The Watertown School Committee has been reviewing state achievement data, preparing for leadership transitions, planning a Student Services Listening Session, and looking ahead to an exciting future with a new Watertown Middle School.
MCAS is taken each year in the spring by students in 3rd through 10th grade. The district receives the results in the fall. MCAS is just one of many data points that we use to track progress and make adjustments. Here are a few things this year’s MCAS data tells us:
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Watertown students continue to outperform the state. In nearly every grade band and subject, a larger share of our students met or exceeded expectations than students statewide. In grades 3-5 math, grade 5 science, grade 8 science and grade 8 civics, we were 14 to 15 points above the state.
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Our students are showing academic growth. Student growth in ELA and math was above the state average in every grade band. In grades 3-5 math and grade 10 math, growth was well above the state.
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We lead comparable districts. Among 11 districts DESE identifies as most similar to ours, Watertown ranked first or second in five of nine measures, including first in grades 5 and 8 science and grade 10 math growth.
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We know where we need to grow. Narrowing achievement gaps for our high-needs students remains a priority. At Watertown High School, grade 10 math and high school science scores dipped this year, indicating an area for growth and support. Each school has specific action steps in place for 2026-27, including targeted support for 9th- and 10th-graders, closer progress monitoring, and greater collaboration between content and special education teachers.
I’m grateful to our principals and educators who review MCAS and other achievement and growth data at the school, grade, and student level regularly to better support students. You can read the full presentation on
MCAS data.
On Monday, November 30th from 6:00 - 9:00 PM at Watertown High School, the School Committee will hold a student services listening session to hear from families about Watertown Public Schools special education services. This is an opportunity for us to hear directly from families about their experiences in recent years outside of a typical meeting. Please come at the time that works for you. Childcare will be provided.
With Dr. Galdston retiring at the end of the school year, we have begun the process of looking for the next Superintendent of Watertown Public Schools. On Monday, we chose The Collins Center to assist us with the search process. Next steps include posting the position, forming a screening committee and doing community outreach to hear your thoughts about what you want in a new Superintendent. We aim to hire the district’s next leader in early March of 2027.
As always, budget season is never far away. We approved the
FY28 budget calendar and will be reviewing the FY28 budget goals as our meeting next week.
