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MCAP

Preparing Our Students for a Changing World -  Maryland's College and Career Ready Standards Unlock Student Potential

More Maryland students are graduating high school than ever before.  But too many students are not prepared to do college-level work-or to compete for skilled jobs after graduation.  We need to close the "skills gap"-and ensure our children graduate ready to succeed.

Today's colleges and employers seek young adults who can analyze and solve problems, apply math, science, and technology in a real-world setting and write and think clearly.  Education needs to keep pace with our changing society. 

We need enriched content, hands-on learning and information to follow students' progress.  Teachers are receiving new training.  Students are mastering more complex information, gaining new skills and working independently and in groups.  Parents can encourage their children to reach higher, try new activities, and discover new passions.

Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) assessments will provide all of us with the most accurate snapshot yet of how well students are learning what they need to know to move on to the next grade or graduate ready for college and career.  Teachers can use this information to guide instruction at each grade level- so everyone is prepared to succeed.  See the  related attachment below. 

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What is the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP)? The MCAP encompasses all state and federally mandated assessment in English Language Arts/Literacy, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, English Language Proficiency and Kindergarten Readiness. The MCAP provides information to educators, families and the public on student progress towards proficiency on the Maryland state content standards. Through a strong assessment system, stakeholders gain an understanding of how schools are preforming and where assistance can be directed to support growth and achievement.

  2. What is an MCAP End of Course (EOC) Assessment?  An EOC assessment is content specific and required to be taken a the conclusion of a high school course. In Maryland the following state administered high school EOC assessments are required for graduation including Algebra, English, Government and the Life Science Maryland Integrated Science Assessment (LS-MISA).

  3. What is an MCAP End of Course (EOC) exam? An EOC Exam is a state administered high school assessment, incorporated into local courses as a final exam with a percentage counting towards the students' final course grade. Currently the EOC's will be given in Government and Biology course and will count as 20% of the students final grade. This stands in contrast to an EOC assessment where the student must earn a passing score on the assessment to meet a graduation requirement.

  4. What is the difference between the MCAP End of Course (EOC) Exam and the previous High School Assessments (HSA)? The HSA's were a series of high school assessments that a student had to pass to graduate from high school. A student's performance on the assessment had no impact on the student's final grade in a course or in earning any related course credits. The MCAP EOC Exam will be incorporated in the student's final course grade. There is no requirement for the student to pass the EOC Exam as a separate graduation requirement.

  5. Do students need to complete a bridge project if they do not pass the End of Course (EOC) Exam? No, there are no bridge project options for students. Students do not need to pass the EOC Exam to graduate; however, students must successfully earn the respective course credits.

  6. When was the End of Course (EOC) Exam established? The EOC Exam was adopted by the State Board on May 25, 2021. The EOC adoption superseded the former requirement in Maryland for students to pass high school assessments.

  7. When does the End of Course (EOC) Exam go into effect for students? During the 2022-2023 school year students in Government and Biology will take the new assessments, but it will not count as 20% of their final grade. Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, all first-time 9th grade students will have the EOC Exam incorporated into the student's final course grade as required by 13A.03.02 Graduation Requirements for High Schools in Maryland.

  8. How will students meet graduation assessment requirements for the 2022-2023 school year? For the 2022-2023 school year, students will meet the graduation assessment requirements by taking the requisite MCAP assessment after earning course credit for Science and Government.

  9. What about Algebra 1 and English 10? Algebra 1 and English 10 will also take an assessment at the end of the course. These assessments will not count for 20% of the student's grade. Instead these assessments will used to determine whether a student is College and Career Ready. As with PARCC, students receive a level based on their overall scaled score on the assessment. The MCAP assessment has four student performance levels: distinguished learner, proficient learner, developing learner and beginning learner. Both distinguished and proficient learners are considered proficient.

  10. What is a student is not considered proficient on the English 10 and Algebra 1 assessment? If a student is not considered proficient on the English 10 and Algebra 1 assessment they will need to receive remediation in the course or courses that they are not proficient in. After receiving remediation, the students will take the assessment again to determine if they are now proficient.