Common Core & PARCC: New Directions for the Success of All
Students at Mountz
February 23, 2015
John E. BormannChief School Administrator
Kerri WalsiferSupervisor of Testing
District Goal: To ensure the graduates of HW Mountz School are on
the high path to college and career readiness.
What does it mean to be college & career ready?
◼ Students Graduate from High School
◼ Students need NO Remediation in College or Workplace Training Programs
College and Career Readiness Video
Percent of ACT-Tested School Graduates Meeting College Readiness Benchmarks, 2013
The ACT® college readiness assessment is a curriculum- and standards-based educational and career planning tool that assesses students’ academic readiness for college. Graph obtained from ACT, American College Testing.
Lexile-Based Reading Readiness Text Complexity Curve, 2013
A Lexile measure is a valuable piece of information about either an individual's reading ability or the difficulty of a text, like a book or magazine article. Graph obtained from MetaMetrics.
Why are we focused on college and career readiness in a grade PreK-8 school?
...the teacher can focus on the learning expectations for their grade level.
By your child meeting the learning expectations at their
current grade...
...the teacher does not have to review previous grade-level skills.
...they are gaining the prerequisite skills for the next grade level.
What does it mean to be college & career ready in a PreK- 8 School in New Jersey?
◼ 90% of Students in 3-8 are Proficient or Higher on the NJASK Language Arts Test
◼ 90% of Students in 3-8 are Proficient or Higher on the NJASK Math Test
◼ 20% of our students are taking Algebra I before leaving 8th grade
◼ Less than 7% of our students are absent for 10% or more days
◼ Students are given opportunities to excel beyond regular grade-level course work
◼ Students receive educational exposure to the Arts, Health & Fitness, Technology/Research Skills, World Languages, & 21st Century Skills
NJDOE, 2015
At HW Mountz School 93% of Students in 3-8 are Proficient or Higher on the NJASK Language Arts Test (up from 66% in 12-13)
At HW Mountz School 96% of Students in 3-8 are Proficient or Higher on the NJASK Language Arts Test (up from 92% in 12-13)
At HW Mountz School 50% of Students are taking Algebra I before leaving 8th grade
At HW Mountz School less than 6% of Students are absent for 10% or more days (based on 2013-2014 data)
At HW Mountz School students are given opportunities to excel - Accelerated ELA, Acclerated Math, G &T, Open Enrichment Convocations
At HW Mountz School students are exposed to all of these areas in each grade level and we implement at 1:1 Technology initiative in grades 3-8
Enter the Common Core Standards:A PreK-12 Guide to College & Career
Readiness
◼ The Common Core Standards are intended to…▪ Increase Rigor of Instruction▪ Increase the Number of College Graduates▪ Increase American Competitiveness
◼ The Common Core is designed to…▪ Improve College & Career Readiness by increasing
and improving…▪ Non-Fiction Reading▪ More Complex / Difficult Reading▪ Math Instruction Beyond “Memorization”▪ Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
Common Core Video
Reading-for-Information using Informational Text is Key to College & Career Readiness
50% to 70% of All Reading
Achieve 3000Classroom Libraries
Science, SS, ELA, HealthNewsela,
NYTimes, etc.Treasures
Using Evidence and Argument is Key to Writing for College & Career Readiness
Source: National Assessment Governing Board. Writing framework for the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress, pre-publication edition. Iowa City, IA. ACT, Inc.
Research Simulation Tasks
Literary Analysis Analysis-Based
Narrative
Science, SS, ELA
Classroom Discussion
Writing Porfolios/Rubrics
Stretching Students to Read Higher Level Text is Essential for College and Career Readiness
Student Reading Ability Must Increase 2 to 3 Grade Levels
Achieve 3000
Scholastic Reading
Inventory
Measuring Up
Common Core Appendix B
Fountas & Pinell
DIBELS & Fundations
Being fluent with key math skills is essential to College & Career Readiness
“Fluency- can carry out skill quickly and without support”
Common Core Math Fluency Requirements at achievethecore.org
Timed Fluency Tests
Flash Cards
Tech-Based Games
Stretching Students to Problem Solve at Higher Levels of Complexity is Essential to College & Career
Readiness
The Quantile Framework is a scale that describes a student's mathematical achievement and the difficulty of specific mathematical skills and concepts. It works a lot like a ruler or thermometer, except rather than measuring length or temperature, the Quantile Framework measures readiness in mathematics learning. MetaMetrics, 2014.
Scholastic Math Inventory
Measuring Up
enVision K-5
Big Ideas 6-8
Algebra I Grades 7-8
Costs: Depends How You Look at It...
