Parent Information Spring 2015

EBR Office of Professional Development and Instruction

What Tests Are The Students Taking? Q: What standardized tests will my child take in the spring? A: In grades 3-8 for English language arts (ELA) and mathematics, Louisiana will administer paper-based assessments developed by The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC). For science and social studies, students will still take iLEAP (3 rd,5 th Grade) /LEAP (4 th Grade).

When Will Standardized Tests be Given? PARCC Phase 1: Performance- Based Assessment (PBA) 3 ELA sessions and 2 Math sessions March iLEAP/LEAP Science and Social Studies sessions only April PARCC Phase 2: End of Year (EOY) 2 Math sessions and 2 ELA sessions May 4-7

The PARCC ELA Tests The ELA portion of PARCC test will require our children to be familiar with:  careful, close reading of authentic complex literary (fiction) and informational (non-fiction) texts including science and social studies texts  writing tasks that require students to demonstrate understanding of texts – 3 writing tasks.  research tasks incorporating a variety of informational resources  citing evidence from texts throughout the assessment  a focus on words that matter most in the texts, including words essential to understanding a particular text

The PARCC ELA Tests The ELA portion of PARCC test will require our children to be familiar with:  Multiple days of writing; students will demonstrate command of different styles of writing in response to both literary and informational texts of varying lengths.  Students will read and respond to multiple texts within one ELA task.  The students will answer two-part (Part A/Part B) and multiple select questions requiring that they demonstrate deep comprehension of the texts they read.

4 th Grade ELA Example

Grade 5 ELA Multiple Select

9 Goals and Instructional Practice FOCUS AREAS What should STUDENTS be doing? English Language Arts Read and comprehend complex texts Express understanding of texts through speaking and writing

10 Goals and Instructional Practice FOCUS AREAS What should TEACHERS be doing? Planning, Instructing, & Assessing Using… English Language Arts On grade level texts daily with ALL students Increasingly challenging questions that help students comprehend text Increasingly complex tasks that require students write and speak about text

The PARCC Math Tests The math portions of the PARCC test will include:  solving problems involving the major content and supporting content for the grade level  expressing mathematical reasoning by constructing mathematical arguments and critiques  solving real- world problems engaging particularly in the modeling practice

4th Grade Math Example

Grade 3 Example

In math, our standards (and the aligned assessments) require: Students master math concepts a)Demonstrate understanding of the math concept, not just the procedure b) Apply their understanding to real world examples c)Use accurate procedures and skills to answer questions Goals and Instructional Practice

Incorporate as many opportunities as possible to connect content to various modeling types and modeling situations Apply strategies across domains and build on strategies learned in the previous grade level Apply mathematic concepts to real-world contexts Continue Focus: Connect modeling tools to written explanations Use clear and precise mathematical vocabulary Use PARCC sample items and practice tests to guide instruction and assessment development Take advantage of Curriculum Guides, especially information about Task Readiness, Instructional Tasks, and Constructed-Response Items Increase Focus: Relying on quick fix “short cut” algorithms Going directly to standard algorithms instead of building student conceptual understanding of standard algorithms Accepting only calculations as an explanation Shift Focus Away From:

PARCC General Information

General Information  PARCC Assessments are timed for students without extended time accommodations.  No dictionaries or thesauruses are allowed during PARCC. Students were allowed to use dictionaries and thesauruses during the writing segments of LEAP and iLEAP ELA assessments.  No writing checklists will be given to students  Students are allowed to highlight, annotate, and underline in their test booklets during PARCC.  Students are allowed to use scratch paper during PARCC to plan their writing.

 Students are not allowed to use calculators on any mathematics test in grades 3 -5 unless they have accommodations. General Information

 Students in grades 3 and 4 will not have a reference sheet because the CCSS for Mathematics for these grades do not require one.  Students in grade 5 will be allowed to use the reference sheet.

General Information  Rulers are used  Protractors used for Grades 4-5  Students will be permitted to have school-issued scratch paper.

When Will My Child Receive Scores?  Scores will be released in Fall  No retests will be given this summer.  Source:

Where Can I Get More Information about PARCC? Parent ResourceWebsite The PARCC Websitehttp:// Sample PARCC Questions ELA and Math Grades 3 and Up Take an Online PARCC Practice Test PARCC FAQ and Answershttp://parcconline.org/sites/parcc/files/PARCCFAQ_ pdf Louisiana PARCC FAQ and Answers from the Louisiana Department of Education source/assessment/parcc-faq.pdf?sfvrsn=10 PARCC Glossaryhttp://

Where Can I Get Information Regarding PARCC Accessibility and Accommodations?  General Information is available from the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE)