Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is a Participating State in the PARCC Consortium

John Weiss, Director of the Bureau of Assessment and Accountability at the Pennsylvania Department of Education, is the K-12 Lead for PARCC in Pennsylvania. Dr. John Cavanaugh, Chancellor of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, serves on the PARCC Advisory Committee on College Readiness.   

State Commitment to College and Career Readiness

Pennsylvania has been active in the American Diploma Project Network since 2005, aligning its standards to the expectations of postsecondary education and careers.  The Pennsylvania State Board of Education adopted the Common Core State Standards in mathematics and English language arts/literacy in July 2010.  The state joined the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers as a Participating State in the spring of 2010 and helped shape PARCC’s proposal for a common, next-generation assessment system.

Postsecondary Commitment to College and Career Readiness

The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, Pennsylvania Commission on Community Colleges, Pennsylvania State University, and University of Pittsburgh have committed to participate in PARCC, help develop the college-ready assessments, and, ultimately, use those assessments as one indicator of students’ readiness for entry-level, credit-bearing college courses.  Together, these institutions educate nearly 95% of the freshman entering public colleges and universities in Pennsylvania. See a full list of participating institutions here.

Quick Links

• Pennsylvania’s State Profile
• Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children