PARCC technology requirements

Walton: we have enough computers not only for this year, but for next (this is the first few pages of this)
need is for headsets; for enough headsets, need $49000 worth
number of devices: recommendation from IT is that all students be tested in labs (rather than those three computers at the back of the room)
chart of number of lab computers at each school: calculation by testing over 20 days, 15 days, 10 days, 5 days


Performance Based Assessment is over five days; End of Year is over four days
(that means a student will be in a lab for every morning M-F; then M-Th)
device gap column: negative means that they are short computers
12 schools that are short computers for doing tests over 20 days
none needs more than 12 computers; "these are manageable"
"I'm not concerned about these numbers"
"if the School Committee or the principal says we have to do this in a 15 day window, that's more of a problem"
and thus on if we do it over a shorter window
"to do a 20 day window, we're in pretty good shape"
"to do it in 10 days, we're going to have to have a talk

Novick: that means that 20 days of testing twice a year: 40 days out of 180 that we will have computer labs entirely off limits, that all testing procedures (silent halls, no volunteers in the building, etc etc) will be in force
O'Connell: what is in the best interest of the students if we take aside the issues of computer capacity? I've got some real concerns about the time frame
Walton: a student is only going to be tested over 5 days; I don't know if a student has to test M-F continuously
Colorio: concern about student testing window by school

Biancheria: air conditioning portion of this
A/C in all computer labs for $150,000

Bandwidth: data center and internet connection is through North High School
where are the bottlenecks?
connection to North: 37 schools have only a 10Mbs bandwidth (that's the lowest)
largest high schools and middle schools have a 100Mbs connection
high schools were first to run up against 10Mbs line; middle schools next
"this is the direction we're going"
next step is large elementaries
37 schools need to go from 10 to 100 next year, assuming PARCC goes full blown
assuming Erate $70,189 will be cost
from North to internet is 300Mbs: we use 150 to 200 a day
"we're pretty good about right sizing our internet"
we're going to need about 104 Mgs for the 20 day window
"I don't want our internet connection to be the reason this doesn't work"
recommend adding 200 Mgs for $23,000 a year
plus increase filter in $85,000 BUT NOT YET

adding all up: next year total $142,189
ongoing $93,000 for filter three years out

Biancheria asks for this in layman's terms

O'Connell: any expenses that are not priority 1 Erate?
Walton: all are priority 1
O'Connell: likely to get reimbursement? Walton: yes
additional $400,000 this year
not likely to have any priority 2 requests funded this year
what about next year?...
O'Connell: would we better off to apply for the funds this year (rather than next year)?
Walton: Erate window closes about March
will apply as if all schools at 100 Mgs; if we don't have the money, can downgrade
O'Connell: request budget that funds tech needs for PARCC?
having a bit of a hypothetical conversation here about laying dark fiber and long term costs return
question on if we should talk about this at budget
Walton discussion of when does it make sense to move to dark fiber: having that conversation at budget
we may need a few headsets

keyboarding: kids take multiple choice tests, they don't take tests with sentences and paragraphs
Perda: Common Core expects keyboarding standards: some of the work has been done
"I think people have thought about this"
"I think there will be benchmarks for kids to use"
DESE report on PARCC on lessons learned
HOLD until report comes back what we know of keyboarding