• NEW!!  PARCC Releases Tool To Prepare Schools / Districts for Rigorous 21st Century Assessments
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  The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) announced a new planning tool and guidance for schools and districts that will help them get ready for new, 21st century assessments in the 2014-2015 school year.
  
  The PARCC assessments will include a rich set of performance-based tasks that address a long standing concern among educators about large scale, pencil and paper assessments - they have been unable to capture some of the most important skills that we strive to develop in students. The PARCC assessments are being carefully crafted to accomplish this important goal. They will enable teachers, schools, students and their parents to gain important insights into how well critical knowledge, skills and abilities essential for young people to thrive in college and careers are being mastered in ways that only computer-based assessments can measure.
  
  Because of PARCC's ability to better measure student performance through technology enhanced test items, they will look very different to students. The tasks on the assessments will resemble the classroom work they do during the school year and look less like a conventional fill-in-the-bubble or short-answer test. Good examples can be found by reviewing the item prototypes on the PARCC website. Computer delivery of PARCC will allow the test items to both measure those skills needed for life beyond high school and be interactive and engaging.
  
  Rhode Island Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Deborah A. Gist, a member of the PARCC Governing Board, emphasized the importance of helping schools and districts prepare for next generation assessments over the next two years. "As we work to transform education in Rhode Island, one of our goals has been to establish world-class standards and assessments for our schools and for our students. Today marks a major step toward that goal, as the PARCC consortium rolls out tools to help schools transition to these new assessments. I am confident that the PARCC assessments will provide our families and educators with timely and valuable information about student progress and achievement, which will help all of us move our schools toward greatness," said Gist.
  
  Preparing for this type of assessment, one that is computer-based and aligned to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), necessitates changes in how schools prepare. The PARCC Assessment Administration Capacity Planning Tool provides schools and districts with a calculator that supports local technology budgeting and decision-making in preparation for computer-based administration of the tests in the 2014-2015 school year. This is a tool that administrators and school leaders have requested from the consortium to help them plan for a successful test administration in two years.
  
  PARCC is also releasing guidance that provides schools and districts with more information about the design of the PARCC assessments in English language arts/literacy and mathematics, as well as the number of testing sessions and the approximate time it will take students to complete the assessments.
  
  As the work of PARCC continues, the consortium is committed to keeping local educators and policy makers informed. The guidance released today is the first in a series of publications that PARCC intends to release over the coming months. All publications will be designed specifically to assist state and local policy makers as they prepare to administer PARCC assessments in 2014-2015.
• PARCC announces new features for Technology Readiness Tool
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  RIDE is pleased to announce an update to the PARCC Technology Readiness Tool that will include the minimum and recommended requirements for existing and new technology, as well as several enhancements to the tool itself (see the URL below for a link to a PDF with details). This new functionality was available beginning Monday (January 14).
  
  Enhancements can be found here: www.ride.ri.gov/Assessment/DOCS/PARCC/PARCC-TRT_Enhancements_2-2.pdf.
  
  As of Monday, any school-level device data that are marked as “required” but that are missing from the tool will be reported as not meeting minimum requirements. New report functionality on the site will help your technology-readiness coordinator to identify where data may be missing or may need revision. Assistant superintendents and curriculum directors have been given access to the PARRC Readiness Tool, and they should have received e-mail confirmation.
  
  The next data snapshot will be taken on February 15 and will be a critical benchmark for PARCC, as well as for LEAs and states, in assessing capacity in preparation for the assessment in School Year 2014-15. All LEAs should make every effort to provide any missing data in the tool before this date.
  
  For more information about the Technology Readiness Tool, please contact Mike Ferry, at 222-8258 or michael.ferry@ride.ri.gov. For Readiness Tool logon credentials, please contact Jessica Murphy, at jessica.murphy@ride.ri.gov.
• PARCC Releases new Technology Guidelines document
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  RIDE is pleased to announce the release of detailed guidelines regarding the technology specifications for the PARCC assessment. The guidelines document provides minimum and recommended specifications for computer hardware, input devices, and security requirements; the document also suggests recommended levels of bandwidth that will support the instructional and assessment needs of schools. The document does not yet set minimum bandwidth specifications, however.
  
  Schools, districts, and states can use these guidelines to determine the eligibility of existing computers as test-taking devices for the 2014-15 PARCC assessments. The information in this document is intended to answer questions about whether both current computer inventories and new instructional hardware that schools may purchase as they implement the Common Core States Standards will meet requirements for the PARCC 2014-15 online assessment.
  
