[MCAS logo]

Massachusetts English Proficiency Assessment (MEPA) 

Principal’s Administration Manual
Fall 2011 and Spring 2012
Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System

Note: Principals must comply with the requirements and instructions contained in this manual.

[MCAS logo]
This document was prepared by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Mitchell D. Chester, Ed.D.
Commissioner

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, an affirmative action employer, is committed to ensuring that all of its programs and facilities are accessible to all members of the public. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, national origin, race, religion, sex or sexual orientation. Inquiries regarding the Department’s compliance with Title IX and other civil rights laws may be directed to the Human Resources Director, 75 Pleasant St., Malden, MA 02148 781-338-6105.

© 2011 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Permission is hereby granted to copy any or all parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes. Please credit the “Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.”

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
75 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA 02148-4906
Phone 781-338-3000 TTY: N.E.T. Relay 800-439-2370
www.doe.mass.edu

[State Seal]

Important Contact Information and Resources

MEPA Test Administration Information and Online Services
MCAS Service Center
Hours: 7:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday–Friday
Telephone: 800-737-5103
Web: www.mcasservicecenter.com 
Use your secure password to access this website to order additional materials, complete the PCPA, and schedule UPS pickup. To access 
services, use your 2011 password for fall MEPA, and use your 2012 password for spring MEPA.
Email: mcas@measuredprogress.org 
Fax: 877-325-4421

MEPA Policy Information

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Student Assessment Services Unit
Web: www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/mepa/testadmin
Email: mcas@doe.mass.edu 
Telephone: 781-338-3625
Fax: 781-338-3630
Questions regarding Student Information Management System (SIMS) data should be directed to the district’s SIMS contact (go to http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/search/search.aspx?leftNavID=11239, select SIMS Contact from the Function menu, and click Get Results).

Questions regarding the identification of English language learner (ELL) students should be directed to the office of Language Acquisition and Academic Achievement 
(ell@doe.mass.edu; 781-338-6220).


MEPA Testing Schedule and Administration Deadlines
Fall 2011 MEPA (Grades 1–12)
Event Date/Time
QMAs/QMTs administer MELA-O  October 3–31
Receive MEPA-R/W test materials  October 17
Deadline to:
• Complete PCPA (Materials Received section)
• Report packing discrepancies, if necessary
• Order additional materials, if necessary   October 20, 12:00 p.m.
Administer MEPA-R/W October 24–31
Deadline to:
• Complete PCPA
• Schedule UPS pickup   November 1, 3:00 p.m.
Deadline for UPS pickup November 2
Spring 2012 MEPA (Grades K–12)
Event Date/Time
QMAs/QMTs administer MELA-O  February 13–March 16
Receive MEPA-R/W test materials  February 27
Deadline to:
• Complete PCPA (Materials Received section)
• Report packing discrepancies, if necessary
• Order additional materials, if necessary March 1, 12:00 p.m.
Administer MEPA-R/W March 5–16
Deadline to:
• Complete PCPA
• Schedule UPS pickup March 19, 3:00 p.m.
Deadline for UPS pickup
March 20

UPDATES FOR THE 
FALL 2011 AND SPRING 2012 MEPA TEST ADMINISTRATIONS
Topic General Information Reference Page(s)
Test Administration Procedures
• All MEPA-R/W test sessions are 45 minutes in length.
• The circle on the answer booklet to indicate whether a student has a 504 plan has been removed. New for 2011, a student’s 504 status is reported through SIMS instead of on the answer booklet. 
15   62
Table of Contents
Important Contact Information and Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .i
MEPA Testing Schedule and Administration Deadlines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii
Updates for the Fall 2011 and Spring 2012 MEPA Administrations. . . . . . . . . . .iii
Part I MEPA Test Security Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
A. Responsibilities of the Principal and Designee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
B. Shared Responsibilities of Principals, Test Administrators, and 
Other School Staff Designated to Have Access to Secure Materials. . . . . . . . . .3
C. Responsibilities of Test Administrators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
D. Testing Irregularities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Part II Student Participation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
A. Participation Requirements for MEPA-R/W and MELA-O. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
B. Assigning ELL Students to MEPA-R/W Test Levels/Sessions. . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Part III MEPA Test Administration Policies and Procedures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
A. Coordinating Test Administration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
B. Ordering Test Materials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
C. Scheduling Test Administration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
D. Designating School Staff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
E. Administration Guidelines and Procedures for Grades 1–2 (Fall)/K–2 (Spring). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
F. Designating Appropriate Testing Spaces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
G. Approved and Unapproved Resource Materials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
H. Meeting with Test Administrators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
I. Meeting with Students. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
J. Providing Accurate Student Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
K. Accounting for Secure Materials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Part IV Tasks to Complete for the Fall Test Administration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
A. Prepare for Test Administration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
B. Coordinate Test Administration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
C. Prepare Materials for Return. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
D. Pack the Return Shipment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
E. Schedule and Confirm UPS Pickup of All MEPA Test Materials. . . . . . . . . . . .33
F. Next Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Part V Tasks to Complete for the Spring Test Administration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
A. Prepare for Test Administration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
B. Coordinate Test Administration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
C. Prepare Materials for Return. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
D. Pack the Return Shipment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
E. Schedule and Confirm UPS Pickup of All MEPA Test Materials. . . . . . . . . . . .43
F. Next Steps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Appendix A Procedures for ELL Students with Disabilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
1. Definition of a Student with a Disability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
2. Determining How Students with Disabilities Will Participate
in MEPA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
3. Determining School Resources and Other Testing Needs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
4. MEPA Test Accommodations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Appendix B Procedures for Submitting Typed Responses (Grades 3–12 Only). . . . . . . . . . . .57
Appendix C Procedures for Providing Student Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
Appendix D Sample Administration Forms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
1. Test Materials Internal Tracking Form
a. Sample Blank Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
b. Sample Completed Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
2. Materials Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
3. Principal’s Certification of Proper Test Administration (PCPA). . . . . . . . . . . .69
4. Answer Booklet Front Cover
a. When Student ID Label Is Used . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
b. When Student ID Label Is NOT Used . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
5. Answer Booklet Sample Inside Back Cover. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72
6. Answer Booklet Sample Outside Back Cover. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
7. Sample UPS Return Service Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
Index. 75
Part I
MEPA Test Security Requirements
The purpose of the MEPA Test Security Requirements is to protect the validity of MEPA test results.
Section A describes responsibilities of principals and designees (e.g., individuals designated by the principal to assist in coordinating test administration).
Section B describes shared responsibilities of all individuals who have access to secure test materials.
Section C describes responsibilities of test administrators.
Section D provides instructions for reporting testing irregularities and describes the process 
the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (“the Department”) follows for investigation.
Principals and school staff designated to have access to secure materials must follow the requirements listed below and may not participate in, direct, counsel, assist in, encourage, or fail to report any testing irregularity or act of misconduct.

Principals are responsible for ensuring that all test administrators and school staff designated to have access to secure test materials comply with the requirements and instructions contained in this part and in the Test Administrator’s Manuals (TAMs). 
Also note that information is provided elsewhere in this Principal’s Administration Manual (PAM) about topics described below, including who may serve as a test administrator, who may have access to test materials, establishing and following a document tracking system, scheduling 
test sessions, procedures for contaminated materials, and lists of approved and unapproved 
materials.


Please note the following definitions for the purposes of this section and this manual:
• “Secure” test materials refers to a test question, student response, test, or TAM that has not been made available to the public by the Department. All test questions, student responses to those test questions, test booklets, and answer booklets1 are confidential and must be kept secure at all times. Because TAMs contain certain test questions, they are also secure test materials.
• “Access” to test materials refers to handling those materials, but does not include reviewing tests or individual questions. Students may never be permitted to transport secure test materials.
• “Locked storage area” refers to the locked area that must be used to store all MEPA test materials at all times when materials are not in use. Principals must restrict access to the locked storage area to only those school employees designated by the principal as being authorized to handle secure materials. For example, cleaning staff may not have access to the locked area where the principal stores secure materials.
Each principal must complete the Principal’s Certification of Proper Test Administration (PCPA) to certify that the school has followed proper MEPA administration procedures. See Appendix D for the certification statements to which the principal must attest.
1 Throughout this manual, the terms “test booklet” and “answer booklet” also refer to the combined test & answer 
booklets used at grades 1–4 (fall)/K–4 (spring).
A. Responsibilities of the Principal and Designee
1. Designate and train school employees in conducting a proper MEPA test administration.
• Several days in advance of testing, provide a copy of the test security requirements 
(available at www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/mepa/testadmin) to all school employees 
who have access to secure test materials.
• Train test administrators prior to each administration during which they will 
administer any MEPA test. The PAM and TAMs describe the policies and procedures 
necessary to conduct a proper MEPA test administration.
• Train test administrators who provide test accommodations to students with 
disabilities in the implementation of accommodations in accordance with Appendix A 
and Requirements for the Participation of Students with Disabilities in MCAS.
2. Develop local policies and procedures to ensure maximum test security at all times.
• Schedule tests to avoid conflicts with recess or lunch (see pages 14–17 for more 
information about scheduling test sessions).
• Ensure that tests are administered during the prescribed testing window and in the 
prescribed order.
• Ensure that test administrators administer tests according to section C on the 
following pages.
3. Keep all MEPA test materials in locked storage when not in use, from the time of receipt 
until their return.
• Account for all secure test materials at the end of each day of testing and maintain 
them in locked storage when not in use.
• Restrict access to the locked storage area to only those school employees designated to 
have access to secure materials.
4. Monitor the receipt and return of all test materials.
• Inventory materials immediately upon receipt and investigate any discrepancies in 
counts of materials as described in the PAM.
• Return all materials to the testing contractor according to the prescribed packing 
instructions and the deadlines in the PAM.
B. Shared Responsibilities of Principals, Test Administrators, and Other 
School Staff Designated to Have Access to Secure Materials
1. Document the location of secure materials at all times.
• Track secure materials using the sample Test Materials Internal Tracking Form in 
Appendix D or a similar document (principals keep these forms on file for one year).
2. Ensure the security of the testing environment.
• Prohibit visitors to the classroom or testing environment (including parents, 
researchers, reporters, and school employees not designated as test administrators), 
except under emergency conditions.
3. Ensure the security of test questions, test booklets, TAMs, and other secure materials.
• Do not engage in any of the following activities:
o leaving materials unattended when not in use
o viewing or revealing the contents of test booklets or answer booklets before, during, or after a test administration (see TAMs for exceptions, including test questions that must be read aloud)
o duplicating any portion of test or answer booklets, including but not limited to audiotaping, videotaping, photographing, photocopying, and copying by hand2
• Do not remove test materials from the school. For example, do not share test booklets and answer booklets with another school or test site, even if another test site is located within the same physical building.3
• Ensure that test booklets, answer booklets, and TAMs are not retained, discarded, recycled, removed, or destroyed.4
• Ensure that students are not provided access to secure test questions prior to testing.
• Do not read, review, or change student responses.
• Do not attempt to score unreleased test questions.
C. Responsibilities of Test Administrators
1. Receive training from the principal/designee in administering test sessions properly and securely.
• Review the TAM and all relevant test security requirements before administering test sessions.
• Meet with the principal/designee before test administration.
• Understand and follow the policies and procedures related to administering tests to students with disabilities.
2. Administer all tests according to appropriate policies and procedures.
• Administer tests during the prescribed testing window and in the prescribed order.
• Follow the directions and read the scripts in the TAMs (and any subsequent updates provided to principals by the Department) verbatim to students.
• Remove or cover any classroom displays that provide information related to the content being assessed or to test-taking strategies (see page 18).
2 The only exceptions are for test administrators who must transcribe student responses into answer booklets for students with disabilities receiving certain accommodations or for students who did some or all of their work in damaged, defective, or void booklets.
3 The only exception is for principals who receive prior written permission from the Department to test a student in an alternate setting. Alternate setting requests must be resubmitted to the Department for approval for each test administration even if approved for a previous administration.
4 The only exception is for test materials that have become contaminated; see page 23 for procedures.
• Provide students with all required test materials as listed in the TAMs. Supplemental or reference sheets are not allowed (except as approved by the Department).
• Prevent the use of unapproved materials (see page 19 for lists of approved and unapproved materials). Note that results will be invalidated for students who use cell phones during testing.
3. Focus full attention on the testing environment at all times.
• Continually monitor the testing process by moving unobtrusively about the room.
• Ensure that students are not left unsupervised during testing, including breaks and transitions to test completion locations.
4. Ensure that students provide answers that are strictly their own and do not participate in any form of cheating.
• Ensure that students do not consult notes, textbooks, or other teaching materials; do not share test questions with other students; and do not consult other students, staff, or anyone else during testing.
5. Do not provide a student with answers to any test question or make suggestions for responding to any test question.
• Test administrators must not:o Answer verbally or nonverbally any question that relates to the secure content of a test unless specifically authorized to do so by instructions in the TAMs.
o Provide clues, hints, and/or actual answers in any written, printed, verbal, and/or nonverbal form (including chalkboards, charts, and bulletin boards).
o Coach5 a student during testing or alter or interfere with a student’s responses in any way. However, at any time during a test session, a test administrator may repeat a portion of the TAM script if necessary for clarification.
o Alter, explain, simplify, paraphrase, or eliminate any test question, reading passage, writing prompt, or multiple-choice answer option.
o Ask or permit a student to go back to any test session after his or her test and answer booklets have been collected.6. Do not read, review, or change student responses (see exceptions on page 18).
7. Follow proper procedures for students with disabilities.

