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Educators, parents, and students use test results to:
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- follow student progress
- identify strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in curriculum and instruction
- gather the information that can be used to improve student performance
- identify students who may need extra academic support
- identify academic growth students have made from one grade to the next.
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) uses MCAS results and other data to determine if schools and districts are meeting standards for improving student academic performance. In addition, as required by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), DESE reports on the progress and performance of schools and districts based on MCAS results.
Read more Information about MCAS on the BPS website and the Mass. Dept. of Elementary & Secondary Education website. Also, see MCAS test items here.
The MCAS Graduation Requirement
In order to graduate from high school, students must earn a Competency Determination (CD) in ELA, mathematics, and science and technology/engineering (STE) as well as meeting their coursework and attendance requirements. To earn a CD in ELA and/or mathematics, a student must reach a performance level of Proficient or Advanced. Students who score in a performance level of Needs Improvement in ELA and/or mathematics must also fulfill the requirements of an Educational Proficiency Plan (EPP), which is an individualized intervention plan that includes additional coursework and an assessment component. (Please ask your child’s Head of School for further information about EPP.) To earn a CD in STE, a student must pass one of the MCAS high school science tests (biology, physics, chemistry, or technology/engineering).
Students who do not pass high school MCAS the first time may retake it even after they leave high school. If a student has taken the tests at least three times or has participated in the MCAS Alternate Assessment twice and has not yet passed the ELA and/or math test, the student may be eligible to file an MCAS Performance Appeal for ELA and/or mathematics. To be eligible to file an MCAS Performance Appeal for science, a student must have taken an MCAS high school science test at least one time (or completed an MCAS Alternate Assessment) and must be currently enrolled in a science class or have completed grade 12. For a description of the process and eligibility requirements, visit the BPS website. Check with the school Head of School to see if your child is eligible to have an appeal filed with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education.