A Publication of the
Madison Public
Schools Office of
Curriculum and
Instruction
April 2014
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.
Practice PARCC Tests Now Available
Want to see PARCC items in action? Would you like to know how PARCC is different from
previous standardized tests like NJASK and HSPA?
At this time, practice Performance-Based Assessment tests are available for grades 3-11 in
English Language Arts and End-of-Year tests are available for grades 3-8 mathematics and
Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II. Although scoring is not built into the practice test, answer
keys and rubrics are posted. Access the practice tests by visiting practice.parcc.testnav.com.
Students at CAS, MJS, and MHS Complete PARCC
Performance-Based Assessment Field Testing
Six classes of Madison students at Central Avenue School (Grade 3 English Language Arts and
Grade 4 Mathematics), Madison Junior School (Grade 7 Mathematics and Grade 8 English
Language Arts), and Madison High School (Grade 9 English Language Arts) completed PARCC
field testing in March and April as part of a nationwide field test of the new assessment
system. This administration was part of the performance-based assessment component.
Additional field testing is scheduled in May at Kings Road School (Grade 5 English Language
Arts), Madison Junior School (Grade 7 Mathematics), and Madison High School (Grade 9
English Language Arts).
A great deal of effort went into managing the field testing. Thanks to members of the
technology staff (John LaPierre, coordinator; Jon Cagnassola; Robert Edinger), building test
coordinators (Brett Levine, MHS; Libby Marotta, MJS; Tom Liss, CAS), district test coordinator
(Matthew Mingle), building administrators (Greg Robertson and John Connolly, MHS; Nicole
Sherrin and Dave Coster, MJS; Tom Liss, CAS), test administrator (Joanne Walch, CAS), and
classroom teachers (Karen Derosa and Janice Nellins, MHS; Caitlin Aery, Anna Hatziemanuel,
Danielle Mack, and Jane Spielberger, MJS; Anne Baier, Jenna Bulzacchelli, Valarie Delli Paoli,
and Susan Earls, CAS).
As part of our efforts to learn as much as possible from our students’ testing experience in
order to improve our instructional practices in Madison, all participating students were asked
to complete a survey about their experience. The links below will bring you to summaries of
those survey results:
Central Avenue
Masthead Design:
Dani Bratton
Madison High School Teacher
Madison Junior School
Madison High School
Additional survey results will be shared following the End of Year assessments in May.
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College Board Releases Details on the Redesigned
SAT – Coming in Spring 2016
In an open public letter dated April 16, 2014, College Board President and CEO David Coleman
and Chief of Assessment Cynthia B. Schmeiser, announced significant changes to the SAT
scheduled for implementation in spring 2016.
“By working together,
we can ensure that
many more students
will be college and
career ready and take
advantage of the
opportunities they
have earned.”
-Coleman & Schmeiser
The changes to the SAT will distinguish it from any current admission exam. This will be the
first admission exam that requires students to cite evidence in support of their understanding
of texts in both reading and writing. There will be real-world applications of reading and math
not only in science, but also in social science and career contexts involving both texts and
graphics. There is also the unprecedented commitment that on every exam students will
encounter a text from the Founding Documents or the Great Global Conversation they inspire.
The level of focus in math is another significant advancement, allowing students to
concentrate on fewer topics that are most essential for college and career success.
Along with the announcement, the College Board released a 208-page guide to the redesigned
SAT with full test specifications and sample items. This resource can be accessed by visiting
https://www.collegeboard.org/sites/default/files/test_specifications_for_the_redesigned_sat
_na3.pdf.
Most notably for the Madison community is the strong alignment between the redesigned
SAT, the Common Core State Standards, and PARCC assessment system. As we continually
strive to develop stronger instructional programs, practices and resources, Madison’s
students will be prepared to meet the challenges of these assessments and, most importantly,
life after graduation from Madison High School.
Article adapted from “Letter from David Coleman and Cyndie Schmeiser” published at
https://www.collegeboard.org/delivering-opportunity/sat/redesign/letter-from-davidcoleman.
Family Literacy Night Helps Bring Common Core to
Story Time
On Monday, April 7, 2014, each elementary school hosted a Family Literacy Night. Organized
by Janine Loconsolo, Supervisor of Elementary Education, and the building principals (Tom
Liss, CAS; Kathy Koop, KRS; and Mike Post, TJS), the
evening’s goal was to bring parents and children
together with teachers to participate in the types of
literacy activities that take place during the school day.
