School Improvement in Maryland

MSA: Maryland School Assessment

What is MSA?

Some Facts about MSA:

  • The test meets the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
  • The test assesses the Maryland content standards in mathematics, reading, and science.
  • The reading and mathematics tests are administered annually to students in grades 3 through 8. The science test is administered annually in grades 5 and 8.
  • MSA scores will show how well Maryland children have learned the reading, mathematics, and science skills specified in the State Curriculum.
  • The test includes both selected response (multiple-choice) and brief constructed response items.

Parents

"The Maryland School Assessment will fulfill recommendations made by a state panel of parents, legislators, educators, and business and community leaders (the Visionary Panel for Better Schools) and will also meet the new federal testing requirements of President Bush's No Child Left Behind Act. It will launch a new decade of progress for our students"
- Nancy S. Grasmick
State Superintendent of Schools

The Maryland School Assessment (MSA) is a test of reading, math, and science achievement. This test provides educators, parents, and the public valuable information about student, school, school system, and state performance.


What does MSA look like?

READING Public Release Items and Student Responses

MSDE recently released selected Public Release items.

NEW Public Release Items:
Items and scoring information 345678
Print version (PDF)345678
Answer keys for print version 345678

Reading Sample Items

MSDE has also provided examples of items similar to the assessed items on MSA.

Grade 345678

MATHEMATICS Public Release Items and Student Responses

MSDE recently released selected Public Release items. These are the first MSA items to be released for the mathematics assessment.

NEW Public Release Items:
Items and scoring information 345678
Print version (PDF) 345678
Answer keys for print version 345678

Mathematics Sample Items

MSDE has also provided examples of items similar to the assessed items on MSA.

Grade 345678

Science Public Release Items and Student Responses

MSDE recently released test forms to the public for 2010. The first Science MSA test form was released in 2007.

Practice Assessment Tools: Pearson Educational Measurement Solutions

NEW 2010 Public Release Items:
Items and scoring information 5
Print version (PDF) 5 8
2010 Answer keys for print version 5 8

2009 Public Release Items:
Items and scoring information 5 8
Print version (PDF) 5 8
2009 Answer keys for print version 5 8

2008 Public Release Items:
Items and scoring information 5 8
Print version (PDF)
Grade 5 All Sessions (Session 1, Session 2, Session 3, Session 4)
Grade 8 All Sessions (Session 1, Session 2, Session 3, Session 4)
2008 Answer keys for print version: 5 8

2007 Public Release Items:
Items and scoring information 5 8
Print version (PDF)
Grade 5 All Sessions (Session 1, Session 2, Session 3, Session 4)
Grade 8 All Sessions (Session 1, Session 2, Session 3, Session 4)
2007 Answer Key for Print version 5 8