BOSTON (WHDH) - Massachusetts education officials on Tuesday announced that this year’s MCAS testing will be shortened for some students, while no schools or districts will be held accountable for poor test scores possibly caused by a loss of learning following the shift to remote instruction in the spring.
“The sudden shift to remote learning last spring, and the continuation of hybrid/remote learning this school year has likely led to significant learning loss for students around the country,” Massachusetts Commissioner of Education Jeffrey C. Riley said in a memo.
The shift to remote learning in spring 2020 set all students’ academic progress back by months, according to a national study released last month by McKinsey & Co.
While the extent of the learning loss in the Commonwealth is not yet known, Riley said the state is taking the following steps to modify testing this spring:
- Modify the Competency Determination for the Class of 2021: The make-up MCAS
administration window for 12th graders scheduled to open on January 14th will be
postponed. I will recommend to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education
(Board) that the competency determination (CD) requirement be modified in English
language arts and mathematics for students in the Class of 2021 who have not yet earned
their CD.1 The recommended modification would allow students to receive their CD by
passing an approved course and demonstrating competency in that subject in lieu of a
qualifying MCAS score. Seniors who still want to take the tests may take them later this
school year. Members of the class of 2021 will have opportunities to receive additional
academic support this spring and summer. - Shortened MCAS testing time for Grades 3-8: The Department will significantly
reduce testing time for students in grades 3-8 through a session sampling approach, in
which each student will take only a portion of each MCAS assessment in each subject.
This modified MCAS administration will preserve the validity and reliability of the test at
the school, district, and state levels. When combined with other data points, this approach
will provide meaningful diagnostic data at the individual student level. - Accountability relief: I will not name or recommend to the Board any new
underperforming or chronically underperforming districts or schools in the upcoming
school year. The Department will also consider any available flexibilities provided by the
U.S. Department of Education. - Extending ACCESS testing window: ACCESS testing for English language proficiency
is key to strengthening education programs for English learners. As previously
announced, the Department is extending the testing window for ACCESS, which
normally concludes in February, until May 20, 2021. - MCAS Biology test: The Department has provided school districts flexibility on
scheduling the high school biology MCAS test. Schools may offer the biology MCAS to
first-time 9th graders in June, instead of or in addition to offering it in February.
Riley noted that the state will release additional information in the coming weeks on preliminary plans and resources to support districts and schools in addressing student learning loss.
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