1. Overview of PARCC Field Test 1

2. Why Are We Doing a Field Test in the Spring 2014? The primary purposes of the PARCC Field Test are to: 1.Examine the quality of items so that PARCC can build assessment forms for the 2014-15 school year; 2.Pilot assessment administration procedures; and 3.Give schools and districts the opportunity to experience the administration of PARCC assessments. Important to Note: No student, school, or district results will be reported. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 2

3. PARCC Field Test Sample 1.National Sample Size: Over one million students are needed to participate in the Field Test to evaluate the quality of items for PARCC’s operational assessments in 2014-2 015. 2.Massachusetts Sample:  360 districts  Close to 1,300 schools  Roughly 87,000 students in grades 3–11  Nearly 800 schools will administer computer-based tests, and close to 500 schools will administer paper and pencil tests. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 3

4. Transition Plan Scheduled for Board vote November 2013:  Massachusetts Choice: MCAS or PARCC in 2014/15 1.MCAS only for Grade 10 in 2014/15 and 2015/16 2.MCAS for Competency Determination through Class of 2018 3.Budget will determine extent to which we can make PARCC end-of-course assessments available for grades 9 and 11  PARCC for grades 3-8 in 2015/16 Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 4

5. Projected Timeline Leading to Board Vote on PARCC 1.September 2013: Commissioner presents PARCC Transition Plan to Board. 2.November 2013: Board asked to approve PARCC Transition Plan. 3.Spring 2014: PARCC Field Test. 4.Fall 2014: Analysis of Field Test results. 5.Spring 2015: Full administration of PARCC. 6.Summer 2015: a)Analysis of 2015 test results b)Standard setting. 7.Fall 2015: Board Vote on whether or not to adopt PARCC. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 5

6. MCAS Testing Exemptions In order to mitigate the burden of participating in the PARCC Field Test, the Commissioner has agreed to allow superintendents to exempt certain classes that participate in the PARCC Field Test from the 2014 MCAS testing requirement.  PBA Sessions Only  Exemptions Only in that Subject Area Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 6

7. Communications Parents:  The Department will provide a sample letter for parents regarding non-participation in MCAS (and therefore no scores in a subject ) School Committee Members: 1.The Department is working with MASC to provide resources for use with school committee members. 2.The Department will make multiple targeted and open regional presentations over the coming months. 3.The Department will attend MASC Regional Meetings starting in December.