  Technology Guidelines for PARCC Assessments Version 2.0 refines, and therefore supersedes, the Version 1.0 document released last April; you can access the new document at: www.parcconline.org/technology.
  
  If you need your PARCC Readiness Tool password reset, if you have questions, or if you need any other help on this matter, please call Mike Ferry, at 222-8258, or e-mail him at Michael.Ferry@ride.ri.gov.
• PARCC Releases Draft Accommodations Policies for Public Comment
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  The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) released two draft accommodations policies for public comment, the reading access accommodation and the calculator use accommodation. In addition to allowing a full array of testing accommodations on summative tests, PARCC is proposing two accommodations that will expand access to its tests to an even wider range of students with disabilities.
  
  First, the reading access accommodation will allow the passages, test items and answer choices on the English language arts/literacy assessment to be read to students who have a disability that prevents them from accessing printed text or has not yet learned braille. Also, the calculator policy will allow students who do not have the ability to calculate single digit numbers the use of a calculator for all items on the math assessment except those that measure fluency, as fluency is a skill required by the standards in some early grades. Both accommodations will have specific eligibility criteria and will be limited to students who meet these criteria.
  
  Once feedback is provided on these policies, they will be included in a larger policy that details all accommodations provided to students with disabilities and English language learners. From January 16, 2013 until February 4, 2013, the draft accommodations policies are posted on the PARCC website. Interested parties can provide feedback through a survey posted on the PARCC website, answering questions specific to each policy.
  
  All feedback will be reviewed by Achieve and the working group for Accessibility, Accommodation and Fairness and revisions will be made accordingly. Also, a determination to allow these accommodations and include them in the overall policy or not allow these accommodations will be made based on feedback collected.
  
  This is the first set of accommodation policies PARCC will release for public comment. An additional policy for the writing access policy will be released for public comment in early February, 2013, and the entire PARCC accommodation policy manual will be made available for public comment in April, 2013.
• Two white papers released on assessment design
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  PARCC has commissioned several white papers to be written by TAC members discussing psychometric and assessment design related issues. There are two more white papers now available:

  • Scores and Scales: Considerations for PARCC Assessments (Michael J. Kolen, Univ. of Iowa)
  • Scaling PARCC Assessments: Some Considerations and a Synthetic Data Example (Robert L. Brennan, Univ. of Iowa)

  All white papers can be found on the Technical Advisory Committee section of the PARCC web site.
• PARCC adopts a College- and Career-Ready Determination (CCRD) policy and Policy-Level Performance Level Descriptors (PLDs)
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  The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) Governing Board and the PARCC Advisory Committee on College Readiness (ACCR) on October 25 during a joint teleconference voted unanimously to adopt a College- and Career-Ready Determination (CCRD) policy and Policy-Level Performance Level Descriptors (PLDs).  Agreement on a CCRD policy and the PLDs in mathematics and English language arts/literacy is a significant milestone in the development of the next generation assessments.  States within the PARCC consortium now have established a common benchmark to define the academic preparation necessary for college and career readiness.
  
  The CCRD policy defines the level of academic preparation in English language arts/literacy and mathematics needed for students to be successful in entry-level, credit-bearing courses in two- and four-year public institutions of higher education.  These institutions include technical colleges and other institutions that award degrees or credentials aligned to entry requirements of middle- or high-skilled jobs.
  
  The adoption of the CCRD also signals that the PARCC assessments will have meaning for students as they progress through high school and beyond.  Students who achieve at the CCR level on the high school assessments will be able to enter directly into certain entry-level, credit-bearing courses in those subject areas without having to take placement tests.
  
  To view the CCRD policy and PLDs, frequently asked questions, a summary of the feedback to the drafts and how the feedback was incorporated, please visit the PARCC Assessment Polices (http://www.parcconline.org/parcc-assessment-policies) page on the PARCC website.

• The Alliance for Excellent Education hosted a webinar with Laura Slover of the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) and Susan Gendron of the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC), who joined Governor Wise (President of the Alliance for Excellent Education) and Pascal D. Forgione, Jr. of the K-12 Center at ETS.  The webinar provides general information on the consortia, as well as an update on the consortia's progress.  This link goes directly to the page with the embedded webinar (1.5 hours) and the downloadable supplemental materials (assessment designs, state memberships, PARCC presentation, SBAC presentation).

