^ That sounds pretty much the same as the standard that is in place now in VA. The student has to pass at least one high school math SOL (which is typically the Algebra 1 SOL) and the English 11 SOL. VA is not a CC state, but the standards sound about the same.

The only requirement I can see in MD for kids to pass the PARCC for a diploma is high school students will need to pass English 10 and Algebra I to get a high school diploma.

If they don't pass in 10th grade, they will still have 2 years and if they still can't pass the state board of ed will allow some other type of portfolio project to let the kids squeak by.

This does not seem horribly onerous, and in the past kids have had to pass the Maryland HSA anyhow. So I don't know that the fact that the tests might be a bit harder is a huge big deal.

http://touch.baltimoresun.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-81700381/

The Maryland state school board voted this summer to replace the 10th-grade English and Algebra I High School Assessments — graduation requirements since 2009 — with new tests tied to the Common Core curriculum that are expected to be more difficult to pass. This year's approximately 125,000 ninth- and 10th-graders would be the first to have to pass the tests by the end of their senior years.

Teachers, local school boards and some superintendents say they support using the new tests — known by the acronym PARCC, which stands for Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers. But they want the state to put off making them a graduation requirement for several years.

"I am against having students in the current ninth grade being held accountable," said Baltimore County school Superintendent Dallas Dance, who has expressed his concerns to state Superintendent Lillian Lowery.

The state has said that if students fail the two new PARCC tests in English 10 and Algebra I, they will still have two years to retake the tests before they graduate. Those who fail can still graduate if they do an acceptable project — an option that has been in place since the High School Assessments became a graduation requirement. Few students in Maryland have failed to graduate because of the current tests.

"This year's PARCC test will not be used for accountability for this year's seniors. In the meantime, Dr. Lowery and the Maryland State Department of Education are developing some ideas for the state board to consider in the coming months," said Bill Reinhard, a spokesman for the Maryland State Department of Education. Lowery has been talking to superintendents in the past several weeks about their concerns, he said.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/11/17/13sbac.h34.html

Cutoff Scores Set for Common-Core Tests
By Catherine Gewertz

In a move likely to cause political and academic stress in many states, a consortium that is designing assessments for the Common Core State Standards released data Monday projecting that more than half of students will fall short of the marks that connote grade-level skills on its tests of English/language arts and mathematics.

Calm down. That happens every time there is a change in testing and is expected to happen if there is a change in standards.

It happened in VA when they moved to the SOLs. Over 90% of the students failed the first few years.

Especially if standards are raised, it will take a few years for kids to be able to meet all the standards.

In addition, many students will be losing accommodations on the PARCC test that allowed them to look like they were meeting the standards. For example, in MD we have been told that we may no longer read state tests out loud to students who cannot read well UNLESS they have been identified as having a specific learning disability in learning to decode words AND they have an IEP documenting that they are receiving direct instruction in decoding skills. That means all those kids who weren't taught to decode and managed to pass the reading tests because people read out loud to them for years and years will NOT be passing these tests.

The problem is that kids and teachers are getting the death penalty now for this change in standards. There's no grace period in many states. Teachers are threatened with their jobs, students are threatened with no diploma.

It's sickening.

I'm a teacher in Maryland, and no, teachers are not being threatened at ALL for this change in standards. Our evaluations are tied in part to student growth, but we were allowed to choose what tests we wanted to use to measure growth, and we didn't use the PARCC. For reading we are using the DRA and the SRI.

I am not aware that students in MD are being threatened with no diploma if they don't pass the PARCC this year.

The problem is that kids and teachers are getting the death penalty now for this change in standards. There's no grace period in many states. Teachers are threatened with their jobs, students are threatened with no diploma.

It's sickening.

And, Pearson is rolling in money.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/11/17/13sbac.h34.html

Cutoff Scores Set for Common-Core Tests
By Catherine Gewertz

In a move likely to cause political and academic stress in many states, a consortium that is designing assessments for the Common Core State Standards released data Monday projecting that more than half of students will fall short of the marks that connote grade-level skills on its tests of English/language arts and mathematics.

Calm down. That happens every time there is a change in testing and is expected to happen if there is a change in standards.

It happened in VA when they moved to the SOLs. Over 90% of the students failed the first few years.

Especially if standards are raised, it will take a few years for kids to be able to meet all the standards.

