Montgomery County Public Schools
Webinar on PARCC
Assessments
February 10, 2016
7:00 p.m.
What is PARCC?
 Series of assessments aligned to the Common
Core State Standards and the MCPS curriculum
 Developed by a consortium of states, including
Maryland
 Replaced the Maryland School Assessment
(MSA) in literacy and math, and some High
School Assessments (HSA)
 Online assessment
PARCC Assessments
 Grades 3–8 English language arts/literacy
and mathematics
 Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Grade 10 English
language arts/literacy
 First administration was in Spring 2015
PARCC Timeline
 2014–2015: Year 1
• Setting a new baseline for a new test
• Students must take PARCC assessments
• Passing score not tied to graduation for Algebra I
and ELA 10, but students must take those tests to
graduate
 2015–2016: Year 2
 2016–2017: Year 3
• Algebra 1 and ELA 10 are graduation requirements
Changes for 2016
 Streamlined administration: Only one
testing window, May 9–June 3
 Fewer testing units: 6 or 7, depending on
grade level, down from 8 or 9
 Less testing time: testing time reduced by
90 minutes
 MCPS students will no longer take Algebra 2
exam
2015 PARCC Results
 As expected, scores lower than previous
state tests
 MCPS students outperformed peers across
the state
 Significant gaps exist between African
American and Hispanic students and their
White and Asian peers
Student Score Reports
 Parents received Individual Score Reports in
December via U.S. mail
• Score reports were generated for students who
took the entire test
• There are two types of reports—one for English
Language Arts/Literacy and one for Mathematics
Example:
Grade 4
Student
Score
Report
Performance Levels
Exceeded expectations
Met expectations
Approached expectations
Partially met expectations
Did not yet meet expectations
At levels 4 and 5, students in Grades 3-8 are
demonstrating a strong command of the standards. For
students in high school, this signifies that they are ready
for college.
Overall Performance
Approached expectations
Score Graph
Additional Resources
 PARCC Inc. UnderstandTheScore.org
 GreatKids State Test Guide for Parents
www.greatschools.org/gk/common-core-test-guide/
 Practice Assessments parcc.pearson.com
 Maryland State Department of Education
Marylandpublicschools.org/MSDE/programs/parcc/
 MCPS Website
www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/parcc/
How is PARCC Different?
 Earlier Statewide Tests (i.e., MSA, HSA)
Multiple choice
• Memorization
• Information without context
•
 PARCC
Read, write, reflect
• Analyze and show results
• Information in real-world context
• Critical thinking, problem solving, clear writing
•
Effective Instruction
Helping Students Develop
Literacy Skills Measured on
PARCC
Literacy is…
PARCC tests
measure students’
skills in English
language arts and
literacy.
Literacy is…
Critical and creative thinking
through reading, writing,
speaking, listening, and viewing.
Literacy is…
A shared responsibility among
all content areas, and students
learn and practice literacy skills
throughout the school day.
Compare MSA to PARCC
Grade 7 MSA – Brief Constructed Response
Read this passage about a family’s dinner table
conversation from the novel Absolutely Normal Chaos
(620 words)
How does the author use the dinner table conversation
to make the characters seem real? In your response,
use details from their conversation that make the
characters seem real.
Compare MSA to PARCC
Grade 7 PARCC – Student Essay
You have read two texts and watched a video describing Amelia Earhart. All
three include information that supports the claim that Earhart was a daring,
courageous person. The three texts are:
• “The Biography of Amelia Earhart” (1575 words)
• “Earhart’s Final Resting Place Believed Found” (740 words)
• “Amelia Earhart’s Life and Disappearance” (video – 3:21 min.)
Consider the argument each author uses to demonstrate Earhart’s bravery.
Write an essay that analyzes the strength of the arguments related to
Earhart’s bravery in at least two of the texts. Remember to use textual
evidence to support your ideas.
PARCC Literacy Skills
Literary Text
Informational Text
Vocabulary
Writing Expression
Knowledge and Use of
Language Conventions
PARCC Literacy Skills
Literary Text
Students meet expectations by
showing they can read and
analyze grade-appropriate
fiction, drama, and poetry.
PARCC Literacy Skills
Informational Text
Students meet expectations by
showing they can read and
analyze grade-appropriate
nonfiction, including texts about
history, science, art, and music.
PARCC Literacy Skills
Vocabulary
Students meet expectations by
showing they can use context
to determine what words and
phrases mean in gradeappropriate texts.
PARCC Literacy Skills
Writing Expression
Students meet expectations by
showing they can compose
well-developed, organized, and
clear writing, using details
from what they have read.
PARCC Literacy Skills
Knowledge and Use of Language
Conventions
Students meet expectations by
showing they can compose
writing using the rules of
standard English, including those
for grammar, spelling, and usage.
Effective Instruction
Helping Students Develop
Mathematics Understanding
Measured on PARCC
A Measure of Proficiency
PARCC tests require students to solve multistep
math problems that require reasoning and address
real-world situations. This requires students to
reason mathematically, make sense of quantities
and their relationships to solve real-world
problems, and show their understanding. Many
previous assessments focused mostly on rote
procedure only.
Compare MSA to PARCC
Grade 5 MSA Question
Compare MSA to PARCC
This PARCC
item measures
understanding
of the same
concept a
grade earlier
(Grade 4) and
with greater
depth
PARCC Mathematics Skills
Major Content
Additional &
Supporting Content
Expressing
Mathematical
Reasoning
Modeling & Application
PARCC Mathematics Skills
Major Content
Topics identified as Major Content
receive especially in-depth treatment
where students may examine and
make connections among a variety of
representations, strategies, and
Standards for Mathematical Practice.
PARCC Mathematics Skills
Additional and Supporting Content
Topics identified as Supporting or
Additional Content are designated to
support and strengthen areas of major
emphasis. Though these concepts are
not a major emphasis, they are still an
integral part of curriculum and assessment.
PARCC Mathematics Skills
Expressing Mathematical Reasoning
Students demonstrate their reasoning
about grade-level or course content by
constructing logical arguments or
evaluating reasoning presented to
them, and by being precise when
making mathematical statements.
PARCC Mathematics Skills
Modeling and Application
Students solve grade- or course-appropriate
contextual problems by implementing the
Modeling Cycle as defined by the Common
Core. Students demonstrate their proficiency
by persevering, reasoning abstractly and
quantitatively, using tools strategically, and
looking for and making use of structures or
patterns.
QUESTIONS