As you may know, many questions have surfaced recently regarding the PARCC Field Test and the Spring 2014 MCAS. ESE has heard these questions and has put together resources related to field-test logistics, including a timeline and information related to future accountability determinations.
Additional details are contained within a recent memo to superintendents at http://www.doe.mass.edu/news/news.aspx?id=7849. Please note that the conference call registration and exemption surveys links in the memo are intended for superintendent use only. Other leaders who are not superintendents should coordinate with their superintendent as ESE has requested one phone line per district for the conference calls.
Showing posts with label PARCC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PARCC. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Resource Round-Up
Wow...what a busy time of year! There is lots of great information on data, assessment, and educator effectiveness related topics coming our way...here are some of the latest resources that you may find valuable:
PARCC Release of Assessment Blueprints and Test Specifications: PARCC has released a set of test specification documents, including assessment blueprints and evidence statement tables, to help educators and the general public better understand the design of the PARCC assessments.
EWIS Implementation Support Pilot: ESE is looking to select approximately six districts to receive regular on-site technical assistance, facilitation, and training to support their use of the Early Warning Indicator System (EWIS) data in the 2013-14 school year. Applications are due on Friday, May 31st.
New Educator Evaluation QRG: Data Collection provides information about the data elements that districts will report as part of EPIMS related to the educator evaluation system.
ESE Newsletters and Update Pages:
Student Assessment Updates (latest update: 4/22)
Educator Evaluation E-Newsletter (latest version: April 2013)
RTTT Newsletter (latest version: Spring 2013)
Upcoming Webinars:
ACCESS for ELLs Score Reporting - May 23, 28, or 29
Assessment Literacy Webinar Series - Archives of Sessions 1-3 (Session 4 will be in July)
PARCC Release of Assessment Blueprints and Test Specifications: PARCC has released a set of test specification documents, including assessment blueprints and evidence statement tables, to help educators and the general public better understand the design of the PARCC assessments.
EWIS Implementation Support Pilot: ESE is looking to select approximately six districts to receive regular on-site technical assistance, facilitation, and training to support their use of the Early Warning Indicator System (EWIS) data in the 2013-14 school year. Applications are due on Friday, May 31st.
New Educator Evaluation QRG: Data Collection provides information about the data elements that districts will report as part of EPIMS related to the educator evaluation system.
ESE Newsletters and Update Pages:
Student Assessment Updates (latest update: 4/22)
Educator Evaluation E-Newsletter (latest version: April 2013)
RTTT Newsletter (latest version: Spring 2013)
Upcoming Webinars:
ACCESS for ELLs Score Reporting - May 23, 28, or 29
Assessment Literacy Webinar Series - Archives of Sessions 1-3 (Session 4 will be in July)
Monday, April 8, 2013
PARCC Massachusetts Web Site Now Live
The PARCC Massachusetts Web site (through the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education) is now live at http://www.mass.edu/parcc. The site provides a variety of links, documents, and resources related to the PARCC assessments, Common Core, and College and Career Readiness.
Monday, March 11, 2013
PARCC Assessment Update
The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) recently released a guidance document which contains
important information on test design, the testing window and approximate
testing time, and "rule of thumb" guidance on the number of computer
devices needed to administer the PARCC assessments.
The direct link to the PDF guidance document is here, or you can visit PARCC's Assessment Administration page for the latest news and updates, including a readiness tool, FAQ, user guide, and more.
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Monday, August 20, 2012
Item and Task Prototypes from PARCC
As we take the time to examine the preliminary 2012 MCAS results, we also know that next-generation assessments will be coming our way in the next few years. Today, PARCC released samples which represent the types of items and tasks that may appear on state assessments in the future.
According to the release, 'The prototypes are a first step in demonstrating what is possible with new assessment technology that captures students' application of knowledge and skills that are essential to success in the 21st century," said Massachusetts Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester, chair of the PARCC Governing Board. "The prototypes are illustrative of the next-generation PARCC assessment system that reflects the Common Core State Standards."
Please visit the "Item and Task Prototypes" area of the PARCC web site for background information as well as sample ELA and Math tasks and items.
According to the release, 'The prototypes are a first step in demonstrating what is possible with new assessment technology that captures students' application of knowledge and skills that are essential to success in the 21st century," said Massachusetts Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester, chair of the PARCC Governing Board. "The prototypes are illustrative of the next-generation PARCC assessment system that reflects the Common Core State Standards."
Please visit the "Item and Task Prototypes" area of the PARCC web site for background information as well as sample ELA and Math tasks and items.
Friday, March 16, 2012
PARCC Technology Readiness Tool
Massachusetts is a member of the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness
for College and Careers (PARCC), one of two multi-state consortia
funded by the U.S. Department of Education to develop the next
generation of student assessments.These assessments are being designed to be given online (see the January 25th blog post entitled "PARCC Assessment Update" for links and information regarding the solicitations for both the development of test items as well as technology infrastructure to support this new system.)
