Eliminating PARCC 'A Step In The Right Direction:' Superintendent

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — Local school officials said the moves Gov. Phil murphy announced Tuesday that are a big step in eliminating the PARCC exam appear to be a step in the right direction.

Ridgewood Superintendent of Schools Daniel Fishbein said from what he has read, "it appears to be a step in the right direction, similar to what we had prior to PARCC."

Fishbein said the district has not received anything from the state Department of Education regarding what Murphy discussed.

"I will be interest to see what happens in 'Phase two,' which will be available in the next few months," Fishbein said.

Murphy said 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."

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, state Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex, noted.

For more on Gov. Murphy's proposed changes, click here.

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

With reporting by Tom Davis

Email daniel.hubbard@patch.com

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