• Provide testing accommodations as prescribed in Appendix A and in Requirements for the Participation of Students with Disabilities in MCAS.
• Ensure that students are not provided with accommodations that were not approved by the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 team or that are not listed as approved in Appendix A.
5 Examples of coaching include, but are not limited to, the following: providing answers to a student; changing a 
student’s responses; providing synonyms for unknown words; influencing a student’s responses by offering hints, 
clues, cues, facial expressions, nods, voice inflections; or providing any other manner of assistance that could 
impact a student’s answers. Suggesting to a student that he or she write more on a question or reconsider or review 
a question constitutes coaching.
D. Testing Irregularities
Testing irregularities are incidents that represent a deviation from prescribed testing procedures. Testing irregularities may include student impropriety, test violations, educator misconduct, or the mishandling of secure test materials.
In order to ensure the security and confidentiality of the MEPA program, the Department may 
conduct announced and unannounced monitoring visits to schools to observe the procedures followed during test administration.
1. Reporting an Irregularity
To report a testing irregularity, principals must contact their superintendents and the Department. Test administrators and other school employees must contact their principal and the Department at 781-338-3625.
On occasion, the Department receives allegations of testing irregularities from individuals who do not wish to identify themselves. The individual must provide the Department with sufficient information related to the matter, including the following:
• a description of the alleged incident
• the name of the school involved
• the name(s) of the individual(s) committing the inappropriate practices
• the grade level(s) and specific test(s) affected
The Department will expect school and district employees to cooperate and investigate the allegations to determine whether they can be supported.
2. Investigations into Irregularities
In cases where it is alleged that a MEPA administration was compromised, the Commissioner will write to the superintendent, ask that he or she conduct a local fact-finding investigation into the alleged irregularity, and require that he or she submit a written report, based on the results of the investigation to the Department, within an established timeline.
After receiving the superintendent’s written investigative report, the Commissioner may request that the superintendent provide additional information or documentation prior to making a final determination on the matter and notifying the superintendent of this determination. All 
such correspondence is subject to disclosure under Massachusetts public records law.
If misconduct by a licensed educator is found, as the Massachusetts educator licensing authority, the Commissioner may open a further investigation that has possible licensure consequences.
3. Penalties
Penalties for testing irregularities and/or misconduct could include the following:
• delay in reporting of district, school, and/or student results
• invalidation of district, school, and/or student results
• removal of school personnel from any future role in MEPA test administrations
• possible employment and/or licensure consequences for licensed educators
Penalties imposed by the Department do not limit the local district’s authority to impose its own penalties.
Part II
Student Participation
A. Participation Requirements for MEPA-R/W and MELA-O
1. Definition of an ELL Student
An English language learner (ELL) student is defined by the Department as “a student whose first language is a language other than English and who is unable to perform ordinary classroom work in English.” 
2. Identification of ELL Students
Districts are required to have a procedure in place to assess the English proficiency of all students whose home language is not English to determine if they are ELL. (Regardless of the student’s language support program, e.g., when a parent declines sheltered English immersion or any language support program for a student identified as an ELL, the student is still identified as an ELL and is required to participate in MEPA testing.) For questions regarding the identification and initial assessment of ELL students, contact the Department’s office of Language Acquisition and Academic Achievement at 781-338-6220 or via email at ell@doe.mass.edu.
3. General Participation Requirements
Federal and state laws require that students reported to the Department as limited English proficient (LEP) in the Student Information Management System (SIMS) be assessed annually to measure their proficiency in listening to, speaking, reading, and writing English, as well as the progress they are making in learning English. In keeping with these laws, ELL students must participate in the two components of MEPA:
• Massachusetts English Language Assessment-Oral (MELA-O) assesses ELL students’ proficiency in listening (comprehension) and speaking (production).
• Massachusetts English Proficiency Assessment-R/W (MEPA-R/W) assesses ELL students’ proficiency in reading and writing.
MEPA is administered twice annually: in the spring to all ELL students in grades K–12 and in the fall to ELL students in grades 1–12 who did not participate the previous spring. 
4. Fall 2011 and Spring 2012 MEPA Participation Requirements
Only specified ELL students must participate in the fall 2011 MEPA administration as shown in the table on the next page. Note that kindergarteners may not participate in any part of fall 2011 MEPA.
All enrolled ELL students must participate in the spring 2012 MEPA administration, as shown in the table on the next page.
Student Participation Requirements
MEPA Test Fall 2011 Spring 2012
MELA-O:
Listening and Speaking 

Only students enrolled in grades 1–12 who were reported as LEP in the October 2011 SIMS and who did not participate in spring 2011 MELA-O*
• All students enrolled in grades K–12 who were reported as LEP in the October 2011 SIMS

• All formerly LEP (FLEP) students in grades K–12 who were reported as LEP in the October 2011 SIMS
MEPA-R/W:
Reading and Writing
Only students enrolled in grades 1–12 who were reported as LEP in the October 2011 SIMS and who did not participate in spring 2011 MEPA-R/W*
• All students enrolled in grades K–12 who were reported as LEP in the October 2011 SIMS
• All FLEP students in grades K–12 who were reported as LEP in the October 2011 SIMS
* If you are unsure whether a student participated in the previous spring administration, you may research the student’s scores by reviewing data files (go to www.mcasservicecenter.com); reviewing your MEPA Parent/Guardian Reports; contacting the student’s previous school/district; or contacting the MCAS Service Center (when placing your request, please provide the student’s name, SASID, date of birth, and school at which the student was tested).
5. Students Not Required to Participate
A very small number of ELL students are not required to participate. These students are strictly limited to the following categories: 
MEPA-R/W
• Students with a medically documented absence who are unable to participate in make-up testing (see page 16 for more information regarding make-up testing) 
o A student must provide a written statement from a licensed medical professional specifying the verifiable medical condition that prevents him or her from taking the test and the date(s) of the student’s absence due to this condition. This statement must be kept on file at the school.
• Students who require unavailable accommodations, such as Braille tests, an electronic text reader, or a scribe for grades 1–2 (fall)/K–2 (spring) Level A, unless other appropriate accommodations would allow them to participate 
• Students who have an IEP or a 504 plan indicating that their primary disability is “deaf or hard of hearing” 
• Students with significant disabilities who would participate in an alternate assessment because their IEP or 504 team has determined that they are unable to take the standard MEPA-R/W test
MELA-O
• Students with a medically documented absence (Students who are absent for an extended period of time during the MELA-O testing window and therefore did not participate must provide to the school a written statement from a licensed medical professional specifying the verifiable medical condition preventing them from taking the test and the dates of absence due to this condition.) 
• Students who have an IEP or a 504 plan indicating that their primary disability is “deaf or hard of hearing” 
A MEPA answer booklet must be submitted for each ELL student enrolled at your school who is required to participate, even if the student was not tested for one of the reasons listed above. The only exceptions are for students who did not participate in any MEPA testing (both the MEPA-R/W and MELA-O) because they were absent without medical documentation or because they transferred into your school. Refer to Appendix C for instructions about completing student information on answer booklets.
B. Assigning ELL Students to MEPA-R/W Test Levels/Sessions
Grades 1–2 (Fall)/K–2 (Spring)
ELL students participate in MEPA-R/W test levels in grades 1–2 (fall)/K–2 (spring). Students participate in either the Level A or Level B MEPA-R/W test for both Reading and Writing. (One determination is made for both the Reading and Writing tests.)
Grades 3–12
ELL students participate in test sessions in grades 3–12. For grades 3–12, separate decisions are made for participation in Reading and Writing. Students participate in the grade span test corresponding to the grade in which they are enrolled: grade span 3–4, 5–6, 7–8, or 9–12.
Participation in MEPA Test Levels/Test Sessions
Grades Reading Writing
1–2 (fall)/K–2 (spring) 
Level A OR Level B
3–12
Sessions 1 and 2 OR Sessions 2 and 3
Sessions 1 and 2 OR Sessions 2 and 3
Criteria to consider in determining which level or pair of sessions a student will take include the following:
• locator survey/test results (see page 17 for more information)
• MEPA Performance Level Descriptors (posted at www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/mepa/pld.html)
• the student’s scores on English proficiency assessments used by the district
• the student’s scores on MCAS English Language Arts tests
• observations by staff working closely with the student, based on the MEPA Performance Level Descriptors
• the student’s scores on previous MEPA tests (for spring only)


