tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626361365897531793.post302090739129854393..comments2024-03-28T20:22:01.063-07:00Comments on Ms. Katie's Ramblings: How &*%$ed Up is PARCC!?!KatieOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01072560661013528732noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626361365897531793.post-13377498873468525672015-03-27T07:25:33.337-07:002015-03-27T07:25:33.337-07:00Please excuse grammatical errors/redundancies! Please excuse grammatical errors/redundancies! Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-626361365897531793.post-57597148298804019482015-03-27T07:14:58.317-07:002015-03-27T07:14:58.317-07:00PARCC will of course use the excuse that they crea... PARCC will of course use the excuse that they created a Chromebook/ipad version of the test that does NOT require Java, but that is simply unacceptable and inexcusable. While Chromebooks are a growing presence in schools, they are still minority in terms of computer platform. And this still does not excuse the fact that they didn't build the PARCC so that it could run natively in a web browser. They also could have built a "lock down browser", much like NWEA did with the MAP, which would run as an independent program void of Java. And despite the fact that the NWEA testing app is time consuming to setup and install as well, it runs like a charm once testing begins. And top ALL of this off, our entire testing session went from 3 days to 2 full weeks (leading up to Spring Break) due to the PARCC not being able to support our entire middle school taking the test at once. PARCC’s response was that our network could flat out not support this many students (about 240) taking the test at once. This is completely false. Months before testing began we (IT) ensured that our school's network speed was at it's highest capacity (about 150 mbs down, which is probably as fast as any school in the country.) We also just recently spent over $15,000 in installing 25 new wifi access points across our schools campus. After doing their own diagnostic on our network, PARCC claimed that we are only able to support testing for 25 students at a time. This is an outrageous claim and I'm still trying to grasp that they came to that conclusion. For what it's worth we were finally able to test about 65 students per test session.<br /><br />Personally, I'm also primarily (deeply) concerned with the money involved in all this. The PARCC test was obviously created and is currently maintained by Pearson Inc; a private, for profit, multi-billion dollar corporation. It is sickening that a federally mandated nation wide test (at least the states that are complying) was sold off to such a contentious, money hungry edu software monopoly. Clearly there are different opinions on how public funds should be allocated towards educational programs/schools/computer software, but I'm of the STRONG opinion that these funds should stay in house. Why can't the Dept. of Education create a new wing of their org to support the PARCC? And why does every single educational contract seem to go to Pearson of all companies?? They have a blatant monopoly that is never talked about or touched upon. I have haven't even touched upon the fact that Pearson is heavily financed and backed by Koch Inc. I feel nauseous now. <br /><br />As I warned earlier, I’m rambling at this point, so apologies. And I have not mentioned the real and very troubling issues that relate to PARCC (disruption in the classroom as you so eloquently stated, ramifications of poor testing scores by students, consequences towards public school teachers if their students perform poorly, extreme difficulty of test material, etc.) In any event, I greatly appreciate your point of view I hope to hear more of your observations and opinions on this entire matter.<br /><br />Thank You, <br /><br />Concerned CitizenAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com