Assessment/Accountability
MCAS Performance Appeals

Commissioner's Message to Educators
July 2007

Dear Superintendents, High School Principals and Educators:

The MCAS Performance Appeals website has recently been revised with updated guidelines, application and cohort worksheet. Please review all filing information and encourage your faculty members who will be filing appeals this year to be familiar with the updated procedures for filing performance appeals.

Cohort appeals may be submitted any time and are generally reviewed monthly except during the summertime. Cohort appeals that are submitted by the second week of the month are usually reviewed that month. Portfolio appeals and work sample appeals are reviewed 3 times during the year. Please go to the portfolio page for the schedule for portfolio reviews.

It is my intention to ensure that all eligible high school students whom you believe meet the academic standard are given the opportunity to have MCAS Performance Appeals filed on their behalf. I urge you to consider filing or re-filing appeals if you have additional information such as final grade 12 GPAs for these students.

When considering filing appeals, please note the importance of including students, teachers and parents in the process. On behalf of all students who have yet to meet the standard, thank you for filing MCAS Performance Appeals.

Sincerely,

David P. Driscoll
Commissioner of Education