LETTER: ' PARCC Will Support Learning And Teaching In New Ways'

The following is an opinion piece submitted to Framingham Patch by Framingham SPublic Schools Superintendent tacy Scott.

Our initial experience of the PARCC test has gone forward with only modest concerns. On-line assessments offer some real advantages including using less time. Most concerns will give way to more practice and preparation with time. Like any new assessment, PARCC has its benefits and challenges. PARCC will support learning and teaching in new ways that are to be valued. Remember, the test is not, in and of itself, the problem. We should ask the question of how much testing is enough to guide policy makers and to support teachers.

I believe the frequency and volume of testing could be reviewed and decreased. But, until we impress this upon our legislators and policy makers, I intend to ensure that our students are as prepared as possible for whatever test is given to them for their own sake and for that of the system as a whole. Since we have been moving our system for some years toward the kind of learning that these new tests assess, I expect positive dividends from shifting to the new tests in terms of teaching, learning and test results. I want our schools to shine and the tests are one way to show what we know.

Hopefully as with any new test, the piloting will eliminate testing difficulties. Time taken for test prep is misdirected when it is not seamlessly embedded into instruction. This should happen over time. A good assessment process inspires teaching that embodies higher order thinking. The new tests can help us improve rigor beyond what the old could. It takes a while for teachers to get used to a new style of testing.

Regarding developmental appropriateness, I hope that our advocacy can direct these decisions for the sake of future testing. When I visit classrooms, I see students pursuing more complex texts and gathering evidence from reading and videos before writing their essays. Our students are learning to think at higher levels and assessments like PARCC or a new MCAS will show that.

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Photo: Stacy Scott

Photo credit: Petroni Media Company