The Madison Public Schools elementary literacy
program provides a balanced instructional program
that includes the study of authentic and rich children’s
literature, work in leveled texts for guided reading,
introduction to patterns and sounds through phonics
and spelling instruction, and experience and practice in
effective writing traits within a workshop approach.
Working together at Central
Avenue School
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Kings Road School students and
parents exploring literacy activities
Torey J. Sabatini School families
enjoying a story together
Through reading aloud, providing print materials, and promoting positive attitudes about
reading and writing, parents can have a powerful impact on children’s literacy and learning.
Here are 10 tips to get the most out of your reading time together:
1. Read every day, even if you only have a few minutes. This models that daily reading is
an important part of each day. Children love routine and they will look forward to this
special time.
2. Create a cozy place to read together. It can be a special chair, or even a pile of pillows.
3. Let your child help you choose what book to read. This will help you keep the child’s
interest, and it makes him/her feel important. Visiting a library regularly makes
choosing books easy and fun.
4. Talk about the cover of the book. Have your child guess what the book is about. Who
are the characters? What is the title? Who is the author? Have you read books by this
author before? What about the illustrator?
5. Change your voice to go with the characters and the action. You don’t have to be an
actor, but you can at least change your inflection for a livelier storytelling experience.
Try not to read too quickly. You don’t want to sound like you’re rushing to finish.
6. Show the pictures as you read. Not only do the pictures help children understand and
connect to the book, the illustrations often add humor and whimsy to fiction.
7. After you read the book, talk about the story. Go back and look at the pictures again
and talk about what happened. Point out any hard words to see if your child can
figure out what they mean by looking at the surrounding words and pictures.
8. Try to make connections to something in the story and your life or your child’s life.
9. Prompt your child to critique the book. Ask questions such as, “What did you like?
What did you dislike? What made you laugh? What made you learn?”
10. Vary the genres that you read. Mix fiction and nonfiction. A child’s future favorite
book might be in a genre he or she has not yet experienced.
Photos and content submitted by Janine Loconsolo, Supervisor of Elementary Education.
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NJ’s Higher Ed faculty turn attention to PARCC
In early April, over 400 representatives of two- and four-year public and independent colleges
and universities across the state came together to learn about the PARCC assessment system,
its development and implementation in New Jersey, and its intended use as a tool to promote
successful transitions to college and careers for New Jersey students. The event was
sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education and the New Jersey PARCC
Higher Education Leadership Team and hosted by Rider University.
Follow PARCC on
Twitter
@PARCCplace
Every two- and four-year college and university in the state was represented, illustrating the
high level of interest in the PARCC assessments across the state. The meeting was held to
build awareness about the assessment as a tool for improving the ability of colleges and
universities to partner with K-12 districts to decrease remediation and improve college and
career readiness. Participants learned more about how the scores on the PARCC high school
assessments will generate useful data about whether students are ready for entry-level,
credit-bearing college courses. The meeting also focused on informing representatives of the
higher education community in New Jersey about opportunities to participate in the
development and validation of the assessment as item reviewers and in postsecondary
research studies that will be used to set the college ready standard.
Over the course of the day, participants interacted with officials from the New Jersey
Department of Education, PARCC staff members and higher education content experts to
learn more about the Common Core State Standards, why the standards are being
implemented in New Jersey and the importance of aligned PARCC assessments to ensure
implementation of the standards and provide students, parents and teachers with accurate
information about college readiness throughout a student’s K-12 educational career. Along
with these overviews, attending higher education faculty members participated in multiple
workshops that focused on “deep dives” into the PARCC assessment development process,
ways forward for teacher preparation programs in the state and incorporating PARCC into
placement policies and practices.
Article adapted from “Hundreds of higher education faculty convene in New Jersey to talk
PARCC, Common Core” published at parcconline.org.
Need a Common Core State Standards Primer?
The Council of Great City Schools published a three-minute video animation that explains
“how the Common Core State Standards will help students achieve at high levels and help
them learn what they need to know to get to graduation and beyond.” You can see the video
by clicking 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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