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News from DESE Student Assessment Services
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For All Schools
1. Reminder: MCAS Testing Window Extended for Schools Closed Due to Heat
As a reminder from the previous update, schools that closed due to “heat days” may continue MCAS testing through Tuesday, June 15. The testing window for the Grade 8 Civics Pilot End of Course test has been extended to June 11.
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2. PCPA Deadline Extended to June 16 (for Schools Using Extension due to Heat Days)
In line with the extension for the testing window, the deadline for completing the PCPA has been extended through 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 16 for schools that closed due to heat days that use the MCAS testing extension through June 15.
Instructions on completing the PCPA appear in the Principal's Administration Manual (PAM) on page 58 in step 3. Schools that would like to view the certification statements prior to completing the form can find them online.
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3. Reminders for Returning PBT Materials
When scheduling a UPS pickup of PBT materials online at the MCAS Service Center website, schools can choose any administration from the dropdown menu to schedule the pickup. Principals only have to schedule one pickup for their school but must remember to use the return service (RS) label number that matches the test administration on the dropdown menu. When schools schedule the pickup, they must provide the total box count across all administrations being sent back.
To request a pickup, locate a UPS tracking number on one of the RS labels you are using and have that number available when you go online. Select “MCAS” from the menu, and then select “UPS Pickup Request” from the list of options on the left-hand side. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the request. Schools may return materials together for all grades/content areas in each of the following test administrations: grades 3–8, next-generation grade 10 ELA and Mathematics, Legacy high school ELA and Mathematics, and high school STE. Schools with multiple administrations (e.g., next-generation grade 10 tests and high school STE) should return materials for each administration separately.
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4. ACCESS for ELLs: Provisional (Preliminary) Reporting of ACCESS Results
District ACCESS for ELLs Test Coordinators will be provided with “provisional reports” available in WIDA AMS on June 10. Provisional reports will include the results of students for whom all four test domains were scored prior to June 10. Most likely, districts will receive results for only a portion of students who took the tests, with the full electronic results reported as scheduled on August 5, with printed results to follow on September 8. Provisional reports are not to be shared with parents. These reports are to be used for informational purposes only to gauge the intensity of English language instruction that students may need next year, and whether they may potentially be reclassified as a former EL. Please email ACCESS@mass.gov with questions.
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5. Reminders from the Previous Update
a. End-of-Administration Tasks
At the end of the testing window, schools will need to update student information in PearsonAccess Next (PAN) according to the instructions in Appendix D of the PAM. Please see the previous update for details on how to manage student information in PAN for students who did not participate in testing.
b. Spring 2021 MCAS Preliminary Reporting Schedule
Results from the spring MCAS test administrations are scheduled to be available in .CSV format and in Edwin Analytics later this summer. Please note that Released Essay Reports from the spring 2019 grades 3–8 and 10 ELA administrations will be removed from PearsonAccess Next on July 13.
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For High Schools
1. Modified Competency Determination and the Summer Acceleration to College Program
As detailed in the previous update, .CSV files for the modified Competency Determination (CD) are now available for schools and districts in the MCAS 2021 Data folder in DropBox Central. On June 8, students' CD status will be updated in Edwin Analytics; on or about June 15, modified CD student memos for round 5 will be posted in DropBox Central.
The Summer Acceleration to College Program was created to help students eligible for the modified CD successfully transition to college by providing academic support, ongoing advisement, and summer instruction at 14 community colleges across the Commonwealth. A list of students eligible for this program can be found in the MCAS 2021 Data district-level DropBox. The file name is Modified_CD_2021 graduates through 05-28-2021_xxxx0000.xlsx, where xxxx0000 is the applicable district code. A “Y” in any of the J, K, or L columns indicates that the student was granted the modified CD during SY2021 through May 28, 2021.
To find contact information of participating community colleges, please visit this page.
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2. June MCAS Portfolio Appeals Submission Date
The next submission for MCAS Portfolio Appeals is Friday, June 25. Please ensure that the administrator completing the MCAS Performance Appeals Application is familiar with the new online submission process, which is described in the Online MCAS Performance Appeals: A Step-by-Step Guide.
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MCAS Service Center
for logistical support, including tech support for PearsonAccess Next and TestNav
Email: mcas@cognia.org
Phone: 800-737-5103
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Student Assessment Services
for policy questions, including student participation
Email: mcas@doe.mass.edu
Phone: 781-338-3625
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