MCAS Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS)Trivia 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In which year did Massachusetts first administer the MCAS test?
- 1995
- 1998 (Correct answer)
- 2001
- 2003
Correct answer: 1998
Massachusetts first administered MCAS in 1998 as part of the Education Reform Act of 1993.
Question 2: Which Massachusetts law mandated the creation of the MCAS testing program?
- No Child Left Behind Act
- Every Student Succeeds Act
- Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993 (Correct answer)
- Massachusetts Common Core Initiative
Correct answer: Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993
The Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993 established MCAS as part of sweeping education accountability reforms.
Question 3: What is the highest performance level a student can achieve on the Next Generation MCAS?
- Advanced
- Exceeding Expectations (Correct answer)
- Distinguished
- Exemplary
Correct answer: Exceeding Expectations
On the Next Generation MCAS, the highest level is 'Exceeding Expectations,' replacing the old 'Advanced' label.
Question 4: Which grade is NOT typically tested by MCAS in English Language Arts?
- Grade 3
- Grade 6
- Grade 10
- Grade 12 (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Grade 12
MCAS ELA is administered in grades 3–8 and grade 10, not grade 12.
Question 5: What does the Student Growth Percentile (SGP) measure on MCAS reports?
- A student's raw score compared to state average
- How much a student's score improved relative to academically similar peers (Correct answer)
- The percentage of questions a student answered correctly
- A student's projected college readiness score
Correct answer: How much a student's score improved relative to academically similar peers
SGP shows how much a student grew compared to other students who had similar prior MCAS scores.
Question 6: Which organization develops and scores the MCAS assessments?
- College Board
- ACT Inc.
- Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) (Correct answer)
- Educational Testing Service (ETS)
Correct answer: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) oversees and is responsible for MCAS development and administration.
Question 7: On the Next Generation MCAS score scale, what is the range of possible scaled scores?
- 200–280 (Correct answer)
- 440–560
- 1–100
- 0–54
Correct answer: 200–280
Next Generation MCAS uses a scaled score range of 200–280 for each subject.
MCAS Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS)Trivia 2
In which year did Massachusetts first administer the MCAS test?