At least half of the 10th-graders in three of the state's poorest communities scored in the top two of the MCAS test's four categories, the best scores in those districts since the test began in 1998.

At Brockton High, 68 percent of the sophomores scored in the proficient or the advanced categories, the two highest levels, on the English exam on their first try, close to the state average, according to results released yesterday. In 2001, only 43 percent of Brockton's sophomores reached that mark.

In math, 52 percent of sophomores at Brockton High scored in the two top categories, compared with 30 percent five years ago.

In Boston and Lowell, 51 percent did that well in English: a 20-percentage-point jump from five years ago for Boston and a 15-percentage-point increase for Lowell. In math, 53 percent hit the top categories in Boston, and 51 percent in Lowell, also double-digit increases for both cities. In earlier years, a majority of students barely passed the exams.

Boston, Lowell, and Brockton are three of the 10 poorest school districts in the state, based on the percentage of students who qualify for reduced-price or free lunch.

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