Assessment/Accountability
Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System

Spring 2005 MCAS, MCAS Retest, and MEPA Enrollment Verification

To ensure that schools receive the requisite test materials for the spring 2005 MCAS and MEPA test administrations, I request that you submit your school's enrollment information through the following online surveys:

[NOTE: The original memo contained unique user names and passwords to access the surveys. Principals and directors should contact the MCAS Service Center at (800) 737-5103 for assistance in ordering test materials.]

The completion of each survey is a two-step process.

Step 1: Review your school's contact information.
On each survey, you will be asked to review your school's contact information. This information is taken from the Department's Directory Administration (DA) online program and includes updates made by your district through December 10, 2004. Since test materials will be shipped to schools using the contact information from the DA program, District-Level Directory Administrators are responsible for submitting all updates through this online program. A list of Directory Administrators is available at www.doe.mass.edu/infoservices/data/diradmin/list.asp. Therefore, it is imperative that you inform your Directory Administrator of any corrections and updates to your contact information according to the schedule above to ensure the proper delivery of MCAS and MEPA test materials.

Step 2: Order your school's test materials.
On each survey, you will order standard test materials and the following special forms as needed:

• MCAS: Braille, large-print, English/Spanish for Mathematics (grade 10 and retest only), Typed Response Forms, and Kurzweil 3000 format (grades 6-10 and retest) The MCAS surveys also provide the opportunity to order portfolio binders and shipping materials for students taking the MCAS Alternate Assessment (MCAS-Alt).

• MEPA: large-print and Typed Response Forms

Please carefully review the attached test form options and guidelines before submitting your order for test materials.

MCAS (Grades 3-10) and MEPA (Grades 3-12) Enrollment Verification
To assist you, we have pre-populated the surveys with your school's enrollment data from your district's October 2004 SIMS submission. Enrollment data are provided for public schools (including charter schools), and for approved private special education schools and private schools when available.

March Retest Enrollment Verification
Before ordering March 2005 retest materials, I encourage high school principals to contact all eligible students, including former students, to inform them of the opportunity to participate in this retest opportunity. The survey is pre-populated with your school's Competency Determination attainment data (as of September 2004). All high schools, including those with no students participating in the March retest, must submit the survey.

Spring Schedules
Based on the information you provide according to the schedule on page 1 of this memo, materials for the spring administrations will be shipped for receipt as follows:

To assist you in your planning, enclosed is a schedule of all spring 2005 statewide assessments.

Spring Workshops
Several updated procedures for packing and returning test materials are new to this spring's administration. Instructions will be outlined in the Principal's Administration Manual and will be described at the spring 2005 MCAS/MEPA administration workshops. Please check the Department's Web site at www.doe.mass.edu/mcas later this winter for information on how to register for these workshops. While we will not be conducting separate March retest administration workshops, all information necessary to administer the retests is available in the administration manuals.

Please contact the MCAS Service Center at (800) 737-5103 with questions about the surveys. As always, please direct policy questions to the Department's Student Assessment Services Unit at (781) 338-3625. Questions regarding SIMS and the Directory Administration program should be directed to the Department's Data Hotline at (781) 338-DATA.

Thank you for your prompt attention to completing these surveys.

Enclosures:

		2005 Test Form Options
		2005 MCAS Guidelines for Participation
		Schedule for Statewide Assessments