Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) MAMLE Annual Conference

1. Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) MAMLE Annual Conference February 10, 2012

2. Introduction and Overview of PARCC Assessment System

3. *Minnesota adopted the CCSS in ELA/literacy only 46 States + DC Have Adopted the Common Core State Standards

4. Key Advances of the Common Core ANCHORED IN COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS

5. Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC)

6. PARCC is a State Led Consortia • Governing States: • Approve test specifications, priorities for content assessed on each component, and recommended scoring model • Develop long-term sustainability plans for the consortium and assessment system, including through design of the tests and ability to refresh over time • Approve solicitations and select vendors for PARCC procurements • Determine highest priority model instructional tools for PARCC to develop • Build and expand cadres of K-12 educators and postsecondary faculty leading CCSS implementation and PARCC assessment development • Ensure the assessment results provide the data needed to support state accountability mechanisms and educator evaluation model • Participate in technical & policy working groups on accountability to help identify solutions to pressing accountability transition challenges andnew approaches to accountability through ESEA waivers

7. Next Generation PARCC Assessments

8. The PARCC Goals • Create high-quality assessments • Build a pathway to college and career readiness for all students • Support educators in the classroom • Develop 21st century, technology-based assessments • Advance accountability at all levels • Better tests for a lower price

9. Coherent System Aligned to College and Career Readiness Summative Assessments 0 PARCC Assessment System Diagnostic & Informative Assessments Implementation & Transition Support Aligned Instructional Resources

10. Goal #1: Create High Quality Assessments The PARCC assessments will allow states to make important claims about students’ knowledge and skills. • In English Language Arts/Literacy, whether students: • Can read and comprehend complex literary and informational text • Can write effectively when analyzing text • Have attained overall proficiency in ELA/literacy • In Mathematics, whether students: • Have mastered fundamental mathematical concepts • Can apply those knowledge and skills in novel situations

11. PARCC Assessment DesignEnglish Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics, Grades 3-11 Optional/Flexible Assessments • End-of-Year • Assessment • Innovative, computer-based items • Mid-Year Assessment • Performance-based • Emphasis on hard-to-measure standards • Potentially summative • Performance-Based • Assessment (PBA) • Extended tasks • Applications of concepts and skills • Diagnostic Assessment • Early indicator of student knowledge and skills to inform instruction, supports, and PD • Speaking And Listening • Assessment (ELA only) • Locally scored • Non-summative, required Summative, Required assessment Interim, optional assessment

12. Goal #2: Build a Pathway to College and Career Readiness for All Students K-2 formative assessment being developed, aligned to the PARCC system Timely student achievement data showing students, parents and educators whether ALL students are on-track to college and career readiness College readiness score to identify who is ready for college-level coursework • Targeted interventions & supports: • 12th-grade bridge courses • PD for educators SUCCESS IN FIRST-YEAR, CREDIT-BEARING, POSTSECONDARY COURSEWORK ONGOING STUDENT SUPPORTS/INTERVENTIONS

13. Goal #3: Support Educators in the Classroom • INSTRUCTIONAL TOOLS TO SUPPORT IMPLEMENTATION PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT MODULES K-12 Educator • TIMELY STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT DATA EDUCATOR-LED TRAINING TO SUPPORT “PEER-TO-PEER” TRAINING

14. Tools & Resources • Model Content Frameworks • Item and Task Prototypes • Purpose: Support implementation of the CCSS; support development of assessment blueprints; provide guidance to state, district- and school-level curriculum leaders in the development of aligned instructional materials • Audience: State and local curriculum directors (primary audience) ; teachers • Timeline: Released November 9, 2011: www.parcconline.org/parcc-content-frameworks • Purpose: Develop models of innovative, online-delivered items and rich performance tasks proposed for use in the PARCC assessments. • Audience: Broad audience: teachers, schools, districts, states (for CCSS implementation and PARCC assessment preparation) • Timeline: Expected Summer 2012 • Model Instructional Units

15. Tools & Resources (continued) • Professional Development Modules • Purpose: Develop professional development modules focused on assessments to help teachers, school and district leaders, and testing coordinators understand the new assessment system and use of the data • Audience: Teachers; instructional staff; school and district administrators • Timeline: Expected Spring/Summer 2013 • Purpose: Provide educators with examples of ways to implement the CCSS in the classroom; allow for the development and sharing of ideas for instructional implementation of the CCSS; encourage development of additional PARCC tools • Audience: Teachers; state and local curriculum directors • Timeline: Expected Fall 2012 Model Instructional Units

16. Tools & Resources (continued) • College-Ready Tools • Purpose: Develop a set of college readiness tools aligned to the CCSS and PARCC assessments; strengthen alignment between K-12 and postsecondary; prepare students for postsecondary opportunities • Audience: Teachers; school leaders; higher education • Timeline: Expected Winter/Spring 2014 Partnership Resource Center • Purpose: One-stop shop for PARCC resources; provide an online warehouse for all PARCC tools and resources as well as other instructional material being developed by PARCC states and districts and national organizations • Audience: Broad audience: teachers; principals; students; parents; states; general public • Timeline: Expected Winter 2013

17. K-12 and Postsecondary Engagement • Educator Leader Cadres • Post-secondary Engagement • Purpose: Develop expertise on the CCSS and PARCC; develop state and peer leaders; build and expand the number of educators who understandand feel ownership for implementing the CCSS and PARCC Assessments • Audience: State teams of K-12 teachers, school and district leaders, local and state curriculum directors, and postsecondary representatives • Timeline: Annual meetings beginning in Summer 2012 • Purpose: Ensure development of college-ready assessments; strengthen alignment between K-12 and postsecondary; prepare students for postsecondary opportunities • Audience: PARCC convenes teams of K-12 and higher education faculty and leaders • Timeline: Ongoing

