2014 MCAS and Accountability Release Schedule

The 2014 MCAS and Accountability Release Schedule was recently posted to the DESE Web site. Here is a summary of some key dates:

• June 23rd - partial* preliminary MCAS Student Rosters posted electronically at DropBox Central in the Security Portal
• June 26th - partial* preliminary reports available in Edwin Analytics 
• August 7th - full preliminary MCAS results available in both DropBox Central and Edwin Analytics
• August 12th - Preliminary Accountability data provided through the Security Portal
• Aug 7-14th - MCAS discrepancy reporting window
• Mid-September - Official data released publicly (note, all data are embargoed prior to this date!)

*Partial results include: 

• ELA, full results 
• Mathematics, multiple-choice results only 
• STE, grades 5 and 8, multiple-choice results only 
• MCAS-Alt, full results in all subjects

Anticipated MCAS Reporting Schedule 2014

Here are the dates that were shared in last week's MCAS test administration training (FYI, the conference call version of the training is being offered again next Wednesday 2/12). Of course, these dates may be subject to change but are still very useful for planning!

 

Anticipated MCAS Reporting Schedule 2014
March 21	Access February Biology data files and rosters at DropBox Central
April 16	Access March Retest data files and rosters at DropBox Central
May 1	Districts receive February Biology and March Retest Parent/Guardian Reports
Mid-May	Schools and districts receive printed ACCESS for ELLs reports and data posted at DropBox Central
Mid-June	Districts access prelim MCAS and MCAS-Alt student results:
	ELA: preliminary results, including performance levels, scaled scores, and SGPs
	Math: multiple choice only
	STE (5&8): multiple choice only
	MCAS-Alt
	MCAS ELA long comps available at MCASservicecenter.com
July 1-July 31	MCAS discrepancy reporting by phone
August 6	Preliminary Math and STE MCAS results (combined with June ELA)
August 6-12	MCAS discrepancy reporting online
mid-September	Official results in security portal for districts
(week of Sept 19)	One day later: Public release of results; Parent/Guardian Reports shipments
Note: data will be in Edwin Analytics within 3 days of DropBox release

State Releases 2013 MCAS School and District Results

Today the state released the official 2013 MCAS School and District Results. Information is available in a multitude of places:

• Today's Press Release
• The ESE Accountability Web Page now includes an Excel file with commendation school information as well as level/PPI information for all districts and schools by region. This page also contains a variety of support documents around school and district accountability, including some short informative videos about the accountability system, PPI, and percentiles.
• School and District Profiles have also been updated to include 2013 MCAS information under the "Assessment" and "Accountability" tabs for a school, district, or the state.
• Edwin Analytics reports in the Security Portal have also been updated with the 2013 official data.

Where can I find....?

I've heard from a number of principals and other school/district leaders over the last week who aren't quite sure where to go to get different pieces of information related to the preliminary MCAS data, so I thought I'd post a quick clarification.

There are actually 3 different applications in the Security Portal where preliminary MCAS-related information is posted. Not everyone will have access to all 3 applications...it depends on what applications you have been assigned access by your Directory Administrator. If you have access, you'll see links to each of these applications when you log into the Security Portal (http://gateway.edu.state.ma.us/)

2013 Accountability Data
This application within the portal connects to 3 layers of reports for your school/district, similar to the Accountability tab in Profiles. Preliminary information about accountability level, PPI indicator values, points, and targets can be found here.

DropBox Central
- Accountability 2013 Data - does not contain 2013 accountability data at this time, as the data is not final
- MCAS 2013 Data - contains the August 2013 preliminary data files in .CSV and .XLS format for all tested students for whom your organization is accountable (one line per student - these are large and somewhat unwieldy files!)

Edwin Analytics 
A variety of preliminary MCAS reports (item, strand, performance/achievement, and growth) can be run for various grades, subjects, and/or subgroups within a school or district.

