1. MCAS Parent Presentation
November 1, 2017
Anne Marie Condike
Director of Curriculum, Instruction & Professional Development

2. Goals of Presentation
Provide an overview of the Spring 2017 MCAS tests
Examine sample Next Generation MCAS test items
Provide an explanation of the new student performance levels
Clarify the different parts of the Parent/Guardian Report
Discuss what we can and cannot conclude from the MCAS data
Share Spring 2018 expectations and Spring 2019 transition

3. State Assessments
Spring 2015 MCAS Spring 2016 PARCC Spring 2017 MCAS- Legacy and Next Generation
All students in grade 4 & 8 took NGMCAS on computers. Extensive training was provided by our incredible tech team. All proctors of the test in grades 4 & 8 were trained. In all classrooms, students were trained on how to take the test on the computer, including using assessment system tools, e.g., equation editor, highlighting, etc.

4. Mcas ADMINISTRATION- Spring 2017
Legacy MCAS Next Generation MCAS What’s the Difference?
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

5. LEGACY MCAS
MCAS as we’ve known it

6. NEXT GENERATION MCAS
Updated version of the nearly 20 year-old MCAS A combination of Legacy MCAS and PARCC-like test items
You might ask, why did we need a new test?
State wide in state colleges, 1/3 of MA students in state colleges need to take remedial classes upon entry to college. Many of these students passed the 10th grade MCAS.
The goal is to ensure our students are better prepared for college and career.
Higher ed has been part of all of the conversations for more rigorous standards and assessments. They were part of the PARCC conversation, were represented on standards revision panels and are part of competency determination conversations for graduation requirements.

7. Understanding the Next-Generation MCAS

8. Next Generation MCAS
Focuses on students’ critical thinking abilities, application of knowledge, and ability to make connections between reading and writing
Gives a clearer signal of readiness for the next grade level or college and career
Designed to be given on a computer
Higher level thinking skills- analysis, synthesis- you will see in the ELA tests that students must craft an essay response based on the analytical reading of two passages.
Next-Gen MCAS
English language arts and math, grades 3-8
Legacy MCAS
Science and tech/eng in grades 5 and 8
All high school MCAS (English language arts, math, and science and tech/eng)
Again, last spring, CBA in grade 4 & 8- paper in all other grades. Spring CBA in grades 3-8 math, ela, sci.- NextGen
Grade 9 bio and grade 10 ela and math- legacy- paper
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

9. Next Generation MCAS
First given in spring 2017 in grades 3-8 in English language arts and math
Will eventually replace all older (“legacy”) MCAS tests in grades 3-10
Spring computer in all grade 4 & 8 M & ELA across state (paper versions remain available)
Spring 2018 Next-Gen MCAS
English language arts and math, grades 3-8
Legacy MCAS
Science and tech/eng in grades 5 and 8
All high school MCAS (English language arts, math, and science and tech/eng)
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

10. Computer-Based Testing
Phasing in computer-based testing by grade level:
Spring 2017: Grades 4 and 8 English language arts (ELA) and math
Spring 2018: Grades 3-8 in ELA and math and grades 5 and 8 in science and technology/engineering
Spring 2019: All tests in grades 3-8, grade 10 ELA and math
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

11. Next generation MCAS
Sample Test Items

12. Next generation MCAS Sample ELA & Math Test items
Grade 4 ELA
Grade 8 ELA
Grade 4 math
Grade 8 math

13. Next Generation MCAS New Achievement Levels

14. MCAS Achievement Levels
Legacy MCAS
Next-generation MCAS
Advanced
Student demonstrated a comprehensive and in- depth understanding of rigorous subject matter, and provided sophisticated solutions to complex problems.
Proficient Student demonstrated a solid understanding of challenging subject matter and solved a wide variety of problems.
Needs Improvement Student demonstrated a partial understanding of subject matter and solved some simple problems.
Warning Student demonstrated minimal understanding of subject matter and did not solve simple problems.
Exceeding Expectations
Student exceeded grade-level expectations by demonstrating mastery of the subject.
Meeting Expectations Student met grade-level expectations and is academically on track to succeed in the current grade in this subject.
Partially Meeting Expectations Student partially met grade-level expectations in this subject.
Not Meeting Expectations Student did not meet grade-level expectations in this subject.
Partially Meeting Expectations A student who performed at this level partially met grade-level expectations in this subject. The school, in consultation with the student's parent/guardian, should consider whether the student needs additional academic assistance to succeed in this subject.
Not Meeting Expectations A student who performed at this level did not meet grade-level expectations in this subject. The school, in consultation with the student's parent/guardian, should determine the coordinated academic assistance and/or additional instruction the student needs to succeed in this subject. (
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

