Taking The MCAS Test This Spring? Here's What To Expect

It was canceled last year but this spring students are set to take the MCAS. This year’s test, however, comes with some changes.

From a story reported on by WWLP/22 News, one of the major changes this year takes away the stakes. No schools will receive an “underperforming” standing from this spring’s test.

Merrie Najimy, President of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, said, “We are in a crisis and the most important thing in this moment is to tend to our students and our own creative efforts to make pandemic education successful.”

It’s what the MTA is calling “meeting part way.” The organization wanted the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, or MCAS, to be canceled this year.

However, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s announcement on Tuesday came with some crucial changes to this year’s test.

“We can stop teaching to the test and stop schools from going into receivership,” said Najimy.

Students in grades 3 through 8 should expect a shorter test and that’s because they’ll be using a sampling method and then combining that with other data points.

The MTA president hopes that will include classroom-based assessment which she says is better and she hopes it could be a long-term solution.

While the plan is to have the test, the MTA president says there are still a lot of logistics to work out, such as how they can safely administer it.

For more on the story, visit WWLP/22 News' website here.