1. A New Vision of Assessment
Texts Worth Reading
Problems Worth Solving
Tests Worth Taking
September 2013

2. What Is PARCC?
The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers:
Made up of 19 states
Developing common, high-quality math and English language arts (ELA) tests for grades 3–11
Computer-based and linked to what students need to know for college and careers
For use starting in the 2014–15 school year

3. Why New Assessments Now?
We have to prepare all students for college or other postsecondary opportunities:
A high school diploma isn’t enough in our 21st century economy
Our K–12 system is not adequately preparing students for college
1/3 of college freshmen need remedial courses
81% of today’s jobs require college or career training

4. Personal Benefits: Higher Earnings and Higher Employment Rates
Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2011). Current Population Survey. Figures are based on the total persons in the civilian labor force.

5. Why New Assessments Now?
Current state assessments were not designed to:
Assess and signal whether students are on track for success in college or careers
Produce timely, actionable data for students, teachers and parents
Test key skills, such as critical thinking and ability to problem solve

6. Why New Assessments Now?
The Common Core State Standards are here:
States are implementing these standards for ELA/literacy and math
Better standards require better tests
High-quality tests improve and inform instruction — they don’t detract from it

7. Why New Assessments Now?
Unlike many current tests, PARCC tests will be engaging and will test the critical-thinking and problem-solving skills students need to succeed in school and life.

8. PARCC Priorities
Determine whether students are college and career ready or on track
Connect to the Common Core State Standards
Measure the full range of student performance, including that of high- and low-achieving students
Provide educators data throughout the year to inform instruction
Create innovative 21st century, technology-based assessments
Be affordable and sustainable
PARCC will develop an assessment system comprised of four components. Each component will be computer-delivered and will use technology to incorporate innovations.
Two summative, required assessment components designed to:
Make “college- and career-readiness” and “on-track” determinations,
Measure the full range of standards and full performance continuum, and
Provide data for accountability uses, including measures of growth.
Two non-summative, optional assessment components designed to:
Generate timely information for informing instruction, interventions, and professional development during the school year.
A third non-summative component in English language arts/literacy will assess students’ speaking and listening skills

9. How Will PARCC Be Different?
Students: Will know if they are on track to graduate ready for college/careers
Teachers: Will have access to timely data to guide learning and instruction
Parents: Will have clear and timely information about student progress
States: Will have valid results that are comparable across borders

10. How Will PARCC Be Different?
For students:
Test quality will mirror high-quality coursework
Is computer-based, interactive, engaging
Measures the skills and knowledge students need to succeed in college and careers
Produces timely information, allowing teachers to tailor instruction to students’ needs
Includes embedded supports for English language learners, students with disabilities

11. Embedded Supports Being Discussed
Some examples include:
Home language supports/tools
Highlighting
Customized colors
Braille (tactile/refreshable)
Graphic organizers or representations
Signing supports (ASL)
Assistive technology
Captions for audio
Screen readers text-to-speech/speech-to-text software
Highlighting
Enlargement of text/graphics
Customized colors
Graphic organizers or representations
Customized dictionary or other home language supports/tools
Embedded/pop-up glossary
Reducing visual distractions surrounding written text
Captions for audio
Descriptive audio for students with visual impairments
Option response: adapted keyboards, StickyKeys, MouseKeys, FilterKeys
Braille (tactile/refreshable)
Signing supports (ASL)
Assistive technology 11

12. How Will PARCC Be Different?
For teachers and schools:
Computer-based testing will boost student engagement and access
More efficient than pencil-and-paper tests
Timely data during the year will aid instruction, professional development
Tests will assess the full range of student performance, not just students in the middle
Tests will measure student growth at all levels as well as focusing on proficiency

13. How Will PARCC Be Different?
Help advance our goals:
Increased competitiveness in a global economy
Higher achievement levels and more opportunities for all students
Greater comparability between states
Higher college completion, lower remedial rates
Better educated citizens

14. Getting All Students College and Career Ready
K–2
Grades 3–8
High School
Ongoing student support/interventions
Success In first-year, credit-bearing, postsecondary coursework
Voluntary K–2 assessment being developed, aligned to the Common Core State Standards
Timely data showing whether ALL students are on track for college and career readiness
College readiness score to identify who is ready for college-level coursework
Targeted interventions and supports:
State-developed 12th-grade bridge courses
The PARCC assessment system will be aligned to the college- and career-ready, Common Core State Standards, and is being designed to challenge students, help identify when they’re not meeting the standards, and provide targeted instruction, supports and interventions to help them succeed
Students who score proficient on the assessments will know they are on track for the next steps in their education, creating a more meaningful target
In high school, results will send an early signal about whether students are ready for entry-level, non-remedial courses at higher education institutions in all 19 PARCC states
Students who are identified as not being on track, or who do not meet the college readiness score, will receive targeted supports and interventions
Higher education partners in PARCC—nearly 200 institutions and systems covering over 8,50 campuses across the country—have committed to help develop the high school assessments and set the college-ready cut score that will be used to place incoming freshman in credit-bearing college courses
Professional development for educators

