Estimated $100M Needed for MD Schools to Administer New Assessments

The Maryland State Department of Education recently reported to the legislative budget committees on the preparedness of public schools to administer the Partnership for Assessments of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) assessments.  The  report was requested by the Joint Chairmen of the budget committees, out of concern that several local education agencies would not be prepared to administer the assessments by 2014-2015.

The report finds that many local school systems are not yet prepared to administer the online PARCC assessments.  The technology requests by local school systems relevant to the preparation for PARCC totaled almost $100 million.  The report includes appendices of each local education agency’s technology assessment.

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The Maryland State Department of Education states that a paper version on the PARCC assessments may be used in 2014-2015 and that all schools will be prepared to administer the online verison of the PARCC by 2016-2017.  For more information, read the full Report to the Budget Committee.

Senator Rosapepe, a member of the Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee has introduced legislation to bring all students up to the same level of technology access by 2016-2017 school year. SB 821 states that

On or before the 2016–2017 school year all public school students shall have equal and ubiquitous access to digital technology in the classroom to optimize learning opportunities.
The legislation would apply funding from the state budget and general obligation bonds to this purpose, and create a grant program to be administered by the Interagency Committee on Public School Construction.  For more information, read the full bill text.