Extremely Urgent: MCAS ELA Composition Test Postponed Until Monday, March 25

To:Principals and Directors of Charter Schools, Approved Private Special Education Schools, Educational Collaboratives, and Institutional Programs
Copy:Superintendents, MCAS Test Coordinators
From:Elizabeth Davis, Associate Commissioner of Student Assessment
Date:March 18, 2013
In anticipation of severe weather that may result in numerous school closings and delayed openings tomorrow, Tuesday, March 19 (which is the date scheduled for the MCAS ELA Composition test), the Department has decided to postpone the administration of the MCAS ELA Composition test until Monday, March 25. All schools must administer the ELA Composition test to students in grades 4, 7, and 10 on Monday, March 25, including schools that are not affected by the weather. We realize that this change may be disruptive for some schools, but for security reasons it is critical that all schools administer the ELA Composition on the same day. Even schools that are unaffected by the storm must wait until Monday, March 25, to administer the test. Please be advised of the following guidelines for this postponement:
  • If your school is open tomorrow, do not administer the ELA Composition test. However, your school may administer any ELA Reading Comprehension test sessions scheduled for that day.
  • Administer the regular Composition test sessions A and B to your students on March 25. Do not use the Composition Make-up booklets until March 28.
  • Students who are absent on March 25 should be scheduled to take the ELA Composition Make-up test on March 28.
  • The early UPS pickup for grades 3-8 and automatic pickup for grade 10 originally scheduled for Tuesday, March 26, has been rescheduled to Wednesday, March 27, to give schools sufficient time to pack their materials for return.
We would like to remind you that the deadline to order additional materials for the ELA Composition Make-up test is Tuesday, March 26, at 12:00 p.m. Materials can be ordered between Monday, March 25, at 9:00 a.m. and Tuesday, March 26, online at MCAS Service Center. (Schools' initial ELA shipments include Composition Make-up materials in the amount of 10 percent of the regular ELA test materials.) Schools with extraordinary circumstances should contact the Department's Student Assessment Services Unit at 781-338-3625. Please direct questions about ordering additional ELA Composition make-up materials to the MCAS Service Center at 800-737-5103. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.



Last Updated: March 18, 2013