Anonymous
Post 10/07/2025 11:38     Subject: MCAP scores posted in ParentVue-How to Interpret?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Bumping this thread because my 4th grader came home with her MCAP reports in her backpack.


Okay, great! Sounds like it's now at the schools and any delays from here are a school-based issue.

(I have as many criticisms of Central Office as anyone, but this isn't one of them, and honestly it bugs me when people attack them for things that aren't their fault because I think that makes it way too easy for them to say "see, parents are never satisfied and just blame us for everything reflexively, that must mean we can ignore all criticism from parents." Unless you want them to spend a ton of money or staff time manually scanning in tens of thousands of these forms just so we can see them a couple weeks earlier, which I definitely don't.)




Are you from 1998? There is no need for MCPS to manually scan data sent ELECTRONICALLY from the state to them in August. They just need better IT people who understand how to integrate information into Parentvue efficiently. This is absolutely a central office issue.
Anonymous
Post 10/07/2025 10:43     Subject: MCAP scores posted in ParentVue-How to Interpret?

Anonymous wrote:Bumping this thread because my 4th grader came home with her MCAP reports in her backpack.


Okay, great! Sounds like it's now at the schools and any delays from here are a school-based issue.

(I have as many criticisms of Central Office as anyone, but this isn't one of them, and honestly it bugs me when people attack them for things that aren't their fault because I think that makes it way too easy for them to say "see, parents are never satisfied and just blame us for everything reflexively, that must mean we can ignore all criticism from parents." Unless you want them to spend a ton of money or staff time manually scanning in tens of thousands of these forms just so we can see them a couple weeks earlier, which I definitely don't.)


Anonymous
Post 10/07/2025 10:38     Subject: MCAP scores posted in ParentVue-How to Interpret?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Bumping this thread because my 4th grader came home with her MCAP reports in her backpack.


That’s great! Nothing yet for my current 8th grader.


Nothing for my kids either (ES and MS). Amazing that MCPS has a huge comms team but can't bother to post a PDF scan of how to interpret the scores they gave us.
Anonymous
Post 10/06/2025 22:06     Subject: MCAP scores posted in ParentVue-How to Interpret?

Anonymous wrote:Bumping this thread because my 4th grader came home with her MCAP reports in her backpack.


That’s great! Nothing yet for my current 8th grader.
Anonymous
Post 10/06/2025 22:01     Subject: MCAP scores posted in ParentVue-How to Interpret?

Bumping this thread because my 4th grader came home with her MCAP reports in her backpack.
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2025 14:16     Subject: MCAP scores posted in ParentVue-How to Interpret?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:MCAP scores from spring of 2025 are now posted in Parent Vue under a "Test History" button.

09/12/2025: MCAP Scores - The Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) scores are now available to parents and students through ParentVUE and StudentVUE. For additional information regarding MCAP Testing, please visit this link.


That's great that we're getting them online rather than waiting months to see them via snail mail.

But unlike the MAP test results, there's nothing in the score page that shows how to interpret the results-just some scores and performance levels. I don't see anything about that in the link ParentVue directs us to.

Anyone know how to find info on how to interpret these scores and performance levels?


Omg, how DID mcps make this happen?!!! Omg.


I had the same reaction, but the fact that we're cheering that MCPS posted a bunch of test results that the state of Maryland sent them electronically weeks ago, while not providing even a sentence of explanation of how to interpret the results, should tell us how low our expectations are.


Yes, that next reaction was coming. Just trying to figure out how they finally figured out how to do it, a middle school student must have helped.


MCPS has a multibillion dollar budget. I would imagine at least some of it goes to our "world class" IT information systems.
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2025 14:14     Subject: MCAP scores posted in ParentVue-How to Interpret?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:MCAP scores from spring of 2025 are now posted in Parent Vue under a "Test History" button.

09/12/2025: MCAP Scores - The Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) scores are now available to parents and students through ParentVUE and StudentVUE. For additional information regarding MCAP Testing, please visit this link.


That's great that we're getting them online rather than waiting months to see them via snail mail.

But unlike the MAP test results, there's nothing in the score page that shows how to interpret the results-just some scores and performance levels. I don't see anything about that in the link ParentVue directs us to.

Anyone know how to find info on how to interpret these scores and performance levels?


Contact the office of testing and reporting to request for a copy of the individual student report. It has more info.

There is no supervisor listed so this is the highest ranking person in the directory:
Eun_H_Cho@mcpsmd.org

I got the report but only after first contacting the state.


Bumping this post from earlier in the thread. I guess someone could email this person.
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2025 14:09     Subject: MCAP scores posted in ParentVue-How to Interpret?

Anonymous wrote:Will we get the report in the mail? ParentVue data doesn’t show county or state scores/averages.


Can someone call or email the office and ask about this? (One person and then report back-- let's not take up a ton of their time with a bunch of redundant questions.)
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2025 13:38     Subject: MCAP scores posted in ParentVue-How to Interpret?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:MCAP scores from spring of 2025 are now posted in Parent Vue under a "Test History" button.

09/12/2025: MCAP Scores - The Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) scores are now available to parents and students through ParentVUE and StudentVUE. For additional information regarding MCAP Testing, please visit this link.


That's great that we're getting them online rather than waiting months to see them via snail mail.

But unlike the MAP test results, there's nothing in the score page that shows how to interpret the results-just some scores and performance levels. I don't see anything about that in the link ParentVue directs us to.

Anyone know how to find info on how to interpret these scores and performance levels?


Omg, how DID mcps make this happen?!!! Omg.


I had the same reaction, but the fact that we're cheering that MCPS posted a bunch of test results that the state of Maryland sent them electronically weeks ago, while not providing even a sentence of explanation of how to interpret the results, should tell us how low our expectations are.


For those parents who might still have the report from last year could look at that report for the explanation. Not sure if it's the same ranges for this year though. For parents new to this, welcome!
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2025 13:35     Subject: MCAP scores posted in ParentVue-How to Interpret?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:MCAP scores from spring of 2025 are now posted in Parent Vue under a "Test History" button.

09/12/2025: MCAP Scores - The Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) scores are now available to parents and students through ParentVUE and StudentVUE. For additional information regarding MCAP Testing, please visit this link.


That's great that we're getting them online rather than waiting months to see them via snail mail.

But unlike the MAP test results, there's nothing in the score page that shows how to interpret the results-just some scores and performance levels. I don't see anything about that in the link ParentVue directs us to.

Anyone know how to find info on how to interpret these scores and performance levels?


Omg, how DID mcps make this happen?!!! Omg.


I had the same reaction, but the fact that we're cheering that MCPS posted a bunch of test results that the state of Maryland sent them electronically weeks ago, while not providing even a sentence of explanation of how to interpret the results, should tell us how low our expectations are.


Yes, that next reaction was coming. Just trying to figure out how they finally figured out how to do it, a middle school student must have helped.
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2025 13:29     Subject: MCAP scores posted in ParentVue-How to Interpret?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:MCAP scores from spring of 2025 are now posted in Parent Vue under a "Test History" button.

09/12/2025: MCAP Scores - The Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) scores are now available to parents and students through ParentVUE and StudentVUE. For additional information regarding MCAP Testing, please visit this link.


That's great that we're getting them online rather than waiting months to see them via snail mail.

But unlike the MAP test results, there's nothing in the score page that shows how to interpret the results-just some scores and performance levels. I don't see anything about that in the link ParentVue directs us to.

Anyone know how to find info on how to interpret these scores and performance levels?


Omg, how DID mcps make this happen?!!! Omg.


I had the same reaction, but the fact that we're cheering that MCPS posted a bunch of test results that the state of Maryland sent them electronically weeks ago, while not providing even a sentence of explanation of how to interpret the results, should tell us how low our expectations are.
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2025 13:26     Subject: MCAP scores posted in ParentVue-How to Interpret?

Anonymous wrote:MCAP scores from spring of 2025 are now posted in Parent Vue under a "Test History" button.

09/12/2025: MCAP Scores - The Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) scores are now available to parents and students through ParentVUE and StudentVUE. For additional information regarding MCAP Testing, please visit this link.


That's great that we're getting them online rather than waiting months to see them via snail mail.

But unlike the MAP test results, there's nothing in the score page that shows how to interpret the results-just some scores and performance levels. I don't see anything about that in the link ParentVue directs us to.

Anyone know how to find info on how to interpret these scores and performance levels?


Omg, how DID mcps make this happen?!!! Omg.
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2025 13:07     Subject: MCAP scores posted in ParentVue-How to Interpret?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:3 is a passing/proficient score, and the score that most proficient kids get. 4s are pretty rare but do happen-- but not all above-average kids get 4s and it's not concerning not to get one even if you have a very smart kid. 1s are way behind. 2 is really the main score you would want more context on-- if they just barely missed a 3 it's probably no big deal, whereas if they're close to a 1 it would be something to look into more.

I believe the cut score between 2 and 3 is always 750 no matter the year or test, although I could be wrong.


FWIW it's generally somewhere in the 5%-12% range of kids in MCPS getting 4s, depending on year/grade/subject. So not tiny, but not huge. Not sure how well the 4s tend to match up with high MAP percentiles or other indicators of who the "top" kids are.


It's been as low as 1% in some years/subjects.

MAP is very different because MAP is adaptive and gives high scores for going above and beyond grade level content, but MCAP is non-adaptive and tests ability to withstand tedium and not make small mistakes.


It would be interesting to see a comparison of local norming done using MAP scores across FARMS-rate tranches to local norming done using schools' average MCAP scores as the basis, perhaps offering greater fidelity to the purpose of the magnet-admissions-related norming in assessing academic progress relative to the difficulty of educating the local cohort. Never going to happen, I know, and with a considerable number of confounding factors for which there would need to be accounting, but would be interesting to see.
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2025 13:02     Subject: MCAP scores posted in ParentVue-How to Interpret?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Will we get the report in the mail? ParentVue data doesn’t show county or state scores/averages.


Eventually yes


Why can't they just upload the PDF of the report in the Documents section like they do with MAP data?


That would have been the logical thing to do. Instead they just linked to some random MCAP link that has zero explanation of how to interpret the scores. Typical MCPS.
Anonymous
Post 09/15/2025 13:00     Subject: MCAP scores posted in ParentVue-How to Interpret?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Will we get the report in the mail? ParentVue data doesn’t show county or state scores/averages.


Eventually yes


Why can't they just upload the PDF of the report in the Documents section like they do with MAP data?