July 2024
Q: When can an appeal be filed?
A: Cohort and transcript appeals must be received by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education by the first Friday of each month, from October to June, in order to be reviewed that month. Portfolio appeals are reviewed three times each year on these dates.
Q: May an appeal be filed for a student who participated in the MCAS Alternate Assessment (MCAS-Alt)?
A: A student who has participated in the MCAS-Alt at least twice for English language arts or mathematics and at least once for science and technology/engineering is eligible to have an appeal submitted in that subject. The format for such an appeal would typically be an MCAS Portfolio Appeal, although a cohort appeal will also be accepted.
Q: May an appeal be filed for a student who is no longer enrolled in high school and who has not yet earned a high school diploma?
A: Yes. The superintendent or executive director is encouraged to file an appeal if a former student requests it.
Q: Can an appeal be filed in more than one subject on behalf of a student?
A: Yes. A separate application must be filed for each subject.
Q: When is a portfolio appeal (i.e., a collection of work samples) required?
A: A portfolio appeal should be submitted, rather than a cohort appeal, when there are fewer than six other students in the appellant's comparison group (cohort). With fewer than six students in the cohort, there will be insufficient data on which to make a decision to either grant or deny the appeal.
Q: If a student does not meet all of the eligibility requirements due to extenuating circumstances, may an appeal still be filed?
A: Yes. If there are extenuating circumstances, such as hardship, disability, or extended illness, that affect a student's ability to meet the 95 percent attendance eligibility requirement, superintendents or executive directors may request a waiver of one or more of the eligibility requirements by submitting a written justification with the appeal application on a separate page signed by the appropriate school or district official.
Q: How many courses must be listed on a cohort worksheet?
A: For mathematics cohort appeals, algebra and geometry must be included on the cohort worksheet. For English language arts cohort appeals, relevant grade 10 and grade 11 courses must be included on the cohort worksheet. If any of the required courses are not included on the cohort worksheet, an explanation must be provided. For science and technology/engineering appeals, at least one course must be listed in the area of the appeal that matches the MCAS high school science and technology/engineering test taken by the student. Course descriptions are required for all courses listed on the cohort worksheet. No determinations will be made on appeals that do not include course descriptions that match the titles provided on the cohort worksheets or that do not provide adequate information about the scope of the course.
Q: May districts choose to include in the cohort only some of the students who meet the cohort criteria?
A: No. All students who meet the cohort criteria (i.e., students who took the same course or sequence of courses at the same time as the appellant and who took the MCAS test and received a scaled score between the specified cohort range) must be included on the cohort worksheet.
Q: What if there are fewer than six students in a cohort?
A: Cohort appeals that contain fewer than six students in the cohort will not be granted. A portfolio appeal may be submitted in those cases.
Q: May a cohort include students who took the same course(s) as the appellant, but in different school years?
A: No. A cohort may include only those students in the school who took the same sequence of courses at the same time as the appellant. However, students in a different grade than the appellant may be included in the cohort if they took the same sequence of courses at the same time as the appellant.
Q: What happens if some, but not all, of the required work samples are submitted in the student's portfolio appeal?
A: If some, but not all, work samples are submitted in the portfolio, the appeals finding will be No Determination, meaning that the portfolio was incomplete in the subject of the appeal. However, the portfolio may be resubmitted at a later date with additional work samples produced by the student. A completed Feedback Form will be provided with each returned portfolio that describes whether the submitted work samples were adequate and complete, and what additional work, if any, needs to be resubmitted in order for the appeal to be granted.
Q: What are the critical elements examined by the portfolio appeals panel?
A: Panel members review work samples for:
Q: What are the possible findings for an MCAS Appeal?
A: Appeals will either be deemed Granted, Denied, or No Determination (in cases when insufficient information is submitted to determine another finding).
Last Updated: July 8, 2024
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 135 Santilli Highway, Everett, MA 02149
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