THE COST OF MCAS

The direct state cost of MCAS will total over $19 million in FY2003, not counting the $50 million now going to MCAS low scoring support services or other related state administration costs.  Local direct and indirect costs are staggering, although they vary widely by school district.

Estimated State Costs of the MCAS

Direct State Costs:

$ 18 million
Student Assessment (MCAS)              
Line item 7061-9400

For FY03, the cost of test development and administration, including scoring, the Department of Education was granted $18, 679,946. This line item would also include printing and mailing, materials and other costs for workshops and other training for teachers, administrators and staff, marketing and public relations in support of MCAS, including contracts with MassInsight to provide pro-MCAS public relations, which in the past have been as much as $350,000.

Other State Costs Related to MCAS:

$ 1.75 million
DOE Administration                            
Line item 7010-0005   

There are several items within the Department of Education Administration line item that are related to MCAS.  These costs are estimated below and total about $1.75 million:

$  500,000     Department of Education staff time related to MCAS but not covered by the MCAS line item - 4-5 FTE’s

$  250,000     Data system costs related to MCAS

$1,000,000    Media campaign (TV and radio ads) in support of MCAS (FY02)

Local Costs of the MCAS

This is much harder to estimate and depends not only on the size of the school district (the number of students taking the tests), but also how the school district prepares its students and staff for the tests.

Listed below are just some of the costs that some school districts experience directly or indirectly in giving and preparing students for the MCAS:

a.  Staff time to administer:  including giving the tests (2 weeks), preparing to give the tests, sending the tests to parents and analyzing the results. 

One Massachusetts school district has estimated that for its high school alone, the number of staff hours (teachers and administrators) required to administer the test is at least 500 hours.  This does not include Special Education alternative assessments.

b.  Substitutes hired to teach classes of non-test taking students

c.  Supplies - pencils, paper and postage for mailing(s) to parents (with results as well as information about the upcoming tests)

d.  Special needs assessments - administering the alternative assessments to disabled students

Other, Indirect State and Local Costs:

a.  MCAS Low-Scoring Student Support, State Budget Line item 7061-9404, $50 million appropriated for FY03 (targeted to those students in the Class of 2003 who have not yet passed the MCAS) - to the extent that funds are used primarily for MCAS “prep” and not for broader educational support, this line item should be examined.

b.  Summer school and after-school programs - to the extent primarily “test prep” and not for broader educational support

c.  Purchasing new textbooks because of frequent changes to curriculum frameworks - to the extent focused on specific alignment with the MCAS

d.  Professional development, teacher/administrator training - specifically for test prep or for analyzing the MCAS results, and for Special Education alternative assessment

e.  Active promotion of the testing program - through mailings, school and community meetings, local media

f.  Coaching and test prep - time in class as well as out of school

g.  Reallocation of school funds from programs such as physical education, music, art and enrichment programs in order to focus on MCAS prep