18. Goal #4: Develop 21st Century, Technology-Based Assessments PARCC’s assessment will be computer-based and leverage technology in a range of ways: • Item Development • Develop innovative tasks that engage students in the assessment process • Administration • Reduce paperwork, increase security, reduce shipping/receiving & storage • Increase access to and provision of accommodations for SWDs and ELLs • Scoring • Make scoring more efficient by combining human and automated approaches • Reporting • Produce timely reports of students performance throughout the year to inform instruction, interventions, and professional development

19. Goal #5: Advance Accountability at All Levels • PARCC assessments will be purposefully designed to generate valid, reliable and timely data, including measures of growth,for various accountability uses including: • School and district effectiveness • Educator effectiveness • Student placement into college-credit bearing courses • Comparisons with other states and international benchmarks • PARCC assessments will be designed for other accountability uses as states deem appropriate

20. Goal #6: Better Tests for a Lower Price Median = $14.42

21. Goal #6: Better Tests for a Lower Price Median = $14.42

22. Implementation Estimating costs over time, including long-term budgetary planning Transitioning to the new assessments at the classroom level Ensuring long-term sustainability Policy Student supports and interventions Accountability High school course requirements College admissions/ placement Perceptions about what these assessments can do Technical Developing an interoperable technology platform Transitioning to a computer-based assessment system Developing and implementing automated scoring systems and processes Identifying effective, innovative item types Areas of Focus for Transition to PARCC

23. Opportunities Possible through Transition to PARCC • Better tests at lower cost – upfront and ongoing – than most states could likely develop on its own • Rapid turnaround of assessment results • Clear, early and consistent signals about pathway to college and career readiness for all students • Diagnostic assessments aligned to the summative assessments so they send clear signals to educators and students • Benchmark performance of your state’s students against students in other states and internationally

24. PARCC: More Than Just Another Test To support state efforts to implement and transition to the Common Core and next generation assessments, PARCC will facilitate: • Strategic planning and collective problem solving for the implementation of CCSS and PARCC assessments • Collaborative efforts to develop the highest priority instructional and support tools • Multi-state support to build leadership cadres of educators • Multi-state support to engage the postsecondary community around the design and use of the assessments

25. Timeline Through First PARCC Administration in 2014-2015 PARCC Tools & Resources Model instructional units released Partnership Resource Center launched Professional development modules released K-2 tools released College-ready tools released Diagnostic assessments released Winter 2013 Spring 2013 Fall 2013 Winter 2014 Winter 2015 Summer 2014 Spring 2015 Summer 2015 Fall 2014 Fall 2012 Summer 2013 Spring 2014 Standard-setting Early pilot/field testing begins Expanded pilot/field testing begins Full administration of PARCC assessments PARCC Assessment Implementation

26. Latest News from PARCC

27. Assessment Item Development • Working with public research university partners to develop prototypes of innovative assessment items in mathematics and ELA/literacy • Soliciting vendor(s) for PARCC assessment development who can deliver on expectations of innovative design • Solicitation released December 30, 2011 (www.parcconline.org/procurement) • Designed to promote competition, spur innovation, and improve cost effectiveness • PARCC states will work with selected vendors to create a large bank of items and tasks in math and ELA/literacy • State content experts, local educators and community members will review items • PARCC will work with additional vendors so states can field test the items and construct tests for full-scale use in 2014-15

28. Instructional Tools and Educator Engagement • Released Model Content Frameworks for Mathematics and ELA/Literacy this fall • Available at www.parcconline.org/parcc-content-frameworks • Revisions next spring and final release summer 2012 • Launching Educator Leader Cadres in summer 2012 • Network of K-16 educators in each PARCC state who can provide leadership during the implementation of the CCSS and PARCC • Cadre members will strengthen their content expertise in the standards, PARCC assessments, and PARCC developed tools, and help disseminate information and develop understanding with their peers. • More information at http://www.parcconline.org/parcc-releases-itn-engage-educators • Later in 2012 and 2013: • Sample assessment items and tasks • Model instructional units • Targeted professional development modules

29. Technology • Developing technology gap analysis tool for states & districts • Will help states & districts identify major technology gaps and develop plans to close them • Expected to be ready in the next few months • Seeking contractor(s) to help develop PARCC technology infrastructure and architecture • Develop the technological standards and process to support all PARCC development efforts • Vendor to be selected in late 2011/early 2012; first products expected in spring/summer 2012 • Providing guidelines for states and districts to plan instructional technology hardware purchases and meet bandwidth and network specifications

30. Mississippi Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Training • Regional Training of Trainers (TOT) sessions on the CCSS in grades 6-8 in Math and English/Language Arts (ELA) are being conducted during Spring 2012. • Dates and Locations: • January 24-25 - Oxford, MS • February 22-23 - Flowood, MS • February 29-March 1 - Hattiesburg, MS

31. Mississippi Training Timeline Revised January 2012 • Proposed training schedule pending funding & PARCC resources • Intended to get ready for CCSS & Assessments as early as possible. Summer 2011 Fall 2011 Spring 2012 Summer 2012 Fall 2012 Spring 2013 Summer 2013 Grades K – 2 3 – 5 6 – 8 9 – 12 Follow Up Follow Up Training Follow Up Follow Up Training Follow Up Follow Up Training Follow Up Follow Up Training K-12 follow-up sessions via webinar and face to face will occur around the state.

32. Questions?

33. Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers www.PARCConline.org