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News from DESE Student Assessment Services
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For All Schools
1. Passwords for the MCAS Service Center Secure Website
At the beginning of each past calendar year, passwords for the MCAS Service Center have been sent in a memo via U.S. mail to schools, with copies sent to districts, for principals to use for tasks related to the MCAS tests given in that calendar year. However, due to circumstances this year, the 2021 MCAS Service Center passwords will not be mailed to schools or districts, but instead memos will be posted on January 4, 2021, to the MCAS 2020 Data folder in DropBox Central, which is located in the Department’s Security Portal.
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2. MCAS-Alt Registration: January 4-15, 2021
MCAS-Alt submission materials can be ordered from January 4 to 15, 2021. Ordering these materials is separate from the student registration process for MCAS testing. Please check with teachers in your school to verify the number of students taking the MCAS-Alt in each grade.
Beginning on January 4, principals can order MCAS-Alt submission materials for their school by following these steps:
- Log in to the MCAS Service Center and select MCAS Alternate Assessment.
- Click on Enrollment Verification.
- Log in with your MCAS password, which will be posted in the DESE Security Portal as indicated above.
- Confirm your contact and school information by following the onscreen prompts.
- Order materials for students in each grade who are taking the MCAS-Alt.
- Click the Submit button.
- After submission, a confirmation page will be available onscreen that you may print for your records.
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3. ACCESS for ELLs
a. School Preparations for In-Person ACCESS Testing
WIDA has prepared a document describing how schools can prepare for testing students in person in the current conditions necessitated by the COVID pandemic. This document, titled “Assessment Best Practices During COVID-19,” includes useful information for ACCESS for ELLs testing scheduled for January 7–May 20. Some suggestions for best practices can also be applied to preparations for MCAS in winter and spring of 2021. The document is available here and in the WIDA Secure Portal (login to a WIDA Personal Account is required).
b. ACCESS for ELLs Test Coordinator Training – Presentation Slides
The 2021 ACCESS for ELLs Test Coordinator Training Workshop Fall 2020 presentation slides are now available in pdf format on the Massachusetts page on the WIDA website in the “Manuals, Guides and Workshops” dropdown window (click “+” to expand). This training reviewed the format and structure of the ACCESS tests and provided test administration procedures, technology requirements, and test administrator training and certification procedures.
c. ACCESS Test Setup Window Now Open
Schools may now begin the process of ACCESS Test Setup in WIDA AMS, during which ACCESS Test Coordinators can verify and/or update student test sessions, update student demographic information (including accommodations), and edit information for students who are newly enrolled or have transferred out of their school since the October SIMS data were reported to DESE. The student Pre-ID files used for test setup are available in the DropBox Central application under “ACCESS 2021” in the Security Portal. These files were used by DESE to order tests for each school based on October SIMS data and the test formats used last year by students. Schools should review these files during the test setup window (December 3, 2020–May 20, 2021) and make any changes needed in WIDA AMS. More information on managing test sessions is available in the WIDA AMS User Guide beginning on page 68.
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4. Reminder from the Previous Update: Guidance Available on Collecting MCAS-Alt Evidence Produced Remotely
The Department has made guidance available for collecting evidence for MCAS-Alt for students who are receiving only remote instruction. See the following documents and the previous update for more information:
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For High Schools
1. Update to the January 2021 MCAS Administration
On Monday, December 7, the Commissioner announced changes to the January 2021 MCAS administration as described in this Special Edition Student Assessment Update. As explained in the announcement, the only students eligible to participate in the January administration are students in grade 12 and adults (class of 2019 and earlier). Note that repeating grade 11 students are also eligible.
Students in the class of 2021 are still required to take the ELA and Mathematics MCAS tests and meet the graduation requirements for the competency determination (CD) as described here on DESE’s website. Students in the class of 2021 are not eligible for the modified CD provided for the class of 2020. However, repeating grade 12 students who were originally in the class of 2020 are still eligible for this modified CD.
More information about January administration tasks, including the SR/PNP, and additional clarifications on the policy, if needed, will be provided in an upcoming Student Assessment Update.
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2. Nonparticipation Letter and Form for the January Administration
Schools should offer all eligible students the opportunity to participate in the special January administration. If parents/guardians do not want their child to participate in the testing, schools may ask them to acknowledge their decision by using this sample nonparticipation letter and form (translations are available at this link as well).
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3. Availability of TestNav; Requests to Test Outside Regular Hours
To maintain the security of the testing system, TestNav will be available only during the test administration windows that are open between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday–Friday.
To request permission to conduct testing outside the hours given above (e.g., an evening high school that wants to begin testing after 4:00 p.m.), the principal must email mcas@doe.mass.edu. Requests should be submitted no later than two weeks prior to testing. The email should include the following information:
- school and district names
- school and district codes
- grade(s) to be tested outside regularly scheduled hours
- specific days/times being requested for testing
- reason for request
- PAN Session Name(s)
It is important that requests be submitted in a timely manner, since schools will need to complete follow-up steps upon receiving approval of their requests.
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4. Reminders from the Previous Update
a. Test Administration Manuals for January 2021
The Principal’s Administration Manual (PAM) and the Test Administrator’s Manuals (TAMs) for computer-based testing (CBT) and paper-based testing (PBT) for the January 2021 special high school MCAS administration are available here. Please see the previous update for more information.
b. Update on High School Science and Technology/Engineering (STE) Testing
The Department recently determined that the June 2021 Biology and Introductory Physics tests will be legacy, paper-based tests that assess “overlapping” standards from both the 2006 and 2016 STE frameworks. The administration of next-generation tests in these subjects will be delayed until June 2022. Refer to the previous update for more information.
c. MCAS Performance Appeals
Students who have been unable to meet CD requirements by passing the required high school tests may be eligible for an MCAS Performance Appeal. Review the step-by-step guide for the new online application process, and submit appeals by the first Friday of each month. The next submission deadline is January 8. Other important information about submission deadlines, cohort appeals, portfolio appeals, and required appeals submission forms can be found here. Portfolio appeals will be reviewed according to this published timetable.
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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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