The Science MCAS is likely our students' first experience taking a long content-based test. Students are encouraged to review this year's content prior to the test, but we do not review content from Grades 3 and 4 in class. We know that this particular group of students may not have covered all of the Grade 3 and 4 standards completely due to the Covid-impacted school years. However, our MCAS analysis in Natick last year did not demonstrate much difference between student performance on Grade 3, 4, or 5 content, and overall, our students did well. This shows that our students have been engaged in memorable experiences that allow them to answer questions correctly even from 3rd grade! As long as students commit to taking their time on the test and thinking through the questions with care, they can be successful on this test. Please encourage your student to review this year's content, read questions slowly and carefully, and write as much as they can on essay-type questions. And, remind them that however they do on the test, it mainly informs our science department so we can create the best possible and memorable science experiences for our students. It has absolutely no correlation to which students may go on to enjoy science classes in HS or pursue science careers. 

3rd and 4th Grade Standards

https://drive.google.com/file/d/16km7Owk_SroR3zbvnzX5sg9SeuBYIMTZ/view?usp=sharing