PARCC is going away

[Anonymous]

Starting next year we’ll have a new test. They claim it’ll be shorter and require less time away from regular instruction. There was also a reference to the over-emphasis on test subjects, so maybe we’ll see more foreign language, art, history, etc? Fingers crossed!

https://www.google.com/amp/www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/education/k-12/bs-md-parcc-replacement-test-20180905-story,amp.html

[Anonymous]

Well there you go, such a tremendous waste of time and energy on a test that anyone who looks at a sample question could tell is deeply flawed. It didn't last long enough to provide any meaningful information on student trends, and all previous data from the MSAs was tossed aside since it couldn't be correlated to PARCC--now reset the clock again. Good riddance.

[Anonymous]

I experienced the PARCC a few years ago at a parent informational meeting, on a Chromebook, and it was Godawful. Not the questions. The interface. I chose the English test, and the text was on one side in a supposedly scrollable window, while the questions where on the other side. Scrolling through the text was very problematic, it would jump about everywhere and I couldn't easily locate the paragraphs I wanted. Since the screen on those laptops is not large, it didn't make for comfortable reading either. Then I had to click on the other side and re-locate the corresponding question. Rather frustrating and a lot of wasted time!

The MAP, on the other hand, is a comparative dream. I hope they keep it.

[Anonymous]

The PARCC tests were better than the previous state-written assessments. And now here we are, back to new and different state-written assessments.

[Anonymous]

What are the reputable tests? What gets good marks?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I experienced the PARCC a few years ago at a parent informational meeting, on a Chromebook, and it was Godawful. Not the questions. The interface. I chose the English test, and the text was on one side in a supposedly scrollable window, while the questions where on the other side. Scrolling through the text was very problematic, it would jump about everywhere and I couldn't easily locate the paragraphs I wanted. Since the screen on those laptops is not large, it didn't make for comfortable reading either. Then I had to click on the other side and re-locate the corresponding question. Rather frustrating and a lot of wasted time!

The MAP, on the other hand, is a comparative dream. I hope they keep it.

The math was equally cumbersome. It was necessary to type things like fractions into an interface that made it difficult to escape from the numerator/denominator and go back to plane text. It's easy to get distracted by the interface but the content of questions was also junk.

[Anonymous]

I am happy that the replacement will not take as much time away from instruction. The length of the PARCC tests is insane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The PARCC tests were better than the previous state-written assessments. And now here we are, back to new and different state-written assessments.

BS, the only issue with the state assessments was they didn't provide national comparisons. PARCC was ill conceived and slapped together on all levels.

[Anonymous]

It completely irritates me that they are going to do PARCC again this year. I wasn't even against the PARCC test but if you think it's not a good test, why give it? It's better for the kids to go without a test than give one you've decided isn't a good one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am happy that the replacement will not take as much time away from instruction. The length of the PARCC tests is insane.

Yep, first do no harm, if there's some benefit to the next test, all the better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The PARCC tests were better than the previous state-written assessments. And now here we are, back to new and different state-written assessments.

BS, the only issue with the state assessments was they didn't provide national comparisons. PARCC was ill conceived and slapped together on all levels.

Did you have anything to do with the previous MSAs? They were terrible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It completely irritates me that they are going to do PARCC again this year. I wasn't even against the PARCC test but if you think it's not a good test, why give it? It's better for the kids to go without a test than give one you've decided isn't a good one.

I suppose there's some mandate for a test to be administered each year??? If not, even if it's bought and paid for, they should just give the time back to the schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The PARCC tests were better than the previous state-written assessments. And now here we are, back to new and different state-written assessments.

BS, the only issue with the state assessments was they didn't provide national comparisons. PARCC was ill conceived and slapped together on all levels.

Did you have anything to do with the previous MSAs? They were terrible.

They were straightforward, and throwing the baby out with the bath water has achieved nothing.

[Anonymous]

There's a paywall. What does it say specifically about it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The PARCC tests were better than the previous state-written assessments. And now here we are, back to new and different state-written assessments.

BS, the only issue with the state assessments was they didn't provide national comparisons. PARCC was ill conceived and slapped together on all levels.

Did you have anything to do with the previous MSAs? They were terrible.

They were straightforward, and throwing the baby out with the bath water has achieved nothing.

What baby, what bathwater? The curriculum changed, so the tests had to change. Now the curriculum isn't changing (the state isn't un-adopting the Common Core State Standards), but the tests are changing anyway.