Mcas accessibility and Accommodations Manual for the Spring 2018 mcas grades 3–8 Tests

III. MCAS Participation Requirements for Students with Disabilities

A. Background

The information in this manual is intended to guide decision-making by Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams and 504 plan coordinators as to how a student with a disability will participate in MCAS. Students with disabilities are required to participate in all MCAS assessments scheduled for students in their grade. Students with significant disabilities who are unable to take the standard tests, even with accommodations, must take the MCAS Alternate Assessment (MCAS-Alt).

B. Definition of a Student with a Disability

For the purpose of MCAS participation, a student with a disability is defined as a student with an approved Individualized Education Program (IEP) provided under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 and the Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 71B; or a plan provided under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (i.e., a 504 plan).

C. Participation Requirements for Students with Disabilities

State and federal education laws mandate that all students with disabilities who are educated with Massachusetts public funds participate in annual statewide assessments, including students enrolled in public schools, educational collaboratives, and approved and unapproved private special education schools, and students in the custody of the Department of Children and Families (DCF), and students in the custody of the Department of Youth Services (DYS).

Students with disabilities must participate in grade-level tests that correspond with the grade in which they are reported to the Department’s Student Information Management System (SIMS).

Only a student's IEP team can make decisions about which test accommodations are appropriate for the student and whether the student should take a standard or alternate assessment. Assessment decisions for students with disabilities are made on an annual basis in each content area for each student and must be listed in the IEP. If the student has a 504 plan, rather than an IEP, then the 504 plan must also include this information. The principal is responsible for ensuring that each student is assessed using the test format and accommodations listed in the student’s IEP or 504 plan.

English Language Learners (ELL) with Disabilities

ELL students with disabilities must participate in all MCAS assessments required for students in their grade, regardless of the number of years they have been enrolled in U.S. schools, with one exception: ELL students who first enrolled in a U.S. school after March 1, 2017, are not required to take the spring 2018 MCAS ELA tests, although schools have the option to assess first-year ELL students in ELA.

ELL students with disabilities are entitled to receive test accommodations and to participate in the MCAS Alternate Assessment (MCAS-Alt), as determined by their IEP team or 504 plan. See additional information on the participation of ELL students in MCAS beginning on page 23.
Students Diagnosed with Concussions

The Department has issued guidelines, including MCAS testing policies, for students who are returning to school after being diagnosed with a concussion. Please refer to this information before making decisions about MCAS testing for a student who has had a concussion.

D. Decision-Making Guidelines for MCAS Participation

This section provides guidelines for IEP team members and staff who develop 504 plans to determine how each student with a disability will participate in MCAS.

The student’s IEP team or 504 plan coordinator should address the questions below and consider options 1, 2, and 3 in the chart that follows:

1. 
   Can the student demonstrate knowledge and skills (fully or partially) on the standard MCAS test under routine conditions?
   
2. 
   Can the student demonstrate knowledge and skills (fully or partially) on the standard MCAS test with accommodations? If so, which accommodations are necessary for the student to participate?
   
3. 
   If no to the above questions, the student should take the alternate assessment (MCAS-Alt).
   

(Note: Alternate assessments are intended only for students with significant disabilities who are unable to take standard MCAS tests, even with accommodations. Students should not be identified for alternate assessments on the basis of a particular disability, placement in a specific classroom or program, previous low achievement, or ELL status.)
The student’s IEP team or 504 plan coordinator must make a separate decision for each subject scheduled for assessment. A student may take the standard test in one subject and the alternate assessment in another. These decisions may be revised each time the team convenes.

OPTION 1 Characteristics of Student’s Instructional Program and Local Assessment

Recommended Participation in MCAS

If the student is generally able to demonstrate knowledge and skills on a computer- or paper-based test, either with or without test accommodations, and is working on learning standards at or near grade-level expectations, or is working on learning standards that have been modified and are somewhat below grade-level expectations due to the nature of the student's disability,

Then the student should take the computer- or paper-based MCAS test, either with or without accommodations.

Characteristics of Student’s Instructional Program and Local Assessment

Recommended Participation in MCAS

OPTION 2

If the student is generally unable to demonstrate knowledge and skills on a computer- or paper-based test, even with accommodations, and is working on learning standards that have been substantially modified due to the nature and severity of his or her disability, and is receiving intensive, individualized instruction in order to acquire, generalize, and demonstrate knowledge and skills,

Then Participation Requirements for Students with Disabilities the student should take the MCAS Alternate Assessment (MCAS-Alt) in this subject.

Characteristics of Student’s

Instructional Program and Local Assessment

Recommended Participation in MCAS


OPTION 3

OPTION 3




If the student is

1. 
   working on learning standards at, near, or somewhat below grade-level expectations
   

and is

2. 
   sometimes able to take a computer- or paper-based test, either without or with one or more test accommodation(s)
   

but

3. 
   has a complex and significant disability* that does not allow the student to fully demonstrate knowledge and skills on a computer- or paper-based test of this duration,
   

* Examples of complex and significant disabilities for which the student may require an alternate assessment are provided in the following section.

Then

the student should take the computer- or paper-based MCAS test, if possible, with necessary accommodations.

However

the team may recommend the MCAS-Alt “grade-level” or “competency” portfolio when the severity and complexity of the disability prevent the student from demonstrating knowledge and skills on the computer- or paper-based MCAS test, even with the use of accommodations.

5.