  The Comprehensive Assessment Consortia: A Progress Update (Alliance for Excellent Education)
• PARCC Overview PowerPoint (Updated July 2012)
• PARCC Overview (Updated July 2012)
• Major Milestones

• PARCC just issued its first Quarterly Progress Report (linked). PARCC will release these snapshots of the consortium's progress (and immediate next steps) every three months.

  PARCC Quarterly Progress Report - October 2011

• The archive for the progress reports and PARCC Place Newsletters.

  PARCC Place Newsletters and Quarterly Reports

• PARCC wants to make sure that educators have ongoing opportunities to give feedback on and understand the Common Core and PARCC assessments so that they can be active participants in their implementation.  PARCC will continue to update this survey over time to take into account new opportunities for involvement.

  PARCC Educator Engagement Survey

• PARCC Assessment Design o   K-2 Assessments o   3-8 Assessments o   High Schools Assessments

• The PARCC summative assessment will have two components that contribute to a student's score.  The first component will assess hard-to-measure standards through performance tasks (e.g., writing effectively when analyzing text, solving math problems based on everyday scenarios).  The second component is comprised of innovative machine scorable items. 
  
  PARCC is also developing two optional assessments (early and mid-year) that can be used to provide instructionally useful feedback to teachers and students and do not contribute to a student’s summative assessment score.  The first is expected to be diagnostic and an early indicator of student knowledge and skills, and the second to be performance-based.  All assessments are expected to be computer-delivered.

  PARCC Assessment Design Graphic
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  / (Downloadable PDF)

• As PARCC states prepare for the implementation of the new assessment system in the 2014-15 school year, the consortium is adopting a series of common policies related to assessment administration, scoring and the reporting of results.

  PARCC Assessment Policies page includes:
  
  o   Performance level descriptors (PLDs): policy-level (posted); grade- & subject-specific (in progress)
  o   NEW!!  Calculator policy
  o   NEW!!  Mathematics reference sheets: - Communication around PARCC Assessment Reference Sheet for Grades 3-8 - PARCC Assessment Reference Sheet - PARCC High School Reference Sheet

• Looking for some basic information on PARCC? This double-sided handout summarizes general information about PARCC, its benefits to educators, information about its design, and the role of K-12 educators in PARCC.

  Facts at a Glance for K-12 Educators

• PARCC Educator Leader Cadre
  o   What is the PARCC ELC?
  
  The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) is pleased to announce the membership of Rhode Island’s PARCC Educator Leader Cadre (ELC). Each state in the PARCC consortium is creating an ELC to support the transition to the CCSS and PARCC. All ELCs will meet several times throughout each year at a consortium level to network and be trained together through in person and virtual meetings.
  
  The ELC is a team of 24 members that will help lead implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the transition to the PARCC assessment in Rhode Island. Rhode Island’s ELC will share best practices regarding implementation and use of PARCC materials, engage in reviewing PARCC developed – and PARCC state-developed – instructional materials and become active leaders in state and local implementation efforts.
  
  Our Educator Leader Cadre is an integral part of RIDE’s strategy for engaging educators around the CCSS and PARCC. Cadre members will engage in focused activities around the CCSS and PARCC as they work towards two goals.
  
  

  • Cadre members will become leaders in Rhode Island by supporting and sharing information with other educators in their schools, districts and professional organizations. PARCC will provide educators with the tools they need to lead and facilitate ongoing discussions with their peers. The cadre’s leadership will help prepare our schools for sustained implementation beyond 2014-15 by working to build deep expertise in the CCSS and PARCC to realize the long-term benefits for educators’ practice and their students’ learning experiences.
  • To support their leadership development, cadre members will strengthen their content expertise in the CCSS and PARCC. They will develop the skills necessary to be content leaders among their peers by focusing in three specific areas: n   conducting a close study of the CCSS, PARCC Model Content Frameworks,
      and PARCC prototype tasks; n   reviewing PARCC developed tools, materials, and rubrics to ensure their quality
      and alignment including suggesting additional tools where necessary; and n   engaging in discussions with their colleagues about the use and dissemination
      of those tools.

