Due to COVID-19, MCAS was not administered in 2020.
Student Assessment Reports from Previous Years
2015 MCAS, PARCC* & ERB Report
*PARCC – Performance Based Assessment (PBA)
As part of Massachusetts’ two-year “test drive” of PARCC, the Department asked school districts to choose whether to administer MCAS or PARCC tests in English Language Arts and Mathematics to students in grades 3-8 spring 2015; and later in 2015, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted for the state to adopt PARCC for spring 2016. For 2017, PARCC was eliminated and MCAS 2.0 was implemented. Based upon the “legacy” MCAS and similar in format to PARCC, MCAS 2.0 is untimed and will be administered on computers to assess the Massachusetts learning standards. Students will have access to the time they need to complete the assessment. MCAS 2.0 assesses English Language Arts (ELA) and Math, only. Science assessments are as they have been in the past, on paper and based upon “legacy” MCAS.
MCAS 2020-2021 School Year Testing Windows
Spring 2021 Grade 10 MCAS ELA Next Generation & Legacy Tests (computer-based test)
| Next Generation | |
| ELA Sessions 1 & 2 | May 3 – June 11 |
| Legacy | |
| Composition Sessions A & B | May 3 – June 11 |
| Reading Comprehension Sessions 1-3 | May 3 – June 11 |
Spring 2021 Grade 10 MCAS Mathematics Next Generation & Legacy Tests (computer-based test)
| Next Generation | |
| Mathematics Session 1 | May 3 – June 11 |
| Mathematics Session 2 | May 3 – June 11 |
| Legacy | |
| Mathematics Session 1 | May 3 – June 11 |
| Mathematics Session 2 | May 3 – June 11 |
Spring 2021 MCAS Gr. 3-8 ELA & Math, and Gr. 5 & 8 STE* (computer-based tests)
| Grades 3, 4, and 5 ELA, Mathematics, and STE | May 10 – June 11 |
| Grades 6, 7, and 8 ELA, Mathematics, and STE | May 17-June 11 |
Spring 2021 MCAS High School STE* Tests Legacy (paper based test)
| Students in Grade 9 (class of 2024) must take a HS STE test by the end of grade 10 and must earn a passing score on one of the four STE tests to meet their Competency Determination (CD) requirement to earn a HS diploma in addition to meeting all local graduation requirements. | |
| Prescribed Administration Dates | |
| Legacy Biology Sessions 1 & 2 | June 1 – June 11 |
| Legacy Chemistry Sessions 1 & 2 | June 1 – June 11 |
| Legacy Introductory Physics Sessions 1 & 2 | June 1 – June 11 |
| Technology/Engineering Sessions 1 & 2 | June 1 – June 11 |
*=Biology, Chemistry, Introductory Physics, Technology/Engineering Tests
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) website has further information available that is consistently updated. Below, you will find a few links on the DESE website that can serve as a resource or reference.
MCAS Home page: http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/home.html
Parent/Guardian Information: http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/parents/
Accessibility and Accommodations: http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/accessibility/
Why testing matters: https://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/TestingMatters.html
High School Graduation Requirements: http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/graduation.html
