MCAS

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

• Test all public school students across the Commonwealth, including students with disabilities and students with limited English proficiency
• Be administered annually in selected grades
• Measure performance based on the learning standards in the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks
• Report on the performance of individual students, schools, and districts
• Serve as one basis of accountability for students, schools, and districts (for example, students must pass the grade 10 MCAS tests or retests in order to become eligible to earn a high school diploma)

Tips for helping your child prepare for the MCAS

• Make sure your child is in school and does all their homework and assignments. This will help make sure your child is prepared for the test.
• Encourage your child to do their best. Let him/her know you believe in him/her.
• Make sure your child gets enough sleep on the night before the test.
• Ensure that your child eats a healthy breakfast. Avoid heavy foods that may make him/her groggy and avoid high sugar food that my make him/her hyper.
• Make sure that your child gets up early enough so that he/she doesn't have to rush to arrive at school on time.
• Mark down test days on your calendar so you and your child are both aware of testing dates.
• Talking about the test with your child can relieve stress about test taking.

Below is a link to the Massachusetts Department of Education's (DOE) MCAS website. This link brings you to the MCAS Sample Student Work and Scoring Guides. Here you can find sample questions from previous years MCAS tests. You may find it helpful to print some of these samples and go over them with your child.

MCAS Sample Student Work and Scoring Guide