Student Assessment Update
May 11, 2016
Customer Service Contacts for Spring 2016 Test Administrations
Logistics and Administration Support
PARCC Support Center
Phone: 888-493-9888
Email: parcc@support.pearson.com
Policy Questions
Student Assessment Services
Email: assessment@doe.mass.edu
Phone: 781-338-3625
Latest PARCC Updates from Student Assessment Services
We are sending this special edition to PARCC schools only, with updates and timely reminders for the
remainder of this spring’s test administration.
Deadline to Order Additional Materials: Friday, May 13
The deadline to order additional PARCC PBT test materials is this Friday, May 13. Since it takes
approximately five business days to receive additional materials, we encourage you to check if
additional materials are needed for cases such as the following:
 PBT schools that know a new student will be transferring in should check to see if the automatic
overage will be sufficient for testing needs.
 Schools that had ordered additional materials should check to make sure that there are enough
return materials, since they were not automatically shipped with additional orders. (The deadline
for ordering return materials is May 27.)
PARCC has posted these FAQs and this guidance for placing additional orders.
Invitation to “Office Hours” Session
This is the third in a series of “office hours” sessions for PARCC schools. The session, to be held May
20, 10:00–11:00 a.m., will provide information for the completion of testing, including preliminary
reporting milestones, and will provide an opportunity for questions and answers. To register, complete
this online form (by May 19, please, so we can send out slides and dial-in instructions). Note that the
call is not toll-free; usual long distance charges will be incurred.
Suggestion for Computer-Based Testing
Before testing, write the computer’s inventory number or other identifying number on the student’s
testing ticket. In case of a technology-related problem, this can be helpful if a student needs to log back
on to his or her original testing device at a later time. (See sample testing ticket below.)
Reminder: Transcribing Test Materials
Students with disabilities using the typed response accommodation for paper-based testing must have all
their PARCC responses transcribed into their standard answer document for scoring. We also remind
you to transcribe work from large-print answer documents, or answer documents that have become
damaged or defective. When doing a transcription, two adults must be present: one to do the
transcription, and another to verify the accuracy.
Additional Guidance on Testing for Students who Transfer
As a reminder, schools should follow this guidance for students who transfer.
If a student does not complete testing because he or she is transferring out-of-state, the school should
instruct the district’s SIMS coordinator to mark the student in June/end-of-year SIMS as having
transferred out of the district, and mark the student as Not Tested reason code 2 in PearsonAccess Next.
Also, follow the instructions below:
 PBT: Mark the student’s answer document with a large X across the front cover, and return it
with nonscorable materials (it becomes part of the “do not score” materials).
 CBT: In PearsonAccess Next, mark each unit as being complete.
Schools with specific questions should contact the Department (781-338-3625; parcc@doe.mass.edu).
After the Completion of All Testing
Instructions for PBT schools can be found in the Test Coordinator’s Manual on pages 43–53.
Instructions for CBT schools can be found on pages 40–42 of the Test Coordinator’s Manual.
All schools should mark a Not Tested reason code for a student who does not complete a test (refer to
the Department’s website for the codes).
All schools should complete the Post-Test Certification Form by June 7. A template of this form is
available here. The Post-Test Certification can be submitted online (preferred method) through
PearsonAccess Next (located on the Support page) or by faxing it to the Department at 781-338-3630.
Important Dates
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April 25–May 27: PARCC administration window for paper-based testing (PBT)
April 25–June 6: PARCC administration window for computer-based testing (CBT)
Additional Resources
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PARCC Highlighter and Stray Marks Guidance for Spring 2016
Guidelines for Filling in Gridded Response Items for PARCC PBT Mathematics
Subscriber Information
Principals, PARCC test coordinators, special education directors, and ELL directors receive this update based on contact
information submitted to the Department (MCAS test coordinators are not receiving this special edition). To change your
email address or to add another staff member, please follow the instructions below:
 Public school districts, public schools, charter public schools, collaboratives, approved private special education
schools: submit the new email address to your District-Level Directory Administrator.
 Test sites, adult education programs, out-of-state schools, SEIS-DYS programs: go online to the EOE Information
Technology web page (select “District/School Information Update” as the subject) to submit your update (be sure to
include your District and School Code).
We welcome your feedback at assessment@doe.mass.edu.