Part III
MEPA Test Administration Policies and Procedures
A. Coordinating Test Administration
It is the principal’s responsibility to coordinate the school’s MEPA test administration. This coordination responsibility includes the following:
• understanding and enforcing the test security requirements (see Part I)
• ensuring that all enrolled ELL students participate in testing at their grade level according to participation requirements (see Part II)
• coordinating the school’s test administration schedule
• ensuring that accommodations are properly administered and that transcriptions, if required for any accommodation, are done appropriately (see Appendix A)
• completing and ensuring the accuracy of information provided on the PCPA
• monitoring the Department’s website (www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/mepa) throughout the school year for important updates
• providing the Department with the school’s correct contact information to receive important notices via fax during test administration
B. Ordering Test Materials
It is the principal’s responsibility to order a sufficient quantity of test materials for each ELL student enrolled in the school according to participation requirements. Materials must be ordered by using the online form posted at www.mcasservicecenter.com in September 2011 for 
fall testing and January 2012 for spring testing.
Upon receipt of test materials, it is the responsibility of the principal to do an immediate and complete inventory of the materials received. Additional materials should be ordered only if necessary. Materials are ordered separately for Level A and B for grades 1–2 (fall)/K–2 (spring). 
It is therefore especially important for elementary school principals to do a complete and accurate inventory of test materials if the school used the locator survey after materials were ordered.
In order to maintain a standard test administration schedule across all schools, additional materials must be ordered according to the deadlines on page ii. 
C. Scheduling Test Administration
1. Policy on Testing Time
Session Length
Reading and writing test sessions are designed to be completed within 45 minutes, as indicated on the following page. However, all MEPA–R/W test administrations are untimed.
Fall 2011 MEPA Test Administration Schedule
Grade Test Allowable Administration Dates Number of Sessions Session Length (Avg. # of Minutes)
Grades 1 and 2
MELA-O October 3–31 n/a n/a
MEPA-R/W Reading October 24–31 1 45
MEPA-R/W Writing October 24–31 1 45
Grades 3–12 
MELA-O October 3–31 n/a n/a 
MEPA-R/W Reading October 24–31 2 45
MEPA-R/W Writing October 24–31 2 45
Spring 2012 MEPA Test Administration Schedule
GradeTest Allowable Administration Dates
Number of Sessions
Session Length (Avg. # of Minutes)
Grades K–2
MELA-O February 13–March 16 n/a n/a
MEPA-R/W Reading March 5–16 1 45
MEPA-R/W Writing March 5–16 1 45
Grades 3–12 
MELA-O February 13– March 16 n/a n/a
MEPA-R/W Reading March 5–16 2 45
MEPA-R/W Writing March 5–16 2 45
Requirements and Recommendations for Scheduling Testing
The Department recommends that principals schedule tests in the early part of the testing window to allow ample time for make-up sessions.
It is important for all testing to occur during regular school days and to begin at the start of the regular school day, to ensure equivalent testing conditions in schools across the state and to ensure that all students, including ELL students with disabilities, are afforded an equal opportunity to benefit from untimed tests. The Department suggests that schools schedule a two-hour block for each test session. For example, if the first test session is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m., the second test session should be scheduled to begin no earlier than 10:30 a.m. Students who require time beyond two hours may take it, as long as they are working productively. Students may be moved to test completion rooms but must be supervised at all times during the transition.
If testing must occur on an “early release” day, arrangements must be made for test administrators to stay with students who have not finished their work until the time at which school would end on a regular school day. No test session may extend beyond the end of the regular school day, and any individual test session must be completed on the same day in which it begins. 
Breaks
Breaks may not be scheduled in the middle of a session. It is recommended that students be provided snacks, drinks, and the opportunity to use the restroom before the beginning of the test session. During the session, students must be supervised at all times. However, they may be permitted to use the restroom one student at a time.
Principals are responsible for ensuring that tests are scheduled to avoid conflicts with lunch; however, if a lunch break is required during testing, lunch shall be brought to the students in the testing area. If this is not feasible, test materials must be secured and students must 
be escorted to the lunchroom, told not to discuss the test, sufficiently monitored to prevent discussion of test questions during the entire lunch period, and escorted back to the testing environment.
2. Test Session Limitations
It is recommended that students in grades 3–12 take no more than two sessions on a single day. It is recommended that students in grades 1–2 (fall)/K–2 (spring) take no more than one session on a single day.
3. Administration Sequence
Within each grade span, the sequence for administering MEPA-R/W must be the Reading session(s) followed by the Writing session(s).
4. Make-Up Testing
Students who are absent on the date scheduled for testing of their grade for any reason (including illness or other medical condition) should be scheduled for make-up testing as soon as they return to school. Make-up tests may be administered at any time after the scheduled 
testing date and before the end of the test administration window (see page 15 for dates).
If a student is absent for a session of the test, he or she should take the remaining sessions of the test according to the school’s administration schedule and take the missed session during the make-up period.
5. Test Administration Interruptions
Circumstances over which you have no control (e.g., power failures) may interrupt testing. The TAMs include specific instructions for test administrators to follow if an interruption occurs. When normal conditions are restored, test administrators should resume testing. No interruption should reduce the total amount of time that students are given to complete the interrupted test session. Principals must report any major disruptions to the Department by calling 781-338-3625.
Principals must also provide guidance on handling regular interruptions, such as students requesting to use the restroom or to go to the nurse’s office. Test administrators must maintain test security according to the requirements in Part I while any student is out of the room.
6. Severe Weather
If severe weather forces the closure of a school for one day during the test administration window, the school should administer the session scheduled for the day it reopens and make up the missed session(s) later. In this case, the school must obtain prior written approval from the 
Department if it wishes to delay the return of materials by one day to make up for the missed day of testing.
If a school is affected by severe weather for multiple days during test administration, principals should check the Department’s website (www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/mepa) for instructions, or call 781-338-3625.
7. Locator Survey/Tests
The Department recommends the use of a locator survey and grade-span-specific locator tests to help educators determine which test level or pair of sessions to administer to students. The survey and tests are posted at www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/mepa/testadmin.
The locator survey for grades 1–2 (fall)/K–2 (spring) contains an 11-item checklist to assist schools in designating students for either Level A or Level B Reading and Writing tests. The survey also includes administration guidelines.
The locator tests for grades 3–12, for each grade span, contain a Reading session and a Writing session. The Reading session of the test will take approximately 30 minutes to administer, and the Writing session of the test will take approximately 15 minutes to administer. The tests are 
accompanied by instructions for administration, scoring, and interpretation. Results will assist in determining whether a student should take either Sessions 1 and 2 or Sessions 2 and 3 of the appropriate grade span MEPA-R/W test (separate decisions for Reading and Writing). 
If a locator survey/test is used to assist in determining which MEPA-R/W test a student should take, it should be administered before the deadline for ordering additional test materials.
8. Practice Tests
Standard practice tests are available online at www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/mepa/testadmin. 
While the administration of practice tests is optional, the Department recommends their use for students who need to be familiarized with the following:
• how to fill in multiple-choice answer circles completely
• where and how to respond to short-answer and, for students in grades 3–12, sentence-writing, open-response, and writing-prompt questions
Practice test sessions are the only sessions during which test administrators may help students while they are answering test questions and during which instructions may be given to students in their native language. If practice tests are used, they may be administered to students any 
time prior to the first test session, including before the beginning of the testing window. The K–2 Level A practice tests require 15–20 minutes to administer and the K–2 Level B practice tests require 20–25 minutes. For grades 3–12, each session (reading and writing) should take 
approximately 25 minutes to administer and review.
D. Designating School Staff
1. Qualified Test Administrators
It is the responsibility of the principal to designate test administrators. To the extent possible, test administrators should be licensed classroom teachers working in the school. When necessary, other education professionals, such as administrators employed by the school or district, may be designated to serve as test administrators. Individuals prohibited from being test administrators include anyone not employed by the 
district and anyone who is not an education professional.
Test administrators are required to read specified test questions aloud to students during the Reading and Writing tests. Consequently, test administrators must be fluent in English and able to pronounce words clearly in English.
The MELA-O must be administered by a Qualified MELA-O Administrator (QMA) or a Qualified MELA-O Trainer (QMT). A list of QMAs and QMTs can be found on the Department’s website at www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/mepa/testadmin/melao_lep.html.
2. Other School Employees
The principal may want to designate other school employees, such as a test coordinator, to assist him or her with the distribution and return of secure test materials. Anyone designated as having access to secure test materials must be employed by the school or district and follow the requirements in Part I. 
E. Administration Guidelines and Procedures for Grades 1–2 (Fall)/K–2 (Spring)
The reading and writing tests for this grade span are designed to be administered to a small group of students (maximum of 5 students at one time for Level A and 15 at one time for Level B), with test administrators monitoring the correct placement of written responses for all students 
(see TAMs for details).
The locator survey and instructions posted at www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/mepa/testadmin may be used to help educators determine whether to administer the Level A or Level B test, as well as the test administration group size and procedures for students. Based on locator survey 
results, educators will be instructed to administer the MEPA-R/W tests to students individually, in a very small group (maximum of 5 students at one time), or in a small group (maximum of 15 students at one time). Test administrators will also be instructed on when it will be appropriate to scribe responses for students (reading test only) or assist students in marking responses. 
Do not fill in any accommodation circles on the answer booklet for a student who has the test administered to him or her as described above.
F. Designating Appropriate Testing Spaces
It is the responsibility of the principal to designate testing spaces that are free from noise and distractions and are adequately lit, ventilated, and furnished so that students can work comfortably and without disruptions. The Department recommends that large, open areas (e.g., 
cafeterias) not be used. Principals must ensure that each student assigned to the testing space will have adequate work space and be sufficiently separated from other students to support a secure test environment.
Principals must identify appropriate testing spaces for students with disabilities using accommodations requiring changes in the test setting, presentation, and/or mode of response that prevent them from taking the test in a classroom with a large group of students.
Prior to testing, principals must verify that test administrators have covered or removed from the testing spaces all materials containing content in the subject areas being tested, including posters, maps, charts, and any other materials that might help students answer test questions.
G. Approved and Unapproved Resource Materials
During testing, students are permitted to use only those resource materials and tools identified as approved in this manual.
1. Approved Resource Materials
The following are approved for student use:
• #2 pencils
• pens and highlighters in grades 5–12 test booklets only (No writing instruments other than #2 pencils may be used in answer booklets or test & answer booklets for grades 1–4 [fall]/K–4 [spring].)
2. Unapproved Resource Materials
Unapproved materials include, but are not limited to, the following:
• cell phones (Results will be invalidated for students who use cell phones during testing.)
• bilingual dictionaries (including bilingual word-to-word dictionaries)
• English-language dictionaries
• extra paper (e.g., scrap paper, flags, sticky notes, blank sheets, handwritten notes)
• notebooks
• textbooks
• electronic devices (e.g., music players, PDAs, pocket translators)
• computers
• editing devices (e.g., spelling or grammar checkers)
• graphic organizers
• thesauruses
• encyclopedias
• highlighters and pens for grades 1–4 (fall)/K–4 (spring) only
Note: ELL students with disabilities may be allowed, under certain conditions, to use as test accommodations certain tools and materials that are otherwise prohibited. Test accommodations must be recommended by the student’s IEP or 504 team and documented 
on the student’s answer booklet by the principal or designee. See Appendix A for details.
H. Meeting with Test Administrators
It is the responsibility of the principal to meet with designated test administrators and other employees designated to have access to secure materials before each test administration to explain the testing procedures that will be followed at the school. The Department recommends 
that principals retain in their school files for one year the agendas and attendance records from the meetings. 
It is also recommended that principals distribute a copy of the appropriate MEPA TAM to each test administrator for review during the meeting. In order to maintain security (manuals contain test questions), these manuals must be collected immediately following the meeting. 
Following is a list of essential topics that must be covered at this meeting. 
Test Security
Emphasize the following:
• the school’s procedures for distribution and tracking of secure test materials (including all test booklets and TAMs) before, during, between, and following test sessions, using internal tracking forms
• the need to closely monitor students during testing to ensure that they are not using cell phones for any purpose, including text messaging, accessing the Internet, and photographing test questions
• the requirement that students may not return to a test session once it has been completed
Administration Schedule and Logistics
Inform test administrators of the school’s policies, procedures, and logistics regarding the following: 
• MEPA testing schedules, including the administration of practice tests and locator survey/tests, if applicable 
• identifying which students in grades 1–2 (fall)/K–2 (spring) will take Level A or Level B for both Reading and Writing 
• identifying which students in grades 3–12 will take Sessions 1 and 2 or Sessions 2 and 3 for Reading and Writing (separate decisions for Reading and Writing) 
• instructions for test administrators to read aloud specified Reading and Writing test questions 
• students who arrive late 
• test completion sessions when students require additional time to complete a test session 
• assignment of a specific, appropriate testing space and a specific group of students 
• the supervision of students during test sessions and between test sessions (e.g., transporting students and test materials to test completion areas), make-up sessions, and breaks 
• how test administrators may contact the principal or designee during testing, if necessary 
• standard and nonstandard MEPA test accommodations for ELL students with disabilities 
• materials that become contaminated 
• the collection of MELA-O scores on answer booklets 
• the provision of a list of all ELL students and their State-Assigned Student Identifiers (SASIDs) and dates of birth to test administrators 
• new policies and procedures for 2011–2012 (see Updates at the beginning of this manual) 
Test administrators are required to do the following:
• apply Student ID Labels to answer booklets
• read the scripts in the TAMs verbatim to students, including students taking make-up sessions and students starting late 
• ensure that students do not have access to unapproved materials, including dictionaries and electronic translators
• return to the principal lists of all students assigned to them who were not tested so that they can be scheduled to take make-up tests 
Test Administration/Resource Materials 
Familiarize test administrators with test administration materials, approved and unapproved resource materials, and related policies. 
I. Meeting with Students
Feedback from principals and teachers indicates that a serious, yet supportive, testing environment has a positive impact on student performance. The principal and/or test administrators should meet with ELL students before test administration to give them information about the testing procedures at the school. It is very important for students to be informed about materials that are not allowed during testing (see page 19).
During the meeting, provide students with the following information:
• They should read questions carefully and try their best to answer all the questions on the test.
• The questions on the MEPA test range in difficulty from easy to difficult.
• They will be participating in tests that they may find difficult because they are beginning to learn English.
• Any form of cheating is strictly forbidden. In addition to any local penalties imposed, student results may be invalidated, or another consequence may be imposed.
• Cell phones are strictly prohibited. Any use of cell phones for any purpose will result in the invalidation of test results.
• They must answer questions only in the session being administered, and they cannot continue answering questions or look at test pages after they reach the stop sign. They will be allowed additional time to finish their work beyond the end of the regularly scheduled session if they are working productively; however, no session may extend past the end of the regular school day (see “Policy on Testing Time” on pages 14–16 of this manual). 
• They will need to use #2 pencils to mark their responses in their answer booklets because responses written with any other writing instrument cannot be scored.
• They may bring a book to each test administration session to read in the event they finish a test session early.


