Early Results from Common Core Tests Show Academic Gains

Some states have begun to report the results of their Common Core-aligned state standardized tests from the 2014–2015 school year, and so far, most are showing increases in student achievement.

States that have reported results so far include Arizona, Idaho, Missouri, New York, Oregon, Washington and West Virginia. Of those, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and West Virginia were part of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, while Arizona, Missouri and New York used their own state-administered assessments (AzMERIT, MAP and EngageNY). Results from Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) are not yet available.

Arizona

For the first time, Arizona students in third through eleventh grade took the AzMERIT test, and the state released preliminary results this month. As many educators expected because of the test's increased rigor, the results show that most students aren't proficient in math or reading. The state will release final results in October.

Idaho

Idaho students in grades three through eight and grade 10 took the Idaho Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) by Smarter Balanced. While the state will release its final results in October, preliminary results released in July show that students outperformed the projections set by Smarter Balanced. In English, fourth-grade students had the lowest average scores, with 46 percent of students scoring as proficient or above; and 10th-grade students had the highest average scores, with 61 percent of students scoring as proficient or above. In math, 10th-grade students had the lowest average scores, with only 30 percent of students scoring as proficient or above. Third graders had the highest average scores, with 50 percent of students scoring as proficient or above.

Missouri

Missouri students in grades three through eight took the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) tests after taking the Smarter Balanced field tests the year before. On average, students performed better on this year's MAP tests, which included SBAC items, than they did on the Smarter Balanced field tests last year. According to preliminary results, about 59.7 percent of students passed the English language arts MAP test, but just over 45 percent passed the math test.

New York

New York students in grades three through eight took the EngageNY tests in English language arts and math for the third year in a row, and preliminary results show that they made slight gains this year.

Oregon

In Oregon, third- through eighth-graders and eleventh-graders took the Smarter Balanced tests this year, and preliminary results show they performed "better than anticipated," according to a statement from the Oregon Department of Education. Students are scored on a four-point scale, and those with a score of 3 or 4 are considered on track to graduate from high school prepared for college and career. In English language arts, third-graders had the lowest average scores, with 47 percent of students scoring 3 or 4; and 11th-graders had the highest average scores, with 69 percent of students scoring 3 or 4. In math, 11th-graders had the lowest average scores, with 31 percent of students scoring 3 or 4; and third-graders had the highest average scores, with 47 percent of students scoring 3 or 4. The state expects these scores to drop as final results come in.

Washington

Students in Washington generally scored better on this year's Smarter Balanced assessments than they did on last year's field tests. In English language arts, third-graders had the lowest average scores, with 53 percent meeting standards; and 10th- and 11th-graders had the highest average scores, with 62 percent meeting standards. In math, 11th-graders had the lowest average scores, with only 29 percent meeting standards; and third-graders had the highest average scores, with 57 percent meeting standards.

West Virginia

Students in West Virginia exceeded national projections in English language arts, but not in math, except in third grade, where students exceeded projections in both tests. Students in grades three through eleven took the Smarter Balanced tests this year. In English language arts, ninth-graders had the lowest average scores, with 38 percent scoring as proficient; and fifth-graders had the highest average scores, with 51 percent scoring as proficient. In math, 10th-graders had the lowest average scores, with only 15 percent scoring as proficient; and third-graders had the highest average scores, with 44 percent scoring as proficient.

Chad Colby, director of Strategic Communications and Outreach for the education reform organization, Achieve, said he expects to see similar results when the final scores are released later this year.

Karen Nussle, executive director of the Collaborative for Student Success, is similarly optimistic. “As we’ve seen in states like Washington, Oregon, Missouri, West Virginia and now New York, when states raise the bar, students are prepared to meet the academic challenge — and have shown that they are on track to becoming better prepared academically for life after high school,” she told Politico.com.

PARCC Overview For Teachers and Parents

What is the need to introduce a fresh set of high-stake assessments- tests that are difficult, and time-consuming?
As the testing season progresses, parents and teachers are continuously raising these questions, and desire to understand the need to introduce new standards that necessitate a novel style of instruction and learning.
In this article, we answer these questions, and explain why the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and standards-based assessments score over the present-day "teaching for the test" environment.
The Common Core State Standards
In 2009, a teacher’s consortium, with states-wide representation released an innovative set of academic standards. These standards act as an achievement guide for school districts, school management and teachers.
Instead of telling teachers what students should be taught, Common Core defines what students should learn in their respective grade.
In brief, CCSS defines the learning-expectations for grade 1 to 12 in Math and English.
The new standards attempt to enhance the quality of K12 education, and provide our high-school graduates with skills essential for career and college.
This aims at addressing the skill-gap haunting the dismal job-market and providing students with skills needed for the new-age work-environment.
[Tweet "Enter your CCSS defines the learning-expectations for grade 1 to 12 in Math and English."]

