1. Understanding the PARCC Prepared for Hillcrest School February 11, 2015

2. Today we will answer the following questions: 1.What is the PARCC? 2.What is the purpose of the PARCC? 3.Why the need for a new test? 4.What does the PARCC look like? 5.What are our schools doing to prepare students? 6.What are the implications of PARCC for our students?

3. What is the PARCC? PARCC is a consortium of 13 states working collectively to design and develop K–12 mathematics and language arts assessments that are aligned to the Common Core State Standards.

4. What is the Purpose of the PARCC? Determine whether students are college and career ready or on track. To align testing (and therefore teaching) to the expectations of two- and four-year colleges. Create innovative, 21 st Century technology based assessments.

5. To assess mastery of the Common Core State Standards. The Common Core State Standards represent knowledge and skills that students need for success in college and 21 st century careers. Why is there a PARCC?

6. So what is necessary for success in college and careers? Applying knowledge gained one place to a different task or discipline (i.e. knowledge transfer). A deep conceptual understanding of reading, writing, and mathematics rather than a broad, formulaic understanding. Being able to support theories, hypotheses, or conclusions with evidence and reasoning.

7. How does the PARCC compare to and contrast with previous testing? The assessments will be in math and language arts every year for students in grades 3-11. The PARCC will be taken on computer. The PARCC will be given twice a year in both subjects, once in March and once in April/May.

8. When is PARCC? Performance Based Assessment (PBA): March 2 – 6 Given after 75% of the school year End Of Year (EOY): April 27 – May 22 Given after 90% of the school year

9. PARCC Performance Based Assessment-Math Type I: Assess concepts, skills, and procedures. Balance of conceptual understanding, fluency, and application. Type II: Assess expressing mathematical reasoning. Require students to write arguments and justifications and critique the reasoning of others. Type III: Assess modeling and applications. Require students to model and apply real-world context or scenarios.

10. PARCC Performance Based Assessment-ELA Literary Analysis: Requires students to read complex text closely and compose an analytical essay. Narrative Task: Requires students to read a complex short text and write a narrative piece. Research Simulation Task: Requires students to analyze an informational topic through several articles and synthesize information from multiple sources in order to write two analytical essays.

11. PARCC End Of Year Assessment Math: Type I tasks only. ELA: Students will demonstrate their ability to read and comprehend complex informational and literary texts.

12. What does it look like? Math PBA 17 Questions in Total Machine and Hand Scored Items: 38 points Math EOY Grade 3: 39 Questions in Total Machine Scored Items: 39 Points Grade 4: 36 Questions in Total Machine Scored Items: 36 Points

13. What does it look like? ELA PBA: Grade 3: 3 Short Texts 2 Extended Texts Grade 4 4 Short Texts 2 Extended Texts ELA EOY: 1 Short Literary Text 1 Long Informational Text

14. What does the PARCC look like? Grade 3: PBA or EOY

15. What does the PARCC look like? Grade 3: PBA

16. What does the PARCC look like? Grade 4: PBA or EOY

17. What does the PARCC look like? Grade 4: PBA

18. What does the PARCC look like? Literary Analysis-PBA Analytical Essay Prompt

19. What does the PARCC look like? Read the writing prompt below and complete the writing activity Jump out of bed! Look out the window! It is a perfect weather day! Write a story about a day when the weather seemed perfect. You have read two texts about famous people in American history who solved a problem by working to make a change. Write an article for your school newspaper describing how Eliza and Carver faced challenges to change something in America. In your article, be sure to describe in detail why some solutions they tried worked and others did not. Tell how the challenges each one faced were the same and how they were different. Narrative Task- PBA NJ ASK prompt PARCC prompt

20. What does the PARCC look like? Research Simulation Task- PBA Analytical Essay Prompt

21. What does the PARCC look like? Evidenced Based Multiple Choice-PBA and EOY Part A: Traditional multiple choice question NJ ASK type question Part B: A second multiple choice question that asks a student to show evidence from the text to support their answer to Part A

22. Technology-Enhanced Constructed Response (TECR) Uses technology to capture student comprehension of texts in authentic ways: Drag and drop Cut and paste Shade or highlight text Move items

23. Technology-Enhanced Constructed-Response Item Drag the words from the word box into the correct locations on the graphic to show the life cycle of a butterfly as described in “How Animals Live.” Words: Pupa Adult Egg Larva 1 4 3 2

24. What is Hillcrest School doing to prepare for the PARCC? A curriculum aligned to the standards Training in PARCC technology

25. Curriculum and Instruction Aligned to the Common Core State Standards. Teachers receive regular professional development to ensure both rigor and support. Focuses on deep conceptual knowledge. A heavy stress on having students justify their answers/ support their opinions with evidence. Regular common assessments in order to track student growth.

26. Technology: Hillcrest School has a variety of initiatives to help students adjust to computer-based testing: Using new online assessments in math including EdConnect and ThinkCentral. Using online learning programs in both math and literacy including I-Ready and First In Math. Using laptop computers for instruction in writing, reading, math, and research. Introducing students to the PARCC through the released PARCC sample tests.

27. In addition… The FTPS website has a portion dedicated to PARCC, which includes keyboarding resources. State PARCC field tests report that typing was not a major hindrance to students. (94% of students finished the ELA field test early or on time, and 90% reported that it was easy to type their answers.)

28. What about students with special needs? PARCC has its own Accessibility and Accommodations Manual that includes accommodations for use in IEPs. There are also built-in accommodations such as highlighting and enlarging text.

29. What are the implications of PARCC scores for students? For students in grades 3-8, the PARCC is important, but its importance should not be over-emphasized. We have no history to tell us how students should do, and the state will not decide on scoring until the summer.

30. PARCC Resources http://parccgames.com Parent Roadmaps to the Common Core http://www.cgcs.org/Domain/36 http://www.cgcs.org/Domain/36 http://www.parcconline.org http://parcconline.org/for-parents http://www.parcc.pearson.com

31. Time to play! Getting your own experience with the PARCC.