The Educational Technology Advisory Council
Introduction
As the Commonwealth enters into online assessments, there is much work to do in preparation for this effort. School districts, for various reasons, have traditionally been slow to make significant departures from existing practice. For this reason, it will take time to make the necessary adjustments, both programmatically and financially, to support online assessments.
It is expected that a full review of infrastructure and program needs will be undertaken by the state before implementation and will need to consider the following factors. This report is the second on this topic; the first was issued by ETAC last year.
Access to sufficient bandwidth
Districts vary greatly in the speed and level of access to bandwidth. Even with E-Rate support, sufficient bandwidth can be a significant cost. Additional costs would be incurred supporting infrastructure improvements capable of providing sufficient redundancy required to ensure reliable access to the assessment system during testing periods. For many districts, this is a departure from current practice. In fact, according to the FCC, only 22% of districts nationwide report sufficient bandwidth to meet their current needs.
Access to devices
Based on our observations, recent years have seen a significant reduction in technology expenditures by districts. As a result, the average age of devices available for online assessments has increased, resulting in a decreased capacity of existing devices to support testing. It has also reduced in some districts the number of devices available as older units have aged out and fallen below minimum specifications. It is expected to take several years before

quantities recover to sufficient levels. Beyond the discussion of device capability, further evaluation is needed to determine what is the minimum student-to-computer ratio required for proper test administration.
The number of devices required for online assessment is equal to the number of students expected to take the test simultaneously, plus 5-10% for spares in case there are problems. At this time there is no definitive description of the minimum device requirements for online testing in terms of operating system, browser type, processor power, or memory size.
1 The expectation is that older computers may not be usable for online testing.
If all students are to be assessed on the same day, each student will need a device. This will not be possible in most districts without a large infusion of funding to pay for additional devices. To better match the number of devices likely to be available, high stakes assessments may need to be scheduled by grade level and by universal access requirements.
Changes to school schedules
School schedules present one of the more significant challenges. Coordinating block schedules, device availability, and testing windows is an effort seldom undertaken by schools.
Shifts towards blended environments could be useful for delivering much of the needed content and in-class time could be used for these assessments, practice, and homework. Being able to test anytime, anyplace, on any mobile device would certainly help with time issues within the school day.
Test administration
To date, many Assistant Principals and other assessment coordinators in large, urban districts spend much of their time preparing for traditional summative assessments. Similarly, there would need to be staff dedicated to preparing students and others in this ongoing testing initiative. In Florida, Pearson hires outside test administrators to support, troubleshoot, proctor
1 System requirements have been posted by PARCC since this document was drafted.

and upload test results. The vendor selected in Massachusetts should provide details and summaries of time needed and duties needed for such a staff person.
Professional development
In order to be successful using digital content, educators need professional development and ongoing support in creating and using digital content, developing and managing relationships, and collaborating in an online community. They also need time to review and assess electronic content, supported by coaching and mentors.
It is important to build a culture that promotes a community of learners among educators in a building; one important experience all teachers should have is to be a student in an online course. For online student assessment to be successful, educators need to increase their knowledge of online assessment practices, including formative and summative assessments, as well as perform extensive work in creating actionable knowledge from data systems.
Technical support
Educators need systems that they can rely on, or they cannot be expected to invest heavily in digital content and online assessment. If the infrastructure and access are not 99% reliable, it will mean always having a paper and pen backup plan. Therefore, schools need to provide sufficient technical support to guarantee reliable networks, devices, and connectivity.
The increased demands on technical staff will quickly outpace capacity. For example, the most recent administration of the Foreign Language AP exams, due to their increased complexity, required a significant increase in technical support time, according to reports from
ETAC members. Districts will need to determine how to either reallocate existing staff time or obtain help from outside on a temporary basis. In either case, testing will increase support costs.
Needs assessment, planning and funding

Certainly, the most important area is planning. There is sufficient evidence demonstrating that the success or failure of this type of project depends on comprehensive data gathering and a well-developed road map. There should be sufficient effort by the DESE, vendors, and Superintendents in support of a uniform, consistent, and shared concept. Past experience would suggest piloting with a representative group of districts, measuring the results, and then pushing on to the next wave. This is not a one-year effort, but one that will take a number of years to be fully adopted and fully successful, assuming a supportive funding model.
Summary
Recognizing that Massachusetts is in the early stages of preparation, districts will need assistance in addressing bandwidth and interoperability issues. Pearson’s report Considerations
for Next-Generation Assessments gives examples of successful projects in Virginia, North
Carolina and Mississippi. Although Massachusetts is different than other states in many ways, there are still valuable lessons to be learned from those who have already been through the process. The report also sets a five-step roadmap: conduct a needs analysis, develop a realistic transition and plan, ensure operability, communicate proactively, and anticipate ongoing change.
The Smarter Balanced/PARCC Technology Readiness Tool will provide a baseline to identify technical and administrative shortfalls, which will have to be addressed by districts in cooperation with vendors. Undoubtedly, each of the areas listed previously will require a significant level of time and resources. Much like other statewide initiatives, it should be expected that adoption and progress will be uneven. Support from the Commonwealth will determine, to a great extent, districts’ ability to provide sufficient testing infrastructure. We are also reminded that, although districts now have significant experience with paper and pencil assessments, that is quite different than the experience that will required for online testing.

For the committee:
Susan Birrell
Edwin Guarin
Stephen Kelley
Steven Mazzola
Jean Tower