Social Pressures Cited as Cause for Students' Subpar Test Scores

AJ:

Westbrook Middle School students may no longer be tripping over ripped carpeting
or stuck in windowless rooms, but moving into a shiny new building on
Stroudwater Street was the solution to only one of many problems that face the
school, according to Superintendent Reza Namin. While elementary school students
in Westbrook have performed above the state average during the past three years,
middle school students’ test scores fall below that line--a trend that worsens
in the high school. At the same time, social pressures seem to be greatest for
that age group, according to a recently released health survey given to middle
and high school students last year, which shows bullying among students and
suicidal thoughts are highest in the middle school.

- John C.L. Morgan