15. Benchmarking Next generation MCAS against National Testing

16. Projected Statewide 2017 Results
This is what the state predicted…
for Grades 3-8 ELA and Math: notice they predicted approximately 50% percent of students would meet or exceeds expectations for this first year of the Next Generation MCAS.
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

17. Next-Gen MCAS Results Look More Like MA 2015 NAEP Results…
NAEP- National Assessment of Educational Progress
Going into the standard setting, the state:
One of the other goals set forth by our new standards and this Board was to look to national and international benchmarks during the development of our next-generation tests. MA continues to be first, or tied for first, in the latest administration of NAEP in But notice that about half of MA students are still not reaching the Proficient level. Nationally, only about a third of students reach the Prof level. While we did not intend to replicate the NAEP results, we did use it as a lens – this nationally respected test. (
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

18. Next Generation MCAS Spring 2017
This is the actual data…very close to predictions.
State- across all grades- hovers around 50% meeting or exceeding expectations
District- across all grades- above state

19. Parent/Guardian Reports

20. Content Area Information
This section demonstrates, in more detail, your child’s score and achievement level in each content area. It gives you information on what the achievement levels mean.
The colored bar shows the score range for each achievement level and where your child’s score falls, which indicates how close your child is to the next level.
You’ll also see how your student’s score compares to the average score in their school, their district, and statewide.

21. Sample Parent Report
Each content area has multiple reporting categories as seen on the left hand side here. This chart shows how many points your child received out of the total for each category as well as the avg. statewide for students who performed similarly.
In this case, this is a report on mathematics. On the left side are the 5 domains as outlined in the MA Curriculum Framework for Mathematics.
This display also shows how many your child earned on each question on the test.
This info an be used in conjunction with released items, item descriptions, and other materials, to see where your child is succeeding and where he or she may need add’l support to enhance specific content area skills needed to master grade-level standards.
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

22. Science and Technology/Engineering (Grades 5 & 8 only)
If your student was in grades 5 or 8 in spring 2017, he or she took Sci & Tech/Eng in addition to ELA and mathematics. STE tests will be transitioned to next-gen in spring 2018 so there is no change to the way that they are reported in spring 2017.
STE results are reported for spring 2017 using the legacy MCAS achievement levels- A/P/NI/W

23. Next generation MCAS Results
Spring 2017 is a baseline year! Next Generation MCAS results cannot be compared to test results from previous years.

24. Interpreting the Results
The results do NOT mean that students learned less; the next-generation MCAS measures in a different way.
2017 is the baseline year — the first year of a new assessment — and we expect scores to change over time, as occurred when the legacy MCAS debuted in 1998.
Massachusetts educators set these standards, and raised them ensure our students will be college- and career- ready.
In some grades and subjects, the percent of students who are Meeting Expectations will likely be lower than the previous percent of Proficient students.
In some grades and subjects (grade 4 English language arts and math, grade 7 math), the percent of students Meeting Expectations will likely be similar to the percent that were Proficient previously. In many cases, the percent of students who are in Meeting Expectations will likely be lower than the previous percent of Proficient students.
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

25. Why Did My Child Score Proficient on the Older MCAS but Only Partially Meeting Expectations This Year?
In general, the new standards for Meeting Expectations are more rigorous than the standards for reaching the Proficient level on the legacy MCAS.
Massachusetts educators set the new standards to help signal students’ readiness for the next grade level.
Look closely at where your child’s score falls within the Partially Meeting Expectations category. If it isn’t close to Meeting Expectations, talk with your child’s teacher about how you can work together to help your child catch up.
Spring 2017 is a baseline year for a new test in grades 3-8, and spring scores should not be compared to previous years’ scores.
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

26. What can and cannot be concluded from the data?
This is a snapshot in time! Only one piece of data!
Expectations are higher- more rigorous content on the NGMCAS.
Cannot compare to past years.
Looking for anomalies in patterns.
We will be reviewing the data to see the areas that our students found particularly challenging.
Don’t want to make large programmatic decisions yet. Need multiple years of data for trends.
We will review the data for our students who are not yet meeting expectations to determine what interventions are needed if any.
First year with computerized MCAS in grades 4 & 8.

27. Looking Beyond Scores
Scores can identify areas where students need academic support, but scores can also reflect non-academic barriers to learning.
ESE and districts continue to work together to:
ensure a psychologically safe learning environment
build cultural competency,
support homeless students, and
make schools safe for vulnerable students
Adapted from
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, adapted 2017

28. MA DESE REsources
MCAS Parents Page:
Resources coming soon include:
Annotated Parent/Guardian Report
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Item Descriptions
MCAS Parent Guide (available in several languages):
Spring 2017 MCAS released items (available in Spanish):
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

29. Anne Marie Condike Director of Curriculum & Instruction condike@Swampscott.k12.ma.us