Scenes from MCAS Alt Prep

In Massachusetts our state test is the MCAS. Students with significant disabilities participate in the MCAS through the Alternate Assessment which is a portfolio of work that correlates to our state standards and what the students are learning in their classrooms. When I taught in Hudson all eight of my students participated via the Alt and I even spent a few summers participating in the Summer Scoring Institute, which I loved and was seriously the best professional development ever for a SpEd teacher! 

Since NECC is a special education school that serves students with autism who need more support than a typical school district can provide all of our Massachusetts students in grades three through eight and ten participate in the Alt. As such, we had over 70 MCAS Alt porfoilios to prepare and ship. Last week was the final push, as all needed to be out the door on Friday. With that in mind, I spent four days in the building assisting in any way I could to help get everything wrapped up. Typically I am only in the school building twice a week. By Thursday, no one (here or at home) had any concept of what day of the week it was since I went in more than usual.  

On Tuesday, I spent eight and a half hours in this hallway scanning portfoios. We do this in case there are any discrepencies, questions or in theoff chance that oen (or more) get lost. After all those hours I then went home and worked for four more answering emails that I had ignored all day. By the end of my almost thirteen hour work day I took myself straight to bed. 

One of the SpEd teachers brought this up for us. Needless to say, it never came to the point that we needed to open it. That same amazing SpEd teacher bought Dominique, Kristen and me lunch as a thank you for all we do to support them with MCAS (and IEPs). 

This is a sticky note that was left in one of the student's portffoilios. It pretty much sums up this week but all of 2025, TBH.