School Accountability & Testing

I.   Department of Education’s School Directory

II.   No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) Report Cards

• Tantasqua Regional High School Academic Division NCLB Report Card 2007-08
• Tantasqua Regional High School Technical Division NCLB Report Card 2007-08

III.   Enrollment Indicators

IV.   Frameworks

V.   Graduation Rates

VI.   Retention Rates

VII.   Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS)

MCAS is the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System and is governed and mandated by the Massachusetts Department of Education.  MCAS testing occurs within the domains of English Language Arts (Reading and Literature), Mathematics, Science and Technology, and Social Studies.

The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) was implemented in response to the Education Reform Law of 1993, which required that MCAS be designed to:

1. Test all public school students across the Commonwealth, including students with disabilities and students with limited English proficiency;
2. Be administered annually in selected grades;
3. Measure performance based on the learning standards as defined in theMassachusetts Curriculum Frameworks;
4. Report the performance of individual students, schools, and districts; and
5. Serve as one basis of accountability for students, schools, and districts.

In addition to meeting the requirements of the Education Reform Law, the MCAS tests also fulfill the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 1993.  NCLB requires annual assessments in reading and mathematics for students in grades 3-8 and high school.  Students also must be tested annually in science in an elementary school grade, a middle school grade, and a high school (10-12) grade.  This requirement is fulfilled in Massachusetts by testing students in grades 5, 8, and high school.

Students are administered the MCAS according to the following schedule, as defined by the Massachusetts Department of Education and as reported on the DOE’s web site.

Fall 2008 Re-Test Schedule

Spring 2009 Grade 10 Test Schedule

Spring 2009 Multi-Grade Test Schedule

Spring 2009 Re-Test Schedule

English Proficiency Testing
(for identified English Language Learners only)

Printer-friendly Test Schedule

• Massachusetts Department of Education Information – MCAS
• MCAS Participation Requirements
• Participation Guidelines for MCAS Grade 10 Tests and Retests in ELA and Mathematics
• Participation Guidelines for MCAS High School Science and Technology/Engineering Tests
• Schedule of Exams

2007 MCAS Data - Academic Division

• Performance Level Percentages
• Results by Subgroup
• Annual Comparisons

2007 MCAS Data - Technical Division

• Performance Level Percentages
• Results by Subgroup
• Annual Comparisons

2006 MCAS Data - Academic Division

• Performance Level Percentages
• Results by Subgroup
• Annual Comparisons

2006 MCAS Data - Technical Division

• Performance Level Percentages
• Results by Subgroup
• Annual Comparisons

2005 MCAS Data - Academic Division

• Performance Level Percentages
• Results by Subgroup
• Annual Comparisons

2005 MCAS Data - Technical Division

• Performance Level Percentages
• Results by Subgroup
• Annual Comparisons

MCAS & Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) Data

• 2006 AYP Data
• 2007 Preliminary AYP Data
  
  

MCAS Test Items

MCAS Practice Tests

VIII.  The Massachusetts English Proficiency Assessment (MEPA)

The Massachusetts Department of Education administers the Massachusetts English Proficiency Assessment (MEPA) in order to evaluate the English proficiency of all limited English proficient (LEP) students in the areas of listening, speaking, reading, and writing.  The MEPA tests are based on English Language Proficiency Benchmarks and Outcomes for English Language Learners, which are detailed and available at http://www.doe.mass.edu/ell/benchmark.pdf.  Additional information on the purpose, content, structure, and reporting for MEPA can also be found on the Department of Education’s English Proficiency Assessment web page at http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/epa/.
Title III of the No Child Left Behind Act of 1993 (NCLB) requires states to report annually on the English proficiency performance and progress of LEP students.  In addition, Chapter 386 of the Massachusetts Acts of 2002 (known as "Question 2") requires English language learners in Massachusetts to participate in assessments of English language proficiency.  The MEPA program is administered in order to comply with these state and federal assessment requirements, and to:

1. Provide data and resources to strengthen curriculum, instruction, and classroom assessment;
2. Measure the progress made by LEP students toward English proficiency; and
3. Identify LEP students who have achieved proficiency in English.

The MEPA consists of two assessments:

1. The Massachusetts English Proficiency Assessment-Reading and Writing (MEPA-R/W), which replaces the Language Assessment Scales-Reading/Writing (LAS-R/W); and
2. The Massachusetts English Language Assessment-Oral (MELA-O), which assesses proficiency in both Comprehension (Listening) and Production (Speaking).

The MEPA - R/W and MELA-O will be administered to ELL-identified students in grades 9-12 in two sessions.  The first session takes place in the fall between October 23-31, 2006, and the second session takes place in the spring between February 12 - March 16, 2007.

IX.  SAT

• 2008-2009 SAT Test Schedule
• SAT Reasoning and SAT Subject Test Report

X.  Advanced Placement (AP)

• 2009 AP Test Schedule
• AP Test Report

XI.  Achievement Test (ACT)

• 2008-2009 ACT Test Schedule
• ACT Test Report