Md. Ed. Art §7-203 (b)(4)(i)(ii)(iii), Education Accountability Program requires that the Maryland State Department of Education develop and implement a middle school grade band social studies assessment.
The Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) 8th grade Social Studies assessment will measure student knowledge of United States History from 1763-1890 as well as students’ ability to:
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Evaluate the credibility of the sources by considering the authority, origin, type, context, and corroborative value of each source.
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Identify credible, relevant information contained in the sources.
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Construct arguments using claims and evidence from multiple sources.
In May 2022, all 8th graders will take a field test assessment and in May of 2023 the MCAP 8th grade social studies assessment will be operational. Scores for students taking the assessment in 2023 will be issued in late fall 2023. Subsequent scores for students and schools will be issued each summer beginning in 2024. Score reports will provide feedback to 8th grade teachers on student knowledge of United States History. Additionally, the scores will provide feedback to grade band teams (grades 6-8) on student achievement in the social studies skills and processes assessed on the 8th grade social studies assessment. This data will inform programmatic approaches to integrating the assessed skills into grades 6-8 instruction.