MCAS-Alt News
Fall 2015
www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/alt/
This newsletter is published by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and will provide Massachusetts
educators with information, advice, and support to teach the Massachusetts learning standards to students with significant disabilities,
and to conduct the MCAS Alternate Assessment.
“However brainy the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.”
--Winston Churchill
Welcome back to school!
Please be aware of the following important information regarding
MCAS-Alt.
Topics:
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MCAS-Alt Portfolio Return
MCAS-Alt Publications
Training Specialist Application
Fall Educator Training Sessions
Administrator Corner
MCAS-Alt Portfolios Returned to Schools
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MCAS-Alt Portfolios will be returned to schools the week of September 14. Please review
the Portfolio Feedback Forms (PFFs) and the comments from scorers on the print copies
placed inside each returned portfolio. All PFFs were posted electronically in each school’s
DropBox in June. The 2016 Educator’s Manual includes important information regarding
the policy on storage and destruction of the returned portfolios (page 75).
Fall publications on the MCAS-Alt website
 2016 Educator Manual, including:
o What’s New and Notable for 2016?
o Requirements for a new annual ELAWriting assessment, including scoring rubrics
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Fall 2015 Resource Guides:
o Revised entry points and access skills for all content areas
o This updated version of the Resource Guides must be used as the basis for MCAS-Alt
measurable outcomes in the 20152016 school year.
 MCAS-Alt Online Forms and Graphs
o MCAS-Alt Online Forms and Graphs will be available by September 11. This
password-protected application allows teachers to complete, save, and print all
required forms for the MCAS-Alt portfolio. Teachers will need to register for a new
account each year.
o MCAS-Alt Forms and Graphs allows teachers to import entry points directly from the
Resource Guide and create measurable outcomes. Entered information is
automatically transferred to all other required forms and data charts in a student’s
portfolio. This labor-saving program has been used successfully by thousands of
teachers each year in Massachusetts.
o Technical support is available at (866) 834-8880.
Apply to Become an MCAS-Alt Training Specialist (Deadline: Sept. 9)
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Are you a teacher who has compiled high-quality MCAS-Alt portfolios for at least two years
and could assist other teachers? If so, you may be an ideal candidate to assume a higherprofile role as an MCAS-Alt training specialist. Please consider applying to become a
training specialist for the 2015–2016 school year.
o Training specialists serve as resources in their school and district, and assist the
Department during fall, winter, and spring portfolio training and review sessions.
o If you wish to apply, please complete the 2015–2016 MCAS-Alt Training Specialist
application no later than Wednesday, September 9. If accepted, you will receive a
reply by email on September 11 with all relevant information.
Please Note: Applicants currently employed in a district will require an administrator to
approve their application upon submission.
Fall Educator Training Sessions
Anyone conducting the MCAS-Alt is strongly encouraged to attend a training session.
Register to attend one of the following MCAS-Alt educator/administrator training sessions:
Week Two
Week One
(including afternoon Administrator training sessions)
Monday,
September 28
Tuesday,
September 29
Marriott,
Peabody
Best Western,
Marlborough
Wednesday,
September 30
Log Cabin,
Holyoke
Thursday,
October 1
Holiday Inn,
Taunton
Monday,
October 5
Tuesday,
October 6
Wednesday,
October 14
Thursday,
October 15
Doubletree,
Danvers
Lombardo’s,
Randolph
Holiday Inn,
Taunton
Marriott,
Springfield
Registration flyers will be faxed to schools and district offices on September 3. The registration
flyer is also available on the Department’s website.
Administrator’s Corner
Reporting MCAS-Alt Results
 Principals received preliminary MCAS and MCAS-Alt results last June and will receive final
electronic results the week of October 1. The 2015 MCAS-Alt Parent/Guardian Reports will
be sent to districts, approved private special education schools, and educational
collaboratives and will arrive on or about October 1. Parent/Guardian Reports, including
translations of the report template where necessary, must be sent by the district to each
student’s home.
Administrators MCAS-Alt Training Sessions
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For administrators supervising teachers submitting the MCAS-Alt, the Department will
conduct training sessions in October. The following topics will be addressed:
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Roles and responsibilities of administrators regarding MCAS-Alt
Who should take the MCAS-Alt?
Monitoring teachers’ progress on the MCAS-Alt
How to avoid scores of Incomplete
Portfolio contents
MCAS-Alt and accountability
Related statewide assessment topics for students with disabilities
Administrator Training Dates: October 5, 6, 14, and 15, from 1:30–3:00 p.m.
(See chart above for locations.)
Training Specialist Applications
 Educators applying to become MCAS-Alt Training Specialists will need approval from their
administrator. Please review the requirements listed on the application before signing your
approval.
Thank you for your attention to this information!
We look forward to supporting your work on the MCAS-Alt in the
coming school year!
If you have questions, please contact mcas@doe.mass.edu or call 781-338-3625.
Published bi-monthly during the school year by the
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/alt