Invitation to Serve on MEPA Standard-Setting Panels in July 2009
| To: | Superintendents, Principals, and Directors of Charter Schools, Educational Collaboratives, and Approved Special Education Private Schools |
| Copy: | English Language Learner Program Directors |
| From: | Mitchell D. Chester, Ed.D.
Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education |
| Date: | April 6, 2009 |
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education invites classroom teachers, administrators, higher education personnel, and members of the community to apply to serve on standard-setting panels for the Massachusetts English Proficiency Assessment (MEPA) administered to students with limited English proficiency (LEP) in grades K-12. The purpose of standard setting is to establish cut scores for each of the MEPA performance levels on MEPA reading and writing tests, as well as the Massachusetts English Language Assessment-Oral (MELA-O), that will be used to report MEPA performance level and scaled score results at the student-, school-, and district-levels in fall 2009.Approximately 20 individuals will be selected for each standard-setting panel and will receive training in the standard-setting process. The Department will provide a $450 honorarium to participants and provide meals and reimbursement for mileage. Professional Development Points (PDPs) will be available to educators. Standard-setting panels will meet on Monday, July 27 through Wednesday, July 29 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the greater Boston area. The standard-setting panel application is available at www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/mepa/. Standard setting provides an opportunity to assist the Department to report the scores of LEP students on MEPA and to learn more about the MEPA program and the state's English proficiency standards. Please inform classroom teachers serving English language learners, as well as general educators in ELA, math, science and technology/engineering, and history and social sciences of this professional development opportunity. If you are interested in serving on a standard-setting panel, please complete the attached application and return it by email or fax to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education by Friday, May 1, 2009. The Department will inform you of the status of your application in late May. If you have questions, please contact Jennifer Malonson, MEPA Program Specialist, at jmalonson@doe.mass.edu or at 781-338-3626.
Last Updated: April 9, 2009
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