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PARCC Diagnotic Assessment Field Test Invitation

November 20, 2014 Dear Superintendents and PARCC Test Coordinators: The PARCC consortium is seeking volunteers to field test new diagnostic assessments at grades 2-8 in ELA and Mathematics in February and April 2015. While we are pleased to share with you this opportunity-for districts administering either PARCC or MCAS in spring 2015-we want you to know that participation is entirely voluntary, and acknowledge this may be additional work for your testing teams. The Department is committed to better understanding districts' assessment practices to obtain a variety of perspectives (see the Commissioner's November 7th update for more information). If you are interested in having any of your schools participate, please forward this invitation to them. Detailed information regarding the field test and how to sign up are provided below.

General Information

The PARCC Diagnostic Assessment is designed to provide data to help inform instruction with up to four unique administrations at any time during the school year. When operational, the Diagnostic Assessments will provide educators with the kind of snapshot and progress-monitoring data they are seeking to inform and adjust instruction in real time. Aligned to the Common Core State Standards and designed to maximize flexibility, the Diagnostic Assessments will provide easy-to-use and actionable reports.

Benefits of Participation in the Field Test

By participating in the voluntary field test, schools and districts will benefit in a variety of ways:
  • There will be a cost reduction if districts choose to purchase the Diagnostic Assessments (available in school year 2015-2016).
  • Teachers who participate will be considered for future opportunities related to PARCC tool development and item review.
  • The assessments will provide students with an opportunity to practice online test-taking skills within classroom instruction.
  • Schools will receive an early preview of the Diagnostic Assessments and associated tools.
Please note that no score reports or feedback will be provided, as the field test is designed to "test the test," not the students.

Field Test Information

  • Schools that participate in the field test are expected to test a minimum of two classes in grades 2-8.
  • The field tests will take place during two separate windows: February 16-27 and April 6-17.
  • Each assessment takes 20 to 50 minutes to complete, plus administrative time.
  • Schools may choose to test Reading and/or Mathematics content areas.
  • All schools may participate, and a diverse sample is desired.

Next Steps for Principals

Interested schools are encouraged to view a short recorded webinar (approximately 10 minutes long), which provides high level information regarding the Diagnostic Assessment design and goals for field testing. If you choose to participate, please complete a survey by clicking on the following link : Yes, I would like to participate in the PARCC Diagnostic Assessments Field Test. The survey provides Pearson with information about your school and which assessments the school would like to participate in. Pearson will follow up with you for training on PearsonAccess Next and TestNav 8 before the field test. The tables below show important dates for the next steps for the two testing windows for the PARCC Diagnostic Assessment field test.
February 2015 Field Test
(Grades 2-3 for ELA Decoding, Grades 2-6 for Math Fluency)
EventDate
Participation File Submission12/29/14-2/16/15
Student Data File Submission12/29/14-2/27/15
Student Registration12/29/14-2/27/15
Create Testing Sessions12/29/14-2/27/15
Proctor Caching 2/9/15-2/27/15
Testing Window 2/16/15-2/27/15

April 2015 Field Test/Pilot
(Grades 2-8 for Reading Comprehension, ELA Vocabulary, Math Comprehension, and Reading Fluency Pilot)
EventDate
Participation File Submission2/23/15 - 4/6/15
Student Data File Submission2/23/15 - 4/17/15
Student Registration2/23/15 - 4/17/15
Create Testing Sessions2/23/15 - 4/17/15
Proctor Caching3/30/15 - 4/17/15
Testing Window4/6/15-4/17/15
If you have questions regarding the administration of the PARCC Diagnostic Assessment field test, please contact Pearson's PARCC Diagnostic Help Center at 888-493-9888, option #2 (open Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. EST) or parccdiagnostic@support.pearson.com. For more information or assistance, please contact Student Assessment Services at 781-338-3625 or parcc@doe.mass.edu. Thank you,
The DESE PARCC Team Copy: District Test Coordinators



Last Updated: November 21, 2014



 
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