One of the largest problems with the PARCC test has been its technical difficulties. As the students began testing for the first time ever in the state, technical difficulties stopped them dead in their tracks. While the students logged on, the internet malfunctioned causing errors to pop up and delaying the test by a considerable amount of time. The infrastructure of the schools is also unable to support the program and the number of students all working at the same time. Some schools are forced to improve their infrastructure and spend money in order to allow the students to take the test and reduce the risk of losing funds. Unlike other standardized tests, the PARCC test is the worst due to its never ending errors.
Despite the technical difficulties with the test, there are many more issues concerning parents, students, and faculty. The FBI has been involved in order to find where Pearson gets support from. Despite problems with the law, the teachers need to teach the students different materials in order to aid them pass the test which in turn does not meet the requirements of graduation. People through out the states taking the PARCC test have opposed it and students have even been seen leaving the classrooms or opting out in order to show how bad and unfair this test it. It is noticeable that the PARCC test has many problems and it should be stopped in order to prevent further problems.
Reasearch: Edi
- The FBI is investigating PARCC for inside trading with Apple and the LA school district
- Pearson is also on the verge of bankruptcy with a 53% drop in stock and profit down 45% in the first quarters of 2014
- Pearson was forced to pay $7 million in fines for unlawful business generation
- 94.35% of people in polls have stated the PARCC should be abolished
- Stan Karp of NJELC stated that in the worst case scenario, students would just not graduate
- On August 3rd, the New Jersey Board of Education took a vote in order to make the PARCC a mandatory grade for the incoming 8th graders and the class of 2021
- Students must pass the Algebra 1 test and the English test in order to graduate
- Data shows less than 50% of students passed both exams
- The Board of Education stated a retake is also possible
- The current state law calls for a basic competency test administered to students in 11th Grade
- The NJ Senate panel stated that the state cannot withhold state funding for schools with low scores
- The bill S2923 states that test companies must inform the parents of test outcome, results, and the testing dates
- The state Assembly passed bill A4165 which forces schools to accommodate students refusing to take the PARCC
- NJEA polls show that more than 80% of people believe that the test is not weighted properly
- Another NJEA poll shows that the same percentage of people want a "bill of rights" for parents
- NJTV showed that out of 94,625 students about 54,785 students were at risk of not passing in the class of 2016
- CBS news reported technical problems with PARCC causing students to wait longer than necessary for the test
- The state Senate is debating an opt out option for students
- Koat Action News 7 reported on a protest which consisted of students in New Mexico where they left their schools and gathered together in order to raise awareness
- Suspensions and detentions are fair consequences for students that choose to not take the PARCC test states CBS New York
- Parents in Patterson New Jersey have received letters from school stating their children will not be allowed to graduate due to not passing the PARCC
- PART 3: Interviews
- Seamus Campbell
- Director of Job Curriculum and Instruction
- High Point Regional High School
- In Person Interview
- Back room in the library
- 12/21/16
- KEY POINTS:
- The purpose of the PARCC is to accurately judge where kids fall in the academic spectrum from the time they are young until they graduate.
- Not currently sure if it will stay or go, it depends on the data the state collects.
- Does not count as a law until 2019.
- The state of New Jersey will spend around $230 million dollars in the next 10 years on PARCC testing.
- PART 4: The Plan
What happens with the PARCC testing is all based off of the who is elected as our governor and whether or not he is in favor of it or not. The vast majority of teachers, administrators, parents and students greatly dislike the test. One testing coordinator (which will go unnamed) stated, “The PARCC is a monster.” Until 2019 the PARCC is not a NJ state law so the governor could get rid of it if he wanted to which would save the state around $23 million per year. It is all up to who is elected and what they decide, we can only cross our fingers.
Works Cited
- http://www.nj.com/union/index.ssf/2016/04/school_districts_deal_with_parcc_outage_tk.html
- https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dwXUcXCyl9HVTKPQtYWh5WG3cVzzjE6j4XG4JuC09rU/edit
- http://www.nj.com/education/2016/08/parcc_now_a_graduation_requirement_for_2021_and_be.html
- http://www.nj.com/education/2015/05/parcc_nj_senate.html
- http://www.parcconline.org/assessments/test-design
- http://www.nj.gov/education/assessment/PARCCFAQ.pdf
- http://nj1015.com/poll-is-new-jerseys-parcc-test-a-complete-waste-of-time/
- https://www.njea.org/news/2015-01-28/parents-push-back-on-parcc
- http://www.nj.com/education/2016/11/why_these_shocking_parcc_scores_have_nj_officials.html
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpeEZ1J2O3I
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxAinBVLK4o
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUQ3wWAvXfg
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWEspajn-Rw
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEAI53wAtGo
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fad-GnNOOlk
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uhxg-O_rB0
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