When the data is finalized (mid-September), there will also be updated 2013 data posted publicly to Profiles. However, the preliminary data is only available through the Security Portal with appropriate access. Please remember that the preliminary data is embargoed until the public release in September!

Full Preliminary MCAS and Accountability Results

By now, you probably have taken a look at the full preliminary MCAS results and preliminary accountability data that DESE released last week (see the SAS update for more info). DESE held two webinars last week to provide more explanation and guidance. Thanks to my colleague Paula O'Sullivan (Greater Boston DSAC) for passing along some of the key points from the webinar, as I was unable to attend.

• All data is embargoed until the public release in September! DESE states that you can use it for planning and research with appropriate staff and to let students know they earned a diploma. You should not discuss aggregate results in public or show preliminary aggregate reports at school committee meetings.
• The MCAS discrepancy window closes on Tues August 13th at 5 p.m.
• The state has changed slightly how they calculate the growth data, in that they now compare each student to a historical academic peer group. This means that the state SGP for each grade level will no longer necessarily be 50, it may be a bit higher or lower. The state results will be released in September.
• The student file now includes, for each student, how long that student has been enrolled in your district, and in your school. In the future, Edwin Analytics will provide reports with MCAS results disaggregated by these variables.
• Classroom reports with EOY SIMS data may be available in early September.
• Preliminary accountability reports are available in a separate application within the security portal. More detailed webinars will be held in a few weeks. You can register on DESE's site. Updated guidance is also available. 
• Later this calendar year, DESE anticipates rolling out Edwin Analytics to teachers.

Please let me know if you have any questions as you explore your preliminary data. I hope to see many of you at the upcoming regional Edwin Analytics workshops.

June 2013 Release of Preliminary Results

As many of you already know, preliminary MCAS results were made available to authorized users in DropBox Central (in the security portal) on Tuesday. This release includes full preliminary ELA results and preliminary multiple-choice results for grades 3–8 and 10 Math and grades 5 and 8 Science.

There is an interpretive guide to accompany this release (currently available in DropBox Central, to be posted to the 2013 MCAS Web page shortly) which provides information about various ways that the preliminary data (along with the 2013 released items) can be reviewed and utilized. The raw-to-scaled score conversion tables for ELA have also been posted.

In addition, the latest Student Assessment Update notes that preliminary MCAS-Alt results have been made available through DropBox Central, and ELA long compositions are posted online at www.mcasservicecenter.com.

On Friday, June 21, the same preliminary results will be made available through selected reports in Edwin Analytics.

Per the Interpretive Guide: "All data released prior to the official release of school and district results in mid-September are embargoed, which means the data cannot be released to the public or discussed in public meetings.... Preliminary MCAS data, including the Mathematics and STE multiple-choice results, can and should be used for educational planning purposes. Whenever preliminary results are printed for planning purposes, they should be clearly dated and labeled “preliminary,” with the understanding that some results may change with the official release in September."

As a reminder, I will be offering three regional Edwin Analytics workshops in August after the remainder of the preliminary data has been released, but in the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact me with questions.

Reminder: New ESE Security Portal URL

With the preliminary MCAS results being released on Tuesday (see earlier post for more details, along with the Student Assessment Services update sent out via email today), there’s a good chance you’ll want to log into the ESE Security Portal in the very near future to access Dropboxes or Edwin Analytics.

If you haven’t logged into the Security Portal in a while, you will notice some changes. Earlier in June, ESE installed a new “Identity Management System (IMS)” in order to align the Security Portal with the Commonwealth’s new secure access standards. Existing username and passwords will continue to work with the new Identity Management System and there is no need to change either credential, BUT the URL has changed.

New Security Portal URL: https://gateway.edu.state.ma.us/

If you're trying to access Edwin Analytics, you should click the first "Edwin Analytics" link on your portal home page after logging in to the URL above to get the latest version of Edwin Analytics. The second link that says "Edwin Analytics (EDW)" is the old version.

