2017 MCAS Results

The 2017 MCAS results and accountability rankings are now public for both the “Next Generation” MCAS and “legacy” Grade 10 MCAS assessments.

We break it down:

Results and Accountability 

• Results from the 2017 MCAS assessment, including accountability designations, were released on October 18. DESE press release available at doe.mass.edu/news/news.aspx?id=24639
• DESE accountability materials are available at doe.mass.edu/accountability/lists-tools.html
• Schools that administered the  Next Generation MCAS do not have an accountability level and are reported as “No Level.”
• Schools that administered the legacy Grade 10 MCAS are assigned accountability levels based on the existing system.
• No new level 4 or 5 schools will be designated this year.
• School and District Profiles will be updated to include the 2017 MCAS data. Profiles are available at profiles.doe.mass.edu/

Participation Rates & Accountability Levels

• Schools that administered the Next Gen MCAS in any grade will not receive accountability designations for 2017, unless the participation rate was below 90% or the graduation rate is below 67%.
• 21 schools that administered the next gen MCAS had participation rates below 90%; three schools that administered both the next gen and legacy MCAS had graduation rates below 67%. These schools received Level 3 designations.
• Among schools that administered the legacy MCAS at grade 10, six had participation rates below 95% (assigned to Level 2) and nine had rates below 90% and were designated as level 3.

Some points to remember: 

• Next Generation MCAS which as administered in grades 3-8  have scores reported in four performance categories – Exceeding Expectations, Meeting Expectations, Partially Meeting Expectations, Not Meeting Expectations.
• The new categories do not correspond to the performance categories used on the legacy MCAS test – Advanced, Proficient, Needs Improvement and Warning/Failing.
• The Next Generation MCAS test content and items are not equivalent to that of the previously administered MCAS tests.
• No comparisons should be made between legacy MCAS scores and the results from the Next Generation MCAS.
• The 2017 Next Generation MCAS results show about 50% of students meet or exceed expectations across all grades and subjects.