J. Providing Accurate Student Information
It is the responsibility of the principal or designee to ensure the accuracy of student information submitted to the Department’s SIMS and to provide accurate information on answer booklets.
1. SIMS
The Department uses districts’ SIMS submissions to determine student enrollment. 
Therefore, it is critical that each principal ensure the accuracy of the school’s SIMS enrollment data submitted by the district to the Department. Note that only October and March SIMS reports are used for reporting MEPA results. Any questions regarding SIMS submissions should be directed to the district’s SIMS contact (see page i for instructions for 
finding your district’s contact).
2. State-Assigned Student Identifiers (SASIDs)
It is imperative that each student’s SASID be provided accurately on his or her answer booklet. Results may not be reported correctly if a valid SASID is not provided. If there is a question about a SASID for a student, call your district’s SIMS contact.
3. Answer Booklets
Applying Student ID Labels
For each test administration, a school’s shipment of test materials includes Student ID Labels. For the fall administration, a school’s shipment of test materials includes Student ID Labels for every student at the school who was reported as enrolled in the June/end-of-year SIMS report 
who was LEP and did not participate in spring 2011 MEPA. For spring, Student ID Labels are shipped for every LEP student at the school who was reported as enrolled in the October SIMS report.
Student ID Labels link to information critical for reporting MEPA test results for individual students, schools, and districts. Therefore, principals must ensure that the SASIDs on the labels are correct for each student. Labels with incorrect SASIDs must not be applied to answer booklets. If a student does not have a label, the principal must ensure that the SASID is filled in correctly on the answer booklet. 
Like all other test materials, Student ID Labels may not be provided to another school.
Student ID Labels are applied to the front covers of standard answer booklets by test administrators prior to the first test session. 
The labels are not intended to be used as a roster, but to ease the burden of completing all the information required on answer booklets. Therefore, if a school receives a Student ID Label for a student not enrolled in the school at the beginning of the testing window, it should not be affixed to an answer booklet. The label should be returned (unaffixed, unused) with the return shipment of materials, and the district SIMS contact should be notified that the student is no longer enrolled in the school.
Completing Answer Booklet Front Covers
The TAMs contain instructions for completing the front covers of answer booklets. Appendix D provides samples of a completed answer booklet front cover with and without a Student ID Label.
Completing Answer Booklet Back Covers
To maintain the confidentiality of information provided, the inside and outside back covers of answer booklets should be completed by the principal or designee after students have finished testing. See Appendix C for instructions.
K. Accounting for Secure Materials
It is the responsibility of the principal to account for secure test materials by inventorying materials immediately upon receipt, tracking the location of materials throughout test administration, and ensuring that all materials are returned to the testing contractor. The school and district will be held responsible for any secure materials that were received at the school but not returned. The principal must use the forms listed below to account for and maintain the security of test materials.
If a test booklet, answer booklet, TAM, or other secure test material becomes contaminated with bodily fluids, the principal or designee must contact the MCAS Service Center immediately for instructions. Procedures for these materials should follow district and school guidelines based on appropriate protocol for universal precautions issued by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
1. Materials Summary
The Materials Summary is used to inventory materials immediately upon receipt and to reconcile secure materials being returned at the end of testing. The school receives one Materials Summary for each grade span in the shipment of test materials. The information recorded on the Materials Summary will help principals when they complete the online PCPA. A sample form is provided in Appendix D.
The Materials Summary lists only the materials shipped to each school. Complete lists of test materials available for each grade are posted online at www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/mepa/testadmin/materials.
2. Packing Slips
A packing slip is included in each carton of test materials. Each packing slip provides the identification number of any secure materials shipped in the carton. If the principal discovers a discrepancy between the number of secure materials listed as shipped and the number received 
at the school, he or she can use the identification numbers to determine the specific material(s) missing.
3. Internal Tracking Forms
Principals must establish and follow document tracking procedures so that they can determine at all times the location of materials not in secure storage. Document tracking procedures must also make it possible for principals to trace the movement of materials from the time they were 
removed from secure storage until they are returned to secure storage.
Principals may use the Test Materials Internal Tracking Form in Appendix D as is, or create their own internal tracking form.
Immediately investigate any irregularity in the use of tracking documents or in the information recorded on them. Call the Department immediately at 781-338-3625 if any situation occurs that could compromise test security.
4. Principal’s Certification of Proper Test Administration
The purpose of the PCPA is for the principal to certify that all ELL students participated in testing as required and that proper test administration procedures described in this manual were followed, including those related to the security of test materials. While the principal may designate an individual to assist with many other test administration tasks, the PCPA may not be completed by a designee. The principal must complete the PCPA and is responsible for all information submitted on the form.
The principal must go online to complete the PCPA before testing to verify the receipt of secure materials and after testing to record the number and type of secure materials being returned and certify that the test administration was carried out properly.
Instructions and deadlines for completing the online PCPA can be found in the administration-specific sections, and the certification statements on the PCPA are in Appendix D.
Part IV
Tasks to Complete for the Fall Test Administration
A. Prepare for Test Administration
Use the following list of tasks to help you keep track of your responsibilities during MEPA testing. Note that some items on the list apply only to specific grade spans.
1. Develop a plan for maintaining test security at your school.
• Review MEPA Test Security Requirements (Part I). Distribute test security requirements to all school employees who have access to secure test materials.
• Establish a document tracking system (see Appendix D for a sample internal tracking form).
• Designate a locked facility for secure storage of test materials.
2. Plan logistics for test administration at your school.
• Identify all ELL students who will be participating in testing. See Part II for information about student participation.
• Designate test administrators, staff who have access to secure materials, and appropriate testing spaces.
• Optional: Print the locator survey/tests (available at www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/mepa/testadmin) to assist in determining which MEPA-R/W level or set of test sessions to administer. 
• Assign each ELL student in grades 1–2 to take either Level A or Level B for both 
Reading and Writing. 
• Assign each ELL student in grades 3–12 to Reading sessions and Writing sessions. 
• Assign students and testing locations to test administrators.
• Schedule test administration sessions and locations.
• Meet with test administrators (see list of topics on pages 19–21) and distribute TAMs to test administrators. Remind test administrators that these manuals are secure. Collect the TAMs at the end of the meeting. Train all school staff designated to have access to secure test materials in test security requirements.
• Meet with students (see list of topics on page 21).
• Review the data that were or will be submitted in the district’s October SIMS report (students’ names, demographic information including LEP status, grade levels) and confirm each student has a SASID.
3. Verify receipt of test materials immediately upon their delivery to your school.
 Materials will arrive by October 17. Each grade span’s materials are shipped separately. Call the MCAS Service Center if you do not receive materials by this date.
4. Using your Materials Summary, inventory test materials immediately and completely upon receipt.
To inventory test materials, complete the “Qty Received” column of the Materials Summary for each grade span according to the “Before Testing” directions on the form.
Shrink-wrapped materials must remain unopened until either this manual or the TAMs state that they may be opened. Therefore, to inventory your materials, count the spines of the booklets in each shrink-wrapped package.
5. Store materials in a secure, locked storage area.
Retain all original shipping cartons for the return of materials following testing.
6. No later than October 20, at 12:00 p.m., complete the “Materials Received” section of the PCPA for each grade span tested at your school, and report packing discrepancies, if applicable. To access the PCPA, the principal must go online to www.mcasservicecenter.com (the form may not be completed by a designee), select MEPA from the menu, and then Principal’s Certification from the list of options. Follow the onscreen instructions to certify counts of materials received and report discrepancies in quantities of materials. Print the confirmation and save it for your records.
7. Only if applicable, order additional materials by October 20, at 12:00 p.m.Locate your MP Ship Code on the Materials Summary, and have that available when you go online to order additional materials at www.mcasservicecenter.com. Follow the onscreen instructions to place your order. Materials ordered online will be shipped for receipt on the following business day if the order is received before 12:00 p.m.; orders received after 12:00 p.m. will be shipped for receipt on the second business day. Packing discrepancies in additional orders must be reported within two business days of receipt of the order.
8. Identify and prepare for students with disabilities who require accommodations for testing according to their IEP or 504 plan.
See Appendix A for more information. For a student with a disability such as a broken bone or fracture in his or her writing hand or arm, the development of a 504 plan must be initiated, even if the disability is expected to be temporary.
9. Gather #2 pencils to provide to any student who does not bring one.
10. Distribute lists of SASIDs and dates of birth to test administrators.
11. Ensure that test administrators have applied Student ID Labels and correctly completed the student information requested on the front covers of answer booklets (see page 22).
12. Optional: Print practice tests if they will be administered at the school (available at www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/mepa/testadmin).
13. Using your school’s document tracking system, organize test materials for distribution.
Each test administrator should receive extra test materials to replace possible defective booklets. If you did not receive enough materials to distribute extra shrink-wrapped materials to each test administrator, you may open the minimum number of packages necessary to distribute extra materials.
B. Coordinate Test Administration
1. Using your document tracking system, distribute test materials.
Immediately before test administration, distribute the necessary test materials for that day to each test administrator. See the TAMs for the specific list of test materials necessary for each test.
2. Monitor your school’s test administration.
• Enforce test security requirements.
• Have #2 pencils available for students who do not bring them.
• Ensure that your school’s document tracking system is used each time test materials are moved.
• Collect lists of students who were not tested and schedule them for make-up testing.
3. Securely store test materials between sessions and after each day of testing. Use your document tracking system to verify that all test materials, including TAMs, are secure between sessions and are returned to you each day after testing.
4. After testing is completed, verify that ALL test materials have been returned to you.
• Use your document tracking system to verify that test administrators have returned all test materials to you. You must be able to account for and return all secure materials (e.g., test booklets, TAMs) that were shipped to you.
• If necessary, investigate any discrepancies in the number of materials that were distributed to test administrators and the number returned to you. Schools that do not return materials according to instructions will be subject to the sanctions described in Part I.
• If any answer booklets have become damaged or defective during testing, make sure the “void answer booklet” circle on the outside back covers is filled in, and VOID is written in large letters across the front covers. If a student completed any work in an answer booklet that was later deemed void, his or her work must be transcribed verbatim into a replacement answer booklet.
• If any test materials have become contaminated, call the MCAS Service Center for instructions.
C. Prepare Materials for Return
1. Make sure that you have a standard answer booklet assigned to the following ELL students:
• students who participated in one or more MEPA-R/W test sessions or in MELA-O
• students who were absent with medical documentation for one or more test sessions (documentation on file at the school)
• students who did not take a standard test because they require an alternate assessment or an unavailable accommodation for MEPA-R/W
2. Do NOT submit a used answer booklet for the following ELL students:• students enrolled in kindergarten
• students who were absent without medical documentation for all MEPA testing (both MEPA-R/W and MELA-O)
• students who transferred into or out of your school during the testing window and who did not participate in any MEPA testing (MEPA-R/W or MELA-O)
3. If applicable, verify that responses are transcribed completely and accurately into standard answer booklets for the following students:
• students who had void answer booklets
• students with disabilities who used large-print answer booklets
• students with disabilities in grade 5 or above who recorded their answers directly in their test booklets
4. If applicable, verify that each typed response from a student with disabilities using accommodation 23 has been inserted as a paper copy in the student’s answer booklet. (See Appendix B for instructions.)
5. Complete student information on answer booklets (see Appendix C for instructions):
• Verify SASIDs have been entered correctly on answer booklets for all students who do not have Student ID Labels.
• Complete students’ MELA-O scores (or reason for nonparticipation) on the outside back covers of answer booklets.
• Complete other confidential student information on the inside and outside back covers. 
6. Separately for each grade span, count the number of used standard answer booklets you are returning. For grades 1–2, count Level A and Level B test & answer booklets separately.
In your counts, make sure to include the following booklets:
• standard answer booklets containing typed responses (see Appendix B) for grades 3–12
• standard answer booklets in which responses have been transcribed (see step 3 above)
As you count, arrange the answer booklets so that the student name grids on the front covers are facing up (the booklets do not need to be alphabetized). Ensure that used answer booklets are free of extra materials, including rubber bands, paper clips, binder clips, staples, and extraneous paper.
7. Separately for each grade span, count the following materials you are returning:
• void answer booklets
• unused answer booklets
• Test Administrator’s Manuals
• test booklets
8. Using your counts from steps 6 and 7, complete the “Qty Returned” column of the Materials Summary for each grade span.
Record on the Materials Summary the quantities of test booklets, answer booklets, and TAMs being returned according to the “After Testing” instructions on the form. All test booklets, including large-print booklets, and TAMs are secure materials and must be returned. (A sample Materials Summary appears in Appendix D.) Make a copy of the completed form(s) for your records.
You will need to use the information from your completed Materials Summary(ies) when you go online to complete the PCPA.
9. Go online to complete sections 3–5 of the PCPA for each grade span tested at your school by November 1, at 3:00 p.m.
To access the PCPA, the principal must go online to www.mcasservicecenter.com (the form may not be completed by a designee), select MEPA from the menu, and then Principal’s Certification from the list of options. Follow the onscreen instructions to provide information regarding the number of materials being returned and to certify that your school followed test security requirements. Then provide your “signature” (i.e., exactly as the name appears in School/District Profiles [http://profiles.doe.mass.edu]). Print the confirmation and save it for your records.
10. Place special materials in the appropriate envelopes.
a. Place the materials listed below in the Special Handling Envelope for each grade span: 
• large-print answer booklets (folded in half) with corresponding transcribed standard answer booklets
• standard answer booklets containing typed responses for grades 3–12
b. Place void answer booklets in the Void Envelope for each grade span. Void booklets will not be scored.
11. Place remaining used standard answer booklets in the Return Envelope marked with the corresponding grade span. For grade span 1–2, use the Level A and Level B Return Envelopes. 
D. Pack the Return Shipment
1. Make sure that all used envelopes (Special Handling, Void, and Return) are sealed.
2. Locate the original shipping cartons in which you received your test materials.
3. Using the diagram on page 32 as a guide, pack materials in the shipping cartons in the following order. Materials for each grade span must be packed in separate cartons. For a list of materials specific to grades 1–4, see the packing diagram. 
• accommodation materials, if any (e.g., graphic organizers, templates, checklists, typed response drafts; on the bottom of the first carton for that grade span)
• unused Void, Special Handling, and Return Envelopes, if any
• unused Student ID Labels, if any
• unused answer booklets
• unused large-print answer booklets, if any
• used, unused, and void standard test booklets
• used, unused, and void large-print test booklets, if any
• used Void Envelope(s)
• used Special Handling Envelope(s)
• Test Administrator’s Manuals
• used Return Envelope(s)
• unused UPS labels (Note: Make sure to save a label for each carton you are returning.)
• completed Materials Summary (on top of last carton for that grade span)
4. Fill any empty spaces at the top of the cartons with crumpled paper to keep items from shifting during shipping. Do not use plastic peanuts or shredded paper. 
5. Before sealing your cartons, verify that students’ answer booklets and secure materials (e.g., test booklets, TAMs) have been packed in the shipment. 
6. Seal each packed carton using heavy-duty packing tape.
7. Affix one UPS Return Service (RS) label with Measured Progress listed in the “Ship to” section to the top of each carton. You may either remove the existing label from the carton or place the new label over it. (See Appendix D for a sample label.)
8. Record the UPS tracking numbers from the labels on the cartons you are returning, and retain the list in your school files.
9. Repeat steps 1–8 for each grade span tested at your school. 
[Packing Diagram for Return Shipment]
Materials must be returned in separate grade-span-specific cartons.
 Grades 5–12 Grades 1–4
E. Schedule and Confirm UPS Pickup of All MEPA Test Materials
1. Schedule your school’s UPS pickup appointment no later than November 1, at 3:00 p.m. Do not take your test materials to UPS yourself or otherwise remove materials from your school. 
The principal must complete the PCPA for each grade before scheduling the school’s UPS pickup. Do not schedule a separate pickup for each carton. Requests for same-day pickup cannot be honored, and requests for pickup on the following business day must be placed before 3:00 p.m. the previous day (requests for pickup more than two days in advance also cannot be honored). 
Locate a UPS tracking number from one of the RS labels you are using, and have that number available when you go online to schedule your pickup at www.mcasservicecenter.com. Select MEPA from the menu and then select UPS Pickup Request from the list of options. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete your request. 