  PARCC has created an information page for the ELCs: www.parcconline.org/educator-cadres.
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  o   Who are the members of the RI PARCC ELC?
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  Rhode Island PARCC Educator Leader Cadre

  Debra A. Scarpelli	Middle School Mathematics Slater Jr. High School, Pawtucket
  Dr. Pam O'Day	Literacy Specialist East Bay Educational Collaborative
  Judy Droitcour	Director, Center for Mathematics Educators East Bay Educational Collaborative
  Paula Dillon	Assistant Superintendent East Greenwich
  Dr. Susan Vander Does	Co-director RI Writing Project
  Kim Ramos	Elementary Teacher North Kingstown
  Julie Motta	Director of ESL Pawtucket School Department
  Jayne Berghorn	Reading Specialist RIASCD
  Julie Lima Boyle	ELA Curriculum Coordinator Coventry High School
  Debra Lancia	District Math Coach Cranston
  Jaime Crowley	Principal Thompson Middle School, Newport
  Linda Paolillo	Assistant Director Kingston Hill Academy
  Carol Blanchette	Assistant Superintendent Chariho Regional School District
  Lois Short	Director of Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment, and Professional Development Burrillville
  Audra McPhillips	Mathematics PD Specialist West Warwick
  Janice Mesolello	English PD Specialist Johnston
  Jason Masterson	Assistant Principal North Cumberland Middle School, Cumberland
  Catherine Boutin	Mathematics Grade Level Leader Deering Middle School, West Warwick
  Dr. Michael Barnes	Superintendent Foster-Glocester
  Renee Palazzo	Assistant Principal Smithfield High School
  Kathy Almanzor	Curriculum Director Jamestown
  Dr. Colleen Mercurio	Principal Hoxsie Elementary School, Warwick
  Rachel Mellion	Exec. Director of Curriculum Development & Implementation Providence
  Dr. Cornelis DeGroot	Associate Professor University of Rhode Island

• PARCC has recently released an overview of the resources and tools the consortium will be creating over the next four years, including a proposed timeline.  Such resources and tools include the model content frameworks, model instructional units, item and task prototypes, and professional development modules, among others.

  PARCC Tools and Resources

• PARCC has released Model Content Frameworks that will be used to inform the development of item specifications and blueprints for K-12 assessments in English and math. The frameworks also provide support and guidance for implementation of the Common Core State Standards. Click this link for more information or to view the frameworks.

  Model Content Frameworks (PARCC web site)

  Resources to engage educators with the PARCC Model Content Frameworks for ELA/Literacy, Grs. 3-11.  The PowerPoint provides background information and overview of the structure of the frameworks for all grade levels.  Whereas the Guided Discovery & Discussion aides in facilitating conversations to strengthen one’s understanding of the frameworks for their grade level.

  o   PARCC Model Content Frameworks for English Language Arts/Literacy Resource Materials
  Close n   PARCC Model Content Frameworks for English Language Arts/Literacy (online) n   PARCC Model Content Frameworks for English Language Arts/Literacy (PDF) n   Introductory PowerPoint n   Guided Discovery & Discussion n   Facilitator Notes: Guided Discovery & Discussion

  The Recorded Webinar walks the participant through the Model Content Frameworks for ELA/Literacy, addresses frequently asked questions, and highlights key points for teachers and administrators.  The webinar lasts approximately 90 minutes. 

  n   ELA/Literacy Webinar from 11/22/2011 and PowerPoint (PDF)

  A collection of resources intended to summarize the essential matter of the Model Content Frameworks for Mathematics for grades 3 - 8.  Organized in chart form by grade level, these documents are meant to be quick, supplemental references to the Frameworks for busy educators.  Direct links are provided to the unabridged Frameworks document as well as guiding questions for districts, schools, and individual educators to assist in transitioning to PARCC and the Common Core State Standards.

  o   PARCC Model Content Frameworks for Mathematics Resource Materials
  Close n   Grade 3 n   Grade 4 n   Grade 5 n   Grade 6 n   Grade 7 n   Grade 8 n   Considering the Classroom Level Implications of the PARCC MCF for Mathematics n   Considering the School Level Implications of the PARCC MCF for Mathematics n   Considering the District Level Implications of the PARCC MCF for Mathematics n   PARCC Model Content Frameworks for Mathematics (online)

  The Recorded Webinar walks the participant through the Model Content Frameworks for Mathematics, addresses frequently asked questions, and highlights key points for teachers and administrators.  The webinar lasts approximately 90 minutes. 

  n   Mathematics Webinar from 11/21/2011 and PowerPoint (PDF)
• Item & Task Prototypes
• NEW!! 

