A Publication of the
Madison Public
Schools Office of
Curriculum and
Instruction
February 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.
PARCC Launches in Madison Schools
During the week of March 2, fifth grade students at all three elementary schools and eighth
grade students at Madison Junior School will begin taking PARCC performance-based
assessments in mathematics and literacy. Preparations have been under way in the district for
several years to ensure our curriculum and instruction practices are in alignment with the
Common Core State Standards on which these assessments are based.
Like we did during field testing last year, we will survey our participating students about their
experience with PARCC so that we can identify local lessons learned about the content and
technological requirements and develop strategies to strengthen our preparation for the endof-year assessments in May and testing in subsequent years. The results of these surveys will
be shared broadly later this spring.
More than 20 New Jersey high schools began administering PARCC assessments in late
February. Madison administrators have been in touch with some of those schools to gain
knowledge related to managing large-scale computer-based testing. Based on these
conversations and initial reports, testing has gone pretty smoothly so far across the state. We
are confident that our technology infrastructure, leadership teams, and teachers are ready to
successfully support our students as they demonstrate their knowledge and skills related to
mastery of the Common Core State Standards.
A weather plan is in place should there be delayed openings, early dismissals, or school
closures during PARCC testing. The plan can be found on the district website.
NJ PTA Launches PARCC Support Website
The New Jersey Parent Teacher Association launched a website called “Best Foot Forward” to
“provide timely information and resources to help parents support their child in the transition
to PARCC in whatever way they see fit.” This includes test-taking tips, text alerts, answers to
frequently asked questions, background on PARCC development, and much more. All of the
resources are geared towards New Jersey parents. The website is available at
bestfootforwardnj.org.
PARCC Score Reports Unveiled
Masthead Design:
Dani Bratton
Madison High School Teacher
In an update to the state Board of Education on February 4, New Jersey Department of
Education officials provided a preview of what PARCC score reports would look like. The full
presentation includes background about how the new reports will change from existing NJASK
and HSPA reports. The sample PARCC reports begin on page 12. You can see the full
presentation here.
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Elementary Students and Parents Participate in
Family Math Nights
Parents and students joined with the staffs of the three elementary schools to discover the
wonders of math together on February 5, 2015. This evening of hands-on learning activities
and games was designed to bring the Math in Focus / Common Core State Standards math
classroom alive for parents. The 2014-15 school year marks the first full year of
implementation of Math in Focus in grades 3-5 and the second year of implementation in
grades K-2.
NJDOE Publishes Assessment Information for
Students with IEPs
The New Jersey Department of Education published an informational guide for parents and
families of students with IEPs. The guide addresses PARCC assessments but also Dynamic
Learning Maps (DLM), the alternate state assessment system administered to students with
the most significant intellectual disabilities. The full document is available here.
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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