What Families Need to Know About New Tests

in Schools (PARCC)

Testing Coordinator Mr. Jarod Claybourn

Presenter Mrs. Karen Macpherson -Magnolia Public Schools

PARCC - History

The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) is a group of states working together to develop a set of assessments that measure whether students are on track to be successful in college and their careers.

Because the assessments are aligned with the new, more rigorous Common Core State Standards (CCSS), they ensure that every child is on a path to college and career readiness by measuring what students should know at each grade level.

What Are The Common Core State standards?

1. Governors and State Commissioners in Education from around the nation developed a series of academic standards in grades K-12.

2. The goal is to have our children leave school prepared to compete against their peers globally.

3. The standards provide a valuable framework around which we build our day-to-day teaching units. (High quality instruction.)

How Are The PARCC Assessments Connected to the Common Core?

1. PARCC is one of two state consortia developing assessments aligned to the common core.

2. The assessments are designed to give teachers information to guide instruction and provide student support.

3. Beginning in grade three, to measure student progress in meeting the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts and Mathematics.

Components of PARCC Assessments

Performance-Based Assessments (PBA) in ELA and Mathematics. (March 2-27)

All students will take this summative assessment test after approximately 75% of the school year is completed to demonstrate level of knowledge.

End of Year Assessments (EOY) in ELA and Mathematics. (April 22- May 27)

All students will take this summative assessment after approximately 90% of school year is completed to demonstrate level of knowledge.

End of Year Assessment

1. All students will take this at the end of the school year.

2. The results will be combined with the performance-based assessment to produce a student’s summative assessment score.

Assessment Time

Unit Testing Time is the time we are required to schedule for administration of the test. Students may use all of this time, but the belief is most will not need it.

Estimated Time on Task is how long the test creators believe it will take most students to complete the test. (actual working time)

Scheduling Times

Grade Level(s) Estimated Time on Task

Grade 3 6 hours 30 minutes

Grade 4 6 hours 45 minutes

Grade 6-8 7 hours 25 minutes

Preparing for PARCC

1. PARCC-like assessment questions have been incorporated into classroom formative assessments.

2. Sample tests and tutorials of the on-line assessment have been incorporated into weekly lesson plans

3. Infrastructure Trials have been provided.

4. Teacher tutorials and Professional Development have been provided.

Old Test vs. New Test

Writing prompt on an old, outgoing state test

See the PARCC difference for yourself

PARCC writing prompt

Third Grade Example • Read the writing prompt below and complete the writing activity: • Jump out of bed! Look out the window! It is a perfect weather day! • Write a story about a day when the weather seemed perfect

Third Grade Example • You have read two texts about famous people in American history who solved a problem by working to make a change • Write an article for your school newspaper describing how Eliza and Carver faced challenges to change something in America • In your article, be sure to describe in detail why some solutions they tried worked and others did not work • Tell how the challenges each one faced were the same and how they were different

Old Test vs. New Test

Math outgoing state test

See the PARCC difference for yourself

PARCC test

5th Grade Example The town of La Paz, Bolivia, is in the Andes mountains. Which of these units could be used to describe the distance of the town of La Paz above sea level? A. Degrees B. B. Feet C. C. Cubic Inches D. D. Pounds

5th Grade Example Mr. Edmunds shared 12 pencils among his four sons as follows: • Alan received 1/3 of the pencils • Bill received 1/4 of the pencils • Carl received more than 1 pencil • David received more pencils than Carl PART A: On the number line, represent the fraction of the total number of pencils that was given to both Alan and Bill combined. Use the buttons on the right to increase or decrease the number of equal sections on the number line. PART B. What fraction of the total number of pencils did Carl and David each receive? Justify your answer.

Language Arts

1. Analyze Literature2. Demonstrate writing skills 3. Read texts and write, demonstrating reading skills

and understanding complex texts.4. Communicate knowledge by integrating, comparing,

and synthesizing ideas.

Mathematics

1. Problem Solving2. Express mathematical reasoning3. Construct mathematical arguments4. Apply concepts to real-world problems

Practice on PARCC

Go to : parcc.pearson.com

Click on Blue “View test Preparation” button and you will get drop down menu:

Please select: Practice Tests

Choose LAL or Math Practice tests and Grade Level

PARCC at SPS

•PARCC PBA Testing Dates•March 9-13•PARCC EOY Testing Dates•May 4th-8th

• 14-15 Calendar