You may give your cartons to your UPS driver, if you have regularly scheduled service. If you do, call the MCAS Service Center at 800-737-5103 or email mcas@measuredprogress.org to report that the pickup has been made.
Do not leave secure MEPA materials unattended while awaiting UPS pickup. The principal is responsible for ensuring that test materials are kept in locked storage until they are given directly to the UPS driver.
2. Confirm that all test materials are picked up by UPS no later than November 2. 
 Call the MCAS Service Center immediately at 800-737-5103 if your cartons are not picked up as scheduled. You may also want to use your UPS tracking numbers to confirm delivery of your return shipment to Measured Progress by calling the MCAS Service Center.
F. Next Steps 
1. Retain the following materials in your school files for one year:
• agendas and attendance records from meeting(s) with test administrators
• packing slips from your school’s shipment
• photocopy of Materials Summary(ies)
• printout of PCPA confirmation(s)
• Test Materials Internal Tracking Forms
• documentation for medically excused absences
• documentation for students not tested because alternate assessment or required accommodations were unavailable for MEPA-R/W
• UPS tracking numbers used
• printout of UPS pickup request
2. Recycle or discard the following materials:
• practice tests
• Principal’s Administration Manual
• unused shipping cartons
New for 2011
3. Report to the district SIMS contact to include in the next SIMS submission any students for whom a 504 plan was developed because of a temporary disability such as a broken arm.
Part V
Tasks to Complete for the Spring Test Administration
A. Prepare for Test Administration
Use the following list of tasks to help you keep track of your responsibilities during MEPA testing. Note that some items on the list apply only to specific grade spans.
1. Develop a plan for maintaining test security at your school.
• Review MEPA Test Security Requirements (Part I). Distribute test security requirements to all school employees who have access to secure test materials.
• Establish a document tracking system (see Appendix D for a sample internal tracking form).
• Designate a locked facility for secure storage of test materials.
2. Plan logistics for test administration at your school.
• Identify all ELL students who will be participating in testing. See Part II for information about student participation.
• Designate test administrators, staff who have access to secure materials, and appropriate testing spaces.
• Optional: Print the locator survey/tests (available at www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/mepa/testadmin) to assist in determining which MEPA-R/W level or set of test sessions to administer. 
• Assign each ELL student in grades K–2 to take either Level A or Level B for both Reading and Writing. 
• Assign each ELL student in grades 3–12 to Reading sessions and Writing sessions. 
• Assign students and testing locations to test administrators.
• Schedule test administration sessions and locations. 
• Meet with test administrators (see list of topics on pages 19–21) and distribute TAMs to test administrators. Remind test administrators that these manuals are secure. Collect the TAMs at the end of the meeting. Train all school staff designated to have access to secure test materials in test security requirements.
• Meet with students (see list of topics on page 21).
• Review the data that were or will be submitted in the district’s March SIMS report (students’ names, demographic information including LEP status, grade levels) and confirm each student has a SASID.
3. Verify receipt of test materials immediately upon their delivery to your school.
Materials will arrive by February 27. Each grade span’s materials are shipped separately. Call the MCAS Service Center if you do not receive materials by this date.
4. Using your Materials Summary, inventory test materials immediately and completely upon receipt.
To inventory test materials, complete the “Qty Received” column of the Materials Summary for each grade span according to the “Before Testing” directions on the form.
Shrink-wrapped materials must remain unopened until either this manual or the TAMs state that they may be opened. Therefore, to inventory your materials, count the spines of the booklets in each shrink-wrapped package.
5. Store materials in a secure, locked storage area.
Retain all original shipping cartons for the return of materials following testing.
6. No later than March 1, at 12:00 p.m., complete the “Materials Received” section of the PCPA for each grade span tested at your school, and report packing discrepancies, if applicable.
To access the PCPA, the principal must go online to www.mcasservicecenter.com (the form may not be completed by a designee), select MEPA from the menu, and then Principal’s Certification from the list of options. Follow the onscreen instructions to certify counts of materials received and report discrepancies in quantities of materials. Print the confirmation and save it for your records.
7. Only if applicable, order additional materials by March 1, at 12:00 p.m.
Locate your MP Ship Code on the Materials Summary, and have that available when you go online to order additional materials at www.mcasservicecenter.com. Follow the onscreen instructions to place your order. Materials ordered online will be shipped for receipt on the following business day if the order is received before 12:00 p.m.; orders received after 12:00 p.m. will be shipped for receipt on the second business day. Packing discrepancies in additional orders must be reported within two business days of receipt of the order.
8. Identify and prepare for students with disabilities who require accommodations for testing according to their IEP or 504 plan.
See Appendix A for more information. For a student with a disability such as a broken bone or fracture in his or her writing hand or arm, the development of a 504 plan must be initiated, even if the disability is expected to be temporary.
9. Gather #2 pencils to provide to any student who does not bring one.
10. Distribute lists of SASIDs and dates of birth to test administrators.
11. Ensure that test administrators have applied Student ID Labels and correctly completed the student information requested on the front covers of answer booklets (see page 22).
12. Optional: Print practice tests if they will be administered at the school (available at www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/mepa/testadmin).
13. Using your school’s document tracking system, organize test materials for distribution.
Each test administrator should receive extra test materials to replace possible defective booklets. If you did not receive enough materials to distribute extra shrink-wrapped materials to each test administrator, you may open the minimum number of packages necessary to distribute extra materials.
B. Coordinate Test Administration
1. Using your document tracking system, distribute test materials.
Immediately before test administration, distribute the necessary test materials for that day to each test administrator. See the TAMs for the specific list of test materials necessary for each test. 
2. Monitor your school’s test administration.
• Enforce test security requirements.
• Have #2 pencils available for students who do not bring them.
• Ensure that your school’s document tracking system is used each time test materials are moved.
• Collect lists of students who were not tested and schedule them for make-up testing.
3. Securely store test materials between sessions and after each day of testing.
 Use your document tracking system to verify that all test materials, including TAMs, are secure between sessions and are returned to you each day after testing.
4. After testing is completed, verify that ALL test materials have been returned to you.
• Use your document tracking system to verify that test administrators have returned all test materials to you. You must be able to account for and return all secure materials (e.g., test booklets, TAMs) that were shipped to you.
• If necessary, investigate any discrepancies in the number of materials that were distributed to test administrators and the number returned to you. Schools that do not return materials according to instructions will be subject to the sanctions described in Part I.
• If any answer booklets have become damaged or defective during testing, make sure the “void answer booklet” circle on the outside back covers is filled in, and VOID is written in large letters across the front covers. If a student completed any work in an answer booklet that was later deemed void, his or her work must be transcribed verbatim into a replacement answer booklet.
• If any test materials have become contaminated, call the MCAS Service Center for instructions.
C. Prepare Materials for Return
1. Make sure that you have a standard answer booklet assigned to the following ELL students:
• students who participated in one or more MEPA-R/W test sessions or in MELA-O
• students who were absent with medical documentation for one or more test sessions (documentation on file at the school)
• students who did not take a standard test because they require an alternate assessment or an unavailable accommodation for MEPA-R/W
• students who were reported as enrolled in the March 1 SIMS submission but did not participate in testing because they transferred out before the school’s testing dates (see page 64)
2. Do NOT submit a used answer booklet for the following ELL students:
• students who were absent without medical documentation for all MEPA testing (both MEPA-R/W and MELA-O)
• students who transferred into your school during the testing window and who did not participate in any MEPA testing (MEPA-R/W or MELA-O)




