On August 22, 2017, a Baltimore Sun headline stated, “Less than half of Maryland students pass English, math assessments.” The article points out that the Partnership for Assessments of Career and College Readiness (PARCC) assessments are proving difficult to pass. “About half of Maryland 10th-graders passed the PARCC English test and 36.5 percent of those students who took Algebra I passed.” School systems that experience higher levels of poverty scored well below that average while wealthier districts are only scoring just above.

The tests are supposed to be indicative of whether or not a student is college and career ready if they earn a four or five. If students do not pass the test, they are required to complete a “bridge” project demonstrating that they have the skills necessary to be career and college ready. This has been used in the past when students did not pass past iterations of standardized tests. The state has rolled back its requirements for passing, now requiring that students will have to earn a three or higher on the test in order to graduate. In 2024, students will then be required to achieve a four or five.

One district which scored below average on the test had found that graduation rates and SAT scores are increasing. This raises the question, “Are these tests truly indicative of a students’ ability to succeed in college or in a career.” One can take a version of the practice test here:

https://parcc.pearson.com/practice-tests/

A link to the article referenced above can be found here:

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/education/bs-md-parcc-scores-20170821-story.html