ASSESSING STUDENT PROGRESS

It is important to assess whether students have reached the learning standards set by the health education curriculum, acquired the necessary content knowledge, and developed proficiency in targeted health-related skills. Health education is not one of the subjects included in the statewide Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS), so schools should develop health education assessments aligned with their own curricula. An extensive bank of health education test items, matched to the National Health Education Standards, has been developed and piloted by the Health Education Assessment Project of the Council of Chief State School Officers’ (CCSSO) State Collaborative on Assessment and Student Standards (SCASS). This testing collection includes both selected response (multiple-choice) items to assess content knowledge and performance-based questions and activities that require students to demonstrate more complex skills. Additional information about SCASS and health education assessment resources is available at  Test items are password-protected and can be made available only to authorized school personnel who have completed DOE health education assessment training requirements and sign a nondisclosure agreement. To find out more about health education assessment offerings and technical assistance from DOE, contact the department’s Comprehensive School Health Education Coordinator.