Spring 2016 PARCC Student Registration/Personal Needs Profile
Update Instructions for Grades 3–8
This document provides instructions and examples for school and district staff who will be updating the Student
Registration/Personal Needs Profile (SR/PNP) for students in grades 3–8 for the spring 2016 PARCC assessment.
The SR/PNP is a collection of student-level data that includes school and district name, student demographics,
test registration information, and information on selected accommodations and/or accessibility features that a
student may need for testing. The accuracy of the SR/PNP is important for the following reasons:
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For schools administering the paper-based test (PBT), the SR/PNP provides a record of
accommodations and accessibility features used by students, including information for the shipment
of paper test materials to schools for the initial order (e.g., test administration manuals, test booklets,
answer booklets, large–print booklets, read-aloud kits).
For schools administering the computer-based test (CBT), the SR/PNP provides a record of
accommodations and accessibility features used by students, including those that are required for the
computer-based tests (e.g., text-to-speech, closed captioning).
To assist schools in ensuring that the SR/PNP is accurate, the Department has pre-loaded all students enrolled
in grades 3–8, as of the October 1, 2015 SIMS reports, into PearsonAccessnext (PA Next). The SR/PNP includes
the selected accommodations and accessibility features that students in grades 4–8 received on their spring 2015
assessment (PARCC or MCAS). Students who took PARCC tests in 2015 have had their same accommodations
pre-populated for 2016; students who took MCAS tests in 2015 have had the corresponding PARCC
accommodations pre-populated in the SR/PNP. Information on corresponding accommodations is provided in the
PARCC Accessibility and Accommodations Overview for Massachusetts Educators, located on the Department's
PARCC Accessibility and Accommodations page.
To prepare for the spring 2016 PARCC assessments, schools and/or districts need only provide new or updated
information in the following cases:
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Add new students who enrolled after October 1, 2015
Add accommodation information for grade 3 students enrolled on October 1, 2015, who need one or
more accommodations and/or accessibility features (and who did not participate in a spring 2015 MCAS
or PARCC assessment)
Change accommodation information for grades 4–8 students enrolled on October 1, 2015, whose
accommodations and/or accessibility features have changed since spring 2015
Change the test code for any grade 8 students taking Algebra I test.
Deadlines for Updates to the SR/PNP
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For Schools Administering the PBT: March 11, 2016, is the deadline to make any changes to the
SR/PNP prior to the initial order shipment. After this date, additional materials must be obtained through
the additional order process. Instructions are posted at avocet.pearson.com/PARCC/Home
For Schools Administering the CBT: April 11, 2016, is the deadline to make any changes to the
SR/PNP. This deadline is two weeks before the opening of the CBT administration window.
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
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Selected PARCC Accommodations and Accessibility Features
Students participating in the spring 2016 assessments should receive all PARCC accommodations and/or
accessibility features listed in their IEP or 504 plan. However, in the SR/PNP, the Department is collecting
information on only selected accommodations and/or accessibility features.
The list below shows the accommodations and accessibility features that are included in the SR/PNP data
collection. Data on student use of other accommodations and/or accessibility features should not be entered in
the SR/PNP.
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ASL Video
Assistive Technology—Screen Reader
Assistive Technology—Non Screen Reader
Closed Captioning for ELA/L
Refreshable Braille for ELA/L
Alternate Representation—Paper Test
Large Print
Braille with Tactile Graphics
Braille Response
Calculation Device—Mathematics
Word Prediction
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ELA/L Constructed Response—Human
Scribe, Signer, Speech-to-Text
ELA/L Selected Response—Human Scribe,
Signer, Speech-to-Text
Mathematics Response—Human Scribe,
Signer, Speech-to-Text
Mathematics Response—Human Scribe or
Speech-to-Text for English Learners
Text-to-Speech
Human Reader or Signer
Unique Accommodation
For All Schools
General Instructions for Updating the SR/PNP
To further assist staff in updating the accommodations and accessibility features listed above, the Department
has prepared the Massachusetts-Specific SR/PNP Data Collection and Update Status document. This document
is a condensed version of the SR/PNP Field Definitions, which is available in PA Next on the Support >>
Documentation page.
The condensed, Massachusetts-specific version, located on the Department's PARCC Test Administration
Resources page, includes the following:
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a list of all accommodations and accessibility features available in the PARCC tests
corresponding MCAS accommodation numbers (where applicable)
the collection status options of each accommodation and accessibility feature
o collected in 2016
o not collected in 2016
o required for CBT
Depending on the number of student records that need to be created or updated, schools and districts may
choose between two options within PA Next to modify the SR/PNP:
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Option A: Use the PA Next interface (best for making a small number of changes); and
Option B: Use the PA Next SR/PNP file export/import process (best for making changes to large
amounts of data).
Additional resources are available in the PearsonAccess Next Online User's Guide, located on the PARCC
Technology Setup page.
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
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Option A: Use the PA Next Interface (best for making a small number of changes)
Please note: the Student Registration/Personal Needs Profile Training Module, which describes the
procedures below, is available on the PARCC Training site. After registering with your e-mail address, you will
have access to this and other PARCC training modules.
Example A1: Add a new student who has enrolled since October 1, 2015
1. At the top of the home screen, select the 2016 Spring PARCC test administration.
2. From the home screen, select Setup >> Students.
3. On the Select Tasks drop-down menu, check the Create/Edit Students and the Registration checkboxes. Click
the Start button.
4. Enter required information, click Create, and then click Next Task at the top of the screen. You must click
Save when advancing through tasks in this procedure.
5. Repeat step 4 above for each task until all selected tasks have been completed.
6. Click Exit Tasks to return to the Students setup screen.
Example A2: View/update data for existing students
1. At the top of the home screen, select the 2016 Spring PARCC test administration.
2. From the home screen, select Setup >> Students.
3. Using one of the available search options, select students whose data you wish to edit.
4. On the Select Tasks drop-down menu, check the Create/Edit Students or Registration checkboxes, as needed.
Click the Start button.
5. View or update student information, as needed. Click Save, and then click Next Task.
6. Repeat step 5 above for each task until all selected tasks have been completed.
7. Click Exit Tasks to return to the Student setup screen.
Please note: After March 11, 2016, if you need to change information that will generate a paper shipment for a
paper-based test (Alternate Representation-Paper Test, Human Reader or Human Signer, Large Print, Braille
with Tactile Graphics), you must do so through the additional order process. For more information, see the
Additional Orders Procedures, available on Avocet.
Option B: Use the PA Next SR/PNP File Import/Export Process (best for making
changes to large amounts of data)
Please note: the Student Registration/Personal Needs Profile Training Module, which describes the procedures
below, is available on the PARCC Training site. After registering with your e-mail address, you will have access
to this and other PARCC training modules.
When updating records in bulk, users should refer to the SR/PNP Field Definitions document, which provides a
description of the variables and expected values for entering information in the file. The SR/PNP Field
Definitions document is available in PA Next in Support >> Documentation.
Export a copy of the SR/PNP file (for your school or district) from PA Next:
1. At the top of the home screen, select the 2016 Spring PARCC test administration.
2. From the home screen, select Setup >> Import/Export Data.
3. In the Select Tasks drop-down menu, check the Import/Export Data checkbox, and click start.
4. In the Type drop-down menu on the next screen, select Student Registration Export, select a File Layout
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Type .csv, remove any Test Status Filters, and click Process.
5. When the status of the export is Complete, click the Download File link and save the file to a location that
will be easy to locate on your computer.
Example B1: Add new students who have enrolled in your school after October 1, 2015
1. Follow the instructions above to Export a copy of the SR/PNP file from PA Next. Then open the file.
2. Insert two rows for each new student who will take the PARCC tests (one row for ELA/L, one row for math).
3. In the rows you created, enter organization and student information in columns A−O that have "Y" in the
Required Y/N field.
