No big surprise here: Most students in Maryland did not pass the PARCC tests.
A majority of Maryland’s students failed to meet academic benchmarks on state standardized tests linked to the Common Core this year, a disappointing result for educators and state officials who had hoped to see major upticks as teachers and students become familiar with the exams.
New data released this week showed that many grade levels saw overall passing rates of about 40 percent in the second year of testing using PARCC exams, which are intended to measure readiness for college and careers. Maryland students in grades three through eight showed gains in math, but English scores remained flat.
“We’re sure not seeing a heck of a rise on these results,” said Chester E. Finn Jr., a member of the Maryland State Board of Education and president emeritus of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. “Forty percent is nowhere near good enough, and the gains, where there are some, are small.”
State data showed that most grade levels saw improvement in math, with proficiency inching up nearly three points in seventh grade and almost eight points in third grade. Third-graders did best, with 44 percent meeting or exceeding expectations, and eighth-graders lagged, with just 22 percent meeting or exceeding expectations. There was little change in English scores in third through eighth grades, with 37 to 40 percent of students reaching performance targets.
As I have pointed out many times, both of the federally-funded Common Core tests (PARCC and SBAC) set their passing marks so high that most students were expected to fall short of “proficient.” Long ago, the test developers decided that NAEP proficient was the right benchmark, even though most students consistently fail to reach NAEP proficient. Only in Massachusetts have half the students in the state reached that goal.
Put another way, the Common Core tests were designed to fail most students. That allegedly would inspire them to try harder and every year they would do better and better until everyone reached NAEP proficient.
That was the theory. But it remains to be seen whether the majority who allegedly “fail” will be incentivized to try harder or will give up.
Meanwhile, only seven states and D.C. still administer the PARCC exam, which is developed by Pearson. Originally there were 24. Most have abandoned PARCC.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Finn is one of the least qualified people to pontificate:
“We’re sure not seeing a heck of a rise on these results,” said Chester E. Finn, Jr., a member of the Maryland State Board of Education and president emeritus of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. “Forty percent is nowhere near good enough, and the gains, where there are some, are small.”
Heck of a rise?
Gains are small?
Forty percent is nowhere near good enough?
Here is an idea. Use your argumentative skill and resources to getting rid of the PARCC tests
and
dump the Common Core
and
dump the super dumb, and super expensive “student learning objectives” contract that is sucking the time from teachers in all Maryland schools.
and
prohibit the use of any assessments that are not developed by teachers for the courses they are responsible for teaching,
and
offer some praise for the work of teachers instead of non-stop criticism and stack rating everything as if that is the purpose of public education.
Laura Chapman… yes on all counts as to what you have written. And those SLO’s actually interfere with the learning process of students. I heard a teacher DRILLING his students on the ability to count syllables in two and three syllabic words ALL year. Why? Because he had to prove “growth” in this area because it was part of his SLO! Is this really learning? Hell no!
Our policymakers continue to not understand the implications of their poor decisions. Diane, an expert, can repeat this until she is blue in the face, and they still choose to be surprised by the results. “As I have pointed out many times, both of the federally-funded Common Core tests (PARCC and SBAC) set their passing marks so high that most students were expected to fall short of “proficient.”
These “reformers” need a version of “Education for Dummies.” Better yet, step aside and allow legitimate professionals to weigh in on the decision making. Test and punish will never work! School improvement is a reasoned process of building trust and mutual respect. We cannot improve schools while we simultaneously cut budgets and increase class sizes. Our best hope for better public school systems is with legitimate teachers that have a deep understanding our their craft. Charters are overall a distraction that waste our resources and deliver feeble results. Allowing the “marketplace” in public education is a huge mistake and waste of our resources. I keep returning to the term “waste” because this is what “reform” is, a huge misguided waste that is the opposite of what a democracy should provide for its citizens. We must change course and stop feeding into lies and manipulation!
Reblogged this on Matthews' Blog.
I am so happy that the test results are poor! You would think that they would see that 1)the test is BAD 2)the common core is BAD or 3)they are both BAD. This is one of the wealthiest states in the nation, and we have so many uneducated kids?? I think not….but notice that it hit the papers yesterday and there is no mention of it today so they must be running for cover at MSDE. I’m hoping that more parents will continue to REFUSE this ridiculous test.
Oh, thank God someone else can reason! These tests don’t measure smarts. They don’t measure verbal ability. They don’t measure world knowledge. They’re gobbledygook tests that pretend to measure “higher-order thinking” but fail. Who are the fraud psychometricians who concocted these tests? Shame on those myriad educators who take the validity of these tests on faith.
