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Koch: Despite some issues, first
phase of PARCC testing goes well
The Performance-Based Assessment testing
window for the Partnership for Assessment of
Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) is
coming to an end for most schools this month, and I
am extremely pleased with how the first
administration has gone thus far.
We have experienced no major technical
difficulties with its
administration.
As of late March,
5.8 million exams
have been
completed
nationwide, with
more than 1.1
million of those
here in Illinois.
We have
encountered
some issues
along the way --
which we
anticipated -- but
they have been relatively minor and have been
resolved. This is a testament to your leadership and
preparation in the weeks leading up to testing.
I know the move to a completely new assessment
system hasn’t been easy and there have been
questions and some trepidation. Thank you for
working with your staff, students and parents to
provide information, report any problems, and ensure
a smooth a transition. Your efforts certainly made a
difference.
I am also pleased to report a significant first step
toward the use of the PARCC assessment as a
college placement exam. The Illinois Council of
Community College Presidents (ICCCP) recently
approved a policy to accept a performance level of 4
or 5 in math or English language arts on the PARCC
exam to place students directly into credit-bearing
classes without requiring remediation. Additionally,
institutions can develop policies for math that allow a
3 on PARCC in combination with having passed a
higher-level high school math class to qualify a
student to enroll directly into credit-bearing math
classes.
ICCCP’s decision will help us provide a more
efficient path for our graduates to begin college-level
work. It will also save Illinois students and their
families both time and money. According to the
recent Complete College America report, at least 20
percent of all college students must take costly
remedial courses when they get to college. That
percentage jumps to roughly 50 percent when
looking at those
enrolled in Illinois
two-year
community
colleges after
students did
everything required
to graduate from
high school.
We were also
pleasantly
surprised with the
number of districts
utilizing online
assessments. As
more students take
assessments online, costs are significantly reduced.
Based on the latest figures available, we estimate
that approximately 70 percent of assessments have
been taken online during this administration of
PARCC assessments.
In a few weeks, we will begin the second part the
PARCC summative assessment, the End-of-Year
exam. As a reminder, the Performance-Based and
End-of-Year scores are combined to arrive at a
single summative score for each student. Please let
us know if any issues arise or provide any other
feedback you feel may be helpful as we wrap up this
inaugural year of PARCC testing.
Thanks for your cooperation,
Chris
Message from
the State
Superintendent
of Education