Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System

Student Assessment Update: January 10, 2017

Contact Information

Latest Updates from Student Assessment Services

Student Registration for the March 2017 MCAS Retests and Spring 2017 MCAS Grade 10 ELA and Mathematics Tests

High schools will be ordering student test materials via the Student Registration/Personal Needs Profile (SR/PNP) process in PearsonAccess Next (PAN). The SR/PNP process for these two test administrations must be completed between January 12 and 26, 2017.

All high school principals, including those of schools that have no students participating in the March retest administration, must go online to PAN to complete the SR/PNP for both the March retest and the grade 10 administrations. In addition, superintendents must ensure that educational collaboratives and approved private special education schools order materials via the SR/PNP process for their students in out-of-district placements. Schools and placements with students taking the March retest and/or Grade 10 ELA and mathematics tests will receive a memo this week with additional information.

MCAS Training Opportunities Available

The Department has recently added a number of training opportunities. A list of sessions, along with a description of and registration information for each training, can be found on our website. Registration is currently open for the following conference-call sessions:

New Computer-Based Testing Resource Available

The Department has posted the MCAS Pre-Administration Guide for the Spring 2017 Grades 3–8 Computer-Based Tests . This is a new document that contains guidance and instructions for computer-based testing. Please read this information in advance of that which will appear in the Principal's Administration Manual, scheduled to be published in early 2017.

Reminder: Seeking Public Feedback on Next-Generation MCAS Achievement Levels and Descriptors

The Department is seeking public feedback on the recommendations of the standard-setting policy committee before the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education votes on new achievement levels for MCAS. Information, including the proposed achievement levels and descriptors, as well as the survey link to provide feedback, can be found on our website. The survey will remain open until January 27, 2017.

2017 MCAS-Alt Enrollment

MCAS-Alt enrollment is January 9–20. Enrollment for MCAS-Alt is now a separate process from ordering MCAS test materials. Please follow these steps to complete your MCAS-Alt order:

• Log in to the MCAS Service Center; select MCAS Alternate Assessment.
• Click on Enrollment Verification.
• Login with the new MCAS password provided to principals in early January and mailed directly to local schools with a follow-up letter to districts.
• Confirm contact information and verify school information by following the onscreen prompts.
• Order material for each student taking the MCAS-Alt, by grade.
• Click the Submit button when finished.
• After submission, a confirmation page will be available onscreen to print for your records

Important Dates

• January 3–February 1: Schools report packing discrepancies in ACCESS for ELLs test materials and order additional materials
• January 5–February 8: ACCESS for ELLs testing window
• January 9–20: Ordering window for MCAS-Alt materials on the MCAS Service Center site
• January 11: MCAS November retest scores available in DropBox Central in ESE's Security Portal.
• January 12: MCAS November retest ELA Composition images available electronically on the MCAS Service Center site
• January 12–26: (corrected) Student Registration/Personal Needs Profile (SR/PNP) process for the March retests and the spring grade 10 ELA and Mathematics tests (SR/PNP updates for the spring grade 10 Mathematics test will be done March 8–21.)
• January 23–February 10: SR/PNP process for spring grades 3–8 tests on PAN
• February 24: MCAS November retest Parent/Guardian Reports delivered to districts via UPS

Additional Resources

Computer-Based Testing Device Planner *updated for more detailed planning*

Mathematics Reference Sheets for Grades 5–8 and Grade 10

 

Technology Skills for Computer-Based Assessment

Keyboarding and Writing Skills Using Technology

Updated Student Participation Resources

Subscriber Information

Principals, MCAS test coordinators, special education directors, and ELL directors automatically receive this Student Assessment Update based on contact information submitted to the Department. To change your email address or to add another staff member who serves in one of these roles, please follow the instructions below:

• Public school districts, public schools, charter public schools, collaboratives, approved private special education schools: submit the new email address to your District-Level Directory Administrator.
• Test sites, adult education programs, out-of-state schools, SEIS-DYS programs: go online to the EOE Information Technology web page (select "District/School Information Update" as the subject) to submit your update (be sure to include your District and School Code).

For others who wish to subscribe, email imailsrv@list1.doe.mass.edu with the following information in the body of the email: "subscribe SASUpdate Your_Name" (Example: subscribe SASUpdate John_Smith). To unsubscribe, send an email to the same address with the following information in the body: "unsubscribe SASUpdate."

We welcome your questions and feedback at mcas@doe.mass.edu. Thank you.