PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) replaced New Jersey’s previous standardized test in 2015. Even before its implementation, there was criticism of the statewide assessment. Now, there is talk of – once again – getting rid of PARCC for another, as yet unknown, standardized test that will measure student progress throughout the state.
In the four years, Roselle Park School District’s (RPSD) James Salvo, the Director of Curriculum and Instruction, has given a presentation on the results of the standardized test. PARCC is separated into two major sections (Language Arts/Literacy & Math) and five levels:
- Did Not Yet Meet Grade-Level Expectations
- Partially Met Grade-Level Expectations
- Approached Grade-Level Expectations
- Met Grade-Level Expectations
- Exceeded Grade-Level Expectations
The important data is that of Levels 4 and 5 which shows those students who met or exceeded grade-level expectations. Although not broken down in Mr. Salvo’s presentation, grades 3 through 5 are separated into three (3) elementary schools: EJF/Aldene, Robert Gordon, and Sherman.
LANGUAGE ARTS/LITERACY
1,399 students in nine grades (3rd through high school) were scored for the 2018 PARCC LAL (Language Arts/Literacy).
All three schools had at least 50% of the test takers meet grade-level expectations. In the three grade levels, EJF/Aldene Schools had the highest percentage of students who scored level 4 and above. Sherman School was consistently second in the percentage of students who met expectations.
Below are the breakdowns of percentages for each school for each grade level (figures presented are percentages):
GRADE 3
| School | L1 | L2 | L3 | L4 | L5 | L4+L5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ernest J. Finizio Jr. - Aldene School | 4.2 | 14.6 | 25 | 52.1 | 4.2 | 56.3 |
| Robert Gordon Elementary School | 12 | 8 | 30 | 50 | 0 | 50.0 |
| Sherman Elementary School | 1.5 | 7.6 | 36.4 | 51.5 | 3 | 54.5 |
GRADE 4
| School | L1 | L2 | L3 | L4 | L5 | L4+L5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ernest J. Finizio Jr. - Aldene School | 4.7 | 14 | 30.2 | 46.5 | 4.7 | 51.2 |
| Robert Gordon Elementary School | 5.6 | 8.3 | 19.4 | 41.7 | 25 | 66.7 |
| Sherman Elementary School | 0 | 15.9 | 25.4 | 49.2 | 9.5 | 58.7 |
GRADE 5
| School | L1 | L2 | L3 | L4 | L5 | L4+L5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ernest J. Finizio Jr. - Aldene School | 6.1 | 12.2 | 20.4 | 57.1 | 4.1 | 61.2 |
| Robert Gordon Elementary School | 3.9 | 15.7 | 29.4 | 45.1 | 5.9 | 51.0 |
| Sherman Elementary School | 4 | 5.3 | 30.7 | 53.3 | 6.7 | 60.0 |
When reviewing all grades levels in English, the 6th grade and all high school grades had less than half of those who took PARCC (LAL) having met or exceeded their respective grade-level expectations.
ALL CLASSES
| Grade | Scale Score | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 5.5 | 9.8 | 31.1 | 51.2 | 2.4 | 53.7 |
||
| Grade 4 | 2.8 | 13.4 | 25.4 | 46.5 | 12.0 | 58.5 |
||
| Grade 5 | 4.6 | 10.3 | 27.4 | 52.0 | 5.7 | 57.7 |
||
| Grade 6 | 7.5 | 23.6 | 30.4 | 32.9 | 5.6 | 38.5 |
||
| Grade 7 | 5.5 | 11 | 23.9 | 30.7 | 28.8 | 59.5 |
||
| Grade 8 | 6.8 | 8.6 | 27.8 | 40.7 | 16 | 56.7 |
||
| Grade 9 | 9.6 | 16.3 | 33.3 | 35.6 | 5.2 | 40.8 |
||
| Grade 10 | 7.3 | 18.7 | 24.7 | 41.3 | 8 | 49.3 |
||
| Grade 11 | 10.9 | 15 | 25.9 | 35.4 | 12.9 | 48.3 |
13% fewer students – 920 – had their Math scores tallied in PARCC for the 2017-18 school year.
In the three elementary schools, EJF/Aldene had the highest percentage of students meet or exceed their respective grade levels for 3rd & 4th grade. Sherman School had the highest percentage as well as the only one over 50% in the fifth grade.
Below are the breakdowns of percentages for each school for each grade level (figures presented are percentages):
GRADE 3
| School | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ernest J. Finizio Jr. - Aldene School | 0.0 | 8.3 | 20.8 | 56.3 | 14.6 | 70.9 |
| Robert Gordon Elementary School | 2.0 | 16.0 | 30.0 | 48.0 | 4.0 | 52.0 |
| Sherman Elementary School | 1.5 | 4.4 | 23.5 | 57.4 | 13.2 | 70.6 |
GRADE 4
| School | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ernest J. Finizio Jr. - Aldene School | 2.3 | 13.6 | 36.4 | 40.9 | 6.8 | 47.7 |
| Robert Gordon Elementary School | 0.0 | 16.7 | 41.7 | 38.9 | 2.8 | 41.7 |
| Sherman Elementary School | 3.2 | 17.5 | 34.9 | 39.7 | 4.8 | 44.5 |
GRADE 5
| School | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ernest J. Finizio Jr. - Aldene School | 2.0 | 22.0 | 30.0 | 36.0 | 10.0 | 46.0 |
| Robert Gordon Elementary School | 3.9 | 19.6 | 33.3 | 29.4 | 13.7 | 43.1 |
| Sherman Elementary School | 3.9 | 11.8 | 32.9 | 34.2 | 17.1 | 51.3 |
In PARCC Math, the 3rd grade and Algebra I were the only grade levels to have more than 50% of students meet or exceed expectations.
ALL CLASSES
| Grade | Scale Score | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 1.2 | 9.0 | 24.7 | 54.2 | 10.8 | 65.1 |
||
| Grade 4 | 2.1 | 16.1 | 37.1 | 39.9 | 4.9 | 44.8 |
||
| Grade 5 | 3.4 | 16.9 | 32.2 | 33.3 | 14.1 | 47.5 |
||
| Grade 6 | 8.0 | 28.2 | 35.0 | 26.4 | 2.5 | 28.9 |
||
| Grade 7 | 4.3 | 24.4 | 23.8 | 36.0 | 11.6 | 47.6 |
||
| Grade 8 | 12.1 | 29.8 | 33.1 | 25.0 | 0.0 | 25.0 |
||
| Algebra I | 1.9 | 7.7 | 26.0 | 62.5 | 1.9 | 64.4 |
||
| Geometry | 6.3 | 43.8 | 44.5 | 5.5 | 0.0 | 5.5 |
||
| Algebra II | 30.1 | 33.1 | 25.0 | 11.8 | 0.0 | 11.8 |
Reviewing the PARCC Language Arts/Literacy section over the four years shows that, generally, the percentage of students who met or exceeded expectations; the exception being grade 8. Even so, grade 4 was the only grade where the percentage this year was the highest over the span of PARCC in the borough. All other grades had higher percentages in previous years.
| Grade | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 51.0% | 55.6% | 54.3% | 53.7% |
| 4 | 53.7% | 56.1% | 53.0% | 58.5% |
| 5 | 57.1% | 60.3% | 61.6% | 57.7% |
| 6 | 37.6% | 47.4% | 50.0% | 38.5% |
| 7 | 48.1% | 57.2% | 61.5% | 59.5% |
| 8 | 63.9% | 48.8% | 48.2% | 56.8% |
| 9 | 31.4% | 61.5% | 47.7% | 40.7% |
| 10 | 38.8% | 43.2% | 54.0% | 49.3% |
| 11 | 43.8% | 62.5% | 55.8% | 48.3% |
PARCC Math over the same four years shows increases since 2015 that reflect PARCC LAL in that grade 6 was again, the only grade that showed a decrease. All other grades improved since the start of the PARCC testing. From year to year, grades 6 through 8, as well as Geometry and Algebra II, had a higher percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations in previous years. Algebra I had the highest increase from 36.4% to 64.4%
| Grade | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Math 3 | 42.5% | 44.2% | 44.2% | 65.1% |
| Math 4 | 37.8% | 35.0% | 33.7% | 44.8% |
| Math 5 | 34.7% | 45.4% | 38.1% | 47.5% |
| Math 6 | 39.6% | 38.6% | 42.0% | 28.8% |
| Math 7 | 38.0% | 52.9% | 51.2% | 47.6% |
| Math 8 | 24.0% | 26.2% | 34.3% | 25.0% |
| Algebra I | 35.2% | 40.7% | 36.4% | 64.4% |
| Geometry | 4.5% | 18.6% | 11.8% | 5.5% |
| Algebra II | 9.0% | 13.7% | 20.0% | 11.8% |
How long PARCC will last or what it will be replaced still remains unknown but the percentage of those who meet or exceed expectations on a standardized test should be reviewed annually and independently to see the progress or areas that need attention in the Roselle Park School District.