To the editor:
Schools and districts across the state have now received score reports from the first administration of the new statewide assessment. The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) exam is a dramatically different test than the state’s previous assessments it replaces. In turn, it has produced results that look different and appear lower than what we typically expect from our students and schools.
The PARCC exam lines up with the higher expectations of the internationally benchmarked Illinois Learning Standards. It measures a broad range of knowledge and skills, including problem solving, critical thinking, and writing. Students are no longer asked to merely recite memorized facts. They must analyze information and explain their answers, just as real life requires.
The PARCC assessment score reports reflect these higher standards and more complex tasks. It’s common to see a downward shift in results any time performance expectations change. The 2015 PARCC exam results areno exception. But lower test results do not mean our students or schools are less capable,nor should they be labeled as failing. Instead, the resultsreflect a significant shift in how we test students and the types of skills and knowledge that are measured.
Though there will be a period of adjustment, this transition will greatly benefit our students and schools. Through consistent, high expectations at each grade level, the PARCC exam is designed to provide more accurate and descriptive data about where each child is on the path to college and career readiness. This data will help educators and parents better determine whether students need remediation or should be challenged with more advanced instruction before they advance to the next grade. These earlier interventions will ultimately ensure all students leave high school prepared for the demands of college and careers. By using a more detailed test, Illinois schools can eliminate the need for other exams and ensure test preparation doesn’t take up valuable instruction time.
Please join me in supporting our local teachers and students through this process. By working together, we can help produce outstanding outcomes for each child in the classroom and beyond.