PARCC Tests Show AACPS Students Are Ready For College, Careers

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Maryland's Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) exams, the often controversial tests implemented in 2015, show that students' math scores statewide have remained flat and even dipped down, while English test scores showed some improvement across the state. This is the last year the state will use PARCC.

According to Anne Arundel County Public Schools, the percentage of students who reached the level designated as college and career ready on their PARCC assessments rose more than 1.7 percentage points at all grade levels, according to the data released by the Maryland State Department of Education.

The percentages rose 3.6 points in high school to 61.1 percent, 2.1 points in middle school to 48.4 percent and 1.7 points in elementary school to 49.8 percent. At all levels, the percentage of students achieving a score of 4 or 5, which is considered to be proficient by MSDE, exceeds the percentage for all students in Maryland.

Five elementary schools and two high schools with the Anne Arundel County School District saw double-digit gains in test results. Brooklyn Park Elementary School saw a 14.6 point increase, the largest of any school. Other double-digit gains at the elementary level were seen at South Shore Elementary School (13.9 points), Cape St. Claire Elementary School (11.2 points) and Mayo and Odenton elementary schools (10.1 points).

At the high school level, Northeast High School saw an 11.3 point increase, Severna Park High School saw an 11.1-point jump and North County High School saw gains of 7.7 points. The largest gain at the middle school level was at Crofton Middle School, which saw a 7.5 point increase. Magothy River and Arundel middle schools each saw a 6.9-point gain.

Math scores decreased across the state overall and that trend occurred in Anne Arundel County Public Schools scores, too. Overall, 37.2 percent passed in math. There was a decline of 0.3 points at the elementary level and the same at the middle school algebra I levels. There was a 1.6 point decrease in middle school math, which excludes algebra I students, and a 6-point decrease in high school algebra I.

“Even as we transition to a new assessment, our focus remains the same – to grow children,” Superintendent George Arlotto said in a statement. “These results are clear evidence that we are continuing to do that in English language arts, and that we – as is the case in most of the state – have more work to do in math. We also continue to have sizeable gaps, particularly with regard to African-American and Hispanic students, and eradicating them remains the overarching goal of all of our schools.”

There were significant gains among individual schools. Monarch Academy (29.3 points) Marley Middle School (18.2 points), Corkran Middle School (13.0 points) and MacArthur Middle School (12.7 points) each saw double-digit increases among middle school algebra I test-takers.
At the elementary school level, Monarch Academy increased by 9.6 points, followed by Brooklyn Park Elementary School (8.7 points), Hillsmere Elementary School (8.4 points), Cape St. Claire Elementary School (7.4 points) and Sunset Elementary School (7.3 points).

Among student groups, African-American students scoring proficient rose by 5.9 points in middle school algebra I and 2.5 points in middle school English language arts. The biggest gain among schools in English language arts was at Corkran Middle School, which saw a nine-point increase among its African-American students, followed by Crofton Middle School (8.7 points), Marley Middle School (8.4 points) and Arundel Middle School (7.0 points).

The percentage of proficient multiracial students rose by 4.4 points in middle school English language arts and the percentage of proficient Hispanic students rose by 2.8 points in the same subject.

Last year was the final year in which the PARCC assessments were administered. The state is moving to the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP), which will focus on the same content and utilize material developed by state educators.

Maryland State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Karen Salmon said during a meeting Aug. 27 that the state "has work to do" in the area of math instruction, but couldn't pinpoint the exact cause of the low math scores.

“Unless we had some startling information that clarifies this trend, I think that it’s just a conundrum,” Salmon said, according to WTOP.