3. If applicable, verify that responses are transcribed completely and accurately into standard answer booklets for the following students:
• students who had void answer booklets
• students with disabilities who used large-print answer booklets
• students with disabilities in grade 5 or above who recorded their answers directly in their test booklets
4. If applicable, verify that each typed response from a student with disabilities using accommodation 23 has been inserted as a paper copy in the student’s answer booklet. (See Appendix B for instructions.)
5. Complete student information on answer booklets (see Appendix C for instructions):
• Verify SASIDs have been entered correctly on answer booklets for all students who do not have Student ID Labels.
• Complete students’ MELA-O scores (or reason for nonparticipation) on the outside back covers of answer booklets.
• Complete other confidential student information on the inside and outside back covers. 
6. Separately for each grade span, count the number of used standard answer booklets you are returning. For grades K–2, count Level A and Level B test & answer booklets separately.
 In your counts, make sure to include the following booklets:
• standard answer booklets containing typed responses (see Appendix B) for grades 3–12
• standard answer booklets in which responses have been transcribed (see step 3 above)
 As you count, arrange the answer booklets so that the student name grids on the front covers are facing up (the booklets do not need to be alphabetized). Ensure that used answer booklets are free of extra materials, including rubber bands, paper clips, binder clips, staples, and extraneous paper.
7. Separately for each grade span, count the following materials you are returning:
• void answer booklets
• unused answer booklets
• Test Administrator’s Manuals
• test booklets
8. Using your counts from steps 6 and 7, complete the “Qty Returned” column of the Materials Summary for each grade span.
Record on the Materials Summary the quantities of test booklets, answer booklets, and TAMs being returned according to the “After Testing” instructions on the form. All test booklets, including large-print booklets, and TAMs are secure materials and must be returned. (A sample Materials Summary appears in Appendix D.) Make a copy of the completed form(s) for your records.
You will need to use the information from your completed Materials Summary(ies) when you go online to complete the PCPA.
9. Go online to complete sections 3–5 of the PCPA for each grade span tested at your school 
by March 19, at 3:00 p.m. 
To access the PCPA, the principal must go online to www.mcasservicecenter.com (the form may not be completed by a designee), select MEPA from the menu, and then Principal’s Certification from the list of options. Follow the onscreen instructions to provide information regarding the number of materials being returned and to certify that your school followed test security requirements. Then provide your “signature” (i.e., exactly as the name appears in School/District Profiles [http://profiles.doe.mass.edu]). Print the confirmation and save it for your records.
10. Place special materials in the appropriate envelopes.
a. Place the materials listed below in the Special Handling Envelope for each grade span: 
• large-print answer booklets (folded in half) with corresponding transcribed standard booklets
• standard answer booklets containing typed responses for grades 3–12
b. Place void answer booklets in the Void Envelope for each grade span. Void booklets will not be scored.
11. Place remaining used standard answer booklets in the Return Envelope marked with the corresponding grade span. For grade span K–2, use the Level A and Level B Return Envelopes. 
D. Pack the Return Shipment
1. Make sure that all used envelopes (Special Handling, Void, and Return) are sealed.
2. Locate the original shipping cartons in which you received your test materials.
3. Using the diagram on page 42 as a guide, pack materials in the shipping cartons in the following order. Materials for each grade span must be packed in separate cartons. For a list of materials specific to grades K–4, see the packing diagram. 
• accommodation materials, if any (e.g., graphic organizers, templates, checklists, typed response drafts; on the bottom of the first carton for that grade span)
• unused Void, Special Handling, and Return Envelopes, if any
• unused Student ID Labels, if any
• unused answer booklets
• unused large-print answer booklets, if any
• used, unused, and void standard test booklets
• used, unused, and void large-print test booklets, if any
• used Void Envelope(s)
• used Special Handling Envelope(s)
• Test Administrator’s Manuals
• used Return Envelope(s)
• unused UPS labels (Note: Make sure to save a label for each carton you are returning.)
• completed Materials Summary (on top of last carton for that grade span)
4. Fill any empty spaces at the top of the cartons with crumpled paper to keep items from shifting during shipping. Do not use plastic peanuts or shredded paper. 
5. Before sealing your cartons, verify that students’ answer booklets and secure materials (e.g., test booklets, TAMs) have been packed in the shipment. 
6. Seal each packed carton using heavy-duty packing tape.
7. Affix one UPS Return Service (RS) label with Measured Progress listed in the “Ship to” section to the top of each carton. You may either remove the existing label from the carton or place the new label over it. (See Appendix D for a sample label.)
8. Record the UPS tracking numbers from the labels on the cartons you are returning, and retain the list in your school files.
9. Repeat steps 1–8 for each grade span tested at your school. 
[Packing Diagram for Return Shipment]
Materials must be returned in separate grade-span-specific cartons.
 Grades 5–12 Grades K–4
E. Schedule and Confirm UPS Pickup of All MEPA Test Materials
1. Schedule your school’s UPS pickup appointment no later than March 19, at 3:00 p.m. Do not take your test materials to UPS yourself or otherwise remove materials from your school. 
The principal must complete the PCPA for each grade before scheduling the school’s UPS pickup. Do not schedule a separate pickup for each carton. Requests for same-day pickup cannot be honored, and requests for pickup on the following business day must be placed before 3:00 p.m. the previous day (requests for pickup more than two days in advance also cannot be honored). 
Locate a UPS tracking number from one of the RS labels you are using, and have that number available when you go online to schedule your pickup at www.mcasservicecenter.com. Select MEPA from the menu and then select UPS Pickup Request from the list of options. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete your request. 
You may give your cartons to your UPS driver, if you have regularly scheduled service. If you do, call the MCAS Service Center at 800-737-5103 or email mcas@measuredprogress.org to report that the pickup has been made.
Do not leave secure MEPA materials unattended while awaiting UPS pickup. The principal is responsible for ensuring that test materials are kept in locked storage until they are given directly to the UPS driver.
2. Confirm that all test materials are picked up by UPS no later than March 20. 
Call the MCAS Service Center immediately at 800-737-5103 if your cartons are not picked up as scheduled. You may also want to use your UPS tracking numbers to confirm delivery of your return shipment to Measured Progress by calling the MCAS Service Center.
F. Next Steps
1. Retain the following materials in your school files for one year:
• agendas and attendance records from meeting(s) with test administrators
• packing slips from your school’s shipment
• photocopy of Materials Summary(ies)
• printout of PCPA confirmation(s)
• Test Materials Internal Tracking Forms
• documentation for medically excused absences
• documentation for students not tested because alternate assessment or required accommodations were unavailable for MEPA-R/W
• UPS tracking numbers used
• printout of UPS pickup request
2. Recycle or discard the following materials:
• practice tests
• Principal’s Administration Manual
• unused shipping cartons
New for 2011
3. Report to the district SIMS contact to include in the next SIMS submission any students for whom a 504 plan was developed because of a temporary disability such as a broken arm.
Appendix A
Procedures for ELL Students with Disabilities
1. Definition of a Student with a Disability
For the purposes of MEPA, a student with a disability has either an IEP provided under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 and Massachusetts General Law Chapter 71B, or a plan provided under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. All students with disabilities must be engaged in an instructional program guided by the standards in the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks.
2. Determining How Students with Disabilities Will Participate in MEPA
An ELL student with a disability must participate in the test that corresponds with the grade in which he or she is enrolled and reported to the Department’s SIMS.
During its annual meeting, a student’s IEP or 504 team must determine how the student will participate in MEPA for listening, speaking, reading, and writing. This information, including any accommodations that a student will use, must be documented in the student’s IEP or 
504 plan. Guidelines for making participation decisions for individual students are found in Requirements for the Participation of Students with Disabilities in MCAS, which is available at www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/participation/?section=sped.
3. Determining School Resources and Other Testing Needs
Prior to MEPA testing, the IEP Team and 504 team chairpersons should provide information to the principal or MEPA coordinator regarding each student who requires test accommodations, along with the specific accommodation(s), resources, and/or space that each student needs. Large-print tests must be ordered by the principal or coordinator on the MEPA Enrollment Verification form prior to testing. Contact the MCAS Service Center at 800-737-5103 with questions about ordering materials. 
4. MEPA Test Accommodations
A. Definition and Purpose of Test Accommodations
A test accommodation is a change in the way a test is administered or in the way a student responds to test questions. Similar to instructional accommodations, test accommodations are intended to offset the effects of the disability and to provide students with the opportunity to 
effectively demonstrate knowledge and skills on statewide assessments. Test accommodations are intended to be generally consistent with those provided during routine instruction in the subject. 
B. Eligibility of a Student with a Disability for Test Accommodations
ELIGIBLE: Students with disabilities served by an IEP or a 504 plan
The right of a student with a disability to receive accommodations on MEPA tests is protected by both federal and state laws. The student’s IEP or 504 plan must specify precisely which test accommodation(s) he or she will receive.
NOT ELIGIBLE: Students without documented disabilities and students with documented 
disabilities not served by an IEP or a 504 plan
A student who does not have a documented disability is not eligible to receive accommodations on MEPA-R/W and MELA-O, regardless of whether the student already receives instructional support or accommodations (e.g., through an Individual Student Success Plan [ISSP] or a 
District Curriculum Accommodation Plan [DCAP]).
C. General Requirements for Use of Test Accommodations
The use of accommodations is based on the individual needs of a student with a disability and may only be provided when all of the following conditions have been met:
1. The student has a documented disability (nondisabled students may not use test accommodations) that is documented in an IEP or a 504 plan.
 AND
2. The student uses the accommodation routinely during classroom instruction and assessment in the subject, both before and after the test is administered (with rare exceptions).
 AND
3. The student requires the accommodation in order to participate in statewide testing.
 AND
4. The accommodation is listed in this appendix (or, prior to testing, the district has consulted with the Department and received written permission to use an accommodation not included in this appendix).
 AND
5. If a nonstandard accommodation will be provided, the student meets all the eligibility criteria for that accommodation listed in section H of this appendix.
Accommodations may not
• alter, explain, simplify, paraphrase, or eliminate any test question, reading passage, writing prompt, or multiple-choice answer option;
OR
• provide verbal or other clues or suggestions that hint at or give away the correct response to the student;
OR
• contradict test administration requirements or result in the violation of test security; for example:
• dictionaries are not allowed for any student on any MEPA-R/W test,
• test questions may not be modified, reordered, or reformatted in any way for any student, and
• tests may not be photocopied or duplicated in any way.
When accommodations do not meet the conditions stated above, the student’s test score may be invalidated.
If these conditions have been met, the accommodation(s) must be provided to the student during MEPA testing. If a student refuses an accommodation listed in his or her plan, the accommodation must still be offered and must remain available to the student during testing. In addition, the school should document in writing that the student refused the accommodation. If an accommodation is listed in an IEP or a 504 plan and the team believes it would be inappropriate to provide this accommodation for MEPA, the team must amend the plan accordingly. The amended plan must be approved in writing by the parent in order for accommodations decisions to be implemented. It is acceptable for teams to list an accommodation in the plan with the notation “as requested by the student,” signifying that the student may require the accommodation only periodically during the test; for example, a student who tires easily may need a scribe only during the latter part of a test session. Refer to specific conditions and criteria for each accommodation.
D. Untimed Test Sessions and Use of Dictionaries/Thesauruses 
All MEPA-R/W test administrations are untimed. Since any student may be given additional time beyond the scheduled test administration session, additional time is not considered a MEPA test accommodation. However, no single test session may extend beyond the end of the 
regular school day, and any single test session must be completed on the same day in which it begins.
The Department assumes that principals will schedule MEPA tests on regular school days, as opposed to “early release” days. To ensure equivalent testing conditions in schools across the state and to ensure that all students, including ELL students with disabilities, are afforded an equal opportunity to benefit from untimed tests, it is particularly important for all testing to occur during regular school days. If testing must occur on an “early release” day, arrangements must be made for staff to stay with students who have not finished their work until the time at which school would end on a regular school day.
No dictionaries, including English dictionaries and bilingual word-to-word dictionaries, are permitted for use by students on any MEPA tests. The use of a thesaurus is not permitted on any test.
E. Definition of Standard Accommodations
For the purposes of MEPA, standard accommodations are defined as changes in the routine conditions under which students take MEPA tests. Standard accommodations are grouped into the following four categories: 
• changes in timing or scheduling of the test; for example, administering the test in short intervals or at a specific time of day
• changes in test setting; for example, administering the test in a small group or a separate setting
• changes in test presentation; for example, using a large-print edition of the test
• changes in how the student responds to the test questions; for example, dictating responses to a scribe
A list of commonly used standard test accommodations can be found in section G of this appendix.
F. Definition of Nonstandard Accommodations 
For the purposes of MEPA, a nonstandard accommodation is defined as an accommodation that 
• changes the way a MEPA test is presented
OR
• changes the way a student responds to test questions
AND
• may alter a portion of what the test is intended to measure.
A list of nonstandard accommodations and conditions under which they may be used appears in section H of this appendix.
G. List of Standard Accommodations
Following is a list of standard test accommodations for students with disabilities.
Changes in Timing or Scheduling of the Test
1. Frequent Breaks: The test is administered in short periods with frequent breaks.
2. Time of Day: The test is administered at a time of day that takes into account the student’s medical or learning needs (IEP or 504 plan must specify time of day).
Changes in Test Setting
3. Small Group: The test is administered in a small group setting (no more than 10 students).
Note: If students are being provided the accommodation of having the test read aloud, the group may be no more than 5 students.
4. Separate Setting: The test is administered in a room other than the one used by the rest of the class.
5. Individual: The test is administered to the student individually.
6. Specified Area: The test is administered with the student seated at the front or other specified area of the room, in a study carrel, or in another enclosed area (IEP or 504 plan must specify where).
Changes in Test Presentation
7. Familiar Test Administrator: The test is administered by a test administrator familiar to the student.
8. Noise Buffers: The student wears noise buffers, after test administration instructions have been read (music may not be played on headphones worn during MEPA testing).
9. Magnification or Overlays: The student uses magnifying equipment, enlargement devices, colored visual overlays, or specially tinted lenses (IEP or 504 plan must specify which).
10. Test Directions: The test administrator clarifies general administration instructions. No portion of the test items or reading selections (including introductions to reading selections) may be read or signed.
11. Large-Print: The student uses a large-print (18-point font) edition of the test.
• All answers must be either scribed or transcribed verbatim from the 
large-print answer booklet to the student’s standard answer booklet.
• Principals may print the practice tests posted on the Department’s website 
(www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/mepa/testadmin) and photocopy/enlarge them so that 
students with disabilities who require accommodation 11 may access the material.
12. Braille: No Braille edition of the test is available for MEPA-R/W.
13. Place Marker: The student uses a place marker.
14. Track Test Questions: The test administrator assists the student in tracking test questions (e.g., moving from one test question to the next) or by redirecting the student’s attention to the test.
15. Amplification: The student uses sound amplification equipment.
16. Test Administrator Reads Test Aloud (MEPA Writing test only): The test administrator reads the MEPA Writing test passages and questions to the student.

