NJ Gov. Phil Murphy Takes Big Step To Reduce, Possibly Kill PARCC

Gov. Phil Murphy has taken a big step toward killing PARCC, saying Tuesday he plans to eliminate exams and make other drastic reductions as part of a "streamlining" effort.

Murphy said he's proposing to do the following:

• Streamlining graduation requirements by reducing the number of required tests in high school from six to two
• Ensuring that educators and parents receive test data in a timely manner.
• Providing flexibility for first-year English learners on the English language proficiency test.
• Reducing the length of testing for all grades by approximately 25 percent.
• Reducing the weight of the assessment on teacher evaluations.
• Reducing the length of testing for all grades by approximately 25 percent.

"I would have liked to have personally liked to have ditched PARCC on day one," Murphy said during a press conference, referring to a campaign promise he made last year. "That just wasn't feasible."

Murphy said the steps are part of "transitioning away" from the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) and toward a new generation of statewide testing by issuing a report, detailing proposals for draft regulations and other upcoming changes in the 2018-19 school year.

Those changes much ultimately be approved by state education officials. Indeed, recommendations were collected by the New Jersey Department of Education during a two-month, 21-county tour.

Save Our Schools NJ, which has worked with state officials and served as the leading anti-PARCC advocate group, applauded the Murphy Administration for:

• Reducing the number of high-stakes standardized tests that New Jersey high school students must take by eliminating the Algebra II, Geometry, and 9th and 11th grade English Language Arts PARCC tests
• Ensuring that more students can graduate from high school by making alternative high school graduation testing options and the portfolio option available to all students, once they take the PARCC ELA 10 and Algebra 1 tests.

While it wasn't clear what may take PARCC's place, Education Commissioner Lamont Repollet said the administration's goal is to make the educational system "accessible" and "equitable."

"By reducing, we want to make sure we do it right," Murphy said. "I want to get to a better more enlightened place in assessing our kids."

Repollet and his staff traveled over 5,700 miles, held approximately 75 in-person sessions, three live webinars, and heard from more than 2,300 students, teachers, school administrators, education advocates and community leaders about PARCC.

“Because of a focused, concentrated effort to reach out to New Jersey residents and to give them a voice at the table, we are on a clear path away from PARCC,” said Murphy. “By making the transition in phases, we can ensure a smooth implementation in schools across the state and maintain compliance with current state and federal requirements.”

The transition will be made in multiple phases. The first phase began with "stakeholder outreach" and culminates with the report and proposed short-term changes.

“A stronger, fairer New Jersey means one that prioritizes outreach and collaboration when making policy decisions,” said Repollet. “My staff and I went on a listening tour across the state to ensure that we understood the scope of interest, and we moved forward having considered the needs of students, educators, and broader community members in building the next generation assessment system by New Jersey, for New Jersey.”

Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex, today commended Murphy’s recommendation to eliminate some of the PARCC exams used to test student proficiency, as part of a larger plan to begin to transition away from the controversial assessment.

The PARCC was made a graduation requirement for high school students despite being heavily criticized since its inception as a flawed and unfair measurement tool that hurt students, he noted.

“This is a step in the right direction. From the moment it was introduced, the PARCC was widely criticized by teachers, school administrators, parents and students for being overly confusing and taking up too much instructional time. We cannot evaluate student proficiency and base a student’s ability to graduate on a flawed system," he said.

Here is his press conference:

Governor Murphy photo