PARCC in Massachusetts
One teacher's attempt to connect with other educators across Massachusetts and beyond and provide relevant, up-to-date, and sometime helpful information on next generation assessments, common core state standards implementation, and college and career ready initiatives
About
This blog is intended to ensure that teachers in Massachusetts are aware of developments in next generation assessments and related initiatives to prepare more students for college and career readiness share. As a member of the Massachusetts’ Educator Leader Cadre my hope is to provide timely, accurate, and useful information on common core implementation, next generation assessments, and college and career readiness initiatives in the Commonwealth.
The opinion expressed within each post is my own and is not a reflection of the Massachusetts’ Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, PARCC, or any other body.
PARCC in Massachusetts 
I was on PARCC portal working on the virtual convening#2 when I stumbled across this website. I like it. I just read the article about Florida’s commissioner of ed- I have been trying to find out what NY is going to do regarding using the PARCC assessments as well but no one knows yet! I know NY has revised their own this year so it makes me wonder what they will do. If the states do not use PARCC, what is the point of the ELC? Right now our ELC seems to be just watching and waiting.
In MA the ELC had a recent convening with Mitchell Chester (our commissioner of education) where we discussed the implementation timeline and nature of transition. We also at our last state meeting reflected on and reviewed what we have been doing as an ELC and what the perceived needs are for educators, schools, and districts the coming year. It is really up to each state to determine how to leverage this working group and how to involve them in the process. I would be happy to connect more on the topic and see if what we are doing up here could help in anyway!
Thanks for sharing what your ELC has done and your suggestions. Meeting with the Commissioner is a good idea. As I have been viewing various states, some ELC’s are very involved. New Mexico ELC’s have a great link right on their state’s education website! Our state ed website already has everything districts need to know about the Common Core and we have NTI, a group working under RTTT that has uploaded 3-11 Common Core curriculum modules right onto the website and does PD in individual districts. So I think the ELC is sort of ancillary right now. Hopefully when or if NYS formally adopts the PARCC assessments, the ELC will be able to share our expertise.
I am wondering why it is necessary to give the test twice in such a short period of time. What is the value added of the performance-based test and the end-of-year test being given so close together?
Good question. Ill do my best to answer! 1.) They are two very different tests that together contribute to a broader, deeper understanding of student achievement and a more complete assessment of all the standards including the practice standards (for mathematics). I don’t think of it as giving the same test twice. 2.) The exams need to occur toward the end of the year to allow enough instructional time to cover the grade level material. 3.) The current MCAS in ELA is currently divided into writing and reading with two separate administrations (see p.2 here on testing schedule http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/1314schedule.pdf) so this would be similar in terms of timing for ELA 4.) Having the two sections within the same testing would be overly demanding and a separation of the two different components is important for both districts/schools, teachers, and students as they engage in these assessments 5.) Many portions of the PBA are graded by humans (the EOY is machine scored) so by having this sections somewhat earlier it allows all of the results to be present in timely manner and for districts to actually have both PBA and EOY results before the summer so districts/schools, teachers, families, and students can actually reflect and effectively plan for the upcoming year.