Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS)
What test at what grade ?
| Grade | Subject |
|
| 3 |
ELA Math |
Reading
- Comprehension Mathematics |
| 4 |
ELA Math |
English
Language Arts - Composition Reading - Comprehension Mathematics |
| 5 |
ELA Math STE HSS |
Reading
- Comprehension Mathematics Science and Technology/Engineering History and Social Science |
| 6 |
ELA Math |
Reading
- Comprehension Mathematics |
| 7 |
ELA Math HSS |
English
Language Arts - Composition Reading - Comprehension Mathematics History and Social Science |
| 8 |
ELA Math STE |
Reading
- Comprehension Mathematics Science and Technology/Engineering |
| 9 |
STE USH |
End-of-Course
Science and Technology/Engineering (Biology, Chemistry, Introductory Physics, and Technology/Engineering 1) U.S. History |
| 10 |
ELA Math STE USH |
English
Language Arts - Composition Reading - Comprehension Mathematics End-of-Course Science and Technology/Engineering (Biology, Chemistry, Introductory Physics, and Technology/Engineering 1) US History |
| 11
& 12 |
ELA Math |
English
Language Arts Retest (Nov. & March) Mathematics Retest (Nov. & March) |
MACS History
MACS is our state's student testing
program, in response to the Education Reform Law of
1993. The purpose of these tests, along with other components of
education reform,
are designed to strengthen public education in Massachusetts and ensure
that
all students receive challenging instruction based on the learning
standards in
the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks.
The curriculum for students
with disabilities, as for all students, should be aligned with these
standards.
MCAS is designed to improve teaching and learning, promote school and
district
accountability, and, beginning with the class of 2003, certify
graduation from
high school.
A student must participate in MCAS either through standard testing (with or without accommodations) OR through alternate assessment in each subject, but not both. A separate decision regarding the appropriate testing of each student must be made by the student's IEP Team in each subject scheduled for testing. In all cases, the student should be engaged in an instructional program guided by the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks learning standards.
Our State Wide Assessment
- IEP Team meeting and 504 teams decide how each student with a
disability will
participate in MCAS.
The student's team should begin by asking the following questions:
- Can the student take the standard MCAS test with accommodations?
If so,
which accommodations are
necessary and appropriate for the student?
• If neither of the above, does the student require an alternate assessment (see below)?
• If neither of the above, does the student require an alternate assessment (see below)?
- The MCAS tests are based on the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks .
- All MCAS tests are un-timed.
- All students who require additional time and are continuing to make progress on the test, may continue working on a test session. Any single test session must be completed on a single day.
- The subject areas being tested depend on the students grade level. See the Dept. of Education - MCAS home page.
- In Spring of 2001, testing begins
in grade 3 for English
Language Arts. At this grade level Reading Comprehension is
being
tested. The majority of the questions are multiple choice and a few
open ended questions (The open ended questions were not scored).
The student reads a short paragraph and answers 3-4 questions (they can
refer back to the paragraph).
- This manual list some of the possible test accommodations and ways students can participation in MCAS:
-
Massachusetts
Advocates for
Children (MAC), Boston. Had five
brochures to assist students
who fail 10th grade MCAS: These have not been updated to reflect the
updates of IDEA 2004, and are currently unavailable (Appeal
Options, GED,
Remediation, Retest,
and Service
Options), give them a call if
you have questions about a student who failed 10th grade MCAS.
- Students in out-of-district
placements, in a private special education schools, both day and
residential, that are publicly funded students (by school district or a
state agency) must take the MCAS and meet local graduation standards.
They may take the MCAS Alternate test but still must pass.
| MCAS
Scores Grade 3 Reading Comprehension |
MCAS Scores Grade 3 Math |
MCAS
Scores
Grades 4 - 10 all MCAS tests Scaled Scores |
|||||
| Advanced | 45 - 48 |
|
Advanced | 37 - 40 |
|
Advanced | 260 - 280 |
| Proficient | 37 - 44 |
Proficient | 37 - 40 |
Proficient | 240
- 258 |
||
| Needs Improvement |
22 - 36 |
Needs Improvement |
22 - 36 |
Needs Improvement |
220 - 238 |
||
| Failing / Warning | 0
- 21 |
Failing / Warning | 0 - 21 |
High= 230 - 238 | |||
| Low = 220 – 228 | |||||||
| Failing / Warning | 200
- 218 |
||||||
| High= 210 – 218 | |||||||
| Low = 200 – 208 | |||||||
Questions about the MCAS Alternative
Who
is the MCAS Alternative Assessment intended for?
