The Start of Another MCAS Season
We are about to begin a new season. And I’m not talking about the Red Sox,
although they are in full swing of Spring Training. This season, though, is not as well-known as
fall, winter, or spring, but in this new age of education it is even more
important: the MCAS season is upon
us. Every student at the Nichols Middle
School be completing the English Language Arts portion on Tuesday, March 18 through Thursday, March 20, 2014.
We have to keep in the forefront of our minds
that these tests are important. The
reason for this is simple: the MCAS is just that important. I know it.
The teachers here at NMS know it.
Hopefully, the students understand it and do their best; and I am also hoping
that parents are echoing these same sentiments at home.
So on Tuesday, March 18, our 7th Grade Students will be completing the Long Composition portion of the MCAS, whereas on Wednesday and Thursday, March 19 and 20, all of Nichols Middle School’s
students (Grades 6 through 8) will be taking the English Language Arts (ELA) Reading Comprehension portion of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS for
short). And then starting on May 5
through 20, students will be completing the Math (Grades 6, 7, 8) and
Science and Technology (Grade 8 only) portions of the tests.
These tests bring anxiety, fear,
anticipation, grief, resentment, and relief.
With everyone’s differing feelings on MCAS, though, one thing is for
sure, they are here and we must deal with them for the best of our
students. Students at NMS have been
preparing all year every day in their classes for these assessments, but we all must make sure we are
doing everything we can in order to make sure each and every student is
ready.
I will be having meetings with each grade level to discuss
the importance of the tests, better test-taking skills, and some overall
strategies to help them do better and relax.
Our teachers are preparing students with skills they need to succeed
each and every day either through teaching to the standards, extra test prep
during DIAL periods, working with our online math program Digits, or
participating in our After-School MCAS Math Prep classes (Information to be coming out soon).
So what, may you ask, can parents do? Well, I am glad you asked. The following is from the Guide
to the MCAS for Parents/Guardians
put out by the Massachusetts Department
of Elementary and Secondary Education:
What Can I Do to Help My Child?
Supporting
your child is critical now and in his or her future academic career. Here are
some tips for helping your child prepare for the next MCAS test administration.
·
Have regular discussions with your child’s teachers to see what
you can do at home to support your child’s work in school.
·
Make sure your child gets enough rest, eats properly, and arrives
at school on time every day. Send your
child to school prepared to learn.
·
Discuss with your child subjects that need improvement and whether
he or she thinks there has been improvement. If the answer is no, find out why.
·
Ask your child about homework that is due tomorrow and next week,
and make sure this homework is completed. Check your child's agenda nightly.
·
Ask your child to explain what he or she is studying. These conversations help you follow your
child’s progress, and help your child to remember what he or she has learned.
·
Help your child practice MCAS test questions, and review the tests
together so you will all become familiar with the expectations. Have them show you what the tests look like
and try to answer the questions with him or her.
Test Prep Questions are on-line at DESE Website each day and other helpful
information can also be found; there is a whole database of past tests.
Our teachers have been utilizing this all
year, and more and more each day as we get closer to get used to the styles of
questions as well as to be more familiar with the material. We are getting there; each and every day we
are getting closer to doing better as a school.
The MCAS is important.
Yes, it is, but we all know that we each have a part to play in the
success of each child. At NMS, we all
believe each and every student can be successful at the MCAS and every other
subject in school as well. We are all
going to work together as diligently as we can to make sure all students do
succeed. If we all keep this in mind and
work together, there is no way we won’t succeed. So, ‘tis the season of MCAS for it will be
just another season of success for all of us at NMS.
