PARCC 2014/ GRADE 3-11 NJASK SCIENCE – GRADE 4 NJASK SCIENCE – GRADE 8 NEW JERSEY BIOLOGY COMPETENCY TEST (2014 AND 2015 RESULTS) PRESENTED BY: OLIVER STRINGHAM, ED.D., MARIE GRIGGS, ELAINE JAUME, JENNIFER RODRIGUEZ, NICOLE RUSSO AND STEPHEN YURCHAK, ED.D.

The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career (PARCC) tests were administered for the first time in spring 2015 and were designed to measure the new state standards that are guiding instruction in math and English language arts. The new, more rigorous expectations focus on the skills students need in today’s world, including critical thinking, problem solving, and reasoning. Because the PARCC tests are measuring these complex skills, which are different from previous state tests, it is expected that scores on the PARCC test will look lower. Why PARCC Scores Look Different than Scores on Previous State Tests The tests measure performance against a higher set of standards. Fewer students are likely to meet them initially. That doesn’t mean they aren’t doing as well – it just means the expectations are higher. The tests measure skills students need in the real world. The PARCC tests go beyond multiple choice questions and require students to use skills like analyzing, problem solving, and writing effectively. There is an opportunity to make sure students ready for the next step. The new tests provide information about how students are performing against the new standards. teachers, parents and students can start working together now to ensure kids are prepared for success – from grade to grade and beyond high school. It is easier to address any weaknesses early on so students can receive the support they need to get back on track. No state is alone. All states administering PARCC, as well as other new tests designed to measure the new standards, will see a change in scores. It will take time. While teachers have been gearing up for the new standards for almost four years, the tests are new and they ask questions in different ways, and require students to show their work. As happens with every new test, scores will start to improve as teachers and students become more familiar with the standards and acquire the skills and knowledge to meet them. Students are just as smart, but the bar has been raised. The new tests emphasize skills like critical thinking, and problem solving. Students are required to explain their answers, and defend their reasoning, which is different from previous tests. A student who was performing well on the previous test might not do as well on the new PARCC test. A child who is learning to play basketball starts with a lower-than-normal basketball hoop. As she gets better, her parents raise the hoop to make it more challenging. She’s probably going to score fewer baskets at first, but she’s going to keep getting better. Student scores will improve. As students and teachers gain the skills and knowledge needed to meet the new higher standards, performance will also improve. In the first year, PARCC scores set a new baseline. This first year’s scores will identify where students excel and where they need additional support, so that progress can be measured moving forward. In other cases where more rigorous tests have been implemented, students improved performance after the first year. In Massachusetts, for example, only about a third of students initially achieved proficiency on the more rigorous Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System. Now, a little over a decade later, close to 90 percent of students are proficient.

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PARCC – Mock Score Report PARCC – Mock Score Report

JEFFERSON SCHOOL SCIENCE NJASK School YearProficient & Advanced Proficient % %

JEFFERSON SCHOOL DATA ANALYSIS  Grade 4 out performed the District, State and DFG in 4/5 Science Categories (Life Science, Physical Science, Earth Science and Application)

WASHINGTON SCHOOL SCIENCE NJASK School YearProficient & Advanced Proficient % %** **Including Sp. Ed. Self-contained for the 1 st time

WASHINGTON SCHOOL DATA ANALYSIS  Grade 4 general education students out performed the State and DFG in ALL Science Categories (Life Science, Physical Science, Earth Science, Knowledge and Application)

ROOSEVELT SCHOOL SCIENCE NJASK School YearProficient & Advanced Proficient % %

ROOSEVELT SCHOOL DATA ANALYSIS  Grade 4 out performed the District and State in 4/5 Science Categories (Life Science, Earth Science, Knowledge, Application), and the DFG in 4/5 Science Categories (Life Science, Physical Science, Knowledge and Application).

NAMS SCIENCE NJASK School YearProficient & Advanced Proficient % %

NAMS DATA ANALYSIS  The Special Education students out performed the State and the DFG in the following categories: Physical Science, Earth Science, and Application

ELA & MATH: WHAT ARE WE DOING…  Professional Development of Go Math Program and Common Core State Standards  Ongoing K-5 Professional Development with Dr. Gravity Goldberg  Reading/Math – whole class and flexible grouping with differentiated instruction practices  Reading/Math – Basic Skills Support  Data Dialogue Meetings  Vertical Articulation Meetings for targeted student growth  Teacher created Student Growth Objectives  Teacher’s College Benchmark Assessment as a diagnostic tool (administered 3X per year)  Instruction aligned with Common Core State Standards  Continue 90 - minute literacy block with emphasis on balance of fiction & non-fiction  Raz Kids, Reading A-Z, Vocabulary A-Z  IXL  Professional Development PARCC Preparedness ELA & Math Common Core State Standards Grade Level Meetings Creating CCSS aligned assessments PARCC Item Analysis

SCIENCE: WHAT ARE WE DOING…  Science is an interdisciplinary subject taught in reading, writing and math Pre-K through 5 th Grade  Science is a focus in non fiction reading in grades K-5  Teachers instruct relevant and challenging content, including practical work, that captures pupils’ interest and develops the full range of investigative skills  We continue to assess the data and focus on areas in which we can improve upon  Students are encouraged to keep science journals  After School Mad Science Program  Grade 4 Meadowlands field trip  Grade 6 and 7 G&T Meadowlands field trip  Hands on learning in the NAMS Greenhouse  Data from previous NJBCTs are analyzed by the biology teachers to mark specific areas of improvement.  NJBCT type assessment items are infused into classroom-based assessments and benchmarks throughout the course of the school year.  Beginning in January, all students enrolled in biology will be assigned weekly practice assessment items via the ASSISTments platform.  Several weeks prior to the NJBCT, a full practice test will be given to all students enrolled in biology. Teachers will review the results with their students.