This week members of the House and Senate committees on education heard a briefing on the Status of PreK-12 Assessments. The PARCC assessment (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) was administered in Maryland for the first time during the 2014-2015 school year as Maryland along with several other states moved to the new assessment aligned with the Common Core standards.
During the report to the legislators, representatives of the Maryland State Department of Education described how each time a new assessment is introduced in Maryland, we see “tremendous growth over time.” The emphasis on the long view may be in part because of the anticipated low scores this year.
As reported in the Maryland Reporter, results of the PARCC student assessment administered last spring will be released this fall.
The board plans to release and discuss the statewide scores at their next two monthly meetings, with high school results on the agenda for Oct. 27, and discussion of elementary and middle school results planned for Dec. 8.
High school students are scheduled to receive paper take-home reports on Nov. 3, while elementary and middle school students are expected to receive their scores on Nov. 30, according to board documents.
Costs of implementing PARCC assessments, which were designed for computer administration with other options available, are a continuing concern for local Boards of Education. Estimates of technology needs have been as high as $100 million. At the same time, the Maryland State Department of Education is reporting over $2 million savings in the State’s budget for the administering the exam.
Read the documents from this week’s briefing before the House and Senate education committees here: PARCC Legislative Update Power Point, PARCC Legislative Update Agenda and Handouts, and PARCC Parents Guide.
For more information about PARCC in Maryland schools, see the Maryland Reporter, the Maryland State Department of Education and our previous posts: State Gives School Boards Flexibility In Administering Student Assessments, School Systems Prepare For Common Core Testing Changes.