The March 15 Commissioner's Memo shared information about the announcement of the PARCC Technology Readiness Tool, which will collect a variety of data from schools and districts, including information about available devices, numbers of devices, network infrastructure, and personnel. This information will help districts (and the state as a whole) assess their current level of readiness and plan for the transition to these next-generation assessments.
The March 15 Commissioner's Memo shared information about the announcement of the PARCC Technology Readiness Tool, which will collect a variety of data from schools and districts, including information about available devices, numbers of devices, network infrastructure, and personnel. This information will help districts (and the state as a whole) assess their current level of readiness and plan for the transition to these next-generation assessments.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
PARCC Assessment Update
The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) recently released a solicitation for the development of items for its next-generation K-12 assessments in English and math.
The solicitation's summary document and FAQ provide us with a glimpse into what these assessments will look like, including more information about:
The solicitation's summary document and FAQ provide us with a glimpse into what these assessments will look like, including more information about:
- Diagnostic assessments in reading, writing and mathematics.
- Mid-year assessments in ELA/literacy and mathematics.
- Performance-based assessments in ELA/literacy and mathematics.
- End-of-year assessments in ELA/literacy and mathematics.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
MassCUE Conference Happenings
Wednesday I attended Day 1 of the 2011 MassCUE conference at Gillette Stadium, and it was exciting as usual! Lots of great presenters, vendors, and opportunities to share ideas with colleagues made for a productive and engaging day.
The Spotlight Session entitled, "MA New Educator Evaluation Regulations: Opportunity and Challenges" presented by Karla Brooks Baehr provided an opportunity to learn more about the details in the developing story of the new educator evaluation regulations (with specific discussions about positions such as technology integration specialists that work with both staff and students). Two major takeaways from this session were that (1) both teachers and administrators should be taking time to become VERY familiar with the state's growth model, since this is one of the measures that will be used (where applicable) for educator evaluation; and (2) the Commonwealth's Model System is on target to be available for review on January 10, 2012. A variety of resources, including a version of the PowerPoint that was presented at the conference, are available on the ESE's Educator Evaluation web page.
Associate Commissioner Bob Bickerton and Director of Information Services Rob Curtin presented "Next Generation Supports for Teaching, Learning, and Student Success" which highlighted a variety of initiatives within ESE, including the new Curriculum Frameworks, PARCC, and many RTTT projects, especially the Teaching and Learning System which is currently under discussion. The ESE Showcase area provided an opportunity for conference attendees to learn more about initatives including the Education Data Warehouse, Thinkfinity Partnership, PBS LearningMedia Partnership, and the Teaching and Learning System.
The final session of the day entitled, "The Paperless Classroom: Tips and Tricks for the 21st Century Educator" was fascinating and introduced attendees to a wide variety of Web 2.0 tools I had not seen before. While these tools are not data-specific, I'd like to share some them here for those of you with an interest in staying current with educational technology. The presenter, Melissa Panchuck from the Fessenden School, was incredibly passionate and engaging about her use of Web 2.0 tools with her 5th grade students, including:
The Spotlight Session entitled, "MA New Educator Evaluation Regulations: Opportunity and Challenges" presented by Karla Brooks Baehr provided an opportunity to learn more about the details in the developing story of the new educator evaluation regulations (with specific discussions about positions such as technology integration specialists that work with both staff and students). Two major takeaways from this session were that (1) both teachers and administrators should be taking time to become VERY familiar with the state's growth model, since this is one of the measures that will be used (where applicable) for educator evaluation; and (2) the Commonwealth's Model System is on target to be available for review on January 10, 2012. A variety of resources, including a version of the PowerPoint that was presented at the conference, are available on the ESE's Educator Evaluation web page.
Associate Commissioner Bob Bickerton and Director of Information Services Rob Curtin presented "Next Generation Supports for Teaching, Learning, and Student Success" which highlighted a variety of initiatives within ESE, including the new Curriculum Frameworks, PARCC, and many RTTT projects, especially the Teaching and Learning System which is currently under discussion. The ESE Showcase area provided an opportunity for conference attendees to learn more about initatives including the Education Data Warehouse, Thinkfinity Partnership, PBS LearningMedia Partnership, and the Teaching and Learning System.
The final session of the day entitled, "The Paperless Classroom: Tips and Tricks for the 21st Century Educator" was fascinating and introduced attendees to a wide variety of Web 2.0 tools I had not seen before. While these tools are not data-specific, I'd like to share some them here for those of you with an interest in staying current with educational technology. The presenter, Melissa Panchuck from the Fessenden School, was incredibly passionate and engaging about her use of Web 2.0 tools with her 5th grade students, including:
- Glogster - virtual posters
- Google Sketchup -
- Pixton - online comics
- Blabberize - talking pictures
- Go!Animate and XtraNormal - animations
- Screenr - instant screencasts
- diigo - link collections and highlighting
- issuu - digital publishing
So many new and exciting tools (both inside and outside the classroom!) that can be used to improve teaching and learning!
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