1

Mitchell D. ChesterCommissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education

Report on Spring 2009 MCAS Results

to the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary

Education

September 22, 2009 Malden

2

Overview of Spring 2009 MCAS Test Administration

• Twelfth administration of spring MCAS tests

• 17 tests administered across:– grades 3-10 – English language arts, mathematics,

and science and technology/engineering (STE)

3

Overview of Spring 2009 MCAS Test Administration

• 553,635 students tested in total– 8,732 students with significant

disabilities participated via the MCAS Alternate Assessment

• Tests administered during– March (ELA)– May (math and gr. 5 & 8 STE)– June (high school STE)

4

Faster Turnaround of Student Results in 2009

• Preliminary student level results from 2009 ELA MCAS exam provided to districts prior to the end of school year for first time

• Preliminary student results give districts additional time to plan curriculum and map out each student's instructional needs for the upcoming year

• Beginning next year, preliminary ELA results and math results (MC only) will be available to districts by end of June

5

MCAS Spring 2010:Reduction in Time for Administration of

Most Tests

While test administration remains untimed, tests were restructured to reduce estimated average testing time:

• English Language Arts (ELA) Reading Comprehension tests (grades 3-8) reduced from three 45-minute sessions to two 60-minute sessions;

• Mathematics (grades 3-6) and STE (grades 5 and 8) test sessions reduced from 60 to 45 minutes;

• Mathematics grades 7 and 8 reduced from 60 to 50 minutes

6

• Grade 10 students’ performance improved overall and among subgroups

• 90% of class of 2010 has already passed the ELA, Mathematics and STE tests

• Proficiency gap has narrowed, but still remains• ELA performance improved in most grades and

for all subgroups• Middle School mathematics needs attention

– Fewer than half of all students statewide scored Proficient or higher in grades 7 and 8

• Formerly Limited English Proficient (FLEP) students continue to make strides

2009 MCAS Results: Highlights

7

2009 MCAS ResultsChange in Performance, 2008 to 2009

Percent of All Students Scoring Proficient or higher

ELA Math STE2008 2009 Chang

e2008 2009 Chang

e2008 2009 Chang

e

GR. 3 56 57 +1 61 60 -1

GR. 4 49 54 +5 49 48 -1

GR. 5 61 63 +2 52 54 +2 50 49 -1

GR. 6 67 66 -1 56 57 +1

GR. 7 69 70 +1 47 49 +2

GR. 8 75 78 +3 49 48 -1 39 39 0

GR. 10

75 79 +4 72 75 +3 57 61 +4

8

Decade of Progress: MCAS Grade 10 Math

Percent Proficient or higher

247

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Statewide Brockton

9

Decade of Progress: MCAS Grade 10 Math

Percent Proficient or higher

75

247

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Statewide Brockton

10

Decade of Progress: MCAS Grade 10 Math

Percent Proficient or higher

75

24

60

7

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Statewide Brockton

11

Decade of Progress: MCAS Grade 10 ELA

Percent Proficient or higher

38

22

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Statewide Brockton

12

Decade of Progress: MCAS Grade 10 ELA

Percent Proficient or higher

79

38

22

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Statewide Brockton

13

Decade of Progress: Grade 10 MCAS ELA

Percent Proficient or higher

79

38

78

22

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Statewide Brockton

14

Increased Performance at Proficient and Advanced

15

2005-2009 MCAS ELA ResultsPercent of Students Scoring Proficient & Advanced on their first attempt as 10th graders by subgroup

37

23

9

29

64

46

29

14

43

70

48

30

13

39

71

53

35

17

47

75

61

42

19

52

79

0102030405060708090

100

Low income Students withDisabilities

LEP FLEP ALL

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

16

2005-2009 MCAS ELA ResultsPercent of Students Scoring Proficient & Advanced

on their first attempt as 10th Graders by racial/ethnic subgroup

65

3731

7264

73

4739

7570

74

46 43

7771

77

5549

8075

82

6357

8679

0102030405060708090

100

Asian African American Hispanic/Latino White ALL

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

17

2005-2009 MCAS Math ResultsPercent of Students Scoring Proficient & Advanced on their first attempt as 10th Graders by subgroup

35

25 22

39

61

44

3036

46

67

47

3127

47

68

51

33 31

53

72

54

3732

51

75

0102030405060708090

100

Low income Students withDisabilities

LEP FLEP ALL

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

18

2005-2009 MCAS Math ResultsPercent of Students Scoring Proficient & Advanced

on their first attempt as 10th Graders by racial/ethnic subgroup

74

29 29

6861

80

4036

7367

82

45 42

7568

85

48 46

7872

86

51 48

8175

0102030405060708090

100

Asian African American Hispanic/Latino White ALL

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

19

Performance of Class of 2011

(this year’s juniors)

20

Class of 2011: Percent Scoring at Needs Improvement or Higher on MCAS ELA,

Math, and STE Tests• Students in the Class of 2011 who have scored at Needs

Improvement or higher on all three tests required for graduation:

– 83.5% of all students– 90% white students– 87% Asian– 66% African American– 62% Hispanic/Latino students– 68% low income students– 35% limited English proficient students– 55% students with disabilities– 66% formerly LEP students

• 65% of all students in Class of 2011 have already fully met the CD standard by scoring at the Proficient level or higher in ELA and mathematics, and scoring at the Needs Improvement level or higher in STE

21

Performance of the Class of 2010

(this year’s seniors)

22

Class of 2010: Percent Scoring at Needs Improvement or Higher on MCAS ELA, Math, and STE Tests

• Students in the Class of 2010 who have scored at Needs Improvement or higher on all three tests required for graduation:

– 90% of all students– 94% white students– 92% Asian– 75% African American– 73% Hispanic/Latino students– 79% low income students– 49% limited English proficient students– 67% students with disabilities– 80% formerly LEP students

• 64% of all students in Class of 2010 have fully met the CD standard by scoring at the Proficient level or higher in ELA and mathematics, and scoring at the Needs Improvement level or higher in STE.

23

Class of 2010: Science and Technology/Engineering Requirement

• Based on June 2009 enrollment– 91% have met the STE requirement– 6,037 students had not met the STE requirement

• These students will have two additional opportunities to pass prior to scheduled graduation– February 2010 MCAS Biology test– Special additional MCAS test administration

planned for April 2010 in Biology, Chemistry, Introductory Physics and Technology/Engineering