Third graders took 11 tests this year. This change will protect instructional time for students. It also means we will have a new test in English Language Arts and Math. We are now waiting to see what that test will look like. PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) is an example of the pendulum swinging too far. We are looking for more authentic ways to assess how students are learning, and we are hoping the new assessment system addresses that. No 9-year-old should be subjected to tests that are on par with the duration of a bar exam. We appreciate the efforts of our State Representatives, especially Rep. Tim Brown and Sen. Randy Gardner, who recognized what parents and teachers have been saying about testing.
You may read more here:
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/07/01/State_budget_axes_PARCC_tests.html