Assessment/Accountability
MCAS Performance Appeals

Instructions for Completing the Cohort Worksheet
January 2011

1. For the student under appeal please provide the following information in the row entitled "Appellant":
   1. The student's state assigned identification number (SASID)
   2. The student's GPA for each of the course titles indicated at the top of the worksheet. Use the numerical values shown in the table below.
   3. The highest MCAS score the student received in the subject of the appeal.
      
      
2. For every student in the cohort group (defined as all the students in the school who took the same sequence of courses identified at the top of the worksheet at the same time as the appellant AND who received a scaled score of 220-228 on the MCAS test in the subject of the appeal), please provide:
   1. The students' GPAs for each course (using the numerical values shown in the table below)
   2. The highest MCAS score received by the students in the subject of the appeal.
   
   
   

   A	A-	B+	B	B-	C+	C	C-	D+	D	D-	F
   4.0	3.7	3.3	3.0	2.7	2.3	2.0	1.7	1.3	1.0	0.7	0.4

Please note the following:

• If there are less than six (6) students in the cohort, the appeal cannot be reviewed.
• The cohort worksheet will not accept numerical grade values of 0.0 to 0.3. Grades of "F" must be assigned a value of 0.4.
• " If grade 10 and/ or 11 courses are not included, a rationale must be provided. The worksheet may include courses taken in grades 9 and/or 12 (if the students under appeal and in the cohort group have completed at least two terms of the grade 12 course(s)). In these cases, average grades for the two completed terms must be provided. Note: For science and technology/engineering appeals, only one cohort year is required.
• Include in the cohort group only those students who scored between 220 and 228 on the MCAS test in that subject. The cohort worksheet will automatically exclude students who scored higher than 228. If the cohort exceeds 25 students with MCAS scores of 220-228, or if there are additional questions about the cohort, please email mcasappeals@doe.mass.edu for further instructions.
• The comparison group included in the cohort worksheet may include students whose scores are above 228 only where there are too few students in the comparison group with MCAS scores between 220 and 228. A modified cohort worksheet must be used for the purpose of extending the MCAS score range, which may be requested by contacting mcasappeals@doe.mass.edu. The district submitting the appeal should extend the MCAS score range only to the minimum MCAS score above 228 needed to attain a comparison group of at least 6 students. All students within the extended MCAS score range must be included in the comparison group (i.e. if scores of 220-236 will be included, all students who scored 220-236 must be included in the cohort). (Revised January 2011)

Cohort Worksheet Definitions