PARCC Parent & Community Conversations Preparing Students for College, Careers, and Life INSERT SCHOOL’S NAME AND YOUR LEADER’S NAME

What is PARCC? Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers Group of states developed high quality assessments for grades 3–8, high school courses English Language Arts/Literacy (ELA) and Mathematics assessments of 21 st -century college and career skills Asks students to read critically, write analytically, and think mathematically Engaging computer-based format* *paper format available this year 2

New Plans for Assessment in DC! SubjectOldNew ReadingDC CAS ReadingPARCC ELA MathDC CAS MathPARCC Math WritingDC CAS CompositionPARCC ELA ScienceDC CAS ScienceNGSS Assessment AlternateDC CAS AltNCSC and DC Alt Science 3 Student Learning Great Teachers Great Schools

What to Expect: Key Facts about PARCC Test is administered in two parts Maximum total testing time is between 9 and 11 hours (roughly 1% of total hours in school year) Students will test for 2-5 days in each window  Performance-Based Assessment: [insert your school’s PBA test date]  End of Year Assessment: [insert your school’s EOY test date] Testing administered minute units Test units are timed (change from DC CAS) 2015 Test Data expected back in Fall performance levels, with top 2 representing that child is fully on-track for college and career readiness 4

How You Can Support Your Child Read a combination of fiction and non-fiction aloud or with your child. Look for subjects of interest – from sports heroes to dinosaurs. Discuss and “do” real life math with your child. Help him/her know basic math facts. Discuss the new tests with your child. Make sure he/she is not scared or anxious going into the new tests. Explain to your child that the tests will initially be more challenging. Tell your child to do his/her best on the test and that you are there to help every step of the way. After the test, review the results with your child. Bring the teacher into the discussion as needed. Provide a quiet, comfortable place for studying at home and make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep and a nutritious breakfast before a test. Above all, be positive and encouraging about the tests.

Technology In the 21 st century, students need to learn how to be comfortable using the technology. The technology used for PARCC testing gives students independence and is more engaging, as it includes videos and interactive tools. PARCC is making the new tests as accessible as possible to all students, including English learners and students with disabilities, using principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). PARCC also continues to make necessary accommodations available for students with disabilities and 504 plans. Paper-and-pencil assessments will be available for those students who require them. In (INSERT YOUR SCHOOL’S NAME) students will take the PARCC assessments on (COMPUTER/PAPER/COMPUTER AND PAPER).

Sample Questions To take a practice PARCC test, go to test. test

Sample Questions Math Grade 4

PARCC Resources for Parents & Students OSSE on PARCC (available in many languages): assessment-parents assessment-parents Tutorials: Practice Tests (now also available in printable format!): Sample Items: 9

Additional Parent Resources PARCC offers information about the assessments including fact sheets, a glossary and sample test questions. – National Parent Teacher Association offers grade-by-grade parent guides for student success. Available in English and Spanish. – Great Schools offers Milestones, a free online collection of videos aimed at helping parents understand grade-level expectations in grades K-5. – America Achieves – Raise the Bar offers free parent resources to help children succeed in school. Must sign up. –

QUESTIONS? For more information about the new DC Assessments, please visit [insert your website] or contact the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education: