School Committee seeks MCAS action plan after declines

School Committee · Meeting of October 8, 2026

WESTWOOD — The School Committee asked administrators to return with a deeper analysis after hearing declines in grade 8 English, science and eighth grade civics MCAS results. Superintendent Tim and Caitlin said comparable districts are not struggling on civics, and a new "win block" intervention is underway. Members debated a fixed peer-district list, and the superintendent offered to meet with two members to draft one.

Ari Tornatore, K-12 Wellness Director, and High School Principal John Murray presented the adolescent health survey, which showed lower high school alcohol use and a rise at the middle school, from 6 percent to 8 percent lifetime. The committee also accepted a $34,633 PTO gift for the Downey playground.

In the full story:

• Opening and Superintendent's Report
• Community Coalition to Combat Hate Speech
• Chair's Update and Liaison Reports
• MCAS Results
• MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey
• Draft 2027-28 Calendar
• Action Items
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 1,590 words

Source: the School Committee meeting of October 8, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.