|
|
|
|
News from DESE Student Assessment Services
|
|
For All Schools
1. Initial Release of the 2021–2022 MCAS and ACCESS for ELLs Testing Schedule
We are pleased to release the initial 2021–2022 MCAS and ACCESS for ELLs testing schedule. Please see this document for details.
|
|
2. Partial Preliminary MCAS Data Files Available by Tuesday, August 10
By August 10, schools and districts will have access to partial preliminary results in all assessed grades from the spring 2021 MCAS tests in English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, and Science and Technology/Engineering (STE). The following files, in CSV format, will be available in DropBox Central in the Department's Security Portal at gateway.edu.state.ma.us.
- grades 3–8 and 10 next generation ELA, Mathematics, and STE
- legacy high school ELA and Mathematics
- high school STE tests in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Technology/Engineering
The partial preliminary data files contain points per item (raw scores) and participation status only. Updated, full preliminary files that include scaled scores, achievement levels, and student growth percentiles are scheduled for delivery in DropBox Central by August 16; interactive reports are scheduled to be available the following week in Edwin Analytics, between August 25–27. A full schedule appears below.
|
|
3. MCAS Discrepancy Reporting Window: August 10–13
The preliminary files should be used to review student results for potential discrepancies (discrepancies in student SASIDs, test status, and demographic information). Instructions on how to identify and report discrepancies are posted on the MCAS Service Center website and in DropBox Central. It is important that principals/designees complete this process. Please note the following:
- Discrepancies reported after August 13 will not be included in MCAS Parent/Guardian Reports or in the public release of official school and district MCAS results.
- Preliminary data for students who took the grade 8 STE test remotely are still under review and are not included; please do not report missing data for these students as a discrepancy. More information will be forthcoming regarding results for these students.
|
|
4. Reporting Schedule Update
Please remember that all data are embargoed until the official public release of results in mid- to late September. Until that time, districts and schools are encouraged to use the data for educational planning purposes.
|
|
5. English Language Arts Released Student Essays Available
Released essays in English Language Arts for next-generation tests in grades 3–8 and 10 are now available in PearsonAccess Next. Users with the school and district test coordinator role and other users with the Published Reports role can access the files. The essays, in PDF format, contain one document per grade per school and are located in Reports>Published Reports in the school-level administration. Users with district-wide access must select a school to view the released essays for that school.
The table below lists the item number for the released essay and the corresponding session number. Note that, in grades 3–8, only students who received the randomly-assigned session with a released essay will be included in the file; students who received a session with an unreleased essay are not included. For grade 10, only next-generation tests are being released, and the released essay file for grade 10 contains both essays. Many students who were administered a grade 3–8 PBT with an unreleased essay will receive a blank released essay report. Please disregard the blank report for these students. We are working to resolve the issue for the next test administration.
Included in the released essays are Item Number; Idea Development and Standard English Conventions Score / Max Points Possible; District name; and School name. The body of the report includes the essay prompt and the scanned image of written response for paper-based tests (PBT); computer-based tests (CBT) include a formatted image of the typed response. Released items and prompts for the CBT essays are located at mcas.pearsonsupport.com/released-items/ela; corresponding PBT released items and prompts are located at www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/2021/release.
|
|
MCAS Service Center
for logistical support, including tech support for PearsonAccess Next and TestNav
Email: mcas@cognia.org
Phone: 800-737-5103
|
|
Student Assessment Services
for policy questions, including student participation
Email: mcas@doe.mass.edu
Phone: 781-338-3625
|
|
|
|
|
