Guidelines for Filing MCAS Performance Appeals
July 2007
These guidelines for school year 2007-2008 have been updated to assist you in filing MCAS performance appeals for students who have repeatedly failed the Grade 10 MCAS English and/or mathematics tests but are able to demonstrate, through their GPAs, and portfolios that they meet or exceed the passing score of 220 on the Grade 10 MCAS tests. Please refer to the performance appeals regulations posted at www.doe.mass.edu/lawsregs/603cmr30.html.
The performance appeals process provides two formats for students' academic work to be reviewed: (1) through a comparison of GPAs with those of at least 6 other classmates (a cohort appeal), and (2) a portfolio of academic work in the subject of the appeal for students in smaller classes where there may not be a comparison group (a portfolio appeal).
Please review the following carefully before submitting appeals.
The appeal application and cohort worksheet have been updated.
Please use only the 2007-2008 application for both cohort appeals and portfolios. Use only the 2007-2008 cohort worksheet posted on this website. Submitting outdated forms of the application and worksheet will result in a finding of No Determination.
Cohort performance appeals for students in the Class of 2008 should be submitted by mid-May for decisions by graduation. Portfolio performance appeals must be submitted by April 15, 2008 for decisions before graduation.
Cohort performance appeals are reviewed monthly. Please submit cohort appeals by the 2nd week of the month. Decisions will be faxed to the superintendent within 10 days of review.
Portfolio performance appeals are reviewed three times each year in November, April and June, with notification dates shortly thereafter, as described under "Filing Portfolio Appeals." For a schedule of portfolio appeal submission deadlines and review dates for 2008, please refer to the portfolio appeals webpage.
We urge educators, students and parents to collect and save student work samples as a matter of course throughout the high school years in case a portfolio may need to be filed.
Students with Disabilities
Superintendents must file an appeal for a student with a disability if the parent, guardian or the student, age 18 or older, requests it. Superintendents may file an appeal for a student with a disability upon consent of the parent/guardian or the student if 18 or older.
Filing MCAS Performance Appeals
A cohort or portfolio performance appeal may be filed any time after the student has taken the grade 10 MCAS test in the area of the appeal at least three times or the student with a disability has completed MCAS-Alternate Assessments at least twice.
Only the district superintendent or designee may file the appeal. Comparable administrators in charter schools, approved private special education schools, collaboratives, or institutional schools may also file appeals for students. We recommend that directors of these programs collaborate with the students' hometown superintendents when filing appeals.
If a superintendent or designee declines to file an appeal for a student and the parent or guardian disagrees with the decision, the superintendent should provide an explanation. If the parent or guardian is not satisfied, he or she should discuss the matter with the school committee. If the student or parents do not agree with the school committee's decision, they may contact the Commissioner directly. Please review the regulation amendment at the link above.
Upon receipt of the appeal, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will establish the student's eligibility. If the student is eligible, the cohort appeal is referred to the MCAS Performance Appeals Board comprised of public high school English and mathematics educators, guidance counselors and chaired by a high school principal. (Regarding portfolio appeals, if the student is deemed eligible then the portfolio of student work will be reviewed by teams of English language arts and/or mathematic high school educators.) The Board reviews the student's academic record on the cohort worksheet and makes a recommendation to the Commissioner to grant, deny or make no decision (No Determination due to insufficient academic evidence).
Within 10 days of the Board's recommendations, the Commissioner notifies the superintendent of his decision on the cohort appeal and provides the reason(s) for it. The superintendent has 21 days to request a reconsideration.
Eligibility & Performance
Two criteria must be met for both cohort and portfolio appeals - the student must be eligible and then he or she must demonstrate academic performance at the 220 level of the grade 10 MCAS test.
Eligibility Requirements
Before a student's academic record is reviewed, he or she must meet the eligibility requirements. (An outstanding resource to assist you in identifying students who may be eligible for an appeal was developed by Brockton High School. Please review their "Step -by-Step" process at http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcasappeals/filing/bhs_instruct.html).
A student is eligible for an appeal if he or she has:
- taken the grade 10 MCAS test in the subject of the appeal at least three times or the MCAS-Alt at least twice
- maintained a 95% attendance rate in the junior and senior years (beginning with the Class of 2005)
- participated in tutoring and other academic support services made available or approved by the school.
Waiver of Eligibility Requirements
The Commissioner has the authority to waive one or more of the above eligibility requirements if there are extenuating circumstances such as serious illness, childcare commitments or hardship. In these cases, the superintendent of schools must submit a written justification for a waiver.
Performance Requirements
There are no exemptions from meeting the academic performance standard. Students must demonstrate 220-level work either in the cohort worksheet or the portfolio. Students who cannot provide evidence that they are meeting the minimum academic standard should continue to receive instruction in math or English language arts and continue to take the MCAS retest or ask school authorities to submit another appeal if new information is available.
Completing the Cohort Worksheet
The cohort (comparison group) worksheet uses a statistical formula to determine whether the student has equivalent skills and knowledge as the other students who have taken the same courses and passed the tests. To determine whether this is the case, you must enter MCAS test scores and GPAs for ALL of the students, at least 6 others, who passed the tests within the range of 220-228 and who took the same sequence of courses (at least 2 courses) as the student under appeal in grades 10 and 11.
Please complete the 2007 - 2008 Cohort Worksheet with the following information clearly illustrated:
- SASID #s (state assigned student identification number) for the student under appeal and ALL other students who make up the cohort (comparison group). If you have an extremely large cohort, please contact the appeals office.
- Course titles for grades 10 and 11 and GPAs for grades 10 and 11. If using GPAs for grades other than 10 and 11, please clearly identify at the top of the column the year the course was taken and include an explanation as to why grade 10 and/or 11 are not included. Grade 9 GPAs may be used optionally and the grade 12 GPA may be used if at least one semester of work has been completed. *
- Grade point Averages (GPAs) **
- MCAS test scores between 220-228 ***
* Course Titles: Course descriptions must be submitted if you include courses with titles other than Algebra, Geometry and English (such as Integrated Math, Math Fundamentals, Humanities, ESL, English Workshop, Reading, etc.). Course descriptions must include language that addresses the grade 10 standards in English language arts and mathematics.
** GPAs: No GPA under 0.4 is allowed on the worksheet. An "F" should be assigned a value of 0.4 indicating that the student attended the course but failed it. (An appeal will not be granted to any student whose overall GPA falls below 1.0.)
*** MCAS Score Range: If you have a question about the cohort worksheet (such as scores higher than 228), please contact the performance appeals office at 781-338-3333 or email mcasappeals@doe.mass.edu.
Sample cohort worksheets are available on this website to assist you in identifying whether the student's appeal is likely to be granted. GPAs for a least 6 other students who took the same sequence of courses as the student under appeal must be clearly indicated. Otherwise, a finding of No Determination will be made.
Alphabetical - Numerical Conversion
Letter grades should be converted to their numeric equivalents for the purpose of entering data into the cohort worksheet. Please use this comparison to convert your alpha GPAs:
| 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 |
Additional Reminders when Completing the Cohort Worksheet
The cohort worksheet that is available on this website must be completed electronically. Customized or handwritten cohort worksheets will not be accepted. Be prepared to email the cohort worksheet upon request and to substantiate your data. Please refer to the Cohort Worksheet Guide for assistance.
Completing Portfolio Performance Appeals
For students with cohorts of fewer than 6 other students (i.e., if there are only five or fewer other students in the cohort), a portfolio appeal must be submitted, instead. It is strongly recommended that you collect and save student work samples during each school year so that adequate evidence is available in order to submit a portfolio or work sample appeal. Please review the guidelines for filing portfolio appeals on the "Filing Portfolio Appeals" web page.
Transfer Students & Recent Students
Transfer Students are defined as students who transfer into a Massachusetts public high school no sooner than mid-March of their senior year. These students will not have had an opportunity to take the MCAS tests before the end of grade 12. For these students, please complete two applications, one for math and one for English, and then attach transcripts, GPAs, standardized test scores, college acceptance letters and any other relevant academic evidence for each appeal. Be sure to include the date the student transferred into you high school.
Recent Students are defined as those who come into your high school between September and March of the senior year. This student should have taken the MCAS retests available to him or her during this period. Please complete two applications, one for English and one for math, include MCAS test scores then complete a worksheet with a one-year (senior year) cohort in the area of the appeal, and provide the student's transcripts and any other academic evidence indicating that he or she meets the grade 10 passing standard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most answers to frequently asked questions can be found in the MCAS Appeals Regulations at http://www.doe.mass.edu/lawsregs/603cmr30.html. The FAQ guide at http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcasappeals/faq.html provides more information.
Additionally, you can email mcasappeals@doe.mass.edu or call the appeals office at 781-338-3333. For portfolio questions call 781-338-3625.
The Competency Determination
By law, beginning with the Class of 2003 all Massachusetts public high school students must earn a competency determination in English and mathematics in addition to fulfilling local requirements to receive a high school diploma. The competency determination is awarded to students who demonstrate mastery of grade 10 learning standards in English Language Arts and Mathematics contained in the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks.
Students can earn a competency determination in one of the following ways. Most students do so by passing the grade 10 MCAS English and mathematics tests at a score of at least 220 (Needs Improvement) in each area. Students who are unable to pass the tests in grade10 or who move into a Massachusetts public school after grade 10 can earn a competency determination by passing MCAS Retests in grades 11, 12, or after leaving high school. Students with disabilities who are unable to participate in standard MCAS tests even with accommodations can earn a competency determination through the MCAS Alternate Assessment, which provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate their academic achievements through a collection of work samples (a portfolio).
In addition to the standard MCAS tests, retests, and alternate assessment, students may also earn a competency determination through the MCAS Performance Appeals process. The MCAS Appeals Process was established by the Board of Education to address claims that the MCAS tests do not accurately reflect the English and/or math knowledge and skills possessed by some students. Accordingly, the appeals process provides eligible students with a way to demonstrate that they in fact do have the skills and knowledge equivalent to the grade 10 passing standard.
It is important to note that the appeals process does not waive or exempt students from the competency determination requirement. It simply provides an additional mechanism for earning a competency determination to a relatively small number of students whose knowledge and skill are not adequately measured by standardized assessments like the MCAS.
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