  Over the next four years, PARCC will be hosting two Institutes each year to help state and district leaders tackle implementation challenges collaboratively. These institutes will allow for cross-state problem solving, efficient dissemination of tools and other resources, and provide state and local education leaders with access to national experts. PARCC will post all materials from these Institutes on the website as they become available.

  PARCC Institutes o   June 2011 o   September 2011 o   March 2012
• NEW!! 

  Each meeting will include a small group of state leaders and will address a high priority policy topic that stands to benefit from collective problem-solving by leading experts in PARCC states and across the country. The work will align to and progress alongside the consortium’s other streams of work. Each TIP meeting will contribute to the advancement of the work streams and key decisions that the PARCC states will make.

  Technical Issue and Policy Meetings o   February 28, 2012 Meeting: Addressing Rural Challenges to Implementing the CCSS o   May 21, 2012 Webinar: Addressing Rural Challenges to Implementing the CCSS

• "On the Road to Implementation: Achieving the Promise of the Common Core State Standards" identifies the key areas that state policymakers will need to consider to implement the new standards with fidelity. The guide is organized by topic with short chapters. It's not meant to be an exhaustive review or a checklist of all the issues that states and districts will need to consider as they move from adoption of the CCSS to implementation. Rather, it's meant to be the starting point from which state and district leaders and their allies can organize and begin the necessary discussions around key topics to successfully implement the standards.

  Achieving the Common Core (Achieve)
• CCSS Webinar Series

• PARCC Technology Readiness Tool November 2012 Update

• This press release announces new guidance designed to inform schools and districts as they make annual instructional technology purchases.  The guidelines include hardware and operating system specifications covering the vast majority of commercially available computers and tablets.

  SBAC and PARCC Issue Guidance for New Instructional Technology Purchases

• All technology updates and supporting information will be posted here.

  PARCC Technology Web Site

• This document communicate minimum hardware guidelines for new computer purchases.  These specifications were developed collaboratively with SBAC and with the Technology Working Groups of both consortia.  The primary intent of this document is to respond to the rapidly growing volume of questions about new purchases (i.e., What can we buy now for instruction that we know will also work with the 2014-2015 assessments?).  However, it is important to note that this document does not yet serve as the final technology requirements for the assessment

  PARCC Guidelines Document v1.0

• Supporting document to the v1.0 of the PARCC Technology Guidelines

  PARCC Guidelines Document v1.0 Frequently Asked Questions

• This spreadsheet shows the progress of each LEA in doing an inventory by school of possible devices to be used for PARCC assessments.

  PARCC Device Inventory Status by LEA

• This is a form that each LEA technology director must complete as part of the PARCC technology readiness assessment. The form is due to Michael.Ferry@ride.ri.gov by March 16, 2012.

  PARCC Readiness Tool User Layout Spreadsheet

PARCC States

• Governing States:
  Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee
• Participating States:
  Kentucky, North Dakota, Pennsylvania

PARCC's Goal

Rhode Island's Assessment Transition

• PARCC Assessment Design

• PARCC is leveraging a range of committees to provide the technical guidance and advice necessary for a successful design, development and implementation of the new assessment system.
  PARCC’s committees – which will be of varying sizes, compositions and charges – will tackle the technical issues (e.g., how to ensure PARCC is accessible to and accommodates all students), the implementation issues (e.g., how states can best transition to computer-based assessments), and the policy issues (e.g., what PARCC means for state policy), as well as the internal governance challenges associated with organizing 24 states around a new, next-generation assessment system.

  PARCC Committees
• Contracts & Procurements

• Frequently Asked Questions about Rhode Island joining the PARCC Consortium: why did RI join, what is RI's role as a governing state, what are the benefits to moving from NECAP to PARCC, and other common questions.

  FAQs Regarding RI's Participation in PARCC

• PARCC was awarded a four-year supplemental grant of $15.8 million to help member states make a successful transition to the implementation of the Common Core State Standards(CCSS) and the aligned PARCC assessments.  This PDF provides an overview of the award allocation and the supports that will be developed.

  PARCC Supplemental Assessment Application Summary

• Three page overview of the PARCC Consortium: what states and organizations are involved, what are the key features of PARCC, and what are the benefits of the PARCC assessment system.

  PARCC Race to the Top Assessment Proposal Summary