CBT Readiness Review Process
PARCC Technology Guidelines and the PARCC Capacity Planning Tool
The guidelines and resources associated with school district readiness for Common Core assessment are constantly evolving. Therefore districts are urged to consult with their RIC/BOCES, NYSED, and other up-to-the-minute sources of information related to the Common Core and its assessment. The various guidelines and tools that follow are the most current available at the time of publication.
PARCC Guidelines
PARCC has published guidelines for the minimum requirements for computer-based assessment related to the PARCC Common Core tests. These guidelines are attached in the Appendix of this toolkit and are also available online at http://www.parcconline.org/technology.
The guidelines specify:
- Which devices students can use to participate in the PARCC online assessments
- The amount of bandwidth required to administer the online assessments concurrent with existing district bandwidth needs
- Which WWW browsers are compatible with the PARCC assessment site
Please note that PARCC will continue to update the device and bandwidth guidelines
as they are refined through field tests and the test developers. Furthermore,
it is possible that state departments of education (e.g., NYSED) will issue
guidance on local interpretation of the guidelines. Districts should
consult the PARCC Technology website and
normal sources of information on state guidelines. LHRIC staff will
also work with districts to keep abreast of any changes in the current guidelines.
PARCC Capacity Planning Tool
The PARCC Capacity Planning tool is an interactive spreadsheet that allows districts to calculate the degree to which their devices and bandwidth are capable of meeting the PARCC technology guidelines. PARCC has made the following resources available to districts:
- Capacity Planning Tool Spreadsheet
- Capacity Planning Tool Print Version
- Capacity Planning Tool Example
- Assessment Administration Capacity Planning Tool Users’ Guide
In order to complete the capacity planning tool, you will need to have the following information in-hand.
- Information on which grades your district intends to test in the upcoming school year (using the new PARCC CBI assessments)
- Number of days that your district intends to use to administer tests (the PARCC tool assumes a maximum of 20 days)
- Number of computer devices that meet or exceed the PARCC guidelines (see above)
- Information on raw available network bandwidth available at the school level
- Information on existing usage of bandwidth for various instructional and administrative uses (concurrent with testing on testing days)
Refer to your district's completed Readiness Responsibility worksheet for the names of those individuals who have this information.
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