ATTENTION PARENTS OF 10^th GRADERS

MCAS INFORMATION

Dear Class of 2010 Parents,

As you know passing the state MCAS test is a graduation requirement in Massachusetts. Your child, a tenth grader, will begin the test by taking the English Language Arts portion of the test on March 25, 26, and 27, 2008. (The math portion of the testing will take place on May 21 and 22.) Testing will be done in his/her homeroom beginning at 7:35 AM each day. (SPED students will take the exam in a separate room with their SPED coordinator.) The majority of the students take most of the morning to complete each exam, although it is un-timed and they area allowed all the time they need up until the end of the school day. When the majority of the students complete the exam, they will return to the remaining regular classes. Students requiring extra time will be allowed to continue testing. It is my expectation that all students remain in school the entire day, as it is a regular school day.

IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT YOUR CHILD IS IN ATTENDANCE ON ALL TEST DATES. It is also important that he or she is well rested for all the exams. If he or she is out ill on any testing date, a doctor’s note is required to be kept on file at the school and we must report the child’s absence to the state.

This year your child must score 240 or above on both the ELA portion and the Mathematics portion of the exam in order to be eligible to graduate. The passing score was raised by the Department of Education from 220 to 240 beginning this year. It is not yet clear what options for graduation a student has if he/she is unable to reach a score of 240 by the senior year, so please encourage your child to do their absolute best on these exams. The Department of Education is supposed to give us guidance on this by the end of March.

In addition there are scholarships available at state colleges and universities to students who score in the in the top categories of the exam. The new state Adams Scholarship awards four years of free tuition to any state college or university to any student who scores in at least the advanced category on one portion, in the proficient category on the other portion, and is in the top 25% of their class on this exam. (Provided he/she is accepted at the college) So it is in your child’s best interest to do well on these tests. See your child’s counselor for scholarship details.

If you have questions about the testing, please do not hesitate to contact me or your child’s guidance counselor. I wish your child well on the exam.

Sincerely,

Pamela G. Culver

Principal

Masconomet Regional High School

20 Endicott Road

Topsfield, MA 01983

Phone: (978) 887-2323 ext. 6107

Fax: (978) 887-7243

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