Concord Special Education Parent Advisory Committee (Concord SPED PAC)
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) |
The subject areas being tested depend on the students grade level. See the Dept. of Education - MCAS home page.
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.
Beginning with the graduating class of 2003, students will be required to pass the grade 10 MCAS English Language Arts and Mathematicstests (a score of 220 or higher) as one step toward fulfilling the state's high school graduation requirement. Students who fail one or both tests will be given multiple opportunities between grade 10 and the end of their senior year to retake the test(s). 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 under routine conditions?
- 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)? - 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.
English Language Arts (ELA):
- Reading: In Spring of 2001, testing begins in grade 3 for English Language Arts. At the grade 3 level Reading Comprehension is what 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).
- Writing: In fall of 2007, the writing scoring rubic was updated and actual samples were added to the DOE MCAS website, we have a link to them on our PAC Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks webpage to view the new scoring samples.
MCAS Test Accommodations:
- This manual list some of the possible test accommodations and ways students can participation in MCAS:
"Requirements for the Participation of Students with Disabilities in MCAS"
Massachusetts Advocates for Children (MAC), Boston. Has five brochures to assist students who fail 10th grade MCAS : These have 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 |
To view Concord Public Schools, and our Regional high school - MCAS scores 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. 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 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 - Formula = A+C+D=YAP 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. 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 
 | One of our original webpages, created July 14, 2004, by Melody Orfei Webpage last modified on January 25, 2012 - V15 by Melody Orfei |
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