Illinois Testing Update

Information about ACT and PARCC

MCHS HAS NOT YET PLANNED THE SCHEDULE FOR SPRING TESTING DUE TO THE
MANY ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS ILLINOIS HAS YET TO ANSWER. WE EXPECT THE
MONTH OF APRIL TO HAVE SEVERAL STATE ASSESSMENT COMPONENTS THAT WILL
BE SCHEDULED LATER.

What has changed about assessment in Illinois?

The State of Illinois is no longer giving the traditional ISAT and PSAE tests for school
accountability. Instead, Illinois is part of a large group of states nationally that gave the PARCC
test for the first time in 2015. The PARCC exams were somewhat controversial because the test
was tied to new, more rigorous standards, and an increased amount of instructional time was lost
to testing. Because of this, PARCC examined made revisions to the test components for 2016.
There will also be a new Science test administered to SOPHOMORES statewide in 2016.
2015-2016 Illinois Assessment Fact Sheet - ISBE
http://www.isbe.net/assessment/pdfs/2016/assessment-facts-sy16.pdf

What changes were made to the PARCC exam process?

On May 20, the PARCC governing board voted on the following changes.
Consolidate the TWO large testing periods for English language arts and math into ONE.
The single testing period will simplify administration of the test for states and schools that
expressed concerns about the challenge of scheduling two testing periods.
The test window will be 30 days and will extend from when roughly 75 percent of the
school year is complete to the 90 percent mark (roughly the month of April).
Most schools will complete testing in one to two weeks during that window.
Reduce the number of test units from eight or nine, depending on grade level, to six or
seven. Reduce testing time for most students by 90 minutes.
Test time is reduced for most students by 60 minutes for the math portion and 30 minutes
for English language arts (ELA).
Link to more information about changes to the PARCC Exam
http://www.isbe.net/news/2015/may21.htm

What is PARCC and will we be giving it again this year?

PARCC stands for the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers. It is a
group of states that are working together to develop a set of assessments that measure whether
students are on track to be successful in college and careers. Illinois will again be using this test
as a required measure for schools and students in 2016.
To visit Illinois new PARCC website PARCC PLACE go to
http://www.isbe.net/parcc-place/default.htm
For more information about PARCC go to
http://www.parcconline.org/
To find practice problems and practice tests go to
http://practice.parcc.testnav.com/#

What is still unknown?

Illinois has still not announced what college entrance test will be given to juniors (ACT,
SAT, or other) or whether the state will fund a test in schools due to the budget crisis in
Springfield.
The state has not announced dates for the college entrance test.
The state has not announced which level(s) will be taking the PARCC test.
The state has not described the Science Assessment or provided date information other
than stating that it will target grade 10.

When will Illinois announce important information about testing?

This is unknown due to the budget crisis but it is speculated that more information will be
available in November or December.

Should MCHS students still be planning on taking the ACT?

YES! MCHS, like most schools, believes that all students should take the ACT and have college
options. Our juniors will still take the ACT IF it is offered by the State of Illinois. If it is not, juniors
should still plan to take it offsite on national testing dates. We will continue promote that juniors
have a strong ACT prep strategy and help them enact that plan! Annually, our juniors engage in
prep in a variety of different ways and this effort helps juniors raise their ACT scores from their
September practice ACT.
For more information on ACT go to
http://www.actstudent.org/
To find a list of ACT test dates and register for the ACT go to
http://www.actstudent.org/regist/dates.html

What is important about these assessments?

MCHS believes that these tests are more than just a number, but a measure of the degree that
students have worked hard in school to become college and career ready. We believe that it is
important for students to try hard and do their best at whatever the task is at hand. Standardized
tests are no different and can be viewed as a piece of the overall picture and a reflection of what
a student has learned throughout the school years.

What will the emphasis be with our students?

Until more is known about the PARCC test and its meaning, MCHS will continue to emphasize
the EPAS testing program and utilize retired EXPLORE, PLAN, and practice ACT tests. MCHS
relies on the eighth grade EXPLORE for high school placement information and it provides a
th
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baseline for growth over time. The PLAN test for 9 and 10 graders provides a view of student
progress towards career and college readiness and future success on the ACT. MCHS will also
stress to students the importance of doing their best on the PARCC examinations, as it will be an
indicator of college and career readiness that colleges will be looking to examine. Currently,
colleges and universities are developing strategies and plans for how they will use information
from these assessments.

How did Illinois students do on the PARCC Test in Year One?

With all pilot years, data is gathered to establish baseline results to study and make future
improvements. Illinois just released the overall performance information for all students in the
state. A brief explanation on scoring levels and a table of performance from State Superintendent
Dr. Tony Smith is included below.

for more information on the meaning of these results and messages from State Superintendent Tony Smith see link
http://www.isbe.net/news/2015/sept16.htm

How did MCHS students do on the PARCC Test in Year One?

Illinois has not released school performance reports or reports for individual students yet and will
do so later this fall. However, the following reflection on the efforts of MCHS students is important
to note. All over Illinois, high school students questioned and challenged the relevance and
purpose of PARCC tests. In 2015, MCHS tested predominately Juniors (English level III and
Algebra II level students) on PARCC. During two distinct testing windows in March and April
2015, MCHS students took the PARCC test. Our students by far and large had excellent
attendance and were respectful in the way they conducted their tests. We look forward to
receiving our school and student reports so we can plan for future improvements in this mandated
test.