MCAS was implemented in response to the Education Reform Law of 1993, which required that MCAS be designed to:
- test all public school students across the Commonwealth, including students with disabilities and students with limited English proficiency
- be administered annually in selected grades
- measure performance based on the Massachusetts Curriculum Framework learning standards
- report on the performance of individual students, schools, and districts
- serve as one basis of accountability for students, schools, and districts (for example, beginning with the class of 2003, grade 10 students must pass the MCAS tests as one condition of eligibility for earning a high school diploma. Students are given multiple opportunities, if necessary, to pass the tests after grade 10. In addition to passing the MCAS tests, students must also meet local requirements for high school graduation.)
The Federal No Child Left Behind Law requires annual testing in grades 3-8 and high school.
For more information, please visit the Massachusetts Department of Education MCAS web site.