1. Technology readiness Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 1 DevicesPeopleInfrastructure DevicesSupportTest AdministrationExternalInternal Adequate Devices School Staff Number of Testers Number of “Seats” Test Window Internet Bandwidth Internal Network (WAN) Wi-Fi

2. Device specifications  Refer to the Technology Guidelines for PARCC Assessments, Version 5.1, at http://www.parcconline.org/technologyhttp://www.parcconline.org/technology  Has specifications for Windows, MAC, and Chromebook devices, Linux machines, iPads, and Android tablets  Provides minimum and recommended specifications:  Minimum specs: Devices can be used this spring (2016); might not be usable beyond spring 2016  Recommended specs: Devices can be used in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019; projected by PARCC to meet the minimum specs in 2018-19 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 2

3. Determining # of devices for testing Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 3 StepsConsiderationsExample 1.Over how many days will you give the test? The maximum amount of days in the testing window is 205 2.How many sessions will you give per day? Schools give 2-3 sessions per day2 3.How many testing sessions do you have available? Multiply the # of days in your testing window by the # of sessions/day 10 4.How many students are you testing?This is the enrollment count across tested grades100 5.What is the max # sessions per tested student? At most, students sit for 7 sessions7 6.What is the total # of “seats” needed for testing? Multiply # of tested students by # of sessions per tested student above 700 7.What is the total # of devices needed for testing? Divide total # of seats above by total # of sessions available in #3 above 70 NOTE: This model yields the minimum # of devices for online testing. Schools may want to adjust figures to account for different grade configurations and simultaneous grade level testing, or use the PARCC “Rule of Thumb” described in the Technology Guidelines for PARCC Assessments.

4. Infrastructure and bandwidth recommendations  Refer to the Technology Guidelines for PARCC Assessments, Version 5.1, at http://www.parcconline.org/technologyhttp://www.parcconline.org/technology  Proctor-caching (offline testing) is strongly recommended to ensure an uninterrupted testing experience, minimize data loss, and maximize # of simultaneous test-takers.  Bandwidth demand of test sessions (per student):  Minimum w/caching: ≥ 5 kilobits per second  Minimum w/o caching: ≥ 50 kbps  Recommended for instruction + assessment: ≥ 100 kbps  SETDA target for 2017-18: 1,000 kbps  Bandwidth available for testing must account for common school technology activities such as email, web browsing, online learning, audio/video streaming, etc. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 4

5. Changes from spring 2015 to spring 2016 Phased out:  Operating systems: Windows Vista/XP, MacOS 10.6, iOS 7  Browser versions: Internet Explorer 9/10, Safari 5.x, Google Chrome (all versions)  Java versions: 1.6, 1.7 Phased in:  Installable TestNav app for desktops & laptops eliminates dependency on external browsers (both installable & browser-based versions support Mac OS X & Windows)  New TestNav home screen design  Headphones required for ELA/L  Larger screen size for ELA/L constructed response  Spell check available for ELA/L responses  End of session review screen for students: can flag/review unanswered items Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 5

6. Preparing students & staff for online testing  Refer to http://parcc.pearson.com/http://parcc.pearson.com/  Provide plenty of opportunities across the curriculum for students to gain fluency with computers and digital tools Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 6  PearsonAccess NEXT  Technology Setup  Manuals & Training  Test Preparation  Bulletins  Support  General Navigation Skills Using navigation buttons Browsing tabs/windows Keyboarding, etc.  Universal Access Features Using glossaries Text-to-speech Masking answers, etc.  General Answering Using line readers/guides Selecting hot spots Highlighting text, etc.  Math Tools Manipulating objects Understanding simulations Editing equations, etc.