The Clerc Center operates two accredited demonstration schools on its campus in Kendall Demonstration Elementary School (KDES) and the Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD). Both schools are mandated by Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to adhere to statewide academic standards and to participate in annual statewide assessments. However, the Clerc Center is a Federal program and does not report to a state-level department of education.
Read our 2023-2024 report cards:
MCAP’s summative tests are available in grades 3-8 and high school (10-12). These assessments are taken in the springtime. The assessments include a performance-based component with longer questions that usually require multiple steps. It measures critical thinking, reasoning, and the ability to apply skills and knowledge in reading, writing, mathematics, and science.
MAP is a computer adaptive assessment that is aligned with the Common Core State Standards in English Reading, Language Usage, and Mathematics. These assessments adapt according to student responses and measure individual progress or growth during the school year. This norm-referenced assessment is based on a continuum of skills in content areas from low skill levels to high skill levels. This assessment helps teachers identify the instructional and independent levels of the student and establish accurate target instruction based on students’ strengths and needs. MAP’s English Reading assessment will also measure students’ text difficulty and determine their Lexile Range score. The Lexile scale helps teachers generate appropriate reading materials or the student. These assessments are administered three times throughout the school year.
The ACT is a standardized test used for college admissions in the United States. This test covers four academic skill areas: English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science Reasoning. It also offers an optional essay writing test. MSSD students in their junior and senior years are encouraged to take the ACT if they are considering college. MSSD offers students in their junior year to take the ACT test for free. MSSD administers the ACT test a few times a year. Please reach out to the MSSD’s Assessment Coordinator for more information.
To register for the test, the students should register with MSSD’s Assessment Coordinator. Students who do not have testing accommodations in their IEPs should register for Arranged Testing test dates. Students who have testing accommodations in their IEPs, such as extended testing time, should register for Special Testing test dates.
The Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center at Gallaudet University is a federally funded center with exemplary elementary and secondary education programs for deaf and hard of hearing students and is tasked with developing and disseminating innovative curricula, instructional techniques, and products nationwide while providing information, training, and technical assistance for parents and professionals to meet the needs of deaf and hard of hearing students from birth to age 21.