Understanding PARCC Assessments for 4th Grade: A Closer Look

1. A Closer Look at Standardized Testing in 4th GradePart One : The Common Core and PARCC AssessmentPart Two: NJASK Science Presentation By: Maryanne Boehm & Colleen Eichenlaub

2. What does PARCC stand for? Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers

3. PARCC Assessments What is PARCC? What will it look like? How will it be different from NJASK? When will PARCC assessments be administered?

4. PARCC Assessments The Partnership for Assessments of College and Careers (PARCC) is a group working together to develop a common set of computer-based K-12 assessments in English Language Arts/Literacy and Math linked to the new, more rigorous Common Core State Standards (CCSS).

5. Why New Assessments Now? • Current state assessments were not designed to: • Assess and signal whether students are on track for success in college or careers • Produce timely, actionable data for students, teachers and parents • Test key skills, such as critical thinking and ability to problem solve

6. PARCC Priorities Determine whether students are college and career ready or on track Connect to the Common Core Standards Measure the full range of student performance, including that of high and low achieving students Provide educators data throughout the year to inform instruction Create innovative 21st Century, technology-based assessments Be affordable and sustainable

7. How Will PARCC Be Different • Students: Will know if they are on track to graduate/ready for college/careers • Teachers: Will have earlier access to data to plan for learning and instruction for the following year • Parents: Will have clear and timely information about student progress • States: Will have valid results that are comparable across borders

8. How Will PARCC Be Different • For Teachers and Schools: • Computer-based testing will boost student engagement and scores • More efficient than pencil-paper • Timely data during the year will aid instruction, professional development • Tests will assess the full range of student performance • Tests will measure student growth at all levels as well as measuring proficiency

9. PARCC : Technology SkillsUsing a laptop, the students will usethe following keyboarding skills… Delete: Use the backspace to remove text. Type: Type letters, words, numbers, punctuation marks, and symbols, (including fractions), as well as sentences and paragraphs. Shift: Use the shift key to create capital letters and symbols. Tab: Use the tab key to indent writing. Return: Use the return key to move down to the next line. Also called the “ENTER” key. Space Bar: Use for adding a space between words, when typing sentences.

10. PARCC : Technology SkillsUsing a laptop, the students will usethe following mouse skills… Select/Deselect: Choose by checking and un-checking boxes. Highlight: Color or shade in areas, text and objects on a screen. Redo: Put an object or text back on the screen that was previously there. Undo: Take an object or text off the screen (go back to the last step). Hover: To move the cursor over an object or word. Move mouse pointer on screen with pointing accuracy. Space Bar: Use for adding a space between words, when typing sentences.

11. PARCC: Must Know Terms & Actions Answer Box- students will type their responses in an answer box. Backspace – used to erase what has been previously typed Buttons – the online assessments contain various buttons that control navigation, response submissions, and steps needed to complete a problem Click – a click is an act of the student pressing down on a mouse button (or their finger on tablets) in a specific space Drag – used in conjunction with a click action, a student will use a drag to move an object or number throughout the online platform. Drop – Once students click on an item and drag it through the space they will need to drop it in a designated area. (This is the final action of clicking and dragging an object, number, or equation)

12. PARCC: Must Know Terms & Actions Drop Down Menus – Students, at times, are required to choose from several options on a drop down menu. (They click on a down arrow which then takes them to a menu of choices needed to complete the designated response) Object – The online assessments also use a variety of objects such as geometric shapes, tables, charts, diagrams, and pictures. Students are required to interpret, manipulate, and use the objects to complete the mathematical work. Reset – Students have the ability to clear and reset any completed mathematical work during the online tests. Select – The select command is used as a synonym for the word-choose. Students are asked to select a variety of items, including numbers, points on a graph, geometric objects, equations and functions.

13. PARCC Assessments • Beginning in 2014-2015, PARCC Assessments will replace NJASK in grades 3-8. • PARCC Assessments are comprised of two sections: • Performance Based Assessment (PBA) • End of Year Assessment (EOY)

14. The ELA PARCC Assessments “At-a-Glance” Structure of the ELA/Literacy PBA Tests includes three tasks: -a narrative task, a literature analysis task, and a research simulation task. -students will read one/more texts; answer several short vocabulary and comprehension questions, and write an essay that requires students to gather evidence from the text(s). Structure of the ELA/Literacy EOY Tests includes three tasks: -four/five texts, both literary and informational (including social science/historical, scientific, and technical texts in grades 6-11). -short-answer vocabulary and comprehension questions will also be associated with each text.

15. A Look at PARCC’s Performance-Based Assessment Tasks • The 3 Performance Based Assessment Tasks are: I. Narrative Writing II. Literary Analysis III. Research Simulation • Length of Reading Passages: -Long Passages: Elementary School=800 words/less; -Short Passages=400 words/less

16. The Narrative Writing Task • Task: -Students will be asked to actively read a fictional (but can be non-fictional/ “blended”) story paying attention to the character’s personality development and motivations. -Using ideas from the passage, write their own original/creative short story. -Simply put, they will be asked to complete their own story based on the narrative.

17. The Literary Analysis Task Task: -Two different types of literary texts. -Passages will be “brief.” -Read then compare and contrast each of the two reading passages. -Look deeply at the content as well as their use of language.

18. Research Simulation Essay: Eliza’s Cherry Trees: Japan’s Gift to America and “The Peanut Man” You have read two texts about famous people in American history who solved a problem by working to make a change. Write an article for your school newspaper describing how Eliza and Carver faced challenges to change something in America. -In your article, be sure to describe in detail why some solutions they tried worked and others did not work. -Tell how the challenges each one faced were the same and how they were different.

19. MATHTYPE I: TASKS ASSESSING CONCEPTS, SKILLS AND PROCEDURES Complete the subtraction problem by typing the answer in the box.

20. TYPE II: TASKS ASSESSING EXPRESSING MATHEMATICAL REASONING

21. TYPE III: TASKS ASSESSING MODELING / APPLICATIONS 

22. How can parents help ? • Support students with homework • Expose to literature and making connections • Practice automaticity of math facts • Encourage problem solving in multiple ways • Explain the process for problem solving • Listen to students justify their answers • Practice typing • Use technology tools: drag and drop, slide, cut/copy/paste

23. 4th Grade NJASK Science • Science Content Assessed on NJ ASK  Life Science Earth Science Physical Science

24. Science- Sample Multiple Choice Questions

25. Science Sample Open Ended

26. PARCC/NJASK Testing Dates for 4th Grade: PARCC March 9th-13th PARCC May 4th-8th NJASK Science  May 27th