In addition, many students will be losing accommodations on the PARCC test that allowed them to look like they were meeting the standards. For example, in MD we have been told that we may no longer read state tests out loud to students who cannot read well UNLESS they have been identified as having a specific learning disability in learning to decode words AND they have an IEP documenting that they are receiving direct instruction in decoding skills. That means all those kids who weren't taught to decode and managed to pass the reading tests because people read out loud to them for years and years will NOT be passing these tests.

The problem is that kids and teachers are getting the death penalty now for this change in standards. There's no grace period in many states. Teachers are threatened with their jobs, students are threatened with no diploma.

It's sickening.

Anonymous wrote:

This is interesting. The tests and how they are used is a major issue:

http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=290868013&m=291023731

But you don't think the fourth grade practice test I posted a link to, in itself, is asking questions that are too hard for fourth graders?

Anonymous wrote:http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/11/17/13sbac.h34.html

Cutoff Scores Set for Common-Core Tests
By Catherine Gewertz

In a move likely to cause political and academic stress in many states, a consortium that is designing assessments for the Common Core State Standards released data Monday projecting that more than half of students will fall short of the marks that connote grade-level skills on its tests of English/language arts and mathematics.

Calm down. That happens every time there is a change in testing and is expected to happen if there is a change in standards.

It happened in VA when they moved to the SOLs. Over 90% of the students failed the first few years.

Especially if standards are raised, it will take a few years for kids to be able to meet all the standards.

In addition, many students will be losing accommodations on the PARCC test that allowed them to look like they were meeting the standards. For example, in MD we have been told that we may no longer read state tests out loud to students who cannot read well UNLESS they have been identified as having a specific learning disability in learning to decode words AND they have an IEP documenting that they are receiving direct instruction in decoding skills. That means all those kids who weren't taught to decode and managed to pass the reading tests because people read out loud to them for years and years will NOT be passing these tests.

Anonymous wrote:

I find the obsession with "not releasing the data and study results" to be a straw man. It's as if you mean to imply there's something nefarious about that secrecy. Which is just weird and makes you sound paranoid

Without the data, you are just relying on smoke and mirrors. Where is your critical thinking? You just believe anything? That is called propaganda.

I'm not relying on smoke and mirrors. I see the standards clearly.

I enjoy sausage, too. But I don't really care how it was made.

Anonymous wrote:

Because my spouse has a Ph.D in early childhood education and explained this to me. She knows a lot more than some outraged mommies who are frustrated that they don't understand their fourth grader's homework and think there's some conspiracy involving hidden research and testing companies and possibly the black guy who is president.

You just lost all credibility with that last comment.

Naw. These are the same people who hate Obama because he's black. It's just part of their muddled world view.

I just put in there for exaggerated effect. I was being sardonic.

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/11/17/13sbac.h34.html

Cutoff Scores Set for Common-Core Tests
By Catherine Gewertz

In a move likely to cause political and academic stress in many states, a consortium that is designing assessments for the Common Core State Standards released data Monday projecting that more than half of students will fall short of the marks that connote grade-level skills on its tests of English/language arts and mathematics.

I'm the 55 year old. We had lots of word problems, but they weren't the focus in class. The operations were. And there were some word problems, but nothing like will be on the PARCC and the Smarter Balanced.

PARCC and Smarter Balanced project 70 percent of typical learners will fail the test, and about 95 percent of kids with special needs and ESL will.

This is already happening in EVERY state where kids have taken the early tests Pearson is developing.

There WILL be MASSIVE FAILURE.

Personally I like that so many students in 4th grade will be taking the same, sensible test -- kids in MD and MA and NY etc. We will be able to compare results across different states -- that's really what the point of having COMMON standards was.

Just wait until the cheating starts.

Word problems? What makes you think that hasn't been taught.

I taught them in first grade:

Johnny has three apples. Jane gave him four more. HOw many apples does he have?

Anonymous wrote:I certainly remember the word problems that we had. The books were full of them and our teachers expected us to understand them. This was in a normal public school. Sorry yours didn't do that.


I highly doubt you remember your 4th grade math tests. Maybe if you're 20 you might remember, but I'm 44. I seriously doubt they had lots of word problems on math tests in 4th grade 35 years ago. The were all probably just equations laid out that had to be solved.

I am a lot older than you and I remember that we had lots of word problems. Do I remember what each problem was? NO. But, we had lots of word problems.

I find the obsession with "not releasing the data and study results" to be a straw man. It's as if you mean to imply there's something nefarious about that secrecy. Which is just weird and makes you sound paranoid

Without the data, you are just relying on smoke and mirrors. Where is your critical thinking? You just believe anything? That is called propaganda.