The MCAS alternate assessment is intended for a small number of students who are unable to take standard MCAS tests due to the complexity and severity of their disabilities. These students must participate in MCAS through the alternate assessment portfolio which must be compiled and submitted in the same content areas and grades as students who take standard MCAS tests, in accordance with the law.
The MCAS alternate assessment is intended for a small number of students who are unable to take standard MCAS tests due to the complexity and severity of their disabilities. These students must participate in MCAS through the alternate assessment portfolio which must be compiled and submitted in the same content areas and grades as students who take standard MCAS tests, in accordance with the law.
What
is AYP? "Adequate
Yearly Progress" (AYP)?
A central feature of the federal No Child Left Behind law requires states to determine whether local schools and districts have met their goals for "adequate yearly progress" (AYP), based primarily on MCAS results.
Formula = A+B=YAP
Formula
= A+C+D=YAP
What is this new "1% rule" for students with significant cognitive disabilities?
The U.S. Department of Education released new policy guidance on March 2, 2004, that outlines the means by which states can seek an exemption to the one percent (1%) cap on the number of proficient scores of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who take alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards that may be included in calculations for determining adequate yearly progress (AYP) under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. See the press release:
http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2004/03/03022004.html
How do students taking MCAS Alternative affect my school's AYP?
This new rule acknowledges that students with significant cognitive disabilities are not likely to meet the same level of proficiency as required of typical students, but will still be recognized as "proficient" (for the purpose of calculating AYP) if they make effective progress on meeting challenging academic goals. These goals must be aligned with the state's learning standards, and documented in their MCAS-Alt portfolios. Schools and districts are awarded points on an "MCAS-Alt index" based on each student's score, which are then added to the point total for students who took standard MCAS tests. The US Department of Education has placed a 1% cap on the number of students with significant cognitive disabilities in each district (though not in individual schools) that can be counted for AYP, though this does NOT limit the number of students who can take the MCAS-Alt.
MCAS Alt Index:
Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities
taking MCAS-Alt (up to 1% of all assessed students)
MCAS Alt-Score Points Awarded: Portfolio not submitted 0, Incomplete portfolio 25, Awareness 50, Emerging 75, Progressing 100
A central feature of the federal No Child Left Behind law requires states to determine whether local schools and districts have met their goals for "adequate yearly progress" (AYP), based primarily on MCAS results.
Formula = A+B=YAP
A. Participation: Are 95% or more of our students taking
part?
B. Performance: Have we met or surpassed the state’s
English language arts and
math performance targets for this two-year cycle?
- Or -
- Or -
A. Participation: Are 95% or more of our students taking
part?
C. Improvement: Is student performance improving at a
rate that puts all of our
students on track to reach the proficiency summit by 2014?
D. Attendance or Graduation Rate: Are our K-8 students attending at the expected rate? Did our
Class of 2003 meet the state
graduation rate target?
What is this new "1% rule" for students with significant cognitive disabilities?
The U.S. Department of Education released new policy guidance on March 2, 2004, that outlines the means by which states can seek an exemption to the one percent (1%) cap on the number of proficient scores of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who take alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards that may be included in calculations for determining adequate yearly progress (AYP) under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. See the press release:
http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2004/03/03022004.html
How do students taking MCAS Alternative affect my school's AYP?
This new rule acknowledges that students with significant cognitive disabilities are not likely to meet the same level of proficiency as required of typical students, but will still be recognized as "proficient" (for the purpose of calculating AYP) if they make effective progress on meeting challenging academic goals. These goals must be aligned with the state's learning standards, and documented in their MCAS-Alt portfolios. Schools and districts are awarded points on an "MCAS-Alt index" based on each student's score, which are then added to the point total for students who took standard MCAS tests. The US Department of Education has placed a 1% cap on the number of students with significant cognitive disabilities in each district (though not in individual schools) that can be counted for AYP, though this does NOT limit the number of students who can take the MCAS-Alt.
MCAS Alt Index:
Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities
taking MCAS-Alt (up to 1% of all assessed students)
MCAS Alt-Score Points Awarded: Portfolio not submitted 0, Incomplete portfolio 25, Awareness 50, Emerging 75, Progressing 100
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One of our original webpages, created
July 14, 2004, by Melody Orfei
Webpage
last
modified on February 4, - V13 by Melody
Orfei
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