Key advances of Common Core

The standards build upon the current-day state standards, and incorporate various advances based on the learning standards employed across the globe.
These advances anchor themselves in the concept of Career and college readiness, or CCR.

Key advances in CCSS Math

1. The new standards pay more attention on clarity, coherence and focus on concepts.
   For each grade, CCSS defines a certain number of important topics. And suggests a model that ensures coherent progress of each student.
   
2. Common Core Standards pay attention on enhancing procedural fluency, and basic understanding of concepts and skills.
   
3. They pay more attention on increasing rigor in grade level mathematics, so that students develop procedural fluency based on reasoning and understanding of concepts across the grades.
   
4. Teach mathematics at high school as per conceptual categories.
   

Key advances in CCSS English

1. Most important of shifts in CCSS English is emphasizing compulsory attention on real-life texts and informational-texts.
   
2. They pay greater attention on preparing students for higher text complexity;
   
3. More emphasis on argument, informative/explanatory writing and research;
   
4. Speaking and listening skills;
   
5. It clarifies literary standards for history, science, and technical subjects.
   

Standardized Testing

Adopting new standards also necessitates modern assessments.
Standardized testing measures student-growth and achievement, and informs teachers regarding instruction.

The PARCC Assessments

Schools administering PARCC assessments will have five assessments on their table.
These assessments will have either a summative or a non-summative component or both. Administrable at different intervals, these assessments will provide the schools, teachers and parents with data to improve student performance.
[Tweet "Information from formative assessments help teachers under the effectiveness of their instruction, and guides their efforts and activities in subsequent courses."]

Purpose of PARCC Assessments

1. Inform whether students are on-track for success;
   
2. Assess students for the full range of Common Core Standards;
   
3. Provide student performance data during the academic year;
   
4. Provide useable data to inform instruction, interventions and professional development;
   
5. Provide data for accountability.
   

Components of PARCC Assessments

1. Summative Assessment Components

It evaluates student learning of an instructional unit by comparing their performance against some standard or benchmark.
These are often high-stake, which means that they have a high point value.
Information from summative assessments is formative; and help teachers and students to guide their efforts and activities in subsequent courses.

2. Non-Summative Assessment Components

It is a collection of standards-based, non-summative assessment practices.
These assessments provide a model of how to build standard mastery through the school year. They also provide opportunities for students to have opportunities to experience more challenging tasks by the end of the school year.
PARCC assessments provide deep evidence that teachers can analyze whether students are on-track at applying CCSS expectations.

5 Components of PARCC Assessment

1. Diagnostic assessments report student’s knowledge and skills.
   Schools and teachers can tailor instruction, student-supports and professional-development programs to meet student’s needs.
   These are non-summative and optional assessments.
   

2. Mid-year assessments comprise of performance-based items and tasks, with an emphasis on hard-to-measure standards.
   After study, individual states may consider including as a summative component.
   They too are non-summative and optional assessments.
   

3. Performance-based assessments (PBA) are compulsory assessments, administered close to the end of the school year as possible.
   ELA/literacy PBA will focus on writing effectively when analyzing text; while mathematics PBA focuses on applying skills, concepts, and understandings to solve multi-step problems requiring abstract reasoning, precision, perseverance, and strategic use of tools.
   

4. End-of-Year assessments (EOY) are summative and compulsory assessments, and administered after approx. 90% of the school year.
   The ELA/literacy EOY focuses on reading comprehension; and math EOY comprises of innovative, machine-scorable items.
   

5. Speaking and listening assessments are optional assessments.
   They will measures how well students absorb information by listening, and how skillfully they communicate that knowledge orally.
   Teachers will score students based on student-produced content based on what they present or what they hear.
   

