Participation Requirements for Students in Grades 3–8 and 10 Students educated with Massachusetts public funds are required by federal laws and the 1993 Massachusetts Education Reform Law, state law Massachusetts General Laws M. G. L. Chapter 69, section 1I, to participate in statewide testing.
Accessibility, Accommodations, and Participation Requirements for Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System MCAS and World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment WIDA Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State ACCESS Students with disabilities and English Learner EL students must participate in all Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System MCAS testing scheduled for their grades regardless of the program and services they are receiving, with the exception of English Learner EL students who are in their first year of enrollment in United States U.S. schools (i.e., students first enrolled after the March Student Information Management System SIMS submission), for whom English Language Arts ELA testing is optional; and students taking the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System MCAS Alternate Assessment (MCAS-Alt) who must take alternate assessments in the grades and subjects required for students in that grade.
In addition, all English Learner EL students are required to participate in the Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State ACCESS for English Language Learners ELLs tests, regardless of the English language services they receive, to comply with federal and state laws. Details are posted on how all students participate in spring Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System MCAS testing and how English Learner EL students participate in World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment WIDA Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State ACCESS testing.
Participation Requirements for Students with the Most Significant Cognitive Disabilities The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System Alternate Assessment MCAS-Alt is available for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who, due to the nature and severity of their disabilities, are unable to participate in the standard Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System MCAS tests, even with accommodations. The Individualized Education Program IEP or 504 plan must state whether a student requires an alternate assessment.
Student Participation Guidelines for the High School Tests
Last Updated: January 21, 2025