Testing & Accountability
The Office of Testing & Accountability assists with the administration of:
- Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP)
- English Language Arts and Literacy
- Mathematics
- Social Studies
- Preliminary SAT (PSAT)
- Advanced Placement (AP) testing
The Office assists central office staff, principals, teachers, lead teachers and other school-based personnel in using a wide range of assessment data to achieve program and school improvement goals, including those directly related to student achievement and school performance.
State and Federal Testing Requirements
Federal law requires that all students be assessed and receive an individual score in reading and mathematics in grades 3 through 8 and a high school grade. Maryland measures academic progress each year by administering the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP), Maryland Integrated Science Assessment (MISA), and the Alternate Maryland School Assessments for students with disabilities. Scores from state assessments are posted on reportcard.msde.maryland.gov. This site contains test results, school progress, demographic information, and other facts and figures for every school and school system in Maryland.
Instructional information and parent resources at www.marylandpublicschools.org, including information on the MISA and MCAP Assessments.
Elementary and Middle School Assessments
Students in grades 3 through 8 participate in the English language arts (ELA) and mathematics MCAP assessments. The MCAP assessment is a test of reading and math achievement that meets the testing requirements of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). This test is given during April and May. The MCAP assessments are designed to be administered online, containing multiple format questions and questions requiring written responses. The MCAP ELA/math assessment scores show how well students have learned the reading and mathematics skills in the Maryland’s College and Career-Ready Standards (MCCRS).
The MISA assesses science achievement for students in grades 5 and 8. These scores reflect the science skills learned during the current and preceding two years.
In 8th grade, students take the MCAP Social Studies 8 Assessment, which measures student knowledge of United States history. Sample questions for all MCAP assessments can be found at support.mdassessments.com.
High School Assessments
Students in high school will take a combination of assessments to demonstrate their academic proficiency and meet graduation requirements. High school students will take MCAP ELA, math, government, and life science assessments aligned with the courses in which they are enrolled to measure school and individual student progress toward Maryland’s High School Core Learning Goals. Students take each test after they complete the content-related course. This includes middle school students taking high school level courses.
College and Career Readiness
In 2021, Maryland passed the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. The intent of this legislation is to ensure that Maryland students graduate from high school prepared for college and career pathways. School districts are required to determine whether students are prepared to take credit-bearing college courses in math and English Language Arts by assessing them no later than 10th grade. To comply with the assessment requirements of the Act, WCPS will review students’ assessment scores to determine if the student meets the requirement. If students have not yet demonstrated readiness for college-level work, they will complete supplemental coursework.
Alternate Maryland School Assessment
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1997 also requires that states provide an “alternate assessment” when implementing statewide accountability systems. Students with significant cognitive disabilities who cannot participate in the MCAP, and MISA assessments, even with accommodations, participate in the alternative assessments. These assess students’ attainment of their instructional level reading, mathematics, and science mastery objectives that are aligned with grade-level Maryland Content Standards.