Preliminary Schedule for Release of Spring 2009 MCAS and AYP Results
| To: | Superintendents, Principals, and Directors of Charter Schools, Educational Collaboratives, Approved Special Education Private Schools, and Institutional Schools |
| From: | Mitchell D. Chester, Ed.D.
Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education |
| Date: | June 5, 2009 |
I am writing to provide you with information about the preliminary schedule for the release of 2009 MCAS and AYP results. The Department encourages schools and districts to use the preliminary 2009 student data for educational planning purposes. To that end, preliminary student results can and should be shared with teachers, parents, and instructional leaders who are making decisions about Individual Education Plans, summer programs, or decisions about the scope of services needed for English Language Learners. However, since this is preliminary data, you may NOT release any aggregate data to the public until the official release of school and district results in mid-September.| Date | Event | Mode of Delivery |
|---|
| 6/17/09 | Preliminary student-level performance level and scaled score results for standard MCAS English Arts (ELA) tests, grades 3-8 and 10, provided electronically to superintendents and principals (MCAS-Alt results not available at this time) | MCAS Service Center website:
www.mcasservicecenter.com/
and Education Data Warehouse (EDW) on Department's Security Portal:
www4.doemass.org/auth/Login/ | | 6/29/09 | Preliminary student-level multiple-choice results for grade 10 Mathematics provided electronically to superintendents and principals | MCAS Service Center website:
www.mcasservicecenter.com/
and EDW on the Department's Security Portal:
www4.doemass.org/auth/Login/ | | 6/29/09 | ELA Composition images for grades 4, 7, and 10 provided electronically to principals | MCAS Service Center website:
www.mcasservicecenter.com/ | | 8/10/09 | Preliminary student-level performance level and scaled score results for all spring 2009 MCAS tests provided electronically to superintendents and principals. ELA preliminary results will be re-released along with newly- released Mathematics and Science and Technology/Engineering results.
Discrepancy reporting window opens. Instructions on how to identify and report discrepancies will be posted on the home page of the MCAS Service Center website. | MCAS Service Center website:
www.mcasservicecenter.com/ (raw scores only)
and EDW on the Department's Security Portal:
www4.doemass.org/auth/Login/ | | 8/10/09 | Portfolio Feedback Forms for students who participated in MCAS-Alt in 2008-2009 provided electronically to principals. | MCAS Service Center website:
www.mcasservicecenter.com/ | | Mid-August | Superintendents and principals preview preliminary 2009 Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) data for schools and districts. Instructions on reporting AYP discrepancies will be posted on the ESE Security Portal. | Department's Security Portal:
www4.doemass.org/auth/Login/ | | Mid-August | Notice sent to superintendents and principals whose schools are expected to be identified for improvement, corrective action, or restructuring based on preliminary 2009 AYP data. | Email and regular mail | | 8/19/09 | Deadline for districts and schools to report discrepancies for MCAS and MCAS-Alt results. Discrepancies reported after 5:00 p.m., August 19 will NOT be included in the Parent/Guardian Reports and in the public release of district and school results. | MCAS Service Center website:
www.mcasservicecenter.com/ | | Early September | State level results released to the public. | Department's website:
www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/ | | 9/15/09 | Districts receive printed Parent/Guardian Reports for spring 2009 MCAS tests. | UPS | | Mid-September | District and school performance level results released to the public. | Department's website:
http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/state_report/mcas.aspx |
Accessing Data Files through MCAS Service Center OnlineTo access data files through the MCAS Service Center, visit www.mcasservicecenter.com/ and select "MCAS." Next, select "MCAS Reporting" from the menu on the left. Choose your district and school from the drop-down menus and enter your password that was mailed to you in early January 2009. Finally, select "Report" at the top of the screen. These data files can be loaded into Excel or another statistical package. Users of TestWiz Classic license who rely on the statewide contract will NOT be able to load the Spring 2009 data files onto the TestWiz Classic software since Department support of the TestWiz contract has ended. However, to help districts make the transition from TestWiz to the EDW, the Department is offering Education Data Warehouse training courses at no cost to participants. To register for one of these courses, please visit the conference website at www.doe.mass.edu/conference/. If additional training is needed, districts may contract professional development providers who are qualified to deliver the EDW curriculum. Reporting DiscrepanciesDetailed instructions for reporting discrepancies will be posted on the home page of www.mcasservicecenter.com/ on August 10, 2009. It is important that you read these instructions carefully. In order for a discrepancy to be considered for inclusion in the final results, it must be reported to the MCAS Service Center by 5:00 p.m., August 19, 2009. To report a discrepancy, follow the steps described under "Accessing Data files through MCAS Service Center Online." Next, click "Discrepancy Reporting" at the top of the screen. If you have questions about accessing the data files or the discrepancy reporting tool, please call the MCAS Service Center at 800-737-5103. If you have questions about policies regarding the reporting of MCAS results, please call Student Assessment Services at 781-338-3625. If you have questions about the policy on the reporting of AYP results, please call School Improvement Grant Programs at 781-338-3550.
Last Updated: June 5, 2009
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