2 Million Mark
More than two million PARCC test sessions have now been completed online in the 11 states and the District of Columbia, which make up the PARCC consortium. The milestone was reached shortly before noon today EST. In addition to the online tests, about a quarter of all students in the group of states will take the test on paper with pencil.
Since February 16, schools in Arkansas, the District of Columbia, Colorado, Illinois, Ohio, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey and New Mexico have started testing. Louisiana, Massachusetts and Rhode Island will start testing soon.
For the third day in a row, more than a million students in a single day are testing on the online platform.
Teachers, test coordinators, principals and others involved at the district and school level prepared in recent months for the assessment by testing devices and getting students ready for the new testing experience.
Five million students in 11 states and the District of Columbia will take the PARCC test this year. The PARCC assessment is a single test in two parts – the performance-based component, administered in early spring, and the end-of-year component, administered near the end of the school year. Students are currently participating in performance-based components in English language arts and mathematics.
Both components of the test are essential to getting a complete picture of student understanding and achievement. Together, they measure the full range of the learning standards, including knowledge, concepts and skills.
Educators from the states have led the development of the assessments.