October 21, 2015
User @aadrean/Twitter
The PARCC standardized test is administered fully online.
Less than half of students in grades 3 to 11 who took New Jersey’s newest standardized test are meeting their grade-level expectations in language arts and math, according to results released by the Christie administration on Tuesday.
The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), which seeks to evaluate critical-thinking skills and conceptual proficiency, reflects the Common Core curriculum linking state-level standards for education in the U.S.
"This first year's results show there is still much work to be done in ensuring all of our students are fully prepared for the 21st century demands of college and career," Education Commissioner David C. Hespe said in a statement.
According to the results, only 25 percent of students in grade 10 met expectations in English Language Arts. Statewide, less than 35 percent of students met expectations in Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry. See more results here.
The PARCC, administered fully online, totals 10 hours of testing.
While it will not be used as a determination of whether students pass their grade level, it may be used as an assessment of schools' and teachers' effectiveness in preparing students for Common Core material.
"For local boards of education, the 2015 PARCC data can serve as an important starting point for an ongoing discussion about improving instruction," Dr. Lawrence S. Feinsod, executive director of the New Jersey School Boards Association, said in a statement.
"We urge our members to work with their administrative teams and teaching staffs to use this information to identify the strengths and weaknesses of curriculum and to ensure that professional development is aligned with the learning needs of their students."
