Field testing PARCC: Worthwhile for your special needs child?


Some of you may be wondering: what is PARCC, again?

PARCC stands for Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers. It’s a new a national standardized test that is poised to replace the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System. About 81,000 Massachusetts students, including many in Cape Cod schools, field-tested PARCC this spring—along with students in 14 other states.

Third through 11th graders took PARCC to try out the test’s content and online functionality. Students do not receive scores on the test this year—it was a dry run for the real thing.

Field test accommodations
Special needs students were included in field tests, except the most profoundly disabled, and those requiring Braille or onscreen American Sign Language.  Some embedded accommodations were unavailable for field testing, but will be in the operational test. For example, NotePad and most accommodations for visually impaired students were not available.

Extended time was available to students with disabilities as an accommodation for the field test, even if it was not in the IEP or 504 plans. All general education and special needs students were allowed up to 50% additional time for each session in the field test. In 2015 and beyond, extended time (beyond 50%) must be included in IEPs and 504 plans.

Special concerns
Special needs parents were concerned that students missed valuable classroom instruction. Special needs students typically require more time than general education students to master the curriculum. Field-testing reduced the limited instruction time available for them to perform proficiently on the end-of-year MCAS.

Another concern parents expressed was the excess amount of testing overall, especially for special needs students who may experience extreme anxiety in testing situations, despite accommodations. Adding another standardized test, just for the sake of field-testing, was unnecessarily overwhelming for some students.

Should my child participate next year?
Field-testing will continue next school year. Formal administration of the test is anticipated in 2015-16. Should your son or daughter be subjected to field-testing again next year? You and your child’s education team should convene and decide whether it would be in his or her best interest. 

The inclusion of an experienced advocate can help simplify the process and keep the focus on your child’s needs. Contact Cape Cod Advocate today about how PARCC field tests or other high-stakes tests impact your special needs child.

Try it yourself

As a parent, try out the practice tests and sample items to experience it for yourself. The 60-page Accommodations Manual compares MCAS vs. PARCC accommodations. More information about Massachusetts and PARCC is available here.

Please contact me if you would like to learn more. ~ Christine M. Riley