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Printer-friendly versionPDF versionThe PARCC assessment have six priority purposes, which are driving the design of the system
The priority purposes of PARCC Assessments are:
Determine whether students are college- and career-ready or on track
Assess the full range of the Common Core Standards, including standards that are difficult to measure
Measure the full range of student performance, including the performance high- and low-performing students
Provide data during the academic year to inform instruction, interventions and professional development
Provide data for accountability, including measures of growth
Incorporate innovative approaches throughout the assessment system
To address the priority purposes, PARCC will develop an assessment system comprised of multiple components. Each component will be computer-delivered and will use technology to incorporate innovations.
- Two summative, required assessment components designed to:
- Make “college- and career-readiness” and “on-track” determinations,
- Measure the full range of standards and full performance continuum, and
- Provide data for accountability uses, including measures of growth.
- Two non-summative, optional assessment components designed to:
- Generate timely information for informing instruction, interventions, and professional development during the school year.
- In English language arts/literacy, an additional non-summative component will assess students’ speaking and listening skills. This component is required, but the score is not included in the summative score. This component will be locally scored.
PARCC will also use technology throughout the design and implementation of the assessment system. The overall assessment system design will include a mix of constructed response items, performance-based tasks, and computer-enhanced, computer-scored items. The PARCC assessments will be administered via computer, and a combination of automated scoring and human scoring will be employed.
