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Algebra 2 exam will test ‘college readiness’

January 15, 2013 by

Passing an Algebra 2 exam (or Math 3 for integrated math) will show college math readiness in 23 states that belong to the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for Colleges and Careers, or PARCC.

In PARCC states, students will be forced to take Algebra 2 or Math 3 if they want to avoid remedial classes in college.  That’s controversial, reports Ed Week.

Richard Freeland, Massachusetts’ commissioner of higher education, said he was reluctant to base a college-readiness determination on Algebra 2 or Math 3, noting that many students who don’t plan to major in science, technology, engineering, or math may not take such classes in high school.

But James Wright, the director of assessment for the Ohio education department, cautioned against going down that road. It’s a “dangerous slope to differentiate” among different types or levels of college readiness in math, he said, when the aim is to assess students against all the common-core standards in math. He noted, however, that the group’s math tests will not gauge mastery of the so-called “plus standards,” which are designed for students aiming to take more-advanced math courses in college.

All but five states have adopted Common Core State Standards in math; all but four have signed on to the English Language Arts standards.  The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, which has 25 members, plans an 11th-grade “summative” math test.

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No agreement on what’s ‘college ready’

June 23, 2012 by

If a student has a 75 percent chance of earning a C or better in college English, does that mean she’s college ready? College and K-12 leaders couldn’t agree at a Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers ( PARCC) meeting. One of two federally funded state assessment consortia, PARCC is working on tests linked to the new Common Core Standards.

The draft discussed at the June 20 meeting would deem “college ready” students who scored at “Level 4” or above on a five-level test. Level 4 would be pegged to the “proficient” level on the National Assessment of Educational Progress and be set so that 75 percent of students who reached that level would earn Cs in entry-level, credit-bearing courses in English composition and literature, or college algebra and introductory statistics.

For the 11th grade test, scoring at Level 5 would mean that students are “very likely to succeed” in those courses, and scoring a 4 would mean they are “likely to succeed,” according to the draft statement. Those who score 3s “may succeed,” while 2s are “unlikely to succeed and 1s “very unlikely” to do so.

Some argued C is not a measure of college success.  Others want to eliminate the “may succeed” level.

PARCC hopes colleges will use the test instead of placement tests to determine whether students can start in college-level courses.

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Two visions of ‘core’ testing specs

August 11, 2011 by

The public can check out two visions of what common tests to match core standards might look like, reports Ed Week.

The SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) has released its “content maps and specifications” (pdf) in English language arts.

The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) unveiled its “content frameworks” in both subjects.

Both documents serve to explicate the standards, highlighting key concepts or progressions of learning. PARCC’ s focuses on identifying the ideas that should be emphasized and how they could be grouped together, and SBAC’s describes the ways students should be able to prove that they have mastered the standards.

PARCC’s frameworks are open for public feedback until Aug. 17. The SMARTER specs are open for a first round of comments until Aug. 29; a revised draft will be issued in September with a second chance to comment. The math content specifications will be out soon, also with two rounds of comments.

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