tough time with the tests.

The percentage of sixth-grade students scoring proficient or higher in English was 58%, compared to 66% of the state. In math, 51% of Wareham students scored proficient or advanced, compared to 60% of the state.

In grade seven, 59% of Wareham students scored proficient or higher in English, compared to 71% of the state. In math, just 32% of Wareham's seventh-graders scored proficient or higher, compared to 51% of the state.

Of Wareham's eighth-grade students, 74% scored proficient or advanced in English, compared to 81% of the state. In math, 40% scored proficient or advanced, compared with 52% statewide. In science and technology/engineering, the struggle was statewide, though Wareham's eighth-graders still fell behind state averages. In Wareham, 31% of students scored proficient or advanced in science, compared to 43% of the state.

The percentages were much closer in high school English. Of Wareham's 10th-grade students, 86% scored proficient or advanced, compared with 88% statewide.

In 10th grade math, 55% of Wareham's students scored proficient or higher, compared with 78% of the state.

In science and technology/engineering, 44% of Wareham 10th-graders scored proficient or advanced, compared to 69% of the state.

What does it mean?

A new measurement of district and schools' progress — "Progress and Performance Index" — takes into consideration the rate of student growth, as well as other things such as graduation and dropout rates.

Science scores will now be considered part of the calculation, in addition to English and math. (Previously, science MCAS tests were administered, but the scores did not factor into a school's measure of proficiency.)

Schools and districts are assigned a "level" based on that measurement. Level 1 is given to the highest-performing schools and districts; Level 2 is given to schools that are improving, but not meeting goals to narrow the gap; Level 3 schools are among the lowest performing 20% of schools; Level 4 indicates a school is among the lowest-achieving and least-improving; Level 5 is issued if a school has been given a "redesign" plan and failed to improve.

Wareham is currently a "Level 3" district, because Wareham Middle School is considered a Level 3 school, or among the lowest performing 20% of schools.

John W. Decas Elementary, Minot Forest Elementary, and Wareham High School are all considered Level 2 schools.

As Jan Rotella, Wareham Public Schools Director of Curriculum and Development, explains:  "The formula sets absolute scores for a range of targets, and if you're within that range, you get that absolute score."

Wareham High School, unfortunately, missed Level 1 by just one point.

"I was extremely dismayed in the [Progress and Performance Index] scores," said Rotella.

Though students did show improvement in some subjects over last year, Rotella said, "I was disappointed that we did not show improvement in all areas."

What's next?

The 2012 spring MCAS was a new test, based on new state educational standards.

School districts across the state are still implementing those standards, in accordance with a timeline issued by the state, Rotella said. She added that nearby towns with similar demographics to Wareham, such as Plymouth and Taunton, struggled to keep up with the increased complexity of the new test.

"We're continuing to train our teachers and increase expectations across all grade-levels," Rotella said. "We have developed a curriculum outline … and we've adopted the new educator evaluation. … It's all aimed at improving student learning so that our kids are competitive with other students from other districts."

For complete MCAS results, click here to visit the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website.