You should change any bookmarks you may have to the new URL. (Note that the "Security Portal" link in the drop-down menu on the ESE home page has been updated to this new URL, so if you normally access the portal this way you'll go to the right spot.) If you notice that you're being asked to log in twice, you may be accessing the portal through an incorrect URL. If you have any questions regarding your access, please contact your district’s Directory Administrator.

MCAS Release Schedule 2013

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has published the release schedule for 2013 MCAS data. Today's memorandum plus the downloadable schedule can be found at http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/.

In summary: Starting on June 18, school leaders will have access to student roster files (ELA all question types, Science multiple choice for grades 5 and 8, Math multiple choice only, MCAS-Alt full results) through Dropbox Central. Selected reports will be available in Edwin Analytics several days later. A second round of data will be released on August 7, with the discrepancy reporting window occuring between August 7-13. Please see the schedule for all the details.

As mentioned in yesterday's post, the Security Portal (home of Dropbox Central and Edwin Analytics) will be undergoing some changes this weekend. The new URL for the portal will be https://gateway.edu.state.ma.us.

I will be holding regional Edwin Analytics workshops on August 15 at Bourne HS and August 22 at READS in Middleboro and will post registration information to the blog next week. If anyone is interested in a late June workshop given that there will be some new data to explore by June 21, please let me know (laura.tilton@dsacma.org) as I could certainly schedule one if the interest exists.

Happy Friday!

MCAS and Accountability Teleconference Highlights

I know that many readers of this blog attended this week's teleconference related to the release of the preliminary 2012 MCAS results and related accountability reports but I thought I would provide some of the essential information for those that were not able to attend.

MCAS Results and Discrepancy Reporting
Earlier this week, the preliminary MCAS data files were posted in the ESE Security Portal for review and discrepancy reporting. Some preliminary EDW reports are expected to be available in the Education Data Warehouse by this Friday, August 10 (ELA long compositions can be downloaded from the MCAS Service Center.)

As a reminder, the preliminary data is embargoed - Commissioner Chester has given the following guidelines for the use of preliminary data:  “I want to encourage schools and districts to use the preliminary… student data for educational planning purposes. Preliminary student results can and should be shared with teachers, parents and instructional leaders who are making decisions about Individual Education Plans, summer programs or decisions about the scope of services needed for English Language Learners.” The folks from ESE expect that the 2012 MCAS and accountability results will be released publicly on or about September 19, 2012. 

Accountability Reporting

In June, districts received their schools' provisional PPI data and accountability and assistance levels, which are based on data from 2009, 2010, and 2011. During the week of August 13, districts will receive their preliminary school-and district-level PPI data and accountability and assistance levels based on four years of data (2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012) for review (also embargoed). The official results will be released in mid-September.

Education Data Warehouse Updates

There are lots of excellent new updates in the Education Data Warehouse just in time for the busy season! Here are some highlights:

• The EDW Home page is now standard for all EDW users without needing to be configured as previously discussed. It contains information about recent updates and improvements as well as what's coming down the pike. 
• All of the reports from version 2.6 have been migrated to the new EDW. Please note that although the link is still available from the landing page, EDW 2.6 is no longer being updated and will be retired in October.
• The Test Item Analysis reports now have the option to map the test items to EITHER the old or new curriculum frameworks for Math and ELA. 
• There is a "Super" student profile report which provides SIMS, attendance, course, MCAS, and CD status information for any selected student.
• There are several new classroom-level reports which utilize SCS data for a given instructional group (classroom, course section, etc.) These reports are only available to users who have been assigned the "DW-Evaluator" role. ESE has developed guidance around assigning this role to EDW users which they will post on the EDW home page shortly. (Watch for a more detailed blog post once this guidance document is available online.)

2012 MCAS and Accountability Data Release

The recent Commissioner's Update contained an announcement regarding the release of the 2012 MCAS and accountability data, including a release schedule, MCAS discrepancy reporting information, review of provisional and preliminary accountability data, EDW updates, and reporting teleconferences on August 6 and 7.