• All passages and test items must be read word-for-word, exactly as written. The test administrator may not provide assistance to the student regarding the meanings of words, intent of any test item, or responses to test items. The test administrator must read in a neutral tone, with no emphasis given to any terms, passages, or response options and with no detectable changes in inflection. The test can be read aloud in one of the following ways, which must be specified in the IEP or 504 plan:
• Test administrator reads entire test session (passages and test questions) word-for-word exactly as written.
OR
• Test administrator reads selected words, phrases, and/or sentences as directed by the student. The student points to the word, phrase, or sentence that he or she needs read aloud.
• The test must be administered in a separate setting, either individually or to a small group (2–5 students).Note: Reading the MEPA Reading test aloud to a student is nonstandard accommodation 26.
17. Test Administrator Signs Test: Signing the test is not an available accommodation for MEPA-R/W.
18. Electronic Text Reader: No electronic text reader is available for MEPA-R/W.
Changes in How the Student Responds to Test Questions
19. Scribe Test (MEPA Reading test only): For open-response test questions (and multiple-choice, sentence-writing, and short-answer questions, if needed), the student dictates 
responses to a scribe or uses a speech-to-text conversion device to record responses, according to the following guidelines:
• A student who has a broken bone or fracture in his or her writing hand or arm at the time of testing may be provided a scribe; however, a 504 plan must be developed immediately if the student needs testing and/or classroom accommodations.
• The scribe must record the student’s words exactly as dictated into the student’s answer booklet and may not edit or alter the student’s responses in any way.
• The scribe must allow the student to review and edit what has been scribed.
• When a student uses an electronic speech-to-text conversion device, the test administrator must follow the instructions for submitting typed responses described in Appendix B.
• The test must be administered individually in a separate setting.
Note: Scribing the MEPA Writing test is nonstandard accommodation 29.
20. Organizer or Checklist: The student uses a graphic organizer or checklist for the MEPA Reading or Writing test.
• Graphic organizers/checklists previously approved by the Department in 2010 or 2011 do not need to be resubmitted for approval.
• A student may use a graphic organizer or checklist to generate a response to a writing-prompt or open-response question or to check the steps in the writing process. The student may use no more than two different graphic organizers.
Generic graphic organizers (e.g., webs, Venn diagrams that contain no text) do not need to be submitted to the Department for approval. Graphic organizers that include any text must be pre-approved by the Department. Graphic organizers may not include the following:
• definitions
• specific examples
• sentence starters
• All customized graphic organizers with text and checklists must be submitted to the Department for approval (if not approved in 2010 or 2011), either by email (in MS Word or PDF format only) to mcas@doe.mass.edu or by fax to 781-338-3630 at least two weeks prior to testing. Notice of approval may take up to 10 business days from the time the materials are received at the Department. Please indicate the specific grade for which the checklist or organizer will be used, as well as the school name and contact information.
• At the end of testing, all graphic organizers and checklists used during testing must 
be returned to the testing contractor.
21. Student Reads Test Aloud: The student reads the test aloud to himself or herself, or student reads the test and records answers on audiotape, then writes responses to test questions while playing back the tape.
• The test must be administered individually in a separate setting.
• At the end of testing, all audio CDs, DVDs, and tapes must be shipped to the testing contractor in the return materials shipment.
22. Monitor Placement of Responses: The test administrator monitors placement of student responses in the student’s answer booklet.
23. Typed Response (grades 3–12 only): The student uses a word processing program or electronic keyboard (e.g., Alpha-Smart) to type answers to open-response, sentence-writing, short-answer, and/or writing-prompt questions on any MEPA test.
See Appendix B for complete instructions for submitting typed responses.
24. Answers Recorded in Test Booklet: The student records answers directly in the test booklet or uses special paper for drafts.
Note: The test administrator must transcribe answers verbatim into the student’s standard answer booklet. If the student transcribes his or her own responses, the transcription must be done during the test session and completed on the day in which the test session begins.
25. Other Standard Accommodation: Other standard accommodation that is identified by the IEP Team or 504 team, documented in the student’s plan, and not on this list. The accommodation must meet the conditions of the General Requirements for Use of Test Accommodations (pages 47–48). 
At least two weeks prior to test administration, the principal or designee must request written permission from the Department when a standard accommodation not on the above list is being considered for a student. Accommodations must meet the criteria set forth in section C of this appendix. The student’s IEP or 504 team must reconvene in order to document any changes to accommodations listed in the plan, and the plan must be signed by the parent before the accommodation may be used. Please call 781-338-3625, email mcas@doe.mass.edu, or fax 781-338-3630.
H. Requirements for the Use of Nonstandard Accommodations
IEP and 504 teams may allow the use of one or more of the following nonstandard test accommodations only when all of the criteria are met, as described next to each nonstandard accommodation. An accommodation may be provided only when it is documented in a signed IEP or 504 plan. Please also review section F of this appendix carefully for additional information. Use of an accommodation during instruction does not necessarily qualify a student to receive the same accommodation on a MEPA test.
The Department will continue to carefully review the number of students with disabilities in each district who receive nonstandard accommodations on MEPA tests. IEP and 504 teams are encouraged to make consistent, defensible, and appropriate decisions for each student, and to amend the IEPs and 504 plans of students who do not meet the criteria listed for the accommodation.
Accommodation Criteria Required for Use
26.
Test Administrator Reads Aloud MEPA Reading Test
Note:
Reading aloud the MEPA Writing test is standard accommodation 16. The decision to use nonstandard accommodation 26 must be made separately from the decision to use standard accommodation 16.
1. The student has a specific disability that severely limits or prevents him or her from decoding text, even after varied and repeated attempts to teach the student to do so. The student must be a virtual nonreader, not simply reading below grade level.
AND
2. The student has access to printed materials only through a reader, and/or is provided with spoken text on audiotape, CD, video, or other electronic format during routine instruction, except while the student is actually being taught to decode.
Special Instructions:
• All passages and test items must be read word-for-word, exactly as written. The test administrator may not provide assistance to the student regarding the meanings of words, intent of any test item, or responses to test items. The test administrator must read in a neutral tone, without emphasis on any terms, passages, or response options, and with no detectable changes in inflection.
• If the test is read aloud, it must be administered in a separate setting, either individually or to a small group (2–5 students). 
27.
Test Administrator Signs Reading Test for a Student Who Is Deaf or Hard of Hearing: Signing the test is not an available accommodation for MEPA-R/W.
28.
Electronic Text Reader:An electronic text reader is not available for MEPA-R/W.
29.
Scribe MEPA Writing Test:The student dictates responses to a scribe or uses a speech-to-text conversion device to record responses.
This accommodation is not available for Level A for grades 1–2 (fall)/K–2 (spring).
1. The student has a significant disability which requires the dictation of all written responses to a scribe or use of an electronic speech-to-text conversion device for all responses.
OR
2. The student with a disability is unable to use his or her writing hand or arm at the time of testing due to a broken bone or fracture. (See accommodation 19 for additional information on using a scribe for a student who is not presently on an IEP or a 504 plan.)

Special Instructions:
• When a student uses an electronic speech-to-text conversion device, the test administrator must follow the instructions for submitting typed responses described in Appendix B.
• The test must be administered individually in a separate setting.
• Clarification on the role of a scribe for the MEPA Writing test:
• The scribe must write exactly what the student dictates into the student’s answer booklet. The scribe may not edit or alter the student’s dictation in any way. When scribing a response, the scribe may assume that each sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with a period. All other capitalization, punctuation, and paragraph breaks are the responsibility of the student.
• After the student has finished dictating his or her responses, the scribe must ask the student to do the following:
– Spell key words. Key words include proper nouns, multisyllable words, and other words pertinent to the responses.
– Review the responses and make any necessary edits, including edits to capital letters, punctuation, and paragraph breaks. The student may make edits independently or direct the scribe to make the edits. The scribe must not assist the student in making decisions during the editing process. 
Accommodation Criteria Required for Use
30.
Calculation Devices:
Calculation devices are not used for MEPA-R/W.
31.

Spell- or Grammar-Checking Function on Word Processor, Spell-Checking Device, or Word-Prediction Software for the MEPA Writing Test:The student uses a spell- or grammar-checking function, spelling device (including hand-held electronic spellers), or word-prediction software (IEP/504 must specify which function or device) for the MEPA Writing test.
1. The student has a specific documented disability that severely limits or prevents him or her from spelling correctly, even after varied and repeated attempts to teach the student to do so. The student must be virtually unable to spell simple words.
AND
2. The student can produce understandable written work only through the use of a spell- or grammar-checking device or word-prediction software that is already used during routine instruction.
Special Instructions:
When word-prediction software is used, the “predict-ahead” and “predict online” software functions must be turned off.
Accommodation Criteria Required for Use
32.
Other Nonstandard Accommodation:
Other nonstandard accommodation that is identified by the student’s IEP or 504 team is documented in the student’s plan, but is not on this list. The accommodation must meet the General Requirements for Use of Test Accommodations in section C of this appendix.
At least two weeks prior to test administration, the principal or designee must request written permission from the Department when a nonstandard accommodation not on the above list is being considered by the student’s IEP or 504 team. Accommodations must meet the criteria set forth in section C of this appendix and receive written approval from the Department. The student’s IEP or 504 team must reconvene in order to document any changes to accommodations listed in the plan, and the plan must be signed by the parent before the accommodation may be used. Please call 781-338-3625, email mcas@doe.mass.edu, or fax requests to 781-338-3630.
Appendix B
Procedures for Submitting Typed Responses
(Grades 3–12 Only)
Follow the instructions in this appendix to submit responses for a student with a disability in grades 3–12 whose IEP Team or 504 team has determined that he or she will participate in MEPA testing using standard accommodation 23 (student uses a word processor, Alpha-Smart, 
or similar electronic keyboard to type answers to short-answer, sentence-writing, open-response, or writing-prompt questions).
A student’s typed responses are submitted by inserting typed pages inside the student’s answer booklet. 
Before Test Administration
1. Provide a standard answer booklet along with appropriate tracking documents to each test administrator.
2. Ensure that test administrators understand and follow the instructions in the TAMs regarding the following:
• security information
• information required on each typed response page (see sample at the end of this appendix)
• instructions for printing responses
After Test Administration
Note: A student’s responses to multiple-choice questions must be marked by the student or transcribed into his or her standard answer booklet. Otherwise, the student will not receive credit for his or her work.
1. Complete all information requested on the front and back covers of the student’s standard answer booklet, including the circle for accommodation 23 on the inside back cover.
2. Refer to the TAMs for instructions on preparing typed responses for submission.
3. Mark drafts of typed responses “DRAFT” and return them in the return shipment with any other accommodation materials.
4. Ensure that all student responses are deleted by test administrators according to the instructions in the TAMs.
5. Submit the standard answer booklets according to the instructions in this manual.
Sample MEPA Typed Response TemplateStudent Name: John D. WardStudent SASID: 1012345678Answer Booklet Serial Number: 1234567890Subject: MEPA ReadingSession: 3Question Number: 12In this area, this student will type the response to the test question.
A maximum of one page may be submitted for each sentence-writing, short-answer, or open-response question, and a maximum of four pages 
may be submitted for each writing-prompt question.
Appendix C
Procedures for Providing Student Information
It is the responsibility of the principal to provide accurate information for every ELL student. Instructions are provided below for completing student information on the inside and outside back covers of answer booklets. Fall sample booklet covers are provided in Appendix D. As this information is confidential, the principal or designee should complete the information after testing.
An answer booklet is not submitted for a student who is absent without medical documentation or for a student who transferred out of or into the school during the testing window and did not participate in any testing (MEPA-R/W or MELA-O). Enrollment data from SIMS is used as 
the basis for reporting whether a student was absent without medical documentation for all test sessions during the testing window or whether a student transferred out of or into the school during the testing window and did not complete any test sessions in the answer booklet.
A. Inside Back Cover
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES section
Accommodation Circles
For each subject, fill in each circle corresponding to an accommodation that was used by an ELL student with a disability who has an IEP or 504 plan (or a 504 plan is under development). Refer to Appendix A for a list of accommodations and procedures for students with disabilities.
Do not fill in any of the accommodation circles for a student with a disability who was not tested with accommodations (including a student with a disability who was offered an accommodation but did not use it during testing). For a student in grades 1–2 (fall)/K–2 (spring), do not fill in any of the accommodation circles based on the administration guidelines on page 18.
New for 2011
The circle on the answer booklet to indicate whether a student has a 504 plan has been removed; however, accommodations used by the student during testing must still be indicated on the answer booklet. Because a student’s 504 status is now reported through SIMS instead of on the answer booklet, remember to report to the district SIMS contact any students for whom a 504 plan was developed because of a temporary disability such as a broken arm.
ABSENCE: MEPA-R/W section
Fill in the circle corresponding to the reason a student was absent for the Reading and/or 
Writing tests:
1. Absent with medical documentation 
Grades 1–2 (fall)/grades K–2 (spring): For each subject, fill in this circle for a student who was absent with medical documentation for the test session.
Grades 3–12: For each subject, fill in this circle for a student who was absent with medical documentation for one or both test sessions. 
Do not fill in this circle for a student who was absent but completes testing during make-up sessions.
2. Absent without medical documentation 
Grades 1–2 (fall)/grades K–2 (spring): For each subject, fill in this circle for a student who was absent without medical documentation for the test session.
Grades 3–12: For each subject, fill in this circle for a student who was absent without medical documentation for one but not both test sessions.
Do not fill in this circle for a student who was absent but completes testing during make-up sessions.
NOT TESTED STATUS: MEPA-R/W section
Fill in the circle corresponding to the reason a student was not tested on the Reading and/or Writing tests:
1. Required test accommodations not available 
For each subject, fill in this circle for a student with a disability who did not participate because he or she requires a test accommodation (e.g., Braille edition, electronic text reader) that is not available for the test. 
2. Deaf/hard of hearing 
For each subject, fill in this circle for a student who did not participate because he or she is deaf or hard of hearing (student’s IEP or 504 plan must indicate that his or her primary disability is “deaf or hard of hearing”). 
3. Alternate assessment required but not available 
For each subject, fill in this circle for a student who did not participate because he or she requires an alternate assessment, which is not available for MEPA-R/W.
B. Outside Back Cover
MELA-O STUDENT SCORES section
1. Listening 
Fill in the circle that indicates the student’s score on the Listening (Comprehension) portion 
of the MELA-O. 
2. Speaking 
Fill in the circle for the student’s Speaking (Production) score in each of the four areas: Fluency, Vocabulary, Pronunciation, and Grammar. 
Note: If a student is required to participate in fall 2011 MEPA-R/W but is not required to participate in the MELA-O because the student was administered MELA-O in spring 2011, do not fill in the circles for the student’s MELA-O scores. 
NOT TESTED STATUS: MELA-O section
1. Absent with Medical Documentation 
Fill in this circle for a student who did not participate in MELA-O because he or she was absent with medical documentation for an extended period of time during the MELA-O testing window.
2. Deaf/hard of hearing 
Fill in this circle for a student who did not participate in the MELA-O because he or she is deaf or hard of hearing (student’s IEP or 504 plan must indicate that his or her primary disability is “deaf or hard of hearing”). 
CHANGE OF ENROLLMENT STATUS section
1. Removed from enrollment
Fill in the circle corresponding to the reason a student was removed from the school’s enrollment and meets one of the stated criteria. For spring only, fill in a circle for a student who was reported as enrolled in the March 1 SIMS submission but did not participate in testing because he or she transferred out before the school’s scheduled testing dates for that grade span.
2. Added to enrollment
Fill in the circle corresponding to the reason that a student was added to the school’s enrollment during the testing window and participated in at least one but not all MEPA test sessions.