Has it caused schools to incur additional costs for technology upgrades?
OR
Has it caused schools to make spending on technology upgrades to support student learning a
priority?
Enter the Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC):
An Assessment Tool for Measuring College & Career Readiness
Priority Purposes of PARCC Assessments:1. Determine whether students are college- and career-
ready or on track 2. Assess the full range of the Common Core Standards,
including standards that are difficult to measure3. Measure the full range of student performance, including
the performance of high and low performing students4. Provide data during the academic year to inform
instruction, interventions and professional development5. Provide data for accountability, including measures of
growth6. Incorporate innovative approaches throughout the
system
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR SPECIAL ACCESSIBILITY FOR ALL
● Modifications and accommodations for special needs students are built into the test in order to provide all students with an opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
● PARCC is equipped with accessibility features that can be
used by ALL students, not just those with special needs.
PARCC Assessment System
17
PARCC ELAGr 3-5 = 50% Info - 50% LitGr 6-8 = 60% Info - 40% Lit
Grade Level LEXILE- CC Appendix BWC 3-5 = 300-500
WC 6-8 = 400-1000
Performance-Based Assessments
March 2- March 27Computer-based
End-of-Year AssessmentsApril 27- May 22Computer-based
Literary Analysis
Time (min)Gr 3-8 = 75
Selected Response Questions
Extended Writing Task
Research Simulation
Task
Time (min)Gr 3 = 75
Gr 4-8 = 90
Selected Response Questions
Extended Writing Task
Narrative Task
Time (min)Gr 3-8 60
Selected Response Questions
Extended Writing Task
Session 1
Time (min)Gr 3-5 75Gr 6-8 60
Selected Response Questions
Session 2
Time (min)Gr 3-5 None
Gr 6-8 60
Selected Response Questions
Total Score of 1-5Total Time 270-360 min
parcconline.orgNJDOE, 2014
PARCC MathGrade Level Quantile
Application of Skills/Concepts Only
Performance-Based Assessments
March 2- March 27Computer-based
End-of-Year AssessmentsApril 27- May 22Computer-based
Session 1
Time (min)Gr 3-8 = 50
Selected Response Questions
Extended Problem Solving Task
Session 2
Time (min)Gr 3-8 = 50
Selected Response Questions
Extended Problem Solving Task
Session 1
Time (min)Gr 3-8 55
Selected Response Questions
Session 2
Time (min)Gr 3-8 55
Selected Response Questions
Total Score of 1-5Total Time 210 min
parcconline.orgNJDOE, 2014
What have we been doing as a professional staff to prepare for PARCC?
Use of Professional Learning Team Periods to do the following..
Preparing for PARCC is not in addition to good teaching and learning but part of good teaching and learning.
○ Unpacking the Common Core Standards to inform curriculum and instruction
○ Studying PARCC blue-prints and samples to inform classroom assignments and assessment
○ utilizing district Common Core-aligned assessment data to inform curriculum and instruction
○ sharing the PARCC technology infrastructure with students during instructional activities and administering classroom assessments online
● dialoguing with students about accessibility features for PARCC
1. Ask your children..they have been working with it for several months!
2. Visit the practice tests...can you navigate them? If not... ask your children…they can!
3. Examine how worthy the tasks are...can you “pass” them? If not...observe your
children….they WILL surprise you!
What will PARCC look like?
PARCC PRACTICE TESTS
MORE BENEFICIAL DATA TO SUPPORT STUDENTS
NJASK◼ Total score in ELA and
Math◼ Cluster Scores
◼ Reading◼ Writing◼ 5 Topics in Math
◼ Post-School Year◼ Mailed Home
PARCC◼ Total score in ELA and
Math◼ Cluster Scores◼ Reading◼ Writing◼ 5 Topics in Math
◼ Item Analysis per Grade and Student
◼ Within Weeks*◼ Digital
HOW CAN DATA ASSIST THE BOE?● Focus boards on the evaluation policies on student achievement.● Measure the district’s progress meeting goals to improve student
achievement: academic, character, citizenship and values,● Deepen community understanding about shared responsibility for
student achievement.● Set student achievement goals with .your community.● Evaluate the effectiveness of policies and practices.● Identify new issues or challenges.● Diagnose problems and revisit solutions.● Identify new solutions to problems.● Create shared accountability with .your community.● Provide opportunities to celebrate successes● Make smart, informed decisions.
WHAT CAN PARENTS ASK?
● Is my child growing appropriately toward meeting standards for learning?
● What is my child’s school and teacher doing to support his or her growth towards meeting those standards for learning?
● What can I do, as a parent, to support the school, teacher, and my child in helping students meet those standards for learning?