Assessment/Accountability
MCAS Performance Appeals

Letter to Parents or Guardians of Students in the Class of 2003 or 2004

September 2003

Dear Parent or Guardian of a Student in the Graduating Class of 2003 or 2004:

Since your child has taken the grade 10 MCAS tests and retests at least three times and not yet passed the English language arts and/or mathematics test, you should be aware of the MCAS Performance Appeals process.

MCAS Performance Appeals are available for students who have not passed the tests after three tries but who can demonstrate through their coursework and grades that they have the knowledge and skills in English and/or mathematics equal to the standards tested in the 10th grade MCAS tests.

If your child meets both requirements below (eligibility and performance), the superintendent of your school district can file a MCAS Performance Appeal for English or mathematics with the Commissioner of Education. If the Commissioner grants the appeal, it means your child meets the state standard in English or mathematics. A student who meets the state standard in English and mathematics qualifies for a high school diploma if all local graduation requirements have been met.

First, to be eligible for an MCAS Performance Appeal, a student must have:

1. attended school 95% of the time both last school year and this school year (or the student has met the school district's attendance standard)
2. taken the MCAS test(s) three times
3. scored 216 or 218 at least once, and
4. participated in MCAS tutoring or other academic help that is available.

The Commissioner of Education has the authority to waive any one or more of these eligibility rules for good cause. For example, he can waive the attendance requirement for a student who has been absent due to serious illness. The superintendent must present written reasons to justify waiving the eligibility requirement for the student.

Second, the student must meet the performance requirement. This means the student's academic work in school must meet or exceed a performance level equivalent to the 220 passing score on the grade 10 MCAS English and/or mathematics test(s). There are two ways the school may show that a student meets the standard:

1. (1) One way is to compare the student's grades in English or math with the grades of at least all other classmates who passed the MCAS test (scoring between 220 and 228) and who took the same series of courses as the student under appeal. If the student's grade point average (GPA) equals or is above the classmates' GPA, then the appeal will be granted. (Even if the student's GPA is slightly lower than the classmates' GPA, the appeal may still be granted if the GPA falls within the statistical margin of error.)
2. (2) If the school does not have at least 6 other students who passed the test and took the same sequence of courses, then the superintendent may submit a portfolio of the student's actual schoolwork. A team of highly trained English and math teachers reviews and crosschecks each portfolio to determine a student's ability. If the student's work samples show that he or she meets the academic standard, then the appeal will be granted. I have encouraged schools to maintain samples of student work for students who are in small classes so there is enough evidence available to file an appeal, if necessary. Details on MCAS portfolio appeals can be found at www.doe.mass.edu/mcasappeals/.

If you believe that your child qualifies for a MCAS Performance Appeal, you should speak with his or her guidance counselor, teacher, or principal. In many cases, the school will already have considered filing an appeal for your child.

Only the superintendent of schools may file an appeal. (If your child is in a charter school or an approved special education day or residential school, the head of school serves as the superintendent for this purpose.) If your superintendent decides not to file an appeal and you disagree with that decision, you should ask the superintendent to give you a letter explaining the decision. You have the right to ask the school committee to review the superintendent's decision not to file an appeal.

In addition to MCAS Performance Appeals, the superintendent may file a score appeal if it appears that there was an error in scoring a student's grade 10 MCAS test in English or mathematics. If there is evidence that your child's test may have been scored improperly, please speak with the guidance counselor or school principal about reviewing it with the superintendent to decide if a score appeal should be filed.

The state standards for high school graduation have been established to ensure that every Massachusetts high school graduate has the skills and knowledge in English and mathematics that are needed to do well in higher education or the workplace. The MCAS tests and the appeals process are designed to give students the opportunity to show that they meet the standards. If your child has not yet met the standards, I encourage you to work with the teachers, guidance counselor and principal to find out about the extra help that is available in English language arts and mathematics and to ask about the appeals process. You can also visit the parents' page at www.doe.mass.edu/mcasappeals/, or call 781-338-3333 for more information about MCAS appeals.

I hope you find this information helpful.

Sincerely,

David P. Driscoll
Commissioner of Education