NECAP INFORMATION

• NECAP Standards (GLEs)
• Administration Information
• Content-Related Information
• Letters
• Presentations
• Released Items
• Test Results
• Technical Manual

MeCAS System Links:

• MeCAS Home
• Maine Education Assessment (MEA)
• Maine High School Assessment (MHSA; SAT and Science)
• Personalized Alternate Assessment Portfolio (PAAP)
• National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
• New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP)

• Educational Assessment Links:

• Comprehensive Assessment System Advisory Committees
• No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
• Supporting Resources

  • CONTACTS:

  • New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP)

  • Susan Smith
    NECAP Coordinator
    207-624-6775

  • MAINE EDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT (MEA)

  • Susan Smith
    MEA Coordinator
    207-624-6775

  • ALTERNATE ASSESSMENT / PAAP

  • Sue Fossett
    Alternate Assessment Coordinator
    207-624-6774

  • Access for ELLs

  Nancy Mullins
  ACCESS for ELLs® Coordinator
  207-624-6788

New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP)

Maine has joined New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont in the yearly development and administration of the New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP). This assessment is used by participating states to meet No Child Left Behind Act requirements for testing reading and mathematics once each year from grade 3 through grade 8. The states also include a writing assessment administered at grades 5 and 8. The first NECAP administration in Maine begins in October 2009.

NECAP assesses the learning of NECAP Grade Level Expectations (GLEs), which are located at the NECAP Standards link located to the left.

NECAP is designed to assess learning from the prior year (teaching year) at the beginning of the next school year (testing year). Therefore, grades 2-7 reading and mathematics are assessed at the beginning of grades 3-8. Fourth and 7th grade writing is assessed at the beginning of grades 5 and 8. Maine’s personalized alternate assessment program (PAAP) will now be provided for students in grades 2-7.

The NECAP testing window begins on October 1st or the first school day following October 1st each year and is 3 weeks long. Assessment reports are released during the third week of the following January.

Most content area tests consist of a combination of multiple-choice (1 point) and constructed-response (4 points) questions. The mathematics sessions also include short-answer questions worth 1 or 2 points, but do not include constructed-response items at grades 3 or 4. Writing sessions also include one extended-response prompt (12 points), in addition to the multiple-choice and constructed-response questions. The NECAP writing test design consists of a field test only in 2009. No student writing scores will be produced.

Students’ scores are based on 52 points in reading, 65 or 66 points in mathematics (depending on grade level), and 34 points in writing. Students are allowed up to 100% extra time to complete the test.

Released NECAP test items from the last several years are located at the “Released Items” link located to the left.

The NECAP test and report formats, most protocols, and manuals are similar to those used with the MEA, since both assessments are produced by the same contractor, Measured Progress. Test and answer booklets are integrated for grades 3 and 4.

NECAP student results will be reported in one of four achievement levels:

• Proficient with Distinction
• Proficient
• Partially Proficient
• Substantially Below Proficient

NECAP accommodations are currently under review and it is anticipated that they will be available in later summer 2009. Schools should use the 08-09 MEA Accommodations policy and codes. A crosswalk will be provided from MEA accommodations codes to NECAP accommodation codes prior to test administration.