Shifts in Math and ELA/L)expectations

Major shift in ELA/L expectations

1. Read sufficiently complex texts independently;
   
2. Write effectively to source;
   
3. Build and present knowledge through research.
   

Major shift in Math expectations

1. Solve problems: content and mathematical practice;
   
2. Reason mathematically;
   
3. Model real-world problems;
   
4. Have fluency with mathematics.
   

Goals of the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers  (PARCC)

1. Create high-quality assessments

PARCC assessment measures students' fluency, conceptual understanding and application of concepts.
Students need to display their skills critical-thinking skills and problem-solving skills.
PARCC uses summative and non-summative components of testing to provide teachers and students with precise state of student learning and help teachers identify student-strengths and weaknesses.

2. Build a well guided pathway for high-school students to succeed with college

PARCC ensures that teachers have precise information all throughout the Grade school to enable them to provide proper intervention and ensure effective student support.
Regular testing generates reliable student-achievement data, and ensures that students are on their way to career and college readiness.
In high-school students take tests that generate a college-readiness score to identify students who are ready to handle college-level coursework and those who need intensive instruction.
PARCC reports allow teachers to provide targeted intervention and timely intervention.
Furthermore, teachers get the opportunity to administer bridge-courses to ensure that students have a smoother and successful first year in college.

3. Support educators in the classroom

The advantages of a PARCC assessment are many folds.
They report student’s strengths and weaknesses; help teachers understand the effects of current pedagogy, and adopt changes to improve student performance.

4. Develop 21st century technology-based assessment

PARCC is a computer-based assessment. A compulsory test leverages the effective use of technology in classrooms.
Furthermore, the accommodations provided by PARCC and SBAC ensure that even the students of SWD and ELL group get an equal opportunity to progress at the same rate.

5. Increase accountability at all levels

PARCC also attempts to improve accountability at all levels. The reliable and timely data generated by the assessments:

1. Ensure that schools and districts maintain effectiveness;
   
2. Highlight educator effectiveness;
   
3. Help map student performance in placement tests.
   
4. Allow comparison with other state level and international benchmarks.
   

PARCC ELA/literacy assessments:

The most important quality that any assessment should have is that they should not distract the class from the learning process and should become natural inheritance to classroom instruction. PARCC designs are evidently easy and exciting.
[Tweet "PARCC provides an opportunity to students of experiencing challenging, real-life tasks by the end of the school year."]

What to expect with PARCC assessments?

1. More complex texts: Students need to prepare for more real-life problems, and should be comfortable with the embedded academic language.
   Students will have to develop skills for close and careful reading; moreover, the skill of identifying words that pervade the provided text.
   
2. Evidence based tasks: Student will have to prepare to answer questions based on evidence, derived from the provided text; be ready to cite evidence rigorously; and generate more evidence-based responses.
   

[Tweet "For success, students will have to develop skills of accuracy and precision."]

3. Build Knowledge through provided-text: Student must learn to build knowledge base based on the provided text.
   Questions test students for their critical and problem-solving skills, so students must develop their skill of comparing texts, and synthesizing ideas.
   

PARCC Math assessments:

1. More focus on core-standards: For success, students need to master the subject to meet a pre-defined standard.
   As the standards define what a student should know by a specific grade.
   Students who expand their math base to achieve mastery of standard of their particular standard have higher chances of success.
   
2. Coherence: students need to focus on their skills of being able to connect two or more concepts to solve a problem.
   They may have to connect more than one concept and create solutions
   
3. Rigor: Just like ELA/Literacy standards, students will have to pay attention on mastery of standards.
   They must develop skills of fluency and conceptual understanding; learn procedural skills and concept-application; and be ready to solve questions based on real-world problems.
   

Benefits of PARCC Assessments:

1. PARCC will help build a pathway to College and Career Readiness for all students;
   
2. It will improve student’s engagement in assessments with innovative tasks and giving access to accommodations;
   
3. Increased access to and provision of accommodations for SWDs and ELLs;
   
4. Efficient scoring by combining human and automated approaches;
   
5. Valid, reliable and timely reports through-out the year to inform instruction, intervention and professional development.
   
   
   
   Understand the PARCC Field Test Report

Understanding the PARCC Field-Test Report

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) makes testing of student a compulsory task for our school districts.
Unfortunately, the present-day testing, famously known as the bubble tests call for no skill other than memorization and its application.
Testing has become an annual exercise of collecting test scores; of labeling students as a success or failure. In contrast, PARCC assesses students with innovative test items, better accommodations, reliable scoring and timely feedback.
This provides our education system an opportunity to look beyond collection of accountability data and pay attention on student development.