We at Falmouth High School encourage you to visit the Massachusetts Department of Secondary and Elementary Education’s (DESE) website to access a variety of resources and informational postings to aid your understanding of the assessment series.  Helpful link to key areas of the DESE site appear to the right.

The MCAS tests are based on the learning standards in the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks in three disciplines: English Language Arts (ELA), mathematics, and science/technology/engineering (STE). With relation to this last area, the majority of students at Falmouth High School complete the Biology MCAS.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT MCAS SCORES

Scores are reported separately for each subject. Scores in each subject are reported in one of four categories: Advanced, Proficient, Needs Improvement, or Failing. Students who score in the failing range are required to retest in that area(s) until a passing score is earned as required for graduation.

A score of 220 or above is required to pass the Science, Technology, and Engineering (STE) MCAS.

A score of 240 is the baseline for proficiency for the English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics tests of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS). Any student who scores below 240 on either of these tests will have his/her progress towards competency--and ultimately graduation--tracked on an Educational Proficiency Plan (EPP).

Students who score below 220 on a MCAS subject test will be required to complete a MCAS Retest in that subject area.