Discussion with Professor Marc Aronson about PARCC
We began by asking Prof. Aronson how PARCC is different from other standardized tests.
He explained that, historically, there has always been an attempt to assess students through a standardized test due to the discrepancy between students moving to schools in different states and for states to be able to define and measure their own progress. Previously, with No Child Left Behind, this progress was tied to state funding for schools, as were students’ performances and teacher evaluations.
The Common Core (CC), the standards PARCC sets out to test, removes this connection between progress and funding. It maps out skills students need to master by year, but does not dictate curriculum. PARCC is also not federally mandated. Ten states have either not adopted or rejected to adopt Common Core/PARCC, but it is notable that these states’ individual standards are essentially the same as Common Core.
The initial test run of PARCC saw many discouraging results, as entire schools failed. It is not an easy test, and it is an imperfect test, as all are. The question is how will the scores be interpreted? The scores will be aggregated; it is not a be-all, end-all assessment, but rather a sampling of student progress across the country. And there is automatically less pressure because it does not affect whether students advance grades.
The entire essence of CC is the connection between point of view, argument and evidence. It asks students to examine point of view, identify argument and cite evidence. It moves away from the rote memorization and simpler cognitive functions to higher-level thinking, as is grade-appropriate. The bottom line is that this type of inquiry-based instruction should be occurring in schools anyway, but for some schools it in sharp contrast to how many students are taught.
Some concern has arisen based on it being a computer-distributed assessment. The organizing powers declared that any new test should utilize the computer rather than pencil and paper in an effort to be more modern. The assumption is that, as the test is administered to children third grade and up, students are coordinated enough not to be slowed down by the computer aspects. The interface is slightly clunky, so there is room for improvement in terms of making the interface run smoother. There are accommodations for students with disabilities.
Implications for school librarians: overall, there will be a greater focus on CC and how to support teachers in their needs to meet the standards. Short-term, many librarians are displaced, having to roam for several weeks while testing takes place in the library.