15. Assessments ELA/Literacy and Mathematics, Grades 3–11
Beginning of School Year
End of School Year
Flexible administration
Performance-Based
Assessment
Diagnostic Assessment
Mid-Year Assessment
End-of-Year
Assessment
Speaking and Listening Assessment
Key:
Optional
Required

16. Optional Assessments During the Year
Beginning of School Year
End of School Year
Flexible administration
Diagnostic Assessment
Mid-Year Assessment
Flexible indicator of student knowledge and skills
Allows instruction, supports and professional development to be tailored to improve student learning
Performance-based items and tasks
Emphasis on hard-to-measure standards
Individual states may consider including as a summative component

17. Two Required Assessments Yield Overall Score
Beginning of School Year
End of School Year
Performance-Based
Assessment
End-of-Year
Assessment
After 75 percent of the school year
Extended tasks, applications of concepts and skills
ELA/literacy: Writing effectively when analyzing text, research simulation
Math: Solving multistep problems requiring abstract reasoning, precision, perseverance and strategic use of tools
After 90 percent of the school year
Innovative, short-answer items
ELA/literacy: Reading comprehension
Math: Short items that address both concepts and skills

18. Higher Expectations ELA/Literacy Math
Read sufficiently complex texts independently
Write effectively to sources
Build and present knowledge through research
Math
Solve problems: content and mathematical practice
Reason mathematically
Model real-world problems
Have fluency with mathematics

19. Math: Grade 3 Sample Item
This a fairly traditional fraction task in a computer-based setting.
Unlike traditional multiple choice, it is difficult to guess the correct answer or use a choice elimination strategy and there is more than one correct solution.
Unlike paper and pencil tests, students can create a visual representation even though the task is scored automatically.

20. Math: Grade 3 Sample Item
Second part of multi-step problem, and, unlike traditional multiple choice, it is difficult to guess the correct answer or use a choice elimination strategy.

21. Math: High School Sample Item
Item has two possible solutions
Students have to recognize the nature of the equation to know how to solve
Technology prevents guessing and working backward

22. ELA/Literacy: Grade 7 Sample Item
Students read the text that introduces the topic
Items are designed to help students gather information from the texts to lead to the final writing prompt
Items require different types of responses to allow students to demonstrate a command of evidence with complex texts
Specific CCSS alignment to:
RI.7.1 (use of evidence); RI.7.2 (summary of text); RI.7.10 (complex texts).
W.7.2 (writing to explain or inform); W.7.4 (writing coherently); W.7.9 (drawing evidence from texts).
L (grammar and conventions).
Requires writing to sources rather than to a de-contextualized or generalized prompt (e.g., asks about a specific aspect of Earhart’s life).
Requires students to draw evidence from the text and cite this evidence clearly.
Requires students to apply the knowledge of language and conventions when writing.
Purposely designed to help students gather information for writing the final analytic essay that asks students to evaluate the arguments made in three texts about Earhart’s bravery (i.e., her bravery can be expressed as her ability to face the many challenges).

23. ELA/Literacy: Grade 7 Sample Item
Claims
Earhart and Noonan lived as castaways on Nikumaroro Island.
Earhart and Noonan’s plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean
People don’t really know where Earhart and Noonan died.
Specific CCSS alignment to:
RI.7.1 (use of evidence).
RI.7.8 (author’s claims and evidence).
RI.7.10 (complex texts).
This item helps students gather information and details for use on the first and second Prose Constructed Response.
Requires students to employ reasoning skills, since all of the claims listed could be made, but only one is supported by the most relevant and sufficient facts.
Reflects the key shift of reading closely and weighing evidence by offering credit for Part B only if Part A is correct.
Technology enables students to highlight evidence that supports their understanding.
Part A: Highlight the claim that is supported by the most relevant and sufficient facts within “Earhart’s Final Resting Place Believed Found.” Part B: Click on two facts within the article that best provide evidence to support the claim selected in Part A.

24. ELA/Literacy: Grade 7 Sample Item
Specific CCSS alignment to:
RI.7.1 (use of evidence); RI.7.8 (evaluate claims in a text); RI.7.9 (comparison of authors’ presentation); RI.7.10 (complex texts).
W.7.2 (writing to inform and explain); W.7.4 (writing coherently); W.7.7 (conduct short research projects); W.7.8 (gather relevant information from multiple sources); W.7.9 (drawing evidence from texts).
L (grammar and conventions).
Measures the ability to compare and synthesize ideas across multiple texts and the ability to analyze the strength of various arguments.
Asks students to write to sources rather than write to a de-contextualized prompt.
Focuses on students rigorously citing evidence for their answer.
Requires students to delve deeply into multiple texts to gather evidence to analyze a given claim, simulating the research process.
Requires students to demonstrate they can apply the knowledge of language and conventions when writing.

25. Conclusion
College or postsecondary career and technical training is essential to earning sustainable wages
All high school graduates should be ready to enroll in college courses or similar technical coursework without remediation
PARCC assessments will aid student learning, not detract from it
We must measure what children learn in school, but we must measure with meaningful assessments
In PARCC, students will engage with texts worth reading, problems worth solving, and tests worth taking

26. A New Vision of Assessment
September 2013