PEABODY / REVERE – Peabody schools experienced “great pockets of success” with this year’s MCAS scores, said Assistant Superintendent Joseph Mastrocola.Tenth graders at Peabody Veterans Memorial High School improved overall in terms of mathematics. The percentage of students scoring in both the advanced and proficient levels increased from last year, while the percentage of students failing decreased.There were some areas of concern, however, such as fifth grade students at the Welch School. The percentage of students with a proficient score in English language arts dropped to 33 percent, down 13 percent from last year. Math scores didn’t fare much better with a 21 percent increase in failing students.”The MCAS is only one measure of what we do in our school district,” said Mastrocola, who noted that most of the problems involve the low-income, Hispanic/Latino, and special education subgroups. He said the school department is well underway with analyzing the data and trying to distinguish what needs improvement and how to do so.Revere posted its most dramatic comprehensive test improvements in 5th and 7th grade English language scores with a sharp jump in the number of advanced students compared to 2006 scores.The statewide average for advanced 5th grade reading scores this year and last was 15 percent. Revere students barely came within one third of that average in 2006, but they posted a district score of 10 percent this year in 5th grade English.Seventh graders more than doubled the English language scores they posted in 2006. The number of 5th and 7th graders posting poor scores in English declined this year locally compared to last year.The number of 10th graders posting advanced scores improved over last year while the number of high school sophomores with failing scores declined.Fewer 8th graders had failing test marks in mathematics, but the number needing improvement increased while the number showing proficiency declined slightly.Fifth grade science scores for this year demonstrated a decline compared to prior years. While they more than doubled their math proficiency scores, 3rd graders showed a decline in reading scores. But local 3rd grade reading scores exceeded the statewide proficiency average for the second year in a row.