Let’s do a little #parcc math, shall we?
I’ve been curious about the recent release of time estimates for the PARCC tests, via Education Week. I was thinking about the typical elementary school, ones that I’ve been in, to see how this is going to work in practice, at least for the first couple of years as we go into total flux mode. Nevermind that two to three years of a child’s formative education will be disrupted until the system is in place. Who cares about them, right?
In any event, estimates say about 10 hours per student with a roughly five to nine-day window. This does not take into account the performance based component, which extends the window to 20 days.
All right, so a typical school I’ve seen has a shared computer lab for an entire building. PARCC tests will all be online. Let me be generous and assume 40 computer work stations for a school in a single lab. Again, this is generous. I’m going to take a particular, nameless elementary school that I’ve visited. In third, fourth, and fifth grades, the tested ones, you have a rough total of 365 students. With 40 workstations, this would mean about nine test sessions for administration of each exam component.
Now, I hope my math is correct here, but this could mean nine sessions for each exam component, of which there are nine. So, that means, for this school, as many as 36 actual test sessions to fully implement the
In any event, estimates say about 10 hours per student with a roughly five to nine-day window. This does not take into account the performance based component, which extends the window to 20 days.
All right, so a typical school I’ve seen has a shared computer lab for an entire building. PARCC tests will all be online. Let me be generous and assume 40 computer work stations for a school in a single lab. Again, this is generous. I’m going to take a particular, nameless elementary school that I’ve visited. In third, fourth, and fifth grades, the tested ones, you have a rough total of 365 students. With 40 workstations, this would mean about nine test sessions for administration of each exam component.
Now, I hope my math is correct here, but this could mean nine sessions for each exam component, of which there are nine. So, that means, for this school, as many as 36 actual test sessions to fully implement the
A parent sends word from CAVA that optouts are happening
Typing with a broken left wrist. Very slow, so let’s make this easy.
A concerned CA parent sent me some documents they received from administration from the California Virtual Academy, where her child attends.
Does this tell us anything? I don’t know. Apparently, some discussion within CAVA is occurring about opting out of the CST, at least enough to necessitate a board meeting. Parents have a right to opt out of the CST, but CAVA students must still take some kind of alternative assessment. I wonder what that alternative might be.
Nonetheless, know your rights, folks.
A concerned CA parent sent me some documents they received from administration from the California Virtual Academy, where her child attends.
Does this tell us anything? I don’t know. Apparently, some discussion within CAVA is occurring about opting out of the CST, at least enough to necessitate a board meeting. Parents have a right to opt out of the CST, but CAVA students must still take some kind of alternative assessment. I wonder what that alternative might be.
Nonetheless, know your rights, folks.