Live, love MCAS. MCAS is very beneficial. If we listed all the reasons why we love MCAS, this article would never end. But we will just list the top reasons why it is so valuable.

To start, it gives kids a stress reliever with the break from homework. During the time period of MCAS testing, teachers are not allowed to assign homework or give tests to students because students must focus and rest for MCAS. High school can overwhelm many kids. The work never seems to stop, and breaks are few and far apart. Having MCAS means teachers cannot assign homework, so during exam days, most teachers will only tell students to rest and eat well. These are healthy habits that students should have all year, but stress from school often makes them impossible to retain. MCAS gives students the chance to take care of themselves and relax.

MCAS also helps kids practice test-taking skills but in a stress-free environment. Teachers always expect kids to come into their classes knowing how to take a test efficiently. However, teachers do not dedicate much class time to teaching students how to do so without making mistakes. MCAS is the perfect outlet for students to learn these necessary skills. Without the immediate consequence of a bad grade and devoid of a time limit, students can practice answering all kinds of questions that they could see on future tests.

In addition, MCAS improves the quality of the teaching at our school by making sure students are learning from their teachers. Part of the reason the state of Massachusetts administers MCAS is to assess whether or not students are actually making the most out of their education. If everyone from one school does very poorly, then the state will know that that school needs to improve. So, MCAS is useful for gauging a school’s quality of teaching.

Having just finished the last MCAS we will ever get to take, we are feeling sad. We’re looking back to our first MCAS in elementary school when we thought we were going to fail. We realize that back then, since we never took many tests, our first MCAS was so stressful because we were so inexperienced as test-takers. However, each year we got more confident, and tests overall became more comfortable. We felt as if we could handle them rather than being overwhelmed. MCAS was the pathway to turning us into good tests-takers. It gave us that important skill, so we must be forever thankful for MCAS. Never under-appreciate the importance of MCAS.

Most kids only dislike MCAS because it’s an extra test, but the truth is, MCAS gives so much more than it takes away. It’s not just a test – it’s an experience. Don’t stress! MCAS is all about giving it your best effort. So next time you take an MCAS test, smile instead of frown.

Opinion articles written by staff members represent their personal views. The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent WSPN as a publication.