Purpose for the PARCC?EDLD 646 Project #2

Dominica R. Felici-Skal Mary Warren-WalshKaren Davidson Diana

Minichiello Michelle Hoen

What is the controversy over the PARCC?What is the purpose for the PARCC? What does the PARCC assess?What is the future for online exams?What is the correlation between PARCC and college/career preparedness?What score will be considered partially proficient, proficient, advanced proficient and what are the implications of these scores?

Essential Questions

All learners will understand the purpose of PARCC from diverse perspectives, in order to formulate their own opinion with supporting evidence and rationale.

Established Goals:

Essential Vocabulary

● PARCC● Common Core Standards● Performance-Based Assessment (PBA)● End of the Year Assessment (EOY)● Personal Needs Profile (PNP) ● Federal Funding● Modifications● Accomodations● National Education Technology Standards

Lesson Overview● Partnership for Assessment of Readiness of College and Careers is a

computer-based growth assessment for students in Grades 3-11 in literacy and mathematics.

● The PARCC exam is designed to assess the newly adopted Common Core Curriculum standards.

● The Common Core are standards with the intent to prepare all students, regardless of the state or school, to prepare students with the essential skills and strategies for either the college-bound and/or career-ready.

● 46 out of 50 states in the United States have adopted the Common Core Standards.

● PARCC has is currently in a trial basis with about 13 states out of 50 states.

Overview continued...

● Facet 1: What is PARCC? ● Facet 2: How does the PARCC assess career & college-bound skills?

Facet 3: What is the effectiveness of the PARCC questions for career or college-bound students?

● Facet 4: What are some of the controversies and opinions regarding the PARCC?

● Facet 5: What other skills may be useful in order to assess college and career readiness?

● Facet 6: How do you feel about your abilities assessed on this exam? What skills do you need to work on? What skills seem easier for you?

Objectives/ Grade Level (9-11) All learners will practice working with PARCC assessments and analyze the alignment of the PARCC with the Common Core Standards.

All learners will create their own (shortened or sample) version of a PARCC-like assessment.

All learners will evaluate the purpose of the PARCC.

All learners will engage in discussion and debate regarding the goals of the PARCC by utilizing textual evidence

All learners will evaluate various perspectives regarding the PARCC.

CCCS Key StandardsCCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1.EProvide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidenceCCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1.AIntroduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that establishes clear relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.1Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.4Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.7Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats.

National Educational Technology Standards

National Educational Technology Standards Standard One: Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.

a. Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate,and use information.b. Plan strategies to guide inquiryc. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize,and ethically use information from a variety of sources and mediad. Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks

e. Process data and report results

Standard Four: Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and

make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.

a. Identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation.

Hook: What does this song chant?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YR5ApYxkU-U

Set & Hold

Set1. Brief history of standardized testing.

Earliest standardized tests were given in China where “hopefuls for government jobs had to fill out examinations testing their knowledge of Confucian philosophy and poetry.” Western exams were based on Socratic dialogs and favored essays. The early 1800’s, with many more students in schools, brought standardized tests to test large numbers of students. In the 1970’s exams to test intelligence and military aptitude exams were used and the first scantron-type device was created in 1959.http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1947019,00.html

2. Students log into: http://epat-parcc.testnav.com/client/index.html#tests and take the Grade 7 ELA practice exam.

Lesson Plan1. After taking online practice PARCC exam, handout old standardized exam

(HSPA).2. Compare contrast question types PARCC vs HSPA3. In a group of 4 students, 2 students should align HSPA questions to CCCS,

2 students should align PARCC questions to CCCS. Compare results.4. What skills do these exams assess?5. Brief written reflection: Is either exam a valid assessment of skills? 6. Which exam is a better assessment of necessary skills--and why?

Gifted and Talented: Identify important life skills that are not addressed in the PARCC. Then, create an additional exam section for the PARCC that assess skills you believe are essential for college and career readiness.

Lesson plan continued...Class Discussion Topics:

1. How much instructional time is spent preparing for and taking the exam? (According to Pearson, 2 to 3 months): General Guideline for overall infrastructure preparedness and student training : http://parcc.pearson.com/resources/technology-setup/parcc-computer-based-assessments-guide.pdfTutorial For students off of TestNav: http://parcc.pearson.com/tutorial/

2. Why might parents be giving their child(ren) consent to opt out or refuse to take test?

3. After reviewing the modifications and accommodations for students who are classified, students will compare classroom modifications to PARCC modifications.

PARCC Accommodations...

Special Education Students/ESL and 504 Mods for PARCC

Each student who has an IEP and/or 504 plan has a Personal Needs Profile, PNP, which is a collection of entitled accommodations according to that student’s IEP and 504, regarding a student’s testing conditions, materials, or accessibility features and accommodations that are needed to take a PARCC assessment. Below are samples of modifications and/or accommodations that may be stated in the student’s IEP. If a modification and/or accommodation exists that PARCC does not offer in their manual, a special request can be sent to PARCC for permission. Without permission, the assessment will be falsified. For example, coaching will falsify test results.

