On December 11, the Colorado
Department of Education released district and school specific PARCC test results
for the 2014/2015 school year. PARCC was administered to students statewide in
grades 3-11 last year, assessing Math and English language arts. “PARCC” stands
for “Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career.”
PARCC is a new assessment and
measures the state content standards. It
is difficult to compare the results to previous assessments because PARCC measures
different outcomes and the nature of the test items are notably different. The
PARCC results will serve as a baseline to measure future student performance
and growth.
One way to review the assessment
data is to examine BVSD student performance compared to the performance of all
Colorado students. In the grade-by-grade
analysis presented in these slides, BVSD elementary and middle level
students outperformed the state by a wide margin overall, though not for
students who receive meal assistance or English Language Development services.
About 90% of BVSD elementary students took PARCC, compared to 95% statewide, and
80% of BVSD middle school students took PARCC, compared to 89% statewide.
At the high school level, 34% of
BVSD high school students took PARCC English Language Arts, compared to 61%
statewide. Results from this level of participation should not be used to make
inferences about district wide performance at high school.
The PARCC is developed to measure
analytical thinking, rather than memorization, to better prepare students for
college and careers. Education experts, including the state education
department, have advised for months that test scores will be lower than
previous assessments, given the more rigorous standards of the PARCC.
BVSD will continue using multiple
measures to assess student performance and district educators will work to
determine the value of PARCC. If we can find educational value in the PARCC, the
participation rate will likely increase. It will take several years to fully
appreciate what PARCC means to us and if the results will be helpful.
BVSD believes there is benefit to
using quality classroom-based assessments to determine the needs of all
students to inform educational strategies, investment of resources and
appropriate interventions for students. However, present Colorado state
assessment requirements for accountability are excessive and have limited
utility for instructional improvement and supporting student success.
The Boulder Valley School District
and Boulder Valley Education Association are committed to managing the impact
of state-mandated assessments and utilizing appropriate assessments to foster
student success and realize the school district vision, mission, and goals.
Student assessment will continue to be a major issue of
discussion in the legislature and the state Board of Education this spring.
This issue is not resolved for Colorado and with recent changes to federal law,
it is not at all clear how our state will determine accreditation standards or
accountability for school districts.
The discussion of multiple measures of student performance
aligns with our strategic plan - The Success Effect. During the community
consensus process in 2012-13, BVSD participants encouraged us to use multiple
and diverse measures of student success. Strategic action plan priority teams
are working on common measures that will align with BVSD vision, mission goals
and new graduation expectations.
Data sourced from Colorado
Department of Education.
Credit Jackie Fortier / KUNC
Data sourced from Colorado Department of Education.
Credit Jackie Fortier / KUNC
