Though administrators say it doesn’t necessarily mean they're doing poorly in school, 62.2 percent of Wareham’s students were considered to be “high needs” students in 2013-14. It does mean they have to give special attention to a majority of their students moving forward.

Of the 2,745 students attending Wareham Public Schools last year, at least 1,701 were defined as being high needs students, or those falling in at least one of the defining categories. Those include students on individualized education programs (IEPs), low income students, students who are English language learners (ELL), or those who are former ELL students. IEPs are learning aids developed by teachers, parents, and administrators to aid students with disabilities.

The state average for high need students was 48.8 percent per district in 2013-14.

Administrators say that those students falling into the "high needs" category are at a disadvantage when it comes to learning.

“Their challenges are greater out of the gate,” said Director of Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Andrea Schwamb, who is in her first year in the district. “The ways in which kids get exposed to learning vary greatly depending on how much money they have.”

The percentage of low income students in the district went from 45.2 percent in 2010-11 to 53.8 percent in 2013-14. The state average in 2013-14 was 38.3 percent. The percentage of students with disabilities went from 19 percent in 2010-11 to 22.4 percent in 2013-14. The state average in 2013-14 was 17 percent. The percentage of students qualifying for free lunch went from 35.9 percent in 2010-11 to 45.3 percent in 2013-14. The state average in 2013-14 was 33.6 percent.

Students with disabilities include those with autism, a developmental delay, a neurological, health, intellectual, physical, communication, emotional, or sensory impairment, or a specific learning disability.

Overall, the number of high needs students went from 60.9 percent in 2012-13 to 62.2 percent in 2013-14. The number of “high needs” students weren’t measured prior to 2012-13.

Dr. Christine Panarese, the former principal at Decas Elementary School and current Administrator of Data Management, Accountability, and Research for the district said being able to identify which students are high needs allows them to do predictive analysis, which all districts are required to do.

She said the state provides each district with a profile of itself, and compares schools to other "like schools," which also allows them to make assessments.

“With the data, we can hone in on research (and make adjustments) so our kids are on the same playing field,” said Panarese. “We’re very good at doing that.”

That combined with limited funding has brought about challenges for the district, but both Schwamb and Panarese are confident that each student is getting the proper attention.

“As difficult as that is, that’s the goal,” said Schwamb. “In a perfect world, we’d give every kid exactly what they need to succeed. That’s what we try to do.”

“It’s difficult for everyone—everyone’s feeling the bite of the economy,” said Panarese.

One of the measures the district is using to provide individualized attention to students is the 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.

Panarese and Schwamb said that’s just one of the ways they collect data on students, as well as MCAS scores and other methods, which allows them to address particular areas of need for certain students.

“The kids have an individual profile, and it changes every year as the kids move,” said Schwamb.

“We’re tying to drill down this data,” said Panarese. “We only have 180 days. If there’s a kid that’s struggling, we need to figure out the problem.”