Welcome to the PARCC and
the Common Core State
Standards Workshop
An Overview
Background:
The Common Core
Before the 2014
school year
2014 school year

NJ State Standards

Common Core
Standards

NJ ASK

PARCC Exam

District monitors its
students’ successes

State monitors our
students’ successes
Changing the
standards

Came about as a response to concerns from
universities about college freshmen readiness
(varying from state-to-state)

Created by a national panel to create national
standards

Raised the required levels of performance
approximately a grade and a half (1.5)
In Language Arts…
One widely accepted method of discussing a
student’s reading level is by assessing his/her
Lexile.
 Now, in order to be “on grade level,” every
student must rise significantly, immediately.

Acceptable Lexiles of Seventh Graders
Before 2013
2014-2015
(as per the Common Core)
735 to 1065
970 to 1120
In Math…
Skill
NJ State
Standards,
Grade Learned
Common Core
State Standards,
Grade Learned
Fractions
Grades 4 and 5
Grades 3 and 4
Ratios and
Proportions
Grade 7
Early Grade 6
Grade 8,
Accelerated
Students
Grade 7,
General Education
Algebra
From various educators when asked to highlight some of the biggest shifts
New assessments of the
standards
SMARTER
Balanced
Partnership for
Assessment of
Readiness for
College and
Careers
(PARCC)
New Jersey chose the PARCC
States that also chose the PARCC:
Arkansas
Colorado
District of Columbia
Illinois
Louisiana
Maryland
Massachusetts
Mississippi
New Mexico
New York
Ohio
Rhode Island
The PARCC
 Computer-based assessment
 Taken twice per academic year
 Four to five days of testing, per student,
each assessment
 Major departures from NJ ASK
Two computer-based assessments

“Performance-Based
Assessment”

“Summative Assessment”

Testing Dates are set for
the month of March




March 2-March 27
Four days per student
Assesses:



Literary and textual
analysis
Essay writing (3)
Variety of math questions
Testing Dates are set for
the end of April through
mid-May


April 2-May 22
Assesses:


Reading comprehension
growth in multiple genres
(fiction and non-fiction)
Variety of math questions,
all computer scored
Content Departures
Language Arts
Three major departures
• Technologydependent
• Depth of knowledge
(nonfiction)
• Rigor (complex texts)
Math
Three major departures
• Technologydependent
• Depth of knowledge
(conceptual
understanding)
• Rigor (complex
manipulation)
Stylistic Departures

Will no longer be mostly multiple choice

Will have more than one right answer

Will test for longer periods of time per sitting

Will require evidence, always, of new skills

Will require the use of computerized “tools”
to answer questions
Question Analysis
New Language Arts sections
 Prose Constructed Response
 Literary Analysis task
 Narrative Writing task
 Simulated Research task
 Evidence-Based Selected Response
 Technology-enhanced Constructed
Response
ELA PARCC terminology

Literary Analysis Task (80 minutes)


Narrative Task (50 minutes)


Read a text (or texts) closely, and write an analysis
Use narrative writing to write about experiences,
could be based on a fictional or historical account, or
based on a scientific process
Research Simulation Task (85 minutes)

Analyze a topic through a variety of texts, answer
questions, and compose an essay which synthesizes
the information
New Math question goals

Type 1


Type 2


Conceptual understanding, fluency, and
application
Written (prose) arguments/justifications, critique
of reasoning, or precision in mathematical
statements
Type 3

Modeling/application in a real-world context or
scenario
New Math question styles
 Multiple choice
 Multiple select (Select all that…)
 Inline choices (drop-down menus)
 Fill in the blank
 Hot spots (Plot points, create graphs)
 Combination text and equation editor
All on the computer
NJ ASK style question (ELA)

This article would be most useful for a
student
A.
learning about animal genomes.
B.
studying the characteristics of mammals.
C.
writing a report on animals native to Australia.
D.
preparing a presentation on recent scientific
discoveries.
PARCC, Grade 7
PARCC sample writing task
(PCR- Research Simulation Task)
NJ ASK style question (Math)
Which number makes 54 when multiplied by
9?
A. 5
B. 6
C. 7
D. 8

PARCC sample Math question
PARCC sample Math question
Preparation
Academic support, exposure to quality, rigor, and
technology, and teacher contact time will make the
biggest differences for our students on this year’s
PARCC.
 Nonfiction reading
 Comparative reading
 Technology-enhanced responses
 Complex text, analysis, problem-solving and
strategies to help students determine meaning and
answers
 Use of evidence to support answers
Preparation, II
Language Arts





Teacher-student oneon-one time
Complex texts
Texts with parallel
themes, structure, bias
Identifying evidence
Analytical essay
structures
Math






Teacher-student oneon-one time
Multi-step, complex
problem solving
Number sense
Stamina
Rigor
Evidence-based
responses
Helpful websites

www. parcconline.org
(most updated explanations, practice tests)

www.corestandards.org
(Common Core website)

www.spboe.org/Page/3545 (for explanations of
the Math alignment to the Common Core)
THANK YOU FOR COMING!
Together we
can help our
students
succeed!