The purpose of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) is to improve the standards for teaching and learning in Massachusetts schools. As originally conceived under the Massachusetts Education Reform Law, the MCAS tests are designed as part of a rigorous evaluation of student, school, and district performance and accountability. At the same time, students must demonstrate competency on the MCAS tests in English Language Arts and Mathematics in order to graduate from high school. MASCD does not support the use of the MCAS test, or any single assessment device, as the final arbiter of student performance and high school graduation.
MASCD s mission is to improve the quality of education in Massachusetts. Over the years, MASCD has consistently made efforts to provide quality support to instructional and curriculum leaders through its programs, products, and services. MASCD strives to provide educators with the tools to create learning environments that challenge all students to achieve at high levels. MASCD has supported professional development opportunities related to curriculum, literacy, technology, and teacher quality. MASCD believes that educators and local school districts are well equipped to determine a student's eligibility for graduation if there are rigorous and measurable standards for student performance and achievement. As a single measure, the MCAS test is an insufficient indicator of a student s total performance. MASCD recognizes that children learn in different ways and at varying rates. MASCD believes that the use of any single, high stakes test to determine promotion and/or graduation invalidates the principles of learning theory and assessment.
As originally conceived in 1993, the Massachusetts Education Reform Law is designed to improve the quality of education in Massachusetts and to ensure that all children have access to a high quality education. To that end, considerable funding increases have been provided at the local district level in order to equalize resources across the Commonwealth. Schools and districts have responded to the reform movement through the adoption of new curriculum frameworks, increased time on learning, enhanced professional development, improvements in teacher quality, and systematic implementation of accountability measures. The use of the MCAS test contributes valuable information to school districts, teachers, students, parents, and community members with which to monitor student progress, curriculum articulation, and school and district accountability. Results from the MCAS test help educators and policy makers make informed decisions about curriculum and instructional strategies. When viewed with grades, performances, exhibitions, conferences, and other assessments, the MCAS test provides useful information about a student’s academic performance.
MASCD believes that the measure of student performance and achievement is best accomplished through the use of multiple indicators. Reliance on the MCAS test as a single measure of student performance and, ultimately, the sole determinant of graduation from high school, creates a high stakes environment that inhibits quality education. MASCD advocates the following:
MASCD urges educators and policy-makers to avoid reliance on the MCAS test as the sole indicator of student performance.
May 7, 2001