The Importance of Preserving MCAS
Annual state assessments are one of the pillars of Massachusetts’ nation-leading K-12 education system, along with high expectations for learning, adequate, equitable funding, and school district accountability and support. Assessments provide information on student learning compared to grade-level standards, show how much progress students have made since last year, and shine a light on opportunity gaps by race, socio-economic status, and disability. That’s why the business community, educators, the public, and policymakers came together to create the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) in 1993, and that’s why preserving the MCAS as a tool for high standards for learning, equity, and transparency is important today.
Scroll through the slides below to learn more about what MCAS are, how they are used, and the facts behind common critiques.
