PARTNERSHIP FOR ASSESSMENT OF READINESS FOR COLLEGE AND CAREER (PARCC)

AND CORE TO COLLEGE

THE MASSACHUSETTS CONTEXT

Fall 2012

Overview• College and career readiness is the overall goal• Greater College Participation for those seeking

college and Greater College Completion for those who enroll

• New ELA/Literacy & Math Curriculum Frameworks based on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are being implemented in MA

• MA is actively participating in the multi-state Partnership for Assessment of Readiness of College and Careers (PARCC)

THE VISION PROJECT- A Public Agenda for Higher Education in Massachusetts

• To be a leader among state systems of higher education in seven key areas:• College participation of high school graduates -- PARCC• College completion of the students we enroll• Student Learning on campus-level and national

assessments of learning• Workforce Alignment of our degree programs with key

areas of workforce need in the state’s economy• Preparing Citizens to be active and informed citizens• Closing Achievement Gaps among different ethnic/racial,

economic and gender groups• Research that drives economic development

PARCC’s Potential in MassachusettsClearer

signal on what it

means to be “college ready”

Students on faster track to completion, less need for remediation

Better assessment tool for 21st

century learning

Massachusetts is a PARCC State• PARCC includes 24 states that have joined together with the

goal of creating a next-generation assessment system in Mathematics and English based on Common Core State Standards

• MA is one of 19 Governing PARCC states with Commissioner Chester chair of the Governing Board and Commissioner Freeland co-chair of the Advisory Committee on College Readiness.

• PARCC includes supporting tools that will help states increase the number of students who graduate high school ready for college. PARCC assessments will be ready for MA to pilot in 2013-2014 and administer during the 2014-15 school year, as determined by MA’s P-12 and higher education policies.

• www.parcconline.org

MA as a PARCC State-continued• Massachusetts’ public higher education institutions

support P-16 collaboration to support the full implementation of the Common Core Standards in MA

• Common Core standards have now been adopted by 42 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

• Massachusetts’ public higher education institutions support P-16 collaboration with PARCC to develop ‘next-generation’ assessments based on the Common Core State Standards

• Massachusetts PARCC structure is campus and regional based and flows from Campus Engagement Teams and Regional Readiness Centers

• National CCSS context http://www.achieve.org/achieving-common-core  • DESE site on CCSS (CCSS part of new 2011 Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks.  

http://www.doe.mass.edu/candi/commoncore/

Race to the Top Assessment Consortia

• The U.S. Department of Education funded two proposals to develop resources and assessments for the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).

• The two consortia are:• The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness

for College and Career (PARCC)• The Smarter Balanced Assessment

Consortium (SBAC)

The PARCC States

PARCC Timeline

SY 2011-12

Development begins

SY 2012-13

First year pilot/field testing and

related research and

data collection

SY 2013-14

Second year pilot/field testing and

related research and

data collection

SY 2014-15

Full administration

of PARCC assessments

SY 2010-11

Launch and design phase

Summer 2015

Set achievement

levels, including

college-ready performance

levels

MASSACHUSETT ALSO A CORE TO COLLEGE STATE

• One of ten states selected to receive a Core to College grant funded by the Lumina Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

• Core to College initiative in Massachusetts supports:• The implementation and use of the Common Core State Standards

(CCSS)• A statewide definition of college and career readiness.• The development of PARCC next-generation assessment to indicate

students readiness for college and career without the need of remediation in English Language Arts and Mathematics.

• An opportunity for curriculum and course alignment across P-16, supporting, PARCC Campus Engagement Teams, Regional Readiness Centers, and MA Educator Fellows engagement work.

Common Core State Standards andMassachusetts Curriculum Frameworks• For English Language Arts/Literacy and

Mathematics

Why Common Core State Standards?• Preparation: The standards are college and career

ready. They will help prepare students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in education and training after high school.

• Competition: The standards are internationally benchmarked.Common standards will help ensure our students are globally competitive.

