Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the MCAS topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Rockport School Committee briefed on embargoed MCAS accountability data ahead of Sept. 24 release
Summary
Staff told the committee that statewide MCAS accountability results are embargoed until the BESE meeting on Sept. 24; members were given a primer on how percentile rank and progress-toward-target measures work, data-suppression thresholds and what to expect when reports are released to families.
At the Sept. 18 meeting of the Rockport School Committee, a staff presenter briefed members on the district’s upcoming MCAS accountability release and stressed that the data are currently embargoed until the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education meets on Sept. 24. “Accountability data is currently embargoed, and we’re not allowed to discuss it publicly,” the presenter said, urging caution ahead of the official release.
The presenter described two measures the state reports: a percentile rank that compares Rockport to similar K–12 schools and a progress-toward-target score that compares a district against its own goals. The presenter said advanced coursework measures include not only AP and dual-enrollment, but also Project Lead The Way courses for 11th- and 12th-graders. On data suppression, the presenter said, “There should be 20 students in a group to get the data released,” and cautioned that some subgroup reports likely will be withheld in a small district. The presenter also noted that current figures are preliminary and could change before public release; mailed reports to families should follow later in the month.
Why it matters: The accountability reports guide state support and local planning and provide the public with year-to-year comparative information. Committee members asked about how the state defines comparable schools and whether the percentile splits are set by policy; the presenter said comparables are chosen by the state and reiterated that the commissioner’s office will provide statewide trend information at upcoming briefings. The committee expects a fuller, public presentation after Sept. 24 when embargoes lift.
