WESTFIELD – Westfield Public Schools Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski said the MCAS scores have been received for 2017, the first time the new test, “next-generation MCAS” was given to students. He said the new test is more difficult, and students in grades 3-8 are being “held harmless” by the state, while a new baseline for the test is developed. Students in grade 10 took the former test.
Czaporowski said the categories were also changed for student performance. The new categories are: Exceeding expectations, meeting expectations, partially meeting expectations and not meeting expectations. The next-generation MCAS also used a scale of 440 to 560, and should not be directly compared to the former MCAS test, which used a scale of 200-280, according to the FAQs on the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) website.
Westfield Public Schools Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski (WNG file photo)
School levels will remain the same this year, while the state is “norming” the test, which means flushing out any issues. “The only way a school in Grades 3-8 can be held accountable, is if they don’t have enough participation,” which could lower a school’s rating level, Czaporowski said. He said participation is also important as data for instructors, because any standard that is not being met by a majority of students is something the teachers will “clearly have to address the following year in their instruction,” he said. WPS did not have participation issues last year, but it remains a concern for the district.
The test was given partially online last spring. This coming spring, all students will take the next-generation MCAS test online, Czaporowski said.
Results of the tests, which are not yet posted on the DESE website (www.doe.mass.edu) are being sent home to parents next Friday (Nov. 17).
