State Releases MCAS 2.0 Results

In the Spring 2017, Massachusetts rolled out what is calling the "Next Generation" MCAS exam which was taken by students in grades 3 through 8 (students in grade 10, on the other hand, took the previously designed exam). The Next-Generation MCAS includes aspects of the previous exam as well as items developed by PARCC and items created to assess the state's learning standards. According to the state, the Next-Generation exam was formulated as a method to better assess career/college readiness. Specifically, this was in light of data which indicated that more than a third of the state's public school graduates attending Massachusetts public colleges or universities were placed in remedial courses and that these remedial students often do not graduate on time or at all.

MCAS 2.0 is not without its opponents, however. Monty Neill of the The National Center for Fair and Open Testing notes the new exam is not necessarily an improvement as it blends the previous iteration of the MCAS with the PARCC which is not more predictive of college success. The Pioneer Institute in particular found the writing prompts on the PARCC exam did not elicit the kind of writing expected in college or work environments. Further there is ample research that suggests that standardized test scores are more associated with the test taker's socioeconomic status than aptitude (here here here here here). Moreover, this article points out that for teachers and administrators:

"the data that we collect from MCAS do not generally provide us with new insights about students strengths or weaknesses and it arrives...after we have completed the school year and have new students in front of us."

It goes on to assert that standardized tests are not the best or only way to assess learning using New Hampshire, which has instituted a system in which students are assess through projects and portfolios of content knowledge and skills (Performance Assessment of Competency Education).

On Wednesday, October 18th, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released the 2017 MCAS results for both the Next-Generation exam as well as the 10th grade 'legacy' exam. The Massachusetts Association of School Committees notes that the new exam is more difficult and that the results will be reflective of this change. The state's education secretary, Jonathan Peyser, said that given that the Next-Generation MCAS is in its first year, the data should be treated differently from how previous results have been treated and that making comparisons would be akin to comparing "apples and oranges." Test results on the new exam range from 440 to 560 and will fall into four levels:

• Not Meeting Expectations
• Partially Meeting Expectations
• Meeting Expectations
• Exceeding Expectations

For more information from the DESE on the exam, see here.

Lynn

Below are the results for the Lynn Public School District. The percentages represent the proportion of students 'Meeting Expectations' or 'Exceeding Expectations' on the exam.

On the English Language Arts (ELA) exam, 32% of students in grades 3 through 8 either met or exceeded expectations. At the state level, 49% of students in these grades met or exceeded expectations.

There were some differences at the subgroup level with 46% of white students meeting or exceeding expectations compared to 28% of Hispanic students, 27% of Black/African American students, and 39% of Asian students. The results for male and female students were 27% and 39%, respectively. Students with disabilities and English Language Learner students met or exceeded expectations at much lower rates (5% and 6% respectively); this is compared to 13% for both of these subgroups at the state level.

On the math exam, 33% of students in grades 3 through 8 either met or exceeded expectations. At the state level, 48% of students in these grades met or exceeded expectations.

Again, there were racial differences with 48% of white students meeting or exceeding expectations compared to 28% of Hispanic students, 26% of Black/African American students, and 45% of Asian students. The results for male and female students were 31% and 34%, respectively. 

On the 5th grade science exam, which was not a Next-Generation version of the exam, 42% of students were Proficient or Advanced compared to 46% statewide. On the 8th grade exam, 28% were Proficient or Advanced compared to 40% at the state level.

As previously mentioned, 10th grade students took the previous version of the MCAS exam in 2017.

Given the implementation of the new Next-Generation exam and the state's new Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan, 2017 is considered a reset year on accountability levels with schools not being assigned a level unless the a school has less than a 90% participation rate on the exam (by grade or subgroup) or schools with both grades 3 through 8 and 9 through 12 may be assigned Level 3 for persistently low graduation rates. Lynn this year does not have an accountability level assigned for 2017.

Finally, demographics should be kept in mind when reviewing the data. During the 2016-17 academic year, the Lynn Public School District enrolled 15,299 students in grades Pre-K through 12. Over half of those students (60.3%) were categorized as Hispanic, 19.9% as English Language Learners and 15.5% as students with disabilities. Additionally, half of LPS students were deemed economically disadvantaged by the state. The average number of absences last year was 10.5. 

All data taken from: www.doe.mass.edu