The full announcement is online here: http://www.doe.mass.edu/news/news.aspx?id=6928.

Preliminary MCAS 2012 in EDW 3.0

The following EDW 3.0 reports are now available with preliminary MCAS 2012 data:

District-Level Reports

• MCAS District Results by Subgroup (PE304)
• MCAS District Results by Strand and Topic (CU306)
• MCAS District Test Item Analysis Summary (IT301)
• MCAS District Test Item Analysis Graph (IT302)

School-Level Reports

• MCAS School Results by Subgroup (PE404)
• MCAS Detailed School Performance (PE408) and its drillthrough
• MCAS School Results by Strand and Topic (CU406)
• MCAS School Test Item Analysis Summary (IT401)
• MCAS School Test Item Analysis Graph (IT402) 

Student-Level Reports

• Assessment Detail (Individual Student)(PE606)
• Assessment History Summary (Individual Student)(PE613)
• MCAS Student Item Analysis Roster (IT616)
• MCAS Student Roster (All Subjects)( PE617)
• MCAS Student Growth Scatter Plot (GR601) (ELA only)
• MCAS Student Growth Roster (GR602) (ELA only)

Please remember that there is an embargo in place for preliminary MCAS data. While this data may be used for instructional planning, it may not be discussed with the public or press.

See the bottom of the “EDW Home” tab within the EDW for additional features and functionality that have been added to the EDW 3.0. The "EDW Home" tab can be added as the default home page in your EDW account by following the steps outlined in the May 17 blog post.

Upcoming MCAS and MEPA Data Releases

A previous blog post provided some of the preliminary release dates for MCAS results, but I wanted to provide links to two ESE memos containing additional details.

Preliminary 2012 MCAS Data:

• June 12th - ELA Composition images posted electronically for principals
• June 15th - Portfolio Feedback Forms for MCAS-Alt posted electronically for principals
• June 22nd - Excel data files and school roster reports with preliminary student results to Dropbox Central.
• June 29th - Preliminary school and district reports to Dropbox Central.
• June 29th - Selected EDW reports posted.

See the Commissioner's May 21st memo for more details.

Spring 2012 MEPA Data:

• June 7th - Parent/Guardian reports received by schools via UPS.
• June 7th - Various data reports posted to http://www.mcasservicecenter.com/.
• June 25th - Student data file with 2011 and 2012 MEPA and MCAS scores will be posted at the Department's Security Portal.

More details on the MEPA release can be found here.

2012 Preliminary MCAS Release and EDW Updates

Yesterday's regularly scheduled Webinar on the Education Data Warehouse shared an excellent new feature - an EDW "Home Page" which will keep us updated about new features, data releases, and additional resources.This home page is now available, but does not currently appear automatically as a tab at the top of the screen after you log in. You can follow the steps below to add this tab as the default so that you will see the latest information when logging into EDW 3.0.

To add the EDW Home Page tab:

• In the upper left corner of the screen, under the “Data Warehouse” banner, click the “Tab Menu” button, and choose “Add Tabs.”
• Under “Available Entries,” navigate to Cognos > Public Folders > Pages.
• Click the checkbox next to “EDW Home” and then click the green arrow in the middle of the page so that “EDW Home” moves from “Available Entries” to “Selected Entries.”
• Click “OK” at the bottom of the page.

To make the EDW Home Page your default tab:

• In the upper left corner of the screen, under the “Data Warehouse” banner, click the “Tab Menu” button, and choose “Modify the Sequence of Tabs.”
• Select “EDW Home” and then click “To top.”
• Click “OK.”

One very important piece of information that was provided during the Webinar is that the preliminary 2012 MCAS data is expected to be released via the Dropbox on June 22, and then in the EDW on June 29.


The EDW Webinars are held on the first Wednesday of the month at 11 am and the third Wednesday of the month at 2 pm. Please email datawarehouse@doe.mass.edu if you would like to be placed on the notification/reminder list for these calls.