Hayden McFadden School is officially out of 'underperforming' status. Read on.

Matthew Ferreira, The Standard-Times
·4 min read

NEW BEDFORD — For the past decade, students at Hayden McFadden Elementary School in New Bedford have arrived at school earlier, and been dismissed later than their peers at most other city schools — something that started as result of the state's designation of the school as "underperforming" in 2011.

Next year, that may not be the case, as New Bedford Public Schools celebrates the school — often called "Hay Mac" for short — officially coming out of that status this year.

Students and staff at the school got the news on Monday, Nov. 13, delivered personally by one of Mass. Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's top officers. Komal Bhasin, a senior associate commissioner and chief schools officer at DESE, has worked closely with the school while observing its turnaround and brought in a balloon bouquet to commemorate the occasion.

Komal Bhasin, chief schools officer at the Mass. Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, stopped in at Hayden McFadden Elementary School personally last week to share the news that the school had been officially taken out of the state's "underperforming" designation.
Komal Bhasin, chief schools officer at the Mass. Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, stopped in at Hayden McFadden Elementary School personally last week to share the news that the school had been officially taken out of the state's "underperforming" designation.

"I personally have never had the experience of DESE walking in with balloons, so it was an exciting time," said NBPS Assistant Superintendent Darcie Aungst at Monday's School Committee meeting, noting "tears and screams and laughter" at the announcement.

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"She [Bhasin] had built a relationship with the school," NBPS Interim Superintendent Andrew O'Leary told The Standard-Times. "So she was eager to deliver the news in person."

What does this mean for Hay-Mac?

While no operational changes are yet set in stone, O'Leary said there's a likelihood that improvement measures like earlier start times and later dismissals will be gone next year.

Since implementing Hay Mac's "turnaround plan," as required by the state, students there have been starting school at 7:45 a.m. and staying till 3:45 p.m., while the standard school day is 8:15 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

"We anticipate most of the turnaround plan provisions won't be in effect next year," O'Leary said, noting collective bargaining will ultimately be a factor in implementing any changes. "Part of the reason to extend the day was to implement additional professional development for staff and extend core content blocks for students."

What turned things around?

Whether a longer school day helped or not, O'Leary said he believes the main driver of positive change at Hay Mac has been more organic in nature.

"I think what really works at Hay Mac is the culture of the school, that there are high expectations for all students," O'Leary said. "Students feel a connection to their teachers and vice versa."

Hayden McFadden Elementary School in New Bedford, seen here, was first put on the state's list of "underperforming" schools in 2011. On Monday, Nov. 13, students and staff learned the school was officially clear of this designation.
Hayden McFadden Elementary School in New Bedford, seen here, was first put on the state's list of "underperforming" schools in 2011. On Monday, Nov. 13, students and staff learned the school was officially clear of this designation.

O'Leary said Hay Mac teacher Jasmine Gonzalez, who received an official resolution of recognition last week from City Council, is an example of the type of committed staff who have contributed to the school's recent achievement. Gonzalez's recognition was relative to her induction into the Wasabi Fenway Bowl 2023 Honor Roll.

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O'Leary also credited an emphasis on helping ELL (English language learner) students, noting about 45% of the school population falls under that category; as well as the strategic move to make Hay Mac home to one of several family engagement centers throughout the district.

Lessons learned

While there's a lot to celebrate at Hay Mac, New Bedford Public Schools as a district still has some turnaround work ahead, with New Bedford High School still designated "underperforming," and Parker Elementary School designated as "chronically underperforming" and in state receivership.

But with a fresh success story to its credit, O'Leary says the district is capitalizing on the lessons Hay Mac's journey has offered.

"It's shown us we don't want to focus necessarily on add-ons or turning over staff," he said. "You want to build a strong core of stable staff who are committed to the district ... and build a strong building culture, where the leadership, teachers, students and support staff all feel like part of the school community.

"That's exactly what you have in place at Hay Mac."

What does 'underperforming' mean for Mass. schools?

According to DESE, "An Act Relative to the Achievement Gap" was signed into Massachusetts law in January 2010, giving the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education the power to identify schools as "Underperforming" based on multi-year trends in state metrics like "academic achievement," "student growth," and "academic improvement."

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: New Bedford's Hay Mac School officially kicks 'underperforming' status