1. Your introduction to this year’s English exam.
Welcome to MCAS
Your introduction to this year’s English exam.

2. What is MCAS?
MCAS is the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, which is the name given to a particular series of tests administered in grades 4, 7, and 10.
As of 2015, there are MCAS tests in these subject areas:
ｷ English Language Arts
ｷ Mathematics
ｷ Science and Technology/Engineering

3. Why do we have to take MCAS?
All students enrolled in Massachusetts public schools must pass MCAS tests in order to meet graduation requirements. According the DOE (Department of Education) website, “Students must either earn a scaled score of at least 240 on the grade 10 MCAS ELA and Mathematics tests, or earn a scaled score between 220 and 238 on these tests and fulfill the requirements of an Educational Proficiency Plan (EPP). Students must also earn a scaled score of at least 220 on one of the high school MCAS Science and Technology/ Engineering (STE) tests: Biology, Chemistry, Introductory Physics, or Technology/ Engineering.”

4. What is the 10th grade English MCAS called?
It is called MCAS ELA.
ELA = English Language Arts.

5. How is the MCAS ELA set up?

6. What type of questions are on the MCAS?
COMPOSITION
The composition test only has one type of question: the Writing Prompt.
READING COMPREHENSION
The Reading Comprehension tests have 2 types of question: Multiple Choice and Open Response.

7. MCAS ELA Composition Test
This test only has one “question:” the Writing Prompt.
This is why we will be preparing MCAS book sheets.
The Writing Prompts require students to respond by creating a written composition. According to the Massachusetts Department of Education website, Student compositions on the Writing Prompt are scored independently by two scorers for
topic development, based on a six point scale, with students receiving from 2 to12 points (the sum of scores from each of the two scorers)
standard English conventions, based on a four-point scale, with students receiving from 2 to 8 points (the sum of the scores from each of the two scorers)
Later, we will look at sample written responses and will discuss scoring in more detail.

8. What does the MCAS ELA Composition test look like?

9. MCAS ELA Reading Comprehension tests
These tests will ask multiple choice and open response questions.
You will first have to read a passage and then answer the questions.
You will need strong reading comprehension skills as well as knowledge of important literary terms for this test.

10. MCAS ELA Reading Comprehension test questions
Multiple choice questions are included on all MCAS tests and require students to select the correct answer from a list of four options.
Responses to multiple-choice questions are machine scored.
Open response questions require students to generate rather than recognize a response. Students create a one-or two-paragraph response using supporting evidence.
Responses to open-response questions are scored using a scoring guide and anchor papers (student work) for each question. The scoring guides indicate what knowledge and skills students must demonstrate. Open-response questions are scored on a scale of 0-4 points.
Answers to open-response questions are not scored for spelling, punctuation, or grammar..

11. What does the MCAS ELA Reading Comprehension test look like?
Let’s go see…