New Jersey education officials will release the first scores Tuesday from the controversial new PARCC exams public school students took earlier this year.
TRENTON --New Jersey education officials will release the first scores Tuesday from the controversial new PARCC exams public school students took earlier this year.
The statewide scores due to be released at an afternoon press conference in West Trenton will show what percentage of students in grades 3 through 11 scored high enough to meet expectations for their grade levels in math and English.
Students will begin receiving their individual scores next month.
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Here's what parents and students need to know:
What is PARCC?
PARCC stands for the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers. In short, it's a group of states partnered together to develop a set of common tests to assess what public school students have learned.
Why is PARCC controversial?
The most common complaint is the PARCC test questions and test format are too confusing, especially for younger students. Some opponents don't like how much time kids spend testing and in test-prep during the school year. PARCC opponents also believe schools spent too much money upgrading technology so students could take the exams on computers. The backlash sparked an opt-out movement in New Jersey with some students refusing the take the test.
What scores are being released Tuesday?
This is the first year New Jersey students took the PARCC test. The exams were given over several days during the winter and spring. The scores released Tuesday will include statewide results in each grade.
What will we learn from the scores?
The statewide scores will be the first glimpse of how many New Jersey students scored high enough to have met grade level expectations, according to benchmarks set by the states giving the PARCC tests.
How are the tests scored?
Students will be graded on a scale from 1 to 5 in both math and English. Only students who scored a 4 or a 5 are considered to be meeting expectations and well-prepared for the next grade.
When will I learn how students did in my school and district?
State officials said individual students, schools and districts will begin receiving their scores next month. The state education department will have a series of online and written materials to help families understand how individual students performed and where they might need improvement.
Do these scores matter?
State officials said the scores will help students, teachers and school districts understand where students are meeting expectations or falling behind. But critics have questioned whether PARCC is a valid measurement of student achievement. The New Jersey Education Association, the state's largest teachers union, has repeatedly questioned whether PARCC scores will be meaningful on an individual or statewide level.
Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KellyHeyboer. Find NJ.com on Facebook.