Resources for the 2025-26 School Year
State assessments are designed to measure what a student knows and can do in relation to grade level content. These assessments play a critical role at the federal, state and local levels in decision making and the allocation of necessary supports and resources to schools.
The MECAS Guidelines provide SAUs and schools with detailed information regarding the enrollments and required state assessment participation for Maine students.
- MECAS Guidelines 2025-2026
- Understanding the Difference: NAEP and the Maine Through Year Assessment
- Assessment Administration Coordination Checklist — Coordination process between Responsible SAUs and Attending Programs for statewide assessments
A Special Consideration is a request for a student to be exempt from participation in a required Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) due to medical reasons. This request must be submitted within the open assessment window of each specific applicable assessment.
- Special Considerations Exemption Instructions
- NEO Portal — Submit exemption requests here
In these modules, you will learn about balanced assessment systems and Summative Assessment, and why they are beneficial to students. A form is included at the end of each module and can be completed to earn a contact hours certificate.
Search for Assessment Coordinators and Data Specialists in each district (no login required).
Maine Educational Assessments: Why Participation Matters
Available in: Arabic | Chinese | French | Kinyarwanda | Lingala | Portuguese | Somali | Spanish | Vietnamese
Office Hours & Federal Requirements
- Office Hours
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Office hours occur at noon on the first Wednesday of every month, September through June.
Date Recording Slides Q&A August 20, 2025 YouTube PDF PDF September 3, 2025 YouTube PDF PDF October 1, 2025 YouTube PDF PDF November 5, 2025 YouTube PDF PDF December 3, 2025 YouTube PDF — January 7, 2026 YouTube PDF — February 4, 2026 YouTube PDF PDF March 4, 2026 YouTube PDF PDF April 1, 2026 YouTube PDF May 6, 2026 YouTube PDF PDF
- Federal Requirements for State Assessments
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Section 1111(b)(2)(B) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 requires the same assessment be used to measure the achievement of all public elementary and secondary school students in the state.
The same academic assessments must be administered to all public elementary and secondary school students. States must annually measure the achievement of not less than 95 percent of all students, and 95 percent of all students in each subgroup.
Federal statute requires that parents receive a notification indicating their right to request the district's policies and procedures regarding student participation in state and local assessments. When this information is requested, the district will provide all applicable information to families, including any non-participation (opt-out) procedure if one exists.
Maine DOE includes all students in all public schools in the state in each indicator of the state's accountability system for Title I purposes, unless a Title I exception applies.
Requirements for State Summative Assessments