State Votes To Create New Test: Hybrid of PARCC and MCAS

By Susan Petroni (Patch staff)

The Massachusetts Board of Education voted 8-3 today, Nov. 17, to create a new hybrid assessment test for students, that will combine parts of the MCAS test and parts of PARCC.

All students will begin taking the new hybrid test in spring of 2017.

Under the plan voted today, school districts that used PARCC will use PARCC in the spring of 2016. School districts that used, MCAS will have the option to use PARCC in 2016, but must switch to the new hybrid assessment testing in 2017.

The only student who will not use PARCC in spring 2017 will be grade 10 students, who will still take the MCAS exam, a requirement for graduation in Massachusetts.