This paper provides information about Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS), a comprehensive standards-based test. The purpose of the test is to: (1) Inform and improve classroom instruction; (2) Evaluate student, school, and district performance according to Massachusetts Curriculum Framework content standards and MCAS performance…

This article reports that special interest groups opposed to charter schools and high-stakes testing have hijacked Massachusetts's once-independent board of education and stand poised to water down the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests and the accountability system they support. President Barack Obama and Massachusetts…

This year the Center on Education Policy analyzed data on the achievement of different groups of students in two distinct ways. First, it looked at grade 4 test results to determine whether the performance of various groups improved at three achievement levels--basic and above, proficient and above, and advanced. Second, it looked at gaps between…