4. Enter student demographic data in columns P−AD. Although these fields are not required, missing data will
generate a “Critical Warning.”
5. Skip the "State Field" variables in columns AE−AO; these are reserved for Department use.
6. In column AP, Assessment Session Location, paper-based testing (PBT) schools may want to provide
classroom or other information to organize the test materials shipment. Computer-based testing (CBT)
schools should refer to Managing Test Sessions and Student Classes on Avocet before populating this
field.
7. Columns AQ−AS are not required and can be used by schools and districts, as needed.
8. Enter Test Code and Test Format in columns AT and AU, respectively.
9. Enter "N" in Retest column AV.
10. Enter any accommodations and/or accessibility features in columns AX−CH, as needed, using the
Massachusetts-Specific SR/PNP Data Collection and Update Status document, located on the Department's
PARCC Test Administration Resources page, and guidance noted above
11. Import the file using the instructions in the PARCC SR/PNP Field Definitions document, available in PA Next
in Support >> Documentation.
Example B2: Assign grade 8 students to the Algebra I test
Note: By default, the Department assigned the grade 8 Mathematics test to all grade 8 students. If some grade 8
students in your school will take the Algebra I test, as reported to the Department by your superintendent in the
Spring 2016 PARCC District Assessment Decision, you must follow the steps below to assign those students to
the Algebra 1 test. This three-step procedure requires you to remove the default grade 8 Mathematics Test Code
(MAT08) and then add the grade 8 Algebra I Test Code (ALG01). ELA/L test registration information will not
be affected by this procedure.
Step 1: Create a file of grade 8 students selected to take the grade 8 Algebra I test
1. Follow the instructions above to Export a copy of the SR/PNP file from PA Next.
2. Open the exported SR/PNP file.
3. Delete all students in the file except those selected to take the grade 8 Algebra 1 test.
4. Delete rows of students with an ELA Test Code.
5. Confirm that the remaining students will take the grade 8 Algebra I test, but do not change the math Test
Code at this time.
6. Using “Save As,” save the resulting file with a different name indicating grade 8 students who will take the
Algebra I test.
Step 2: Import the file created in Step 1 into PA Next to remove grade 8 Mathematics test registration
1. Select Setup >> Import/Export Data
2. In the Select Tasks drop-down menu, check the Import/Export Data checkbox, and click Start.
3. In the Type drop-down menu on the next screen, select Student Registration Delete and choose an
appropriate file layout.
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4. Leave the Delete all data box unchecked.
5. Click the Browse…button and select the file created in Step 1 above. Click Process to upload the file. This
step removes only the grade 8 Mathematics test registration information for students not selected to take the
grade 8 Mathematics test.
6. On the View File Details page, once the status of the import is Complete, make note of and correct any
errors that may be listed on the page.
Step 3: Change the Test Code and Import the students who will take the grade 8 Algebra I test into PA Next
1. Using the same file uploaded into PA Next in Step 2 above, change the Test Code (column AT) from
MAT08 to ALG01. This step assigns the Algebra I test to the students selected to take the Algebra I test.
2. Open the SR/PNP Field Definitions document, available in PA Next on the Support>>Documentation
page.
3. Using instructions in this document, import the SR/PNP file into PA Next.
Once you have finished importing and/or updating student records, you can confirm that the changes appear in PA
Next by following the steps described above in Example A2: View/update data for existing students. Locate one
or more students whose SR/PNP data you have modified and verify that the changes appear on the Manage Student
Tests screen.
If you have questions or need further support, please contact the PARCC Help Center at 888-493-9888 (Monday–
Friday, 6:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m.) or parcc@support.pearson.com. You may also contact the Department at
parcc@doe.mass.edu or 781-338-3625.
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
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