The review process used by EQA is composed of several distinct components:
Data Analysis
All schools’ and districts’ annual MCAS results are subjected to an intensive analysis aligned with the requirements and standards of DOE regulations and federal statutes from the ‘No Child Left Behind’ legislation of 2001.
The data are analyzed in several different ways to make sure that the EQA has a solid basis from which to raise questions and concerns or reach preliminary findings. This includes factors such as competency determination rates, attendance rates, MCAS performance data, MCAS participation rates, and adequate yearly progress data. These data are disaggregated to show performance of the district over time, of the district relative to state averages, for schools relative to each other, and for subgroups relative to each other.
The EQA review of the MCAS results is framed by five essential questions:
- Achievement: To what extent is the MCAS performance of all the district’s students meeting or exceeding state proficiency standards?
- Equity of Achievement: How does MCAS performance vary among the district’s student subgroups?
- Improvement: How has MCAS performance for all students in the district changed over time?
- Equity of Improvement: How has MCAS performance for the district’s student subgroups changed over time?
- Opportunity and Access: Are all eligible students attending and participating in all required programs and assessments?
Data are provided to EQA directly from the Massachusetts Department of Education. These are then analyzed by EQA, with additional statistical analyses conducted on EQA’s behalf by the Merrimack Education Center and Cape Ann Economics.
Once the district data have been analyzed, they are provided to the district prior to the on-site visit. The data are included in the final published district report.
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