Over the course of the past few weeks, Superintendent Dr. Joe Meloche and East principal Dr. Lawyer Chapman have released information regarding the implementation of the 2016 Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) exam for the district and specifically for East.

The exam will occur over a six week time frame, beginning on April 11 and ending on May 20. Juniors will be tested during the first two weeks, sophomores during the third and fourth weeks and freshmen during the final two weeks.

The bell schedule has also been posted on the East website. Testing will occur on the first three days of each week, which will be block days. Thursday and Friday of each week will be regular instructional days. Similar to last year’s schedule, the block days are not all 90 minutes long, but range anywhere from 45 to 130 minutes in length.

In a letter sent to the community, Meloche said that opting out will not be permitted. Chapman said in his own letter that East’s goal is to have 100 percent participation. However, in a follow-up letter released on February 23, Meloche said that students may refuse the exam so long as parents or guardians submit a refusal by Friday, March 4.

Click here to read the letters from Meloche and Chapman. To view the bell schedule for the first two weeks of testing, please click here.