Stapleton Students Given Less Time To Complete MCAS Exam

Editor's Note: Originally posted at 10:22 p.m. Updated to fix typo.

On Monday, fifth grade students in many of the Framingham Public School's eight elementary schools took the MCAS English language arts exams.

Students at Stapleton Elementary School, however, had less time to complete the state-required test, due to an administration error.

Students were not given the test until almost 10:30 a.m. according to staff, who did not wish to be identified for obvious reasons. 

Typically, students are given the exam by 9:30 a.m. at the elementary level
(except for McCarthy Elementary which has an earlier start time at 8:15 a.m.) and must finished by about 3 p.m.

Students, are prohibited by the state, to work on the exam, on a second day.

Employees at Stapleton informed Framingham Patch that the exams were still sealed in a box at 8 a.m.

A handful of parents contacted Framingham Patch Monday night to say that their child felt rushed during  the MCAS exam.

Two parents mentioned to Patch their child has an individual education plan (IEP), which allows for additional time during the MCAS, and that time was not available on Monday, which would be a reportable offense to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).

Both the Framingham Public Schools Director of Educational Operations Sonia Diaz and the Special Education Director Laura Spear reported to Stapleton Elementary Monday morning after the MCAS issue became known

Framingham Patch asked Superintendent of Schools Stacy Scott to explain the issue at Stapleton Elementary.

Responding from a conference in California via email he wrote: "On Monday, March 17, administrators from the FPS district office reported concerns to DESE regarding a potential irregularity in MCAS administration at Stapleton ES which impacted the starting time of the test for 5th grade students."

"The district is conducting a full review of processes and procedures regarding MCAS testing requirements to ensure full compliance with DESE expectations," concluded Scott.