It took 13 days to administer the PARCC exam to 1,000 freshmen at Lyons Township High School District 204, a schedule that interrupted class time for some students.
The state-mandated Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers is a test and accountability measure for Illinois students enrolled in a public school district. The assessments are intended to make sure each student is prepared for the next grade level and is on track for postsecondary success.
This is the second year the PARCC was administered in the district where freshmen enrolled in English I and Algebra I took the test. The test was first required in 2015 when it was administered in District 204 on paper, which required fewer interrupted days. Students last year took the test in two sessions, one from March 16-18 and another from April 27-28.
Students this year took the test online on banks of 250 computers set up in The Corral at the south campus from March 30 through April 15.
“We had to set everything up and cycled them through,” said Katie Smith, coordinator of assessment and research.
To accommodate the computers, the district increased electrical power to The Corral, and also set up rows of booths where students took the test.
“It took a lot of the manpower on my team,” said Edward Tennant, director of technology.
Set up for the testing cost about $45,000 and some of the items the district purchased, such as tables and chairs, can be used again.
Tennant said only minor technical issues were reported during the testing such as a computer mouse not working.
According to the district, the demanding schedule was required because of a limited number of computers, multiple lunch periods, staffing limitations and PARCC administration guidelines that had to be followed,
“That’s a rigorous and brutal testing schedule,” Smith said.
Students who missed classes were provided the opportunity to receive the instruction they were absent for via copy of notes, information in a learning management system, or other appropriate means, the district reported. They also were given at least a week to submit in-class graded assignments they missed and time to make up a quizzes or tests they missed.
Jennifer Bialobok, community relations coordinator, said the district decided to administer the test online rather than on paper this year because that seems to be the state’s preference.
“The state frowns on the paper test,” she said. “We had difficulty getting the paper test last year.”
The test was given in 90-minute time blocks. Smith said the majority of students finished the tests in about 45 minutes though some took as little as two minutes and some took the entire time.
Whether it was because they didn’t want to try, were having test fatigue, or protesting having to take the PARCC, Tenannt said the district doesn’t know why some students left after just a couple of minutes.
“I don’t have any way of knowing what was in those kids’ heads,” he said.
If the district increases the number of computers it provides for the test to 500, it is estimated it would take six and a half days to administer it. If all students had computers it would cut the time dramatically, Smith said.
“We could knock out the PARCC test in two days if every student had a computer,” she said.
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Bialobok said the district will need to administer the test again next year, but is not yet sure what testing will be required by the state after that.
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