Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System

Student Assessment Update: January 7, 2013

New Student Assessment Update

We are pleased to launch this new email update from the Student Assessment Services Unit to provide important information about the state's testing programs. Principals, heads of school, test coordinators, and when applicable, ELL directors, will receive this update on a regular basis. We are hopeful that this update will be a useful communication tool for you and your teams. We welcome your feedback-please email us at mcas@doe.mass.edu. Thank you.

Delivery of ACCESS for ELLs Test Materials

Schools should have received shipments of ACCESS for ELLs test materials on January 3, 2013. If you did not, or if you need to order additional materials, please contact the MetriTech Help Desk at 800-747-4868. (Additional materials should be ordered by January 8, and materials can be ordered through February 6 for newly enrolled ELL students.)

Request for Schools to Order MCAS Test Materials

Principals will order test materials for the spring 2013 MCAS tests and the March 2013 MCAS ELA and Mathematics retests by January 18 and 28, respectively. Instructions are posted at www.doe.mass.edu/news/news.aspx?id=7181. As part of these instructions, principals are being reminded of procedures for receiving and handling secure test materials, as well as the need to formally communicate their plans for maintaining test security to their district superintendents.

Spring 2013 MCAS Test Administration Training Sessions

The Department is holding spring 2013 MCAS test administration training sessions beginning in early February. New for 2013, first-year principals and principals who did not participate in 2012 are required to participate. Other principals and test coordinators are strongly encouraged to participate. Registrations must be submitted between January 15 and 30. Presenters are seeking assistance from educators so that we can share schools' helpful hints during the training sessions (ideas need to be submitted by January 18). More details are posted at www.doe.mass.edu/news/news.aspx?id=7182.

Important Upcoming Dates

January 10: beginning of the ACCESS for ELLs testing window
January 24: November/December retest results will be available online in the Security Portal

To Correct Your Contact Information to Receive This Update

Principals, heads of school, MCAS test coordinators, and ELL directors received this email based on contact information that was submitted to the Department. To change your email address, please follow the instructions below:

Public schools: Submit updates to your District-Level Directory Administrator, who is responsible for submitting updates to the Department. A listing of Directory Administrators is posted at www.doe.mass.edu/infoservices/data/diradmin/list.aspx.
Non-public schools and collaboratives: Submit updates (along with your District & School Code) to the Department via email at diradmin@doe.mass.edu.

Last Updated: January 22, 2013