What’s New in PARCC: What ELC Members Need to Know … and Share with You

Recent Major Developments 2 December 2011 Item Development RFP June 2012 Minimum Technology Specifications, version 1.0 July 2012 Calculator Policy August 2012 Item and Task Prototypes September 2012 Principles for Comparability with SBAC Mathematics Reference Sheets for Grades 3-8 and HS October 2012 College- and Career-Ready Determination Policy November 2012 Item Tryout and Field Testing RFP High School Mathematics Model Content Frameworks December 2012 College- and Career-Ready Assessments in Mathematics Retest Policy Minimum Technology Specifications, version 2.0

Recent Major Developments 3 December 2011 Item Development RFP June 2012 Minimum Technology Specifications, version 1.0 July 2012 Calculator Policy August 2012 Item and Task Prototypes PARCC released a set of 23 item and task prototypes for ELA/literacy and mathematics. The tasks are designed to support local schools and districts as they implement the CCSS and transition to PARCC assessments. They have been used by educators across the country to start conversations about what assessment of the Common Core State Standards should look like. They make the standards clearer, and so does the level of rigor that students and teachers will need to meet.

Recent Major Developments 4 September 2012 Principles for Comparability with SBAC Mathematics Reference Sheets for Grades 3-8 and HS One key decision was to approve a set of principles for establishing comparable assessment results with the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium. Mobile student populations – students will move from PARCC states to SBAC states and vice versa. These principles will allow PARCC states to use data from new students’ prior assessments in an SBAC state. Comparing performance state-to-state – governors, state chiefs, business leaders, higher education leaders and other policymakers want to know how well their students and school systems stack up to other states. These principles will inform the development work of both consortia over the next two years to help ensure that results on both tests can be compared.

Recent Major Developments 5 September 2012 Principles for Comparability with SBAC Mathematics Reference Sheets for Grades 3-8 / HS PARCC also released draft mathematics reference sheets for student use in grades 3-8 and high school. These sheets will be finalized through PARCC’s field testing and shared in final form ahead of the administration of the assessments. o Communication Around PARCC Assessment Reference Sheet for Grades 3 - 8Communication Around PARCC Assessment Reference Sheet for Grades o PARCC Assessment Reference SheetPARCC Assessment Reference Sheet o PARCC High School Reference SheetPARCC High School Reference Sheet

Recent Major Developments 6 October 2012 College- and Career-Ready Determination Policy Reviewed draft policy developed over many months by higher education faculty, K-12 content experts and assessment specialists. Public comments gathered from summer of 2012 on the draft policy were reviewed. The policy articulates what benchmark students need to meet on the PARCC high school assessments to demonstrate that they are academically prepared to succeed in entry-level, credit-bearing courses in colleges and universities. PARCC College- and Career-Ready Determination Policy and Policy-Level PLDsPARCC College- and Career-Ready Determination Policy and Policy-Level PLDs (Adopted October 2012) (PDF)

Recent Major Developments 7 October 2012 College- and Career-Ready Determination Policy The CCR Determination policy also included important information about the performance levels on the PARCC assessment for every grade level: The PARCC assessments will have 5 performance levels – 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 PARCC approved “policy-level performance level descriptors” that describe (at a high level) what students scoring at each level know and can do relative to the CCSS. The PLDs are an important tool for the PARCC assessment development process and will be used to set performance levels on the assessments in summer 2015.

Recent Major Developments 8 November 2012 Item Tryout and Field Testing RFP High School Mathematics Model Content Frameworks PARCC released an RFP for item tryouts, field testing and construction of the test forms for the operational test in This RFP is very close to being signed Once it is, PARCC will be able to release guidance to schools and districts about participation in these activities

Recent Major Developments 9 November 2012 Item Tryout and Field Testing RFP High School Mathematics Model Content Frameworks The HS Math MCF lay out how the HS math CCSS might be articulated over two different course pathways (traditional – Alg I, Geometry, Alg II; or integrated – Math I, II, III). This was an important step for finalizing the test specifications for the end-of-course HS math assessments, which will be offered for both course sequences. November 2012 Model Content Frameworks for Mathematics

Recent Major Developments 10 December 2012 College- and Career-Ready Assessments in Mathematics Retest Policy Minimum Technology Specifications, version 2.0 Algebra II is very important to student success after high school, postsecondary clearly said it is also important that students have command of content from earlier grades/courses. PARCC’s approach will include on the final assessment in each sequence (Alg II or Math III) some performance tasks on those tests that draw on content from previous grades/courses. This is NOT a comprehensive math exam; rather, students will be asked to draw on that content and apply it in the context of Algebra II or Math III.

Recent Major Developments 11 December 2012 College- and Career-Ready Assessments in Mathematics Retest Policy Minimum Technology Specifications, version 2.0 PARCC will make available retests to member states In grades 3-8, PARCC will offer 1 retest opportunity per year In high school, PARCC will offer a max of 3 retest opportunities per year Individual states will determine whether to offer retests. If they do offer them, the state will determine how many times per year and at what grade levels they are provided.

Recent Major Developments 12 December 2012 College- and Career-Ready Assessments in Mathematics Retest Policy Minimum Technology Specifications, version 2.0 Updated technology specifications for the PARCC computer- based assessments These technology specifications provided states and districts with specific information about the types of devices, software and operating systems that can be used for the PARCC assessments. It also included recommendations about bandwidth but not specific minimums

Looking Ahead: The Next Six Months 13 March 2013 Assessment Scheduling Guidance April 2013 Draft English Language Learner (ELL) policies and participation guidelines for public review Draft Accommodations Manual for public review Draft Subject- and Grade-Level Performance Level Descriptors for public review Spring 2013 Guidance on Participation in Field Test and Practice Tests Design of Diagnostic and K-1 Tools Design of Speaking and Listening Assessment June 2013 Final Subject- and Grade-Level Performance Level Descriptors Final Accommodations Manual for Students with Disabilities Final Accommodations Policies and Participation Guidelines for ELL

Looking Ahead: 6 – 18 Months 14 Summer 2013 Design of Assessment Professional Development Modules Fall 2013 Design of Student Score Reports Minimum Technology Specifications, version 3.0 Spring 2014 Field Testing Administration and Practice Test Methodologies for Standard Setting Fall 2014 Operational Assessment Administration Manual Throughout Release of Additional Sample Items, Item Tryouts/Cognitive Labs, and Additional Guidance to Districts on Assessment Administration

15 Anticipated Schedule for Release of Future Guidance h%202013_FINAL_0.pdf Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers