FAQs about Measures of Student Learning
What is the Measures of Student Learning (MSL) exam and how will it be used?
• This year, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) will
launch its use of exams to gather growth data about each teacher in the state.
• This growth data – how much each teacher helps his or her students grow in one
year in a given subject – will be used to help school districts determine the
effectiveness of teachers.
What subjects will have MSL exams?
• 22 high school courses
• Science in grades 4, 6 and 7
• Social Studies in grades 4-8
How will CMS handle these exams—what measures are in place to be sure these
exams are taken seriously by teachers and students?
• CMS has decided to use these new exams in place of our high school final exams
to prevent an increase in testing. We are reviewing additional information on
MSL administration prior to making a final decision that will impact our seniors.
• It is a district expectation that at least 95% of students enrolled in each tested
course will take the MSL exam.
Are there any exceptions for students taking the exam?
The only students who will not take these new state exams will be students with
disabilities who take an alternative assessment (Extend I) on our other state exams and students
identified as Limited English Proficient who score below a 4.0 Expanding on the reading domain
of the English language proficiency test in their first year in US schools.
If a student transfers into a course late and is enrolled less than 140 days of a year-long
course or less than 70 days of a semester-long course, the student must still take the
exam, but his or her results will not count toward the teacher-effectiveness measure.
How will the open-ended questions on the exams be scored?
CMS will recruit and pay teachers to score these assessments, mirroring a process
developed by the state to score open-ended test items.
When will we know exactly when these exams will be offered?
We are waiting for this information from NCDPI. As soon as we get the information, we
will share it with you.