• Equity: Expectations are consistent for all-and not dependent on a student’s zip code.

• Clarity: The standards are focused, coherent, and clear. Clearer standards help students (and parents and teachers) understand what is expected of them.

• Collaboration: The standards create a foundation to work collaboratively across states and districts, pooling resources and expertise, to create curricular tools,PD,and common assessments.

Common Core State Standards Design

•Building on the strength of current state standards, the CCSS are designed to be:

•Focused, coherent, clear and rigorous•Internationally benchmarked•Anchored in college and career readiness* •Evidence- and research-based

* Ready for first-year credit bearing postsecondary coursework in Mathematics and English without the need of remediation.

The Common Core State Standards Initiative• 2009, 48 states and the District of Columbia committed

to developing a common core of state K-12 English-language arts (ELA) and mathematics standards.

• The Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI) was a state-led effort coordinated the National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO).

• Massachusetts adopted the CCSS - Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks for ELA/Literacy and Mathematics with a few additional (labeled Ma).

• Massachusetts is revising the MCAS to reflect these standards and participating in a national project to develop an assessment system (PARCC)

Why College and Career Readiness?The Rationale for Change

• Our current marker (MCAS)is 10th grade requirements for the Competency Determination (CD).

• One-quarter of our students do not enroll in college within 16 months of graduating from high school.

• 37% of graduates take at least one remedial course during their first semester in college; that number rises to 65% at community colleges.

Why College and Career Readiness?The Rationale for Change, continued

• All students need to be prepared for and encouraged to pursue postsecondary education/training opportunities (with college as just one option) by taking a rigorous and relevant program of study.

• More Massachusetts adults will need to have higher levels of education in order to be prepared for jobs in 21st century careers that allow them opportunities for advancement.

The Process of Developing a Definition of College and Career Readiness (CCR) for Massachusetts

• MA’s P-16 Campus Engagement Teams established and collaborated on a shared definition of college readiness for Massachusetts.

• MA’s Integrating College and Career Readiness Task Force developed a definition of career readiness.

• Each definition calls for the integration of college and career readiness in Massachusetts’ final statewide definition.

The Process of Developing a Definition of College and Career Readiness (CCR) for Massachusetts, continued

• Massachusetts seeks public review of a draft definition in Fall 2012.

• The Boards of Elementary and Secondary Education and Higher Education are set to deliberate on the proposed draft in December 2012.

Key Concepts From the Massachusetts Draft Definition of College and Career Readiness

• Build the academic knowledge and develop the intellectual and personal qualities that are essential to successfully complete entry-level, credit-bearing college courses and enter economically viable career pathways

• Ensure academic preparation in essential learning competencies in English language arts/literacy and mathematics as contained in the Common Core State Standards and MassCore

Key Concepts Draft Definition College and Career Readiness - continued• Develop learning competencies including

mastery of learning strategies, collaboration, communication, and skills in problem solving

• Demonstrate higher order thinking skills of analysis; synthesis and evaluation; and thinking critically, coherently, and creatively

• Build a foundation grounded by motivation, intellectual curiosity, flexibility, discipline, self- advocacy, responsibility, and reasoned beliefs

Draft Definition Survey Summary• 1360 participants– with 48% from P-12 and 47%

from higher education• Of the participants 75% were P-12 teachers

and67% were higher education faculty• For each section of the definition 49% agreed

and over 29% agreed strongly • For each section of the definition less than 10%

disagreed and less than 4% strongly disagreeing

   

Draft Definition Survey Summary-continued

• Many comments were provided which help provide improved wording, clarity and clear context for the definition in

• Comments focused in several areas:• The expectation of “all students…”and what if a student

does not meet expectation• Lack of attention or mention of ELL , Special Education and

other groups of students with specific learning challenges• Confusion around shared education foundation between

college and career• Subject areas not mentioned e.g. sciences, arts…• More state control and testing• Singular emphasis on job training

• Thank you!