MCAS Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS)Trivia 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: How does Massachusetts use MCAS school-level results in its accountability system?
- Only to rank schools publicly with no consequences
- To assign schools to accountability levels and target support to low-performing schools (Correct answer)
- Exclusively to determine teacher salaries
- To set property tax rates in each district
Correct answer: To assign schools to accountability levels and target support to low-performing schools
MCAS results feed into Massachusetts's accountability system, which assigns schools to levels and directs state support to underperforming schools.
Question 2: What subject area does the MCAS NOT test at the grade 3–8 level?
- English Language Arts
- Mathematics
- Science and Technology/Engineering in every grade
- History/Social Studies (Correct answer)
Correct answer: History/Social Studies
MCAS does not include a History/Social Studies assessment at any grade level; testing covers ELA, Math, and STE at selected grades.
Question 3: What is one key difference between the old (legacy) MCAS and the Next Generation MCAS scoring?
- Legacy MCAS had no written responses
- Legacy MCAS used a 200–280 scale; Next Gen uses 220–280
- Legacy MCAS used performance levels like 'Advanced' and 'Proficient'; Next Gen uses 'Exceeding/Meeting Expectations' (Correct answer)
- Next Gen MCAS is shorter than the legacy test
Correct answer: Legacy MCAS used performance levels like 'Advanced' and 'Proficient'; Next Gen uses 'Exceeding/Meeting Expectations'
The legacy MCAS used performance level labels such as 'Advanced,' 'Proficient,' 'Needs Improvement,' and 'Warning/Failing,' while the Next Generation uses the Expectations framework.
Question 4: Which state agency oversees and publishes MCAS data and accountability reports?
- Massachusetts Board of Higher Education
- Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) (Correct answer)
- Massachusetts Office of the Governor
- U.S. Department of Education
Correct answer: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is responsible for administering, scoring, and reporting all MCAS results.
Question 5: What is the term for the process where a student with a disability or English learner receives adjusted testing conditions on MCAS?
- Differentiated Instruction
- Accommodation (Correct answer)
- Modification
- Remediation
Correct answer: Accommodation
Accommodations are changes to testing conditions (e.g., extended time, translated directions) that do not alter what the test measures.
Question 6: Which MCAS subject test must Massachusetts high school students pass (or meet the CD requirement for) to graduate?
- Grade 10 ELA, Grade 10 Math, and one STE test (Correct answer)
- Grade 11 ELA and Grade 12 Math only
- Grade 8 ELA and Grade 8 Math
- Grade 10 History and Grade 10 Science
Correct answer: Grade 10 ELA, Grade 10 Math, and one STE test
To earn the Massachusetts Competency Determination, students must meet the standard on grade 10 ELA, grade 10 Math, and one high school STE MCAS.
Question 7: When a school or district is identified as 'underperforming' based on MCAS results, what typically follows?
- Immediate school closure
- State-directed turnaround planning and additional support resources (Correct answer)
- Reduction in state funding
- Mandatory reassignment of all students
Correct answer: State-directed turnaround planning and additional support resources
Underperforming schools identified through MCAS accountability data receive state-directed turnaround plans and additional targeted support, not automatic closure.
MCAS Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS)Trivia 5
How does Massachusetts use MCAS school-level results in its accountability system?