CMAS - English Language Arts and Mathematics Assessments (PARCC) Archive

This is an archive site. Do not use any information contained on this page for current administrations. Some links may not be active.

Information about Estimated Testing Times 2016 and 2017

PARCC estimates that students will spend the approximate lengths of time below to complete all the sessions, or timed components, of the PARCC assessments in ELA and math:

8.25 hours annually in 3rd grade
8.5 hours in grades 4–5
A little more than 9 hours in grades 6-9

Specific unit times and scheduling considerations can be found in the 2017 PARCC Test Coordinator Manual.

PARCC Accommodations Manual (updated 9.19.15)
View 2016 spring training information

PARCC Test Design

PARCC has released documents to help schools and districts understand the design of the assessment. For ELA/L these documents include high level assessment blueprints, ELA Literacy Common forms Specifications, reading evidence tables, writing evidence tables, task models, scoring rubrics and performance level descriptors.

For mathematics, the documents include high level assessment blueprints, claim structure documents, evidence statements, informational guides by grade level to help teachers, and performance level descriptors.

Unique Accommodations Request (form updates annually)

In Colorado, there is additional guidance on several accommodations for ELA/L and/or mathematics. Unique accommodation requests (UAR) must be submitted to CDE via Syncplicity by December 15 for approval.

Guidance to determine if a student qualifies for reading access accommodations for the ELA/L assessment (e.g.,text-to-speech, sign, human reader/oral script)
Guidance to determine if a student qualifies for a calculator (or math tools) on the non-calculator portions of the assessment grades 3-7 is here, and the pilot for grades 8-9 is here.
Guidance to determine if a student qualifies for a human scribe on the ELA/L assessment
Instructions for other accommodations

Spring 2016 Test Coordinator Manual (TCM)
Verification of District Training Form submit via Syncplicity
Link to the PARCC Tutorials, Sample Items, Manuals, Practice Tests, and Technology Information (has tutorial for all forms of the test including ASL)
Colorado-adapted PARCC Student Registration/Personal Needs Profile (SR/PNP) File layout
- Spring 2016 CMAS: Science and Social Studies Colorado specific SR/PNP file layout
- Spring 2016 CoAlt: Science and Social Studies Colorado specific SR/PNP file layout

2015 Spring Administration information

2017 PARCC Quick Links

Here are links for commonly requested information:

Accommodation Matrix
Guidance on Eligibility for Assessments in Spanish - PDF
Locking and Unlocking Test Units
Math reference sheets (updated for 2017): Grade 5, Grade 6, Grade 7, Grade 8, High School
- Spanish math reference sheets: Grade 5, Grade 6, Grade 7, Grade 8, High School
PARCC.Pearson.com
2017 Parent Excusal Coding Fact Sheet - PDF
PearsonAccess^next Published Reports Guidance (Avocet)
Prepare Test Sessions in PAnext - PDF
Test Coordinator Manual (TCM)
Testing Multiple Grades in a Testing Environment
Transfer Student Guidance for Colorado
- 2016 CO PBT Transfer Guidance Document
The updated 2016 ISR shell has been translated into the following languages (PDF):
Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Haitian Creole, Navajo, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Urdu, and Vietnamese.
Verification of District Training Form
Void and Not Tested Codes and Reasons (Procedures Manual - Appendix K)

2015 PARCC Quick Links