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)

Grade Level(s)

Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 6-8

Scheduling Times

Estimated Time on Task

6 hours 30 minutes 6 hours 45 minutes 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

See the PARCC difference for yourself Writing prompt on an old, outgoing state test 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 PARCC writing prompt 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

See the PARCC difference for yourself Math outgoing state 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 PARCC test 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 Literature 2. 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 Solving 2. Express mathematical reasoning 3. Construct mathematical arguments 4. 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 4

th

-8

th • 14-15 Calendar