High rates of failure was always a predetermined outcome of the CC. For Finn to feign surprise is disingenuous at best.
Whenever the reformers begin their reenactment of pearl clutching over high rates of testing failure rates I go back to the investment firm that sold investments in for-profit education in TN & Corinthian College – The Parthenon Group.
I have a power point by Robert S. Lytle of The Parthenon Group from 2012. The Parthenon Group sells investment products to large scale investors. They have a division that specializes in selling education investment packages. In order to attract hedge funds, corporations & institutional customers,The Parthenon Group has been crawling all over the country making fiscal recommendations to school systems, some of which guarantee schools will fail. Their recommendations are always the same- cut libraries, counselors, , music, art, special areas teachers, (they call them ‘extras’) increase class sizes, outsource food & maintenance.
The recommendations that are not revealed to the public, teachers & parents are what they tell their wealthy, potential investors. One slide points out how growth in the ed industry depends on a guaranteed failure mechanism, like the Common Core & PARCC, the testing delivery system for generation after generation of public school turnover.
“If the Common Core has teeth, the “performance Gap” will get a lot bigger!”
What kind of a people celebrate humiliating children to peddle investments? Only swindlers at Parthenon can “dispassionately” recommend increasing class sizes for voiceless poor and disabled children.
Leading up to the wall St crash of 2008 a lot of traders who sold their clients derivatives knew they were selling junk. These Parthenon profiteers are definitely selling time-bomb edu-investments- cash in & leave while our children & taxpayers pay the price.
Checker Finn is not allowed to speak about education again until he has taken these tests himself.
If you read about all of the states that have abandoned PARCC, you can add that Illinois has ceased using PARCC for High Schools. They are still using it for K-8, but not for High Schools, to my understanding.
testing, 1, 2,
My internet can be a bit trying at times, arrrgghh.
I didn’t know how to send a post to you. I thought this might be important information to get out as I don’t know how widely this information has been disseminated. I have posted other places as well.
The New York Board of regents passed an amendment allowing an alternate pathway to graduation for students with disabilities who have an IEP and cannot pass the regents because of their disabilities even though they can meet state standards. I have been sharing the news with friends who have students with disabilities because this hasn’t gotten wide press. I feel it will allow many students with disabilities to graduate who didn’t think they could before. *I think (I don’t know for sure*) that students, who left with an IEP diploma but are under 21, could conceivable return to school to use this pathway. The problem might be evidence of their meeting state standards because the school and possibly the parent threw their schoolwork away. This was passed in June as an emergency measure to allow students who could graduate in June 2016 use this pathway to graduate. They hope to make it permanent at their September meeting.
I put a positive comment on the amendment because I know the pro testing trolls will be out because this is a first step in letting kids graduate without passing all 5 regents with an administer certifying them meeting state standards. They are gong to view this as a slippery slope. Before they know it, it’ll be ELL kids. Then…
I would love to see the amendment get enough positive comments to owe the negative ones.
If you don’t live in New York State, I am presenting this as a suggestion for a type of way to help children with disabilities who can’t pass regents that might get pass some pro testing people. I have a summary of the law below. If you want to attach a comment,
I was told to email my comment t
speced@nysed.gov
SUMMARY
NEW YORK STATE BOARD OF REGENTS
Passed an emergency resolution at their June 2016 meeting. It is open for comment. They hope to make it permanent at their September meeting.
They expect most children with disabilities will be able to pass the Regents.
ALTERNATE PATHWAY TO GRADUATION
SUPERINTENDENT OPTION
For children who cannot pass the Regents because of their disabilities but who can otherwise meet state standards they have passed the SUPERINTENDENT REVIEW OPTION.
This option is only for children with disabilities with an IEP currently receiving special education services (no 504 plans or declassified students.)
The student must pass a math regents and the English regents (the way I read if you can appeal a score 52-54)
They must take and make a real effort to pass the other regents (a science and global history and American history)
If the student fails the regents in one of the other 3 subjects but passes the class in that subject
The district superintendent or director of state approved private school can certify that the student has met state standards so long as they feel they have evidence to support that. The student can then graduate with a local (not a regents) diploma
On Thu, Aug 25, 2016 at 12:01 PM, Diane Ravitchs blog wrote:
> dianeravitch posted: “No big surprise here: Most students in Maryland did > not pass the PARCC tests. A majority of Maryland’s students failed to meet > academic benchmarks on state standardized tests linked to the Common Core > this year, a disappointing result for educators ” >