1. Reduce language level or reading level of this assignment (PARCC does not apply)2. Teach to the learning style of the student and modify accordingly (PARCC does not apply)3. Modify curriculum based upon individual student needs (PARCC does not apply)4. If grading, readjust, maybe grade based on goals and class participation (PARCC does not apply)5. preferential seating (PARCC accommodates)6. provide oral administration of assessments (PARCC accommodates text to speech APP)7. Provide copies of notes (PARCC does not apply)8. Provide extended time to complete tasks and assessments (PARCC accommodates)9. Provide English to native language dictionary to ESL students (PARCC accommodates)10. Modify tests and quizzes (PARCC does not apply)

The question becomes: Due to limited PARCC accommodations that allows without special PARCC permission, will this result in less emphasis or reduction in accommodations on IEP? Keep in mind, teachers may either overlook or become more precise in most needed accommodations & modifications on an IEP/504. Is this a good or bad thing for the best interest of special needs students? You decide...

Special Education Students/ESL and 504 PARCC mods continued...

1. Read prompts to students or use text to speech option, if available (moved this here because this is an accommodations not a modification)

2. Change the environment to suit the students need, where they are sitting etc…3. Pacing Extended time 4. Text to speech function5. Line Reader Tool6. Magnification/Enlargement Device7. NotePad8. Pop-up Glossary9. Redirect Student to the Test (By test administrator)10. External Spell Check Device11. Text-to-Speech for the Mathematics Assessments*12. Human Reader or Human Signer for the Mathematics Assessment13. Writing Tools

ESL Accommodations for PARCC

Extended Time Word-to-Word Dictionary (English/ Native Language) General Administration Directions Read Aloud and Repeated in Student’s Native Language (by test administrator) General Administration Directions Clarified as Needed in Student’s Native Language(by test administrator)

Gifted and Talented ...extension for our lesson plan

Identify important life skills that are not assessed on the PARCC.

How could these skills improve one’s performance on PARCC?

Accommodations and Modificationsfor our Lesson Plan

1. Extended Time

2. Design a Study Guide with key points

3. Adapt task to student’s skill level

4. Infuse technology support: text to speech app, resource links for customized instruction support

5. Read directions orally 6. Modified assessment

ESL Accommodations and Modificationsfor our Lesson Plan

1. Adapt task to student’s skill level2. Infuse technology support: text to speech app, edictionary,

fluentu app, etc.3. Ignore spelling/grammar or conventions errors except when

explicitly taught4. Allow students to take breaks when working5. Design a study guide in a simplified language form6. Provide audio lessons and/or books

Resources (Common Core Standards State Initiative, 2015). English language arts standards. Retrieved

from: http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/

(Hain, B., 2015). Test items let all students show their ability. Retrieved from: http://www.parcconline.org/test-items-let-all-students-show-their-ability

(International Society for Technology in Education, 2015). ISTE standards for students. Retrieved from: http://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards/standards-for-students

(Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, 2015). PARCC accessibility features and accommodations manual: Guidance for districts and decision-making teams to ensure that PARCC mid-year, performance-based, and end-of-year assessments produce valid results for all students. Retrieved from: http://avocet.pearson.com/PARCC/Home#6290

(Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, 2015). PARCC computer-based assessments guide. Retrieved from:

http://parcc.pearson.com/resources/technology-setup/parcc-computer-based-assessments-guide.pdf

(Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, 2015). PARCC tutorials, Retrieved

from: http://parcc.pearson.com/tutorial/

(PARCC Consortium, 2014). Accommodations: High expectations for all students. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AhX3qgEf54

Conclusion21st Century Learners are on overload with information at their thumbs. What should one believe as factual? Which perspectives are researched-based with textual evidence? The beauty of today is that you, as a 21st Century Learner, are encouraged to concur and/or debate, as long as, you have collected “relevant” evidence. In retrospect, history shows a pattern of lectures, perspectives and controlling thoughts. Knowledge was costly and you were taught what to be believe as fact. Hence, “We don’t need no education, we don’t need no thought control” (Pink Floyd, 1979). Although the original purpose of The Common Core Standards and PARCC was to provide every learner in the United States with the same opportunity, is this goal still achievable? That means that if a family decides to move out of state, a learner will be on track through the broad spectrum of The Common Core Standards. Is it working? PARCC was originally designed as a Performance-Based Assessment to measure rate of growth_ of the student or teacher? Both? Will the changes intended for the 2015-2016 school year falsify the original intent? What is the purpose of PARCC? Our purpose is to make you think, synthesize your thoughts & decide for yourself...

Collaboration

Dominica started getting the group together early in the semester. She started a Google doc and we quickly had group members contribute to different areas of the UbD lesson plan template. Karen continued this beginning and created a PPT template. Then we took our notes from the lesson plan template and began the collaboration process. We clarified our goals and refined ideas to include. We also edited the UbD to make the sections better fit our purpose. After each group member added important information, we created a Google Powerpoint. This enabled us to work on the presentation together and at the same time! Together, we went slide by slide writing comments to each other, offering suggestions (and getting to know each other, too!) At some points, two of us were writing almost the exact same suggestions. While the task seemed daunting at first, we believe the ability to work together during real-time, from different locations was very helpful. In fact, this made us focus because we only had a limited amount of time shared online together.

Likenesses Unite, Differences Enrich!!!