VOID ANSWER BOOKLET section 
Fill in this circle for a booklet that was assigned to a student and should not be scored, including a booklet containing a student’s name, SASID, and/or Student ID Label.

Appendix D
Sample Administration Forms

[MEPA Test Materials Internal Tracking Form Sample Blank Form]

[MEPA Test Materials Internal Tracking Form Sample Completed Form]

[MATERIALS SUMMARY Fall 2011 MEPA]

[Principal’s Certification of Proper Test Administration (PCPA)]

Sample Completed Answer Booklet Front Cover
When Student ID Label Is Used
 
[Answer booklet cover - Student ID used]

Sample Completed Answer Booklet Front Cover
When Student ID Label Is NOT Used
 
[Answer booklet cover - Student ID NOT used]

Answer Booklet 
Sample Inside Back Cover
 
[Answer booklet - inside back cover]

Answer Booklet 
Sample Outside Back Cover
 
[Answer booklet - outside back cover]

Sample UPS Return Service Label
 
[Sample UPS Return Service Label]
The test administration listed in the “DESC” description line should assist you in preparing materials for return, particularly when trying to distinguish between the MCAS and MEPA administrations that occur during a brief time span in the spring. Return all leftover, unused 
labels after each administration in your return shipment. Do not save them for another administration. 

Note that each RS label lists the test administration in the line marked as “DESC:”. Please choose the correct RS label when scheduling the UPS pickup for each administration. 

Index
504 status
Designating in answer booklets iii, 19, 62, 63, 64, 72
General information 5, 9, 10, 19, 27, 34, 37, 44, Appendix A, 58
Absences
Medically documented 9, 10, 16, 28, 33, 38, 43, 62, 64, 72, 73
Non-medical absence 10, 16, 28, 38, 62, 63, 72
Accommodations
Alternate assessment  see Alternate assessment
Braille materials 9, 50, 63
Deaf/hard of hearing see Participation requirements
Designating in answer booklets 18, 19, 62, 63, 72
Electronic text reader 9, 50, 53, 63
General information 4, 5, 14, 18, 19, 20, 27, 37, Appendix A
Large-print materials see Large-print materials
List of standard accommodations 48–52
Packing/return of accommodation materials  30, 32, 40, 42, 58
Review with test administrators 3
Special procedures (accomm. 16, 26) 
Appendix A
Typed responses see Typed responses
Unavailable accommodations 9, 28, 33, 38, 43, 63, 72
Accounting for test materials 3, 23–24, 28, 66, 67, 68
Additional test materials, ordering see Test materials/Ordering additional materials
Additional testing time see Policy on testing time
Administration forms
Materials Summary 23, 26, 27, 29, 30, 32, 33, 36, 37, 39, 40, 42, 43, 68
Principal’s Certification of Proper Test 
Administration (PCPA) i, ii, 2, 14, 23, 24, 27, 29–30, 33, 37, 39–40, 43, 69
Test Materials Internal Tracking Form 3, 23–24, 26, 33, 36, 43, 66, 67
Administration schedule see Scheduling/Test administration
Administration sequence 15, 16, 17
Test completion sessions see Policy on testing time/Additional time
Alternate assessment 9, 28, 33, 38, 43, 63, 72
Answer booklets
Applying Student ID Labels 21, 22, 27, 29, 37, 39, 64, 70, 71
Inside back cover sample 72
Outside back cover sample 73
Completing confidential student information iii, 10, 18, 19, 22–23, 27, 29, 37, 39, 58, 
Appendix C, 70–73
Contaminated 4, 20, 23, 28, 38
Damaged/defective 4, 27, 28, 37, 38
Front cover sample 70, 71
Grade spans 1–4 (fall)/K–4 (spring) test & answer booklets 2, 19, 29, 32, 39, 42
Recording MELA-O scores see MELA-O scores
Secure storage see Test materials
Transcribing responses see Transcriptions Void 4, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 64, 73
Approved resource materials 5, 19, 21
Bilingual dictionaries see Dictionaries prohibited
Braille materials see Accommodations
Broken bone 27, 34, 37, 44, 50, 53, 62
Cell phones 5, 19, 20, 21
Confidential student information, completion of  iii, 10, 18, 19, 22–23, 27, 29, 37, 39, 58, 
Appendix C, 70–73
Contaminated test materials 4, 20, 23, 28, 38
Damaged/defective booklets see Answer booklets
Deadlines to return materials ii, 3, 17, 33, 43
Demographic information see Answer booklets/Completing confidential student information
Dictionaries prohibited Bilingual 19, 21, 47, 48 English-language 19, 21, 47, 48
Duplication of test materials see Test materials/Duplicating, prohibited
English-language dictionaries see Dictionaries prohibitedFracture 27, 34, 37, 44, 50, 53, 62
Highlighters, policy on use of 19
Internal Tracking Form see Administration forms/Test Materials Internal Tracking Form
Irregularities, reporting of 2, 6, 16, 24
Large-print materials
Accommodation procedure 46, 48, 49–50
Returning materials 29, 30, 32, 39, 40, 42, 68
Transcribing responses in answer booklets 4, 14, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 50, 52, 58
Locator survey/test 11, 14, 17, 18, 20, 26, 36
Make-up tests 9, 15, 16–17, 20, 21, 28, 38, 62, 63
Materials Summary see Administration forms MCAS Service Center i, 9, 14, 23, 26, 27, 28, 30, 33, 36, 37, 38, 40, 43, 46, 68
Medically documented absences see Absences
Meetings Students 21, 26, 36
Test administrators 4, 19–20, 26, 33, 36
MELA-O scores 9, 20, 29, 39, 63, 72, 73
Online Additional materials, ordering i, ii, 14, 27, 37
Practice tests 17, 50
Principal’s Certification of Proper Test Administration (PCPA) i, 23, 24, 27, 29, 30, 37, 39, 40, 68
UPS i, 33, 43
Ordering additional materials see Test materials
Packing diagrams
Fall 32
Spring 42
Participation requirements
Absences see Absences
Alternate assessment see Alternate assessment
Deaf/hard of hearing 9, 10, 49, 50, 53, 63, 64, 72, 73
Formerly LEP (FLEP) students 9
General information 7–11
MELA-O 8–10
Students with disabilities see Students with disabilities
Policy on testing time 14–17, 48
Additional time 15–16, 20, 21, 48
Same-day session completion 16, 21, 48, 52
Practice tests 17, 20, 27, 34, 37, 44, 50
Principal’s Certification of Proper Test Administration (PCPA) see Administration forms
Receiving test materials see Test materials/Receiving; also see Test materials/Inventorying
Resource materials
Approved 5, 19, 21
Unapproved 5, 19, 21
Return Envelope 30, 32, 40, 42 also see Special Handling Envelope and Void Envelope
Returning test materials see Test materials/Return of; also see Deadlines to return materials
Sample forms Appendix D
Scheduling
Test administration ii, 3, 14–17, 20–21, 26, 28, 36, 38, 48, 49
UPS pickup i, ii, 33, 43, 74
School files, materials to retain in 3, 4, 9, 19, 28, 31, 33–34, 38, 41, 43–44, 66, 67, 68, 69
Secure storage see Test materials
Security Access to test materials 2, 3–4, 18, 19, 26, 36
Cheating by students 5, 21
Coaching 5
Duplicating materials 4, 47
Monitoring and enforcement by Department 6
Penalties 6, 21
Previewing test materials 2, 4, 5
Prohibitions 1–6, 20, 21, 33, 43, 47
Removal of materials from school premises 4, 33, 43
Reporting irregularities 2, 6, 16, 24
Requirements and restrictions 1–6
Review of Test Administrator’s Manuals prior to test 4, 20, 26, 36
Storage of materials see Test materials/Secure storage
Supervision of students during breaks 5, 16, 20
Testing space preparations 4, 18
Tracking test materials see Test materials
Sample tracking form 66, 67
Visitors 3
Sign language administration see Participation requirements/Deaf/hard of hearing
Special Handling Envelope 30, 32, 40, 42

State-Assigned Student Identifier (SASID) 9, 20, 22, 26, 27, 29, 36, 37, 39, 64, 70, 71
Student ID Labels 21, 22, 23, 27, 29, 30, 32, 37, 39, 40, 42, 64, 70, 71
Applying to answer booklets 21, 22, 27, 29, 37, 39, 64, 70, 71
Student information see Answer booklets/Completing confidential student information
Student Information Management System (SIMS) i, iii, 8, 9, 22, 26, 34, 36, 38, 44, 46, 62, 64, 72
Student meeting 21, 26, 36
Student participation requirements see Participation requirements
Students with disabilities 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 15, 18, 19, 20, 27, 29, 34, 37, 39, 44, Appendix A, Appendix B, 62, 63, 64, 72, 73 also see Accommodations
Test accommodations see Accommodations Test administration schedule see Scheduling
Test administrators Assigning to testing spaces 18, 20, 26, 36
Designating 17–18, 26, 36
Meeting topics 19–21
Responsibilities 3–5
Scripts 4, 5, 21 (also see Test Administrator’s 
Manuals)
Test Administrator’s Manuals 2, 3, 4, 5, 16, 18, 20, 21, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 58
Test & answer booklets 2, 19, 29, 32, 39, 42
Test completion sessions see Policy on testing time/Additional time
Test materials
Allowed in testing spaces 4, 5, 18, 19, 20, 21
By package 26, 27, 36, 37
Contaminated 4, 20, 23, 28, 38
Damaged/defective see Answer booklets
Discrepancies ii, 3, 23, 27, 28, 37, 38
Distribution to test administrators 18, 20, 26, 27, 28, 36, 37, 38, 66, 67
Duplicating, prohibited 4, 47
Grade spans 1–4 (fall)/K–4 (spring) test & answer booklets 2, 19, 29, 32, 39, 42
Inventorying 3, 14, 23, 26, 28, 29, 36, 38, 39List of 5, 23, 27, 30, 32, 37, 40, 42, 68
Opening shrink-wrapped packages 26, 27, 36, 37
Ordering additional materials i, ii, 14, 27, 37
Original packing cartons 23, 27, 30, 37, 40
Prohibited resource materials 4, 5, 18, 19, 20, 21
Receiving ii, 3, 14, 23, 24, 26, 27, 30, 36, 37, 40, 68
Recycled 4, 34, 44
Retained in school files 3, 4, 9, 19, 28, 31, 33–34, 38, 41, 43–44, 66, 67, 68, 69
Return of i, ii, 3, 17, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28–34, 37, 38–44, 51, 58, 68, 74
Secure storage 2, 3, 16, 23, 26, 27, 28, 33, 36, 37, 38, 43
Internal Tracking Form 3, 23–24, 26, 33, 36, 43, 66, 67
Tracking 3, 20, 23–24, 26, 27, 28, 33, 36, 37, 38, 43, 58, 66, 67
Test Materials Internal Tracking Form see Administration forms
Test security see Security
Testing spaces Assignment 18, 20, 26, 36
Preparation 4, 18
Timing policy see Policy on testing time
Transcriptions 4, 14, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 50, 52, 58, 69
Typed responses 29, 39, Appendix A, Appendix B
Unapproved resource materials 5, 19, 21
UPS pickup see Scheduling
Void answer booklets see Answer booklets
Void Envelope 30, 32, 40, 42


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