Photo by Holly Stewart <\/p>\n
An audience of district parents at Haskell Elementary School on Feb. 4 listened as technology teacher Ryan Evans showed them how students taking the PARCC test this spring will be able to move through computer screens to record their answers. <\/p>\n
Wanaque Superintendent Donna Cardiello is confident that her administration and staff have adequately prepared the district for the statewide roll out of the PARCC test (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) this spring. <\/p>\n
\"We are absolutely ready,\" Cardiello told an audience of approximately 100 parents attending an informational meeting in the Haskell School gym on Wednesday night, Feb. 4. She recognized, however, that many parents have questions and concerns about the new computer-based assessments, which have replaced the annual NJ ASK (Assessment of Skills and Knowledge) for math and language arts for grades three through 11. <\/p>\n
\"It's the unknown of a new test,\" she said. \"As adults, that may be frightening to us, but your children will find working on the computer engaging and motivating to them to pay closer attention. It's what they do.\" <\/p>\n
With the help of two short videos and a visual presentation, Cardiello and several of her prominent staff members explained how the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), adopted by New Jersey in 2010, created the need for the PARCC test. <\/p>\n
Lynda D'Angiolillo, director of curriculum and instruction, said that the CCSS has provided teachers and schools with a baseline for the skills that should be taught and mastered at specific grade levels. <\/p>\n
A key shift in language arts standards has students reading complex texts earlier and thinking critically about what they've read. <\/p>\n
\"They're now required to compare material and cite text evidence in writing,\" D'Angiolillo said. <\/p>\n
In math, the CCSS places greater focus on fewer topics, linking mastery of specific functions with certain grades. It's no longer enough to be able to add, subtract, or multiply; students should also display a \"deeper understanding of the concepts,\" D'Angiolillo said. <\/p>\n
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Super confident students will hit it out of the PARCC<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Photo by Holly Stewart An audience of district parents at Haskell Elementary School on Feb. 4 listened as technology teacher Ryan Evans showed them how students taking the PARCC test this spring will be able to move through computer screens to record their answers. Continue reading