MCAS case studies
MCAS · Put your knowledge to work in context.
MCAS - the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System - is the statewide assessment program used in Massachusetts public schools. It is not a single examination but a family of subject-specific and grade-specific tests, each administered, scored, and reported separately, with results placed into four performance levels: Exceeding Expectations, Meeting Expectations, Partially Meeting Expectations, and Not Meeting Expectations. The MCAS case studies are 5 cases and about 3,176 words.
1Revising a Fourth-Grade Opinion Paragraph Under a Tight Rubric
A fourth-grade student drafts an opinion paragraph arguing that the school day should start at 8:30 instead of 7:45. The draft opens: 'I think later start is better because I am tired.' The next sentence says, 'Also I am tired in the morning.' The only evidence offered is 'My cousin says she likes sleeping in.' The class rubric requires a clear claim, at least two different reasons, evidence from the provided article, and a concluding sentence.
530 words, about 3 min2Rescaling a Garden Drawing When the Path and Margins Will Not Fit
A seventh grader is making a scale drawing of a rectangular community garden that is 6 m by 4.5 m. The chosen scale is 1 cm : 1.5 m, so the garden measures 4 cm by 3 cm.
537 words, about 3 min3A Fan-Cart Experiment With a Weakening Battery and a Drifting Start
An eighth-grade group investigates how cart mass affects acceleration when the same fan pushes the cart. They use a fan cart, three masses (0.5 kg, 1.0 kg, 1.5 kg), and a motion sensor.
671 words, about 3 min4Judging Three Sources About an 1845 Mill Walkout
An eighth-grade class examines three sources about a factory walkout in a Massachusetts textile town in 1845. Source A, a mill owner's letter: 'Sixty hands left without notice after we posted a new schedule.
703 words, about 4 min5Antibiotic Resistance: Selection on Pre-Existing Variation or a Learned Response?
In a high-school biology lab, students grow E. coli in four flasks with ampicillin.
735 words, about 4 min