A Publication of the
Madison Public
Schools Office of
Curriculum and
Instruction
March 2015
A Walk in the PARCC
aims to provide all
those with an interest in
the Madison Public
Schools with the latest
information about the
Common Core State
Standards and PARCC
assessments.
First Round of PARCC Testing Complete
Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night… Rather than describing the United States
Postal Service, it felt like this saying might have applied to our first round of PARCC testing due
to several weather-related schedule changes. Through it all, our students and staff persevered
and we have now successfully completed the PARCC Performance-Based Assessment process
in all five schools.
Students who took PARCC are being provided the opportunity to share feedback regarding the
experience through a survey process. Students are being asked questions about computerbased testing in general, how they felt the test compared to their regular classroom
experiences, and preference questions regarding the use of a mouse, handheld calculator
versus computer-embedded calculator.
These results will be shared in the April “A Walk in the PARCC” newsletter.
PARCC End-of-Year Testing Just Around the Corner
PARCC is a two-part test and the second component comes up quickly after spring break. The
End-of-Year testing schedule has been set as indicated below.
Elementary Schools
Testing will last 75 minutes each day.
Grade 5 – April 29 (ELA), May 1 & 4 (Math)
Grade 4 – May 5 (ELA), May 6-7 (Math)
Grade 3 – May 12 (ELA), May 13-14 (Math)
Madison Junior School
Testing will last 120 minutes for ELA, 155 minutes for Math.
Grade 8 – May 4 (ELA), May 5 (Math)
Grade 7 –May 7 (ELA), May 8 (Math)
Grade 6 – May 11 (ELA), May 12 (Math)
Madison High School
Testing will last 120 minutes for ELA, 155-165 minutes for Math.
Algebra I – April 23
Geometry – April 21
Algebra II – April 23
Masthead Design:
Dani Bratton
Madison High School Teacher
English 9 – April 22
English 10 – April 22
English 11 – April 21
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PARCC Scores and Community College Placement
The presidents of New Jersey’s community colleges announced an anticipated plan to use
PARCC results as one factor in student placement beginning in 2016. This would apply to the
Madison High School Class of 2016. Students will not be required to pass PARCC to graduate
until 2019. Those students who do not pass PARCC can demonstrate proficiency through a
number of other assessments, as reported in the December 2014 issue of “A Walk in the
PARCC.”
The colleges plan to compare PARCC results to existing data they have from SAT, ACT, and
Accuplacer in the fall before determining exactly how to use PARCC as part of the placement
process.
Article adapted from “PARCC scores may count for placement at N.J. community colleges in
2016.” The full article is available here.
Family Literacy Nights Rescheduled
On the evening of Thursday, March 12, Torey J. Sabatini School held its second annual Family
Literacy Night.
The evening was structured in three sections. Kindergarten and first grade met in first grade
classrooms with Ms. McGuire, Mrs. Ryan and Mrs. Smith. Second and third grades met in their
area with Mrs. Babich, Ms. Giordano and Ms. Cappello. Fourth and fifth grades met in the
Jaguar Wing with Ms. Freiman, Mrs. Caruso and Mrs. Smith. Each group worked on age and
grade appropriate activities.
The goal of the evening was multifold. It was a great opportunity for parents, children and
teachers to engage in literacy activities together. It also was a way for parents to gain a better
understanding, through hands-on activities, of what their children are doing in their literacy
program. It also provided parents with ideas for how to better work with their children out of
the school setting. Summer is rapidly approaching and it is crucial for literacy to remain a
focus.
It was a valuable, fun evening for everyone! Each group ended the night with teachers
modeling interactive read alouds for the parents and children. Everyone went home with new
ideas and understandings for the future.
Central Avenue School and Kings Road School teachers, parents, and students will come
together to learn and experience the district’s literacy curriculum on April 23 at 6:30pm.
Office of Curriculum and
Instruction
Madison Public Schools
359 Woodland Road
Madison. NJ 07940
www.madisonpublicschools.org
@MadisonNJPS
Matthew A. Mingle, Director
What Do You Think?
“A Walk in the PARCC” is designed to keep the entire Madison learning community informed
as we transition to new educational standards and assessments. Please take a moment to
complete a brief survey to guide the development of future newsletters.
The survey can be accessed